1972 Sugar Bowl Oklahoma - Auburn ABC Broadcast

Описание: 1972 Sugar bowl for the 1971 Season
'Oklahoma Easily Best We Face Faced'-Auburn's Jordan
NEW ORLEANS (AP) It was a pretty surprising statement, coming after a 40-22 victory over Auburn in the Sugar Bowl football classic Saturday, but Oklahoma Coach Chuck Fairbanks said his Sooners came to New Orleans "running scared." Fairbanks lavished praise on his special teams after the victory before record crowd of 84,031 and singled out his defensive unit "that gave the offense the opportunity to score several times in the first half." "We didn't come here to set any records." the youthful Oklahoma pilot said. "In fact, we came here running scared." The Sooners, the nation's No. 3 team in the final regular season Associated Press poll, set a flock of new Sugar Bowl marks in their lopsided triumph over Heisman Trophy winner Pat Sullivan and his Auburn team. Asked to compare Oklahoma and Alabama, Coach Ralph "Shug" Jordan of Auburn said he thought Oklahoma is "easily the best team we faced all year : They certainly were impressive today." Sullivan agreed that Oklahoma is the best team the War Eagles faced in a 10 game season that saw them lose only to second-ranked Alabama. "There is no doubt they are the biggest, strongest, finest looking team I've seen," Sullivan said.

Jordan said his Auburn lads were courageous with a second half showing that produced three touchdowns. "A lesser group of men would have rolled over and played dead, but our boys came back," Jordan • said of the 31-0 lead Oklahoma had at halftime. Defensive tackle Tommy Yearout, who set up an Auburn touchdown with a 49- yard return of a mid-air Oklahoma fumble, said he didn't think Auburn had enough confidence in the first half and consequently, "we didn't play well. "In the second half I think we realized we were good enough to with them and started playing much better,' Yearout said. Sooner quarterback Jack Mildren, named the game's most valuable player, paid tribute to Sullivan in remarks on the field immediately after the game.

"Pat Sullivan is some football player and deserved the Heisman Trophy," Mildren said. "What Ed Marinaro said was out of place. Sullivan deserved the award.' Mildren referred to Cornell fullback Ed Marinaro who said he believed he, rather than Sullivan, deserved the Heisman Trophy. Fairbanks went on to praise his entire team. "Our offensive line did a super job.

We went north and south pretty good," Fairbanks said. "Jack Mildren played a great game. But he's had a bunch of great games. For our type of game, he is the best in the business." In front of Mildren stood a strong line that opened up gaping holes for all four men in the backfield. The Sooners steamrolled to a record 439 yards total offense and they wasted no time in finding the holes -moving 78 yards and a score the first time they had the ball.

Offensive guard Darryl Emmert said he thought Auburn's line was no tougher than any other team they had faced. "They're nowhere near Nebraska though. I think they were surprised by the potency of our wishbone, and our ability to move inside surprised me too," said Emmert. "Why did we do so well?" offensive Dean Unruh. asked himself.

"We are just a lot bigger and a lot quicker, than they are.".


Statistics A-84,031. Statistics
Oklahoma 19 12 3 6-40
Auburn 0 0 7 15-22
Okla Crosswhite 4 run (kick failed) Okla-Mildren run (Carroll kick) Okla- Wiylie 71 punt return (pass failed) Okla 4 (run failed) Okla-Mildren 7 run (pass failed) Okla--FG Carroll 53 Aub-Unger 12 run (Jett kick) Okla Pruitt 2 run (kick failed) -Cannon 12 pass from Sullivan (Jett kick) Aub Unger 1 run (Beck run) Oklahoma Auburn First Downs 28 15 Rushes yards 87-430 19-40 Passing yardage 11 250 Return 98 49 Passes 1-4-0 20-45-2 Punts 5-35 5-49 Yards Fumbles lost penalized 12 2 FO Individual Statistics Rushing Oklahoma: Mildren 30-149: Pruitt 18-95: Crosswhite 17-78. Auburn: Unger 6-33; Lowry 5-12. Receiving -Oklahoma; chandler 1-11.

Auburn: Beasley 6-117; Unger 5-36. Passing Oklahoma; Mildren 1-4-0, 11. Auburn: Sullivan 20-44-1, 250..