FYI Astro Bluebonnet Bowl

by **Treadway21** » Tue Dec 31, 2013 8:14 pm

Was 45 years ago today:

@dfwsportspast: Dec. 31, 1968: Chuck Hixson throws 2 TD passes in the 4th quarter as No. 20 #SMU beats No. 10 Oklahoma, 28-27, in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl.

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by **mrydel** » Tue Dec 31, 2013 8:17 pm

I was there. Great game. Rufus Cormier was a beast.

by **NavyCrimson** » Tue Dec 31, 2013 9:02 pm

Remember watching it on TV as I was n elementary school. Parents were having a New Years party & half the party was n the den watching the game. What a great night!!!

by **Treadway21** » Tue Dec 31, 2013 9:30 pm

I took out my snide remark at the end of that post. The anniversary should be celebrated for its own merit.

I wasn't old enough to watch the AB Bowl, but I did see us give OU a good quarter in Norman in 1986. I can only how much fun it was to beat them in a bowl game.

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by **DanFreibergerForHeisman** » Tue Dec 31, 2013 9:48 pm

Treadway21 wrote:I took out my snide remark at the end of that post. The anniversary should be celebrated for its own merit.

I wasn't old enough to watch the AB Bowl, but I did see us give OU a good quarter in Norman in 1986. I can only how much fun it was to beat them in a bowl game.

Norman was 1985 - the game moved to the end of the season since it had national championship implications (ha!) - but yeah that first quarter was awesome.

My parents were at the Bluebonnet Bowl. I was less than a year old but for some reason they didn't take me.

by **mrydel** » Tue Dec 31, 2013 10:00 pm

Treadway21 wrote:I took out my snide remark at the end of that post. The anniversary should be celebrated for its own merit.

I wasn't old enough to watch the AB Bowl, but I did see us give OU a good quarter in Norman in 1986. I can only how much fun it was to beat them in a bowl game.

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I thought your snide remark was very fitting. That bowl was in the day when getting to a bowl was quite an accomplishment, especially for SMU, known for poor travel. We had a good year and Hixson was unbelievable all year.

by **Pugilistic Pony** » Tue Dec 31, 2013 10:15 pm

I was there! My dad had said I shouldn't bother going to Houston, because OU would whip SMU's butt. I, of course, went anyway. I rubbed that win into his hide for a full year.

by **ponyscott** » Tue Dec 31, 2013 11:28 pm

I watched the game on TV and had never heard of SMU at the time....it stuck in my craw and that game and the pony etc. actually influenced me to attend SMU. It does work!

by **PoconoPony** » Wed Jan 01, 2014 8:57 pm

I was there and it was a thrilling game. Oklahoma All America fullback Steve Owens had never lost a yard in this career and the Mustangs got him 3 times. Do not forget the great game by Mike Richardson both running and receiving.

by **lwjr** » Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:00 pm

For those that were there, do you recall the size of the SMU crowd?

by **mrydel** » Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:23 pm

The Astrodome was full. I did not notice those for or against. With limited bowl games they were usually full back then. They were not competing against several other games.

by **NavyCrimson** » Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:27 pm

Exactly.

That's part of the problem today w/ all the meaningless bowl games.

by **orguy** » Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:28 pm

Treadway21 wrote:I took out my snide remark at the end of that post. The anniversary should be celebrated for its own merit.

I wasn't old enough to watch the AB Bowl, but I did see us give OU a good quarter in Norman in 1986. I can only how much fun it was to beat them in a bowl game.

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Was at that 85 Game in the SMU section. OU had just come off the ice bowl against OSU the week before. Their only loss that season was in Norman against a very fast and talented Jimmy Johnson Miami team. OU was ranked number one. We (SMU) were suffering that year. There was so much anticipation before the 85 season. Sports illustrated had SMU number 1 in their preseason poll. An early blowout loss at Arizona put things in perspective. The only highlight that year was the blowout win against UT.

As for the game in Norman..hmm..that first quarter march down the field for 7 points definitely raised some eyebrows amongst the gooner faithful. However, things turned ugly fast. I've never witnessed a faster Defense that those Sooners (well, maybe the 83 longhorns or some of our guys 81/82)

One memory I have after the contest were some of the redneck OU fans yelling at Reggie Dupard as he approached the tunnel. Scary rednecks the bunch of them. Have not been back to that dump of a town since.

by **DanFreibergerForHeisman** » Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:28 pm

mrydel wrote:The Astrodome was full. I did not notice those for or against. With limited bowl games they were usually full back then. They were not competing against several other games.

The attendance was officially 53,543 - which would have been a very full Astrodome for football at that time.

by **mrydel** » Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:41 pm

DanFreibergerForHeisman wrote:
mrydel wrote:The Astrodome was full. I did not notice those for or against. With limited bowl games they were usually full back then. They were not competing against several other games.

The attendance was officially 53,543 - which would have been a very full Astrodome for football at that time.

Oklahoma recovered an onside kick late and drove into field goal range. On the final play they attempted the fg. I was sitting on about the 10 yard line at the end they were kicking. When kicked, the whole end zone started cheering. I had not heard any noise from that end zone all evening so assumed they were OU fans and the kick was good. I was wrong. I guess they had just been our typical quiet fans for the first 59:59.