1951 Sugar Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 1951 Sugar Bowl was the 17th Sugar Bowl
matchup, pitting the Big Seven
champion Oklahoma Sooners
(ranked #1 in the Associated Press poll) against the Southeastern Conference
champion Kentucky Wildcats
(ranked #7). Oklahoma's regular season record was 10-0; Kentucky's was 10-1. Oklahoma averaged 34.5 points per game; only one team had scored more than twice in a game against Kentucky that season. Oklahoma entered the January 1, 1951 game with a 31 game winning streak; the Sooners' last loss had come on September 25, 1948. Kentucky was coached by Bear Bryant
; Oklahoma was coached by Bud Wilkinson
. Notable players for the two teams included Oklahoma's Billy Vessels
and Kentucky's Charlie McClendon, Babe Parilli
and Wilbur "Shorty" Jamerson. 82,000 fans attended the game.
Kentucky fielded three defensive tackles for much of the game, which caused Oklahoma quarterback Claude Arnold to hurry his handoffs and passes. One Kentucky tackle was Bob Gain
, winner of the Outland Trophy
that season. The third Wildcat tackle was Walt Yowarsky
, who had played less than five minutes on defense during the regular season. Yowarsky recovered a fumble on the Oklahoma 22 yard line, leading to Kentucky's first score: on the next play after Yowarsky's fumble recovery, Kentucky quarterback Babe Parilli
threw a touchdown pass to Wilbur Jameson for a 7-0 Kentucky lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter Kentucky drove 81 yards for a touchdown, a run by Wilbur Jamerson, taking a 13-0 lead.
In the third quarter, Oklahoma had the ball, first and goal on the Kentucky 3 yard line. The Wildcat defense held on first and second down; on third down Yowarsky tackled the Oklahoma ball carrier for a five yard loss. On fourth down, Oklahoma was stopped and Kentucky took possession.
In the fourth quarter, Yowarsky recovered a fumbled punt.
With seven minutes left in the game, Oklahoma quarterback Billy Vessels
threw a 17 yard touchdown pass to Merrill Green. Kentucky, however, retained possession of the football for the rest of the game, with the exception of one play, for a 13-7 victory. Yowarsky was named the game's Most Valuable Player.
In that year the final Associated Press poll came out before the bowl games, and Oklahoma claimed a national championship. Kentucky, however, also holds an NCAA-recognized national championship for that season, as the Sagarin ratings held Kentucky to be the best team in the country that year.
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
matchup, pitting the Big Seven
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
champion Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners
The University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...
(ranked #1 in the Associated Press poll) against the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
champion Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference...
(ranked #7). Oklahoma's regular season record was 10-0; Kentucky's was 10-1. Oklahoma averaged 34.5 points per game; only one team had scored more than twice in a game against Kentucky that season. Oklahoma entered the January 1, 1951 game with a 31 game winning streak; the Sooners' last loss had come on September 25, 1948. Kentucky was coached by Bear Bryant
Bear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...
; Oklahoma was coached by Bud Wilkinson
Bud Wilkinson
Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to 1963, compiling a record of 145–29–4. His Oklahoma Sooners won three national championships and 14...
. Notable players for the two teams included Oklahoma's Billy Vessels
Billy Vessels
Billy Vessels was a standout football player in his hometown of Cleveland, Oklahoma, where he was known as "Curly." He went on to play college football for the University of Oklahoma and win the 1952 Heisman trophy. He was the first Oklahoman to win the award, which is given to the nation's top...
and Kentucky's Charlie McClendon, Babe Parilli
Babe Parilli
-Biography:Parilli was born in the Pittsburgh industrial suburb of Rochester, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Kentucky as an All-American starting quarterback for the Wildcats under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant....
and Wilbur "Shorty" Jamerson. 82,000 fans attended the game.
Kentucky fielded three defensive tackles for much of the game, which caused Oklahoma quarterback Claude Arnold to hurry his handoffs and passes. One Kentucky tackle was Bob Gain
Bob Gain
Robert Gain is a former American football player who played 13 seasons for the Cleveland Browns, and also played in the Canadian Football League. For his NFL career the Pro Football Researchers Association voted Gain in the NFL "Hall of the Very Good in the Class of 2010"...
, winner of the Outland Trophy
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
that season. The third Wildcat tackle was Walt Yowarsky
Walt Yowarsky
Walter Robert Yowarsky is a former American football defensive end and offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, New York Giants, and the San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at the University of Kentucky and was drafted in the third...
, who had played less than five minutes on defense during the regular season. Yowarsky recovered a fumble on the Oklahoma 22 yard line, leading to Kentucky's first score: on the next play after Yowarsky's fumble recovery, Kentucky quarterback Babe Parilli
Babe Parilli
-Biography:Parilli was born in the Pittsburgh industrial suburb of Rochester, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Kentucky as an All-American starting quarterback for the Wildcats under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant....
threw a touchdown pass to Wilbur Jameson for a 7-0 Kentucky lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter Kentucky drove 81 yards for a touchdown, a run by Wilbur Jamerson, taking a 13-0 lead.
In the third quarter, Oklahoma had the ball, first and goal on the Kentucky 3 yard line. The Wildcat defense held on first and second down; on third down Yowarsky tackled the Oklahoma ball carrier for a five yard loss. On fourth down, Oklahoma was stopped and Kentucky took possession.
In the fourth quarter, Yowarsky recovered a fumbled punt.
With seven minutes left in the game, Oklahoma quarterback Billy Vessels
Billy Vessels
Billy Vessels was a standout football player in his hometown of Cleveland, Oklahoma, where he was known as "Curly." He went on to play college football for the University of Oklahoma and win the 1952 Heisman trophy. He was the first Oklahoman to win the award, which is given to the nation's top...
threw a 17 yard touchdown pass to Merrill Green. Kentucky, however, retained possession of the football for the rest of the game, with the exception of one play, for a 13-7 victory. Yowarsky was named the game's Most Valuable Player.
In that year the final Associated Press poll came out before the bowl games, and Oklahoma claimed a national championship. Kentucky, however, also holds an NCAA-recognized national championship for that season, as the Sagarin ratings held Kentucky to be the best team in the country that year.
External links
- Kentucky Wildcats 1950 games, opponents and results
- Oklahoma Sooners 1950 games, opponents and results
- Bear Bryant biography with description of 1951 Sugar Bowl
- University of Kentucky Athletics Association article on the 1951 Sugar Bowl
- ESPN Classic article on Bud Wilkinson, including national championship claim of Oklahoma despite loss in the Sugar Bowl
- Celebration of Wilbur "Shorty" Jamerson, a Henderson, Kentucky Football Hero