Oklahoma State Runs All Over Wyoming, 62-14

All through a Heisman Trophy season in which he broke or tied 24 NCAA records, Barry Sanders was never accused of being greedy.

So when Oklahoma State Coach Pat Jones approached him at the start of the fourth quarter and asked him if he wanted back in on a 62-14 rout of Wyoming in the Sea World Holiday Bowl at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium Friday night, it only seemed right that the humble Sanders declined.

“Coach Jones asked me if I wanted some more,” Sanders said. “I told him I’d rather not.”

That was the best news Wyoming had heard all night. Because by then, Sanders had plenty, even by his prolific standards: 5 touchdowns, 222 yards rushing, 29 carries and the first pass completion of his college career.

His touchdowns came on runs of 33, 2, 67, 1 and 10 yards.

The 67-yard run, the 5 touchdowns and 29 carries were all Holiday Bowl records. Sanders could have broken another record--the 225 yards by Craig James of Southern Methodist in 1980--had he elected to return with Oklahoma State leading, 45-14.

“They told me that I was 2 or 3 yards away, but it didn’t mean anything to me at all,” Sanders said. “I’m just glad we won the game.”

It came as no surprise to Jones that after 2,850 yards and 44 touchdowns, Sanders was quite ready to call quits on his junior season.

“He had no desire to go back in and get the record,” Jones said. “That typifies the kind of person he is.”

As for what kind of football player he is, that was left for the sellout crowd of 60,718 to marvel at and the Wyoming defense to hopeless try to stop.

“(Sanders) was everything that he was advertised--strong, quick, fast,” Wyoming Coach Paul Roach said. “He’s be terrific (even) on asphalt.”

Actually, Sanders performance was just the most spectacular part of another high-powered offensive show by the nation’s top-scoring team.

Outdone by Sanders but not unnoticed were quarterback Mike Gundy and wide receiver Hart Lee Dykes.

Gundy completed 20 of 24 passes for 315 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also was on the receiving end of a 17-yard pass from Sanders that set up his Sanders’ fourth touchdown run.

Dykes, the senior All-American, caught 10 passes for a bowl-record 163 yards and 1 touchdown.

Theirs was best of what was a record-setting offensive night for a 11-year-old bowl known for big scores. Among the bowl records broken by Oklahoma State were points (62) and total offensive yards (698).

But a more obscure record truly shows the dominance of Oklahoma State: no punts. Oklahoma State scored on 10 of its 12 possessions, losing a fumble and missing a 51-yard field goal try on the others.

“We really were only in the the game for about 1 1/2 quarters,” Roach said. “Then Sanders got some room.”

Wyoming (11-2) tried its best to keep the ball out of Sanders’ hands, kicking low, dribbling punts and kickoffs that were designed to limit his effectiveness as a return specialist.

The ploy worked as Sanders gained only 18 yards on 2 kick returns. But No. 15 Wyoming could do nothing to stop No. 12 Oklahoma State (10-2) from handing off to Sanders time after time. And the more Oklahoma State gave the ball to Sanders, the better he seemed to get.

Of his 222 yards, 155 came in the third quarter.

Only for a brief period midway through the first half was Wyoming able to slow him, holding Sanders to 21 yards on 13 carries.

Sanders wasted no time making his presence known. He scored his first touchdown on the first series of the game--a 33-yard run on which he was barely grazed. He dashed through a huge hole on the right side between the guard and tackle and easily outraced Wyoming free safety Darryl Harris into the end zone with 10:13 left in the first quarter.

It was the ninth time in 12 games that Oklahoma State, the nation’s leading offensive team at 47.5 points per game, had scored on its first possession.

Wyoming tied the game at 7-7 on quarterback Randy Welniak’s 4-yard run with 50 seconds left in the first quarter.

But Oklahoma State scored the next 17 points.

Sanders ran for his second touchdown--a 2-yarder with 1:29 left in the half. Cary Blanchard added a 33-yard field goal with 1 second left in the half. And Brent Parker caught his 12-yard touchdown pass from Gundy to end the first possession of the second half and give Oklahoma State a 24-7 lead.

Wyoming came back on its possession to draw to within 24-14 when Welniak scored his second touchdown on another 4-yard run.

But Sanders answered with a Holiday Bowl record 67-yard touchdown run on Oklahoma State’s next play, and the rout was in full stride.

Sanders finished the night by scoring on Oklahoma State’s next two possessions on runs of 1 and 10 yards for a 45-14 third-quarter lead.

Oklahoma State added 17 more points in the fourth quarter on Blanchard’s 19-yard field goal, Gundy’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Dykes and a 5-yard run by quarterback Chris Smith.

It was the 11th time in 12 games that Oklahoma State had scored more than 40 points.

Even the much-trampled Oklahoma State defense had something to brag about. After allowing an average of 454.5 yards in total offense during the regular season, Oklahoma State held Wyoming to 204. That was more than 274 below its average.

The defense harassed Welniak into two interceptions and had seven sacks.

Wyoming also was hurt by the loss of its leading rusher, Dabby Dawson, with a knee injury in the first half.

The game ended what had been a streak of incredibly close Holiday Bowls in which the past five games had been decided by 14 points, the last three having been 1-point games.

Maybe the game was due for the biggest rout in its history, topping Ohio State’s 47-17 victory over Brigham Young in 1982.

“This is the first time we’ve played a team where our offensive line was so much bigger than their defensive line,” Gunday said. “We just wore them down.”

THE RECORDSKey records set in Friday’s Holiday Bowl game (old record in parentheses:)

TEAM

Most points: Oklahoma State, 62 (Ohio State, 47, 1982).

Fewest points: Wyoming, 14 (BYU, 16, 1978).

Most first downs: Oklahoma State, 34 (BYU, 32, 1984).

Total offense: Oklahoma State, 698 yards (BYU, 520, 1979).

INDIVIDUAL

Rushing attempts: Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State, 29 (Eric Drain, Missouri, 27, 1983).

Touchdowns: Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State, 5 (Old record, 2, shared by eight players).

Long run: Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State, 67 (Tim Spencer, Ohio State, 61, 1982).

Receiving yards: Hart Lee Dykes, Oklahoma State, 163 (Clay Brown, BYU, 155, 1980).