Five standout Oklahoma football bowl wins not for a national title
By Chip Rouse
No. 4 — 2003 Rose Bowl: Oklahoma 34, Washington State 14
Two seasons removed from winning its seventh national championship, Oklahoma finished the regular season with a record of 11-2, a Big 12 championship and its first-ever berth in the granddady of them all, the Rose Bowl. The Sooners’ opponent, Washington State was 10-2 and co-champions of the Pac-10.
Bob Stoops fielded questions the entire week before the Rose Bowl game asking if he was concerned about the Sooners ability to defend Washington State quarterback Jason Gesser and the Cougars’ outstanding passing game. Instead, what the reporters should have been asking if he thought Washington State could stop the Sooners explosive aerial attack?
Oklahoma nearly doubled Washington State’s yards of offense in the opening half, but until the final two minutes had only a field goal to show for it on the scoreboard. With under two minutes to go in the first half, the Sooners struck paydirt twice, the first on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Nate Hybl to Antwone Savage and the second on a 51-yard punt return for a touchdown by Antonio Perkins.
The Sooners led 17-0 at the half and stretched the lead to 20-0 on a 30-yard field goal by Trey DiCarlo in the third quarter. Oklahoma led 27-0 in the fourth quarter before Washington State scored on a 37-yard touchdown pass by Gesser. The Cougars would score once more in the final quarter, as would the Sooners, to finish out a 34-14 OU victory over No. 7-ranked Washington State.
Oklahoma rolled up 386 yards of offense compared to a season-low 243 by Washington State. Hybl completed 19 of 29 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns and was named MVP of the game. OU’s Quentin Griffin rushed for 162 yards on 30 carries.
The Cougars came into the Rose Bowl game averaging just under 35 points a game but didn’t score their first points until the 6:08 mark in the final quarter.