Kentucky 13, Oklahoma 7
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| Oklahoma | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | – | 7 |
| Kentucky | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 |
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UK – Jamerson, 22 pass from Parilli (Gain PAT) UK – Jamerson, 1 run (PAT missed) OU – Green, 17 pass from Vessels (Weatherall PAT) Attendance – 82,000 |
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Dec. 6, 1947
– Kentucky arrived on the national football scene and stunned national champion Oklahoma, 13-7, to capture the 1951 Sugar Bowl before 82,000 at New Orleans.
The Wildcats, 11-1, displayed a tough defense and opportunistic offense in snapping Oklahoma’s 31-game winning streak, the longest in the nation at that time. More than 13,000 Kentucky fans made the long trip to New Orleans to watch the Southeastern Conference champions pick up their school record 11th win.
Under the direction of coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, Kentucky continually confused the favored Sooners with different defensive looks. The Wildcats used three tackles much of the time, causing OU quarterback Claude Arnold to hasten his playmaking.
Inflicting the most damage on the Sooners was Walt Yowarsky, a tackle who had played less than five minutes on the defensive side of the football in 1950. Yowarsky operated at left end, next to Outland Trophy winner Bob Gain, and repeatedly sliced into the Sooner backfield to break up passes and to make Arnold hurry his hand-offs and laterals.
Yowarsky recovered a fumble on the OU 22 that set up UK’s first touchdown. On the very next play, Babe Parilli hit Wilbur Jamerson in the right corner of the end zone for the touchdown. Gain added the PAT to make it 7-0 in the first quarter.
Kentucky marched 81 yards in the second quarter to go up 13-0. Jamerson dove over from the one to cap the drive, but Gain missed wide on the PAT.
The Wildcat defense, ranked number two in the nation, showed Oklahoma why late in the third quarter. The Sooners drove 67 yards with the second-half kickoff, sitting at the UK 3 with a first-and-goal. Yowarsky helped UK turn back the Sooners, throwing an OU runner for a five-yard loss on third down and Oklahoma eventually turned the ball over on downs.
Yowarsky, voted the game’s MVP, thwarted another OU threat in the fourth quarter as he recovered a fumbled punt.
Oklahoma did score with seven minutes to play as Billy Vessels hit Merrill Green on a 17-yard pass for the touchdown. Jim Weatherall added the PAT.
The Wildcats managed to hold on to the football for all but one play the rest of the way to claim a stirring 13-7 win.
