Oil Bowl Flashbacks
A stroll down memory lane of past performances
Nick Gholson, Times Record News

* 50 years ago: The 1953 Oil Bowl was played for the first time in the new football stadium at Midwestern University. And for the first time, Oklahoma gave Texas a real battle.
It took a blocked extra point by Vernon's Ramon Towry late in the game to preserve a 20-19 victory for the Texans and their ninth straight win over Oklahoma.
Towry, who would go on to be have a successful coaching career in Wichita Falls - most of it at Hirschi High School - had an outstanding game. Although he was the smallest player on the field, the little linebacker played the biggest role for Texas. Not only did he block the extra point to win the game, he scored the winning touchdown on a 25-yard return after blocking a punt.
The game featured a pair of Jacks.
Oklahoma running back Jack Witucki of Tulsa was named the game's most outstanding back by a unanimous vote. He scored two touchdowns and gained 84 yards on 20 carries.
Texas fullback Jack Throckmorton of LaMarque rushed for 109 yards on 11 attempts.
Throckmorton and Don Maroney of Wichita Falls had the touchdown runs for Texas.
* 25 years ago: In desperate need of defensive help, Texas coached penciled in Ron Reeves to play linebacker in the 1978 Oil Bowl.
But as the game went on, they desperately needed an offensive spark.
So, they turned to Ron Reeves.
The versatile Texas Tech-bound star from Lubbock Monterey came on in relief and threw for one touchdown and ran for two more to spark Texas to a 27-5 win over Oklahoma.
The first time he touched the ball, Reeves led his team on a 99-yard scoring drive that ended with his 1-yard run. He later scored on a 6-yard run that ended a drive that featured his 52-yard bomb to Tony Shelton of Waco.
Reeves also threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Robert Mitchell of Houston in the second quarter.
A runaway MVP, Reeves hit 6-of-10 passes for 139 yards.
Phil Weatherall of Greenville was the game's top rusher with 93 yards on 11 carries.
Tackle Paul Kerestine of Denton led a Texas defense that limited Oklahoma to just 24 rushing yards and 36 passing yards in the game.
* 10 years ago: The 1993 game was the first Oil Bowl to ever be played in June.
Temple quarterback Adrian Woodson was the star of Texas' 23-14 win. The game's offensive MVP connected on 5-of-7 passes for 113 yards and ran eight times for 48 yards. He passed for one touchdown and set up another with a run.
Texas scored twice in the first five minutes of the game. Skip Hicks of Burkburnett caught an 18-yard pass from Woodson and had a 13-yard run in a touchdown drive that ended on Tremain Mack's 4-yard TD run. Less than a minute later Woodson hit Darin Etter with a touchdown pass for a 14-0 lead.
An 11-yard touchdown pass from Norman's Brian Self to Ardmore's Taj Johnson cut the lead to 14-7,
Texas got a short TD run from Hicks and a 26-yard field goal from Phillip Dawson in the second half.
Barron Tanner of Athens was the defensive MVP. The big tackle led a Texas defense that forced six turnovers and limited Oklahoma to just 48 rushing yards. He had seven tackles, a fumble recovery and was in on two sacks.