1993 John Hancock Bowl Explained

Year Game Played:1993
Game Name:John Hancock Bowl
Subheader:60th Sun Bowl
Football Season:1993
Visitor Name Short:Oklahoma
Visitor Nickname:Sooners
Home Name Short:Texas Tech
Home Nickname:Red Raiders
Visitor Record:8–3
Visitor Conference:Big Eight
Home Record:6–5
Home Conference:SWC
Visitor Coach:Gary Gibbs
Home Coach:Spike Dykes
Visitor Rank Ap:19
Visitor Rank Coaches:16
Visitor Rank Bowlcoalition:19
Visitor 1Q:14
Visitor 2Q:14
Visitor 3Q:0
Visitor 4Q:13
Home 1Q:0
Home 2Q:3
Home 3Q:7
Home 4Q:0
Date Game Played:December 24
Stadium:Sun Bowl
City:El Paso, Texas
Mvp:QB Cale Gundy (Oklahoma)
Referee:Aster Sizemore (SEC)
Attendance:43,848
Us Network:CBS
Us Announcers Link:List of announcers of major college bowl games
Us Announcers:Dick Stockton
Randy Cross
Pat O'Brien
Game Link:Sun Bowl
Different Next:1994

The 1993 John Hancock Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game that featured the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Oklahoma Sooners.

After holding sponsorship rights to the game since 1986, and also naming beginning in 1989, John Hancock Insurance’s licensing agreement ended following this game. The bowl reverted to its previous name, the Sun Bowl, for the next season.

Background

The Red Raiders finished tied for 2nd in the Southwest Conference for the third straight year after going from a 1-5 start to winning five straight games to close out the regular season, in their first bowl appearance since 1989 and first sun Bowl since 1972. Oklahoma finished 4th in the Big Eight Conference after a 5-0 start derailed into a 3-3 finish, with their three losses being to ranked teams (#20 Colorado, #25 Kansas State & #2 Nebraska, respectively). This was Oklahoma's first Sun Bowl since 1981.

Game summary

Dwayne Chandler scored on a two-yard touchdown to give Oklahoma a quick lead less than two minutes into the game that culminated a 37-yard drive in 47 seconds. Rickey Brady made it 14-0 on Oklahoma's next possession (7 plays for 69 yards) to with 3:30 in the quarter. Tech responded with a field goal by Jon Davis from 22 yards out with 5:24 in the half. But Oklahoma took advantage of the time left in the half to score twice. Corey Warren caught a pass from 34 yards out by Cale Gundy to make it 21-3 with 1:45 to go, and Brady scored on a touchdown pass from 15 yards out to make it 28-3 with :05 left in the half. The third quarter had just one score, by Tech's Bam Morris on a 2-yard touchdown run less than 4 minutes into the second half that made it 28-10. In the fourth quarter, the Sooners shut the Raiders out, scoring twice in the quarter. Jerald Moore made it 35-10 on a 32-yard touchdown run and then scored again as time ran out to make the final score 41-10. Gundy went 15-of-26 for 215 yards and 3 touchdowns and 1 interception in an MVP effort. Moore rushed for 85 yards on 15 carries. In a losing effort, Morris went for 95 yards on 27 carries.[1] [2]

Aftermath

Oklahoma and Texas Tech were joined into the same conference after the demise of the SWC in 1996. The Sooners returned to the Sun Bowl in 2009. Texas Tech has not returned to the Sun Bowl since this game.

Statistics

Statistics Oklahoma Texas Tech
First Downs 2118
Yards Rushing177116
Yards Passing 215199
Total Yards 392315
Punts-Average 7-48.37-42.6
Fumbles-Lost 4-20-0
Passes Intercepted4 1
Penalties-Yards 9-656-65
Possession Time 35:22 24:38

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NCAA Official Scoring Summary - Texas Tech University vs. University of Oklahoma . sunbowl.org . December 24, 1993.
  2. News: John Hancock Bowl : Sooners Roll, Feel like Champions . December 25, 1993 . Associated Press . Los Angeles Times.