1987 Orange Bowl
| MVP | HB Spencer Tillman LB Dante Jones |
|---|---|
The 1987 Orange Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Background
Oklahoma was champion of the Big Eight Conference for the third straight time and in the Orange Bowl for the third straight time. Only a loss to Miami early in the season cost them a shot at a second straight title. Oklahoma defensive standout Brian Bosworth was suspended for this game due to him testing positive for steroids. This was Arkansas' first Orange Bowl appearance since 1978.
Game summary
Spencer Tillman gave Oklahoma a quick 14-0 lead in the second quarter with two touchdown runs, the latter occurring after an Arkansas turnover. Quarterback Jamelle Holieway added his own two touchdown runs to make it 28-0 after three quarters. Arkansas had five interceptions on the day, as Duncan Parham and Anthony Stafford added two touchdown runs of their own to make it 42-0 for Oklahoma. With less than 25 seconds left, Arkansas scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to avoid a shutout. [1]
Aftermath
While on the sidelines, Bosworth displayed a shirt referring to the NCAA as "National Communists Against Athletes". After this game, he was dismissed from the team, and he went to declare for the Supplemental Draft. Arkansas hasn't returned to the Orange Bowl since this game. Oklahoma returned to the Orange Bowl the following year.
Statistics
| Statistics | Oklahoma | Arkansas |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 11 | 17 |
| Yards Rushing | 366 | 48 |
| Yards Passing | 47 | 192 |
| Total Yards | 413 | 240 |
| Punts-Average | 5-47.6 | 9-41.1 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 3-2 | 2-0 |
| Interceptions | 0 | 5 |
| Penalties-Yards | 4-40 | 3-25 |