Editor's Note: In the days leading up to the Live United Texarkana Bowl, we are reliving SWOSU Football's previous Bowl Games, starting with the program's first-ever postseason game. This story appeared in SWOSU's newspaper, The Southwestern, on December 13, 1972 following the Bulldogs 28-6 victory over Angelo State in the Ardmore Shrine Bowl. WEATHERFORD – Southwestern used a tenacious defense and an opportune offense to blast their way past Angelo State University Saturday afternoon, 28-6 in the Inaugural Ardmore Shrine Bowl.
The Bulldog defensive unit, ranked among the nation's leaders all season long, limited the losers to just 138 total yards and six first downs, forced an astounding 10 Ram turnovers and held Angelo State's vaunted running back, Charley Franklin, to 11 yards on 10 carries on the ground.
In fact, SWSC's defenders, led by Mike Gibbons, Carlton Buchanan, Tommy Randolph and many, many more too numerous to mention, seemed to be waiting for the speedy sophomore every time he touched the football. Franklin, who had averaged well over 100 yards rushing in Angelo's first 10 games this fall, was never allowed to get outside, and gained over five yards only once.
The Haskell, Texas native could probable tell you the color of Buchanan's, Gibbons's and Randolph's eyes, if they brushed their teeth regularly and any other facial features you might want to know, because that trio seemed to be glued to him all afternoon.
At the conclusion of the game, Randolph, a 245-pount tackle from Florida, was voted the game's outstanding defender, but it was a crime they didn't have 11 trophies to award. Every member of Southwestern's defense deserved one. In the balloting, over half the Bulldog defensive unit was given at least one vote, and it took a run-off to determine the winner after Randolph and safety Mike Osborn had tied for top honors the first go-around.
To give an indication of how the, yes, defense performed, one would need to write a novel.
For instance: Osborn recovered a Franklin fumble after teammate Joe Dean Shegog (remember that name?) belted the former to the ground, and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown, freshman defensive back Tim Reynolds stopped two ASU drives late in the game with timely interceptions, linebacker Gary Wilson also stole a Ram Aerial and played the game of football the way a linebacker should – from sideline to sideline and Shegog and fellow defensive end Phil Layton completely shut down ASU's outside game.
Southwestern scored what turned out to be all the points they needed late in the first quarter when quarterback Ford Farris found Stacy Davis all alone down the right sidelines and hit him with a 51 yard touchdown bomb.
Davis, who weighs 225 points, showed his 9.7 100 yard-dash speed by outracing three defenders to the goal-line.
After Angelo State found the going much too tough for their liking inside, the Rams took to the air; and it would have been just as good if they would of stayed on the ground.
Except for the losers lone touchdown of the game, a meaningless 51-yard pass midway through the final stanza, the winners allowed just 39 yards through the air to go along with a stingy 48 on the ground.
The third time ASU attempted to pass, Wilson, one of nine Bulldogs playing his last collegiate game, picked off a Gary Kirksey pass and returned it 15 yards before lateralling to Shegog, who got another 20.
With the ball resting on the Ram 32 yard-line, Southwestern failed to pick up the necessary yardage for a first down, and Bobby Rose came on to attempt a 31 yard field goal.
His boot fell short and Angelo took over on their own 20. On ASU's first play from scrimmage at that point, Franklin tried a sweep around the ride end, but fumbled the ball. Bulldog safety Mike Osborn was there waiting, plucked the ball out of mid-air and ran 23 yards untouched into the end zone.
This is nothing new to the Clinton sophomore either. He did the same thing from 22 yards out in Southwestern's second game of the season against Panhandle, and believe it or not, ran another one back 56 yards against Northwestern before being dragged down from behind.
