Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State's History at the Cotton Bowl
December 22, 2013 | Cowboy Football
Dec. 22, 2013
STILLWATER - Oklahoma State is no stranger to the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic.
This season marks the Cowboys' fourth trip to North Texas to compete in one of the most tradition-rich bowl games. OSU is 1-2 at the Cotton Bowl with a win over TCU in 1945 and a pair of losses to Mississippi in 2004 and 2010, respectively.
The 1945 clash with TCU marked the first bowl game in Oklahoma State history. Oklahoma A&M sophomore tailback whiz Bob Fenimore, the nation's total offense leader, lived up to All-America billings as the Cowboys (then known as the Aggies) bounced the local team from TCU, 34-0, for one of the most lopsided victories in Cotton Bowl history. Fenimore scored on runs of one and seven yards and completed 6-of-13 passes for 136 yards. Fullback Jim Spavital powered his way for 120 yards, including a 52-yard scoring bolt.
Meanwhile, the Aggie defense smothered TCU, not allowing the Horned Frogs past midfield until the second half. Coach Jim Lookabaugh's muscular single-wing offense harvested 494 yards of total offense, while TCU could manage only 105. In the fourth period, A&M's reserves took over with Joe Thomas and Mack Creager adding touchdowns on short plunges.
Fenimore, Neill Armstrong (who would later coach the Chicago Bears) and tackle Ralph Foster were chosen as the game's outstanding players. Fenimore was inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in the spring of 2007.
In 2002, Eli Manning threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score to lead No. 16 Mississippi to a 31-28 victory over No. 21 Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl.
Manning's one-yard keeper in the fourth quarter capped a 97-yard drive and completed a run of 24 straight points by Ole Miss.
Rashaun Woods caught a 17-yard TD pass to get Oklahoma State to 31-28 with 4:38 left, just four minutes after Vernand Morency's second touchdown run.
Woods set Cotton Bowl records with 11 catches for 223 yards. On the 72-yard drive that ended with Morency's second TD, he caught two passes for 63 yards, both on plays when cornerback Travis Johnson was called for pass interference and still couldn't prevent the catches.
Oklahoma State's Josh Fields set a Cotton Bowl record with 307 yards on 21-of-33 passing. The junior's touchdown gave him 55 in his career, breaking the school record set by his offensive coordinator, Mike Gundy (1986-89).
The 2010 rematch between the Cowboys and Rebels was dominated by defense from the start, with Mississippi emerging as a 21-7 winner. It was the first Cotton Bowl game played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Oklahoma State's defense recorded a goal-line stand and forced five turnovers (four interceptions and one fumble recovery), but it was not enough to overcome OSU's seven turnovers.
Senior linebacker Andre Sexton earned the game's defensive most valuable player honor by bagging 10 tackles, one tackle for loss and two interceptions. Seniors Lucien Antoine and Terrance Anderson also added interceptions and defensive end Jermiah Price recovered a fumble.
While the defense played well enough to win on most days, the OSU offense had trouble solving Ole Miss's defense. The Cowboys went three-and-out on each of their first five drives and finished the game with only nine first downs.
OSU's lone score came on a one-yard pass from running back Keith Toston to tight end Wilson Youman in the third quarter that tied the game at 7-7.
It was all Ole Miss from that point, however, as the Rebels scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns and forced Cowboy turnovers on each of OSU's six possessions in the final stanza to derail the Cowboys' comeback hopes.
