|
|
Sugar Bowl 1972
Oklahoma 40 Auburn 22
|
|
By ED SHEARER Associated Press Sports Writer
Mildren, a 199-pounder from Abilene, Tex., scored on runs of five, four and seven yards, and speedster Joe Wylie returned a punt 71 yards for another touchdown as the Sooners bolted to a 31-0 halftime lead.
Oklahoma's unheralded defense put a clamp on Auburn's All-American passing combination, Heisman Trophy winner Pat Sullivan and wide receiver Terry Beasley, through the first 30 minutes of action.
Sullivan and Beasley did, however, get together on passes of 42 and 35 yards in an 80-yard scoring drive in the third period, but Mildren and his mates had already settled the issue.
Auburn scored two other touchdowns, following fumble recoveries in the final four minutes.
Oklahoma, now 11-l, and loser only to top-ranked Nebraska, got its other touchdowns on a two-yard run by All-American Greg Pruitt and a four-yard plunge by Leon Crosswhite.
John Carroll, the nation's kick scoring champion, drilled a record 53-yard field goal in the third period but was successful on only one of his three extra-point kicks. The Sooners also failed on three attempts to convert for two points.
Mildren, who punched out 149 yards in 30 carries, was named the most valuable player.
Harry Unger scored two of Auburn's touchdowns on one yard plunges, and Sullivan fired a 12-yard pass to Sandy Cannon for the other.
The game attracted a crowd of 84,031, largest ever to see a bowl game in the South.
Sullivan, who missed on his first six passes of the day, finished with 20 completions in 44 attempts for 250 yards and one touchdown. He had one intercepted and Beasley, throwing off the wide receiver reverse, also threw an interception. Each led to a Sooner touchdown.
Mildren wasted no time in giving Oklahoma command, engineering a 78-yard, 13 play scoring drive following the opening kickoff. A master of the option, Mildren started it with a 17-yard run and accounted for 38 yards in five carries before sending Crosswhite the final four to give the Sooners a 6-0 lead with 9:01 left in the quarter.
Oklahoma struck for two other touchdowns in slightly more than four minutes, with Mildren scoring from the six (video), following Raymond Hamilton's recovery of a fumble at the Tiger 41. The second came when Wylie fielded Dave Beverly's 53-yard punt at the Sooner 29, raced by the first wave of Auburn defenders at his 40, cut to the right sideline and ran the rest of the way unchallenged (video).
Interceptions by Geof Nordgren of Covington, La., and Mark Driscoll, who returned his 19 yards to the Tiger 49, set up two second-period scores by Mildren.
Carroll's 53-yard field goal, a booming shot that carried into the stadium seats, lifted the Sooners to a 34-0 advantage before Auburn finally came to life.
Sullivan connected on passes of 42 and 35 yards to Beasley, setting up Unger's first touchdown. Sullivan's touchdown pass to Cannon came after Tommy Yearout picked off an Oklahoma fumble in the air and raced 49 yards to the Sooner 19. Danny Sanspree's fumble recovery at the Sooner 20 set up the final touchdown.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Greg Pruitt carries through Auburn defense. |
Lucious Selmon and Berland Moore hit Auburn runner. |
|
|
|
|
Joe Wylie on 71 yard punt return. |
|
|
Attendance- 84,031 |
|
|
|
|
NEW
ORLEANS (AP) — Senior Jack Mildren, engineering Oklahoma's awesome
Wishbone attack to perfection, scored three touchdowns Saturday as the
third-ranked Sooners blasted No. 5 Auburn 40-22 in the 38th annual Sugar
Bowl classic.
