Oklahoma State Football: 10 Best Bowl-Game Victories in School History

Despite their recent, meteoric rise in the college football ranks, the Oklahoma State Cowboys have had their fair share of success during their history. They've won some big bowl games against solid opponents, but some bowl games have just meant more than others.

Here the 10 best bowl game victories in Cowboy football history.

(Bowl games are listed chronologically. Two of the bowls predate the "Cowboys" nickname, however the team is referred to as the Cowboys anyway in the interest of consistency.)

Honorable Mention: 1974 Fiesta Bowl

Oklahoma State 16, BYU 6

Brigham Young kicker Mark Uselman made two field goals in the first quarter to give BYU a 6-0 lead heading into the second. Oklahoma State shut out the Cougars for the rest of the game and scored 16 unanswered points that included a Kenny Walker 12-yard touchdown run and a 40-yard touchdown pass by Leonard Thompson.

The win would be just the second bowl win in Cowboy history.

Honorable Mention: 2006 Independence Bowl

Oklahoma State 34, Alabama 31

The Cowboys took a 10-point lead into the halftime of this one after a back-and-forth first half. After a quiet third quarter that saw only an Alabama field goal, the fourth quarter exploded.

Oklahoma State struck first with a 66-yard touchdown drive that culminated in a Adarius Bowman 10-yard touchdown catch. Alabama then scored 14 straight points off a Javier Arena punt return for a score and an Andre Smith touchdown run to tie the game at 31. The Cowboys sealed a victory with a 74-yard drive that set up Jason Ricks for the game-winning field goal with just eight seconds remaining.

1945 Cotton Bowl

Oklahoma State 34, TCU 0

Legendary Cowboy Bob Fenimore led the Cowboys against TCU, accounting for 199 total yards from scrimmage and accounting for two touchdowns. Jim Spavital ran for 120 yards and one score. The Cowboy defense held TCU to just 105 yards per scrimmage, and the offense outgained that of TCU by nearly 400 yards in the blowout victory.

1946 Sugar Bowl

Oklahoma State 33, St. Mary's 13

This Oklahoma State team had two World War II veterans on it while the team they faced had seven 17-year-olds. The Cowboys used that maturity advantage to their benefit. After taking a 14-13 into halftime, the Cowboys outscored St. Mary's 20-0 in the second half.

Bob Fenimore, NCAA leader in multi-purpose yards for two straight years, accounted for three touchdowns and over 200 yards of total offense.

The Sugar Bowl win capped off the lone undefeated season in OSU football history.

1976 Tangerine Bowl

Oklahoma State 49, BYU 21

For the second time in three years, the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the BYU Cougars faced off in a bowl. The result was less exciting.

Cowboy running back Terry Miller set multiple Tangerine Bowl records and ran for 173 yards and four touchdowns. After leading by 14 at halftime, the Cowboys pulled away even further in the second half by scoring three more touchdowns and not letting BYU score a single offensive touchdown.

1983 Bluebonnet Bowl

Oklahoma State 24, Baylor 14

The Cowboys faced Baylor on New Year's Eve 1983 for the Bluebonnet Bowl crown. Oklahoma State led at halftime 24-7 and never looked back.

The OSU defense held the Bears to just seven points in the second half, allowing their offense to coast to a victory. Rusty Hilger threw for 137 yards and two touchdowns and Ernest Anderson rushed for 143 yards and a score.

1984 Gator Bowl

Oklahoma State 21, South Carolina 14

Thurman Thomas led the Cowboys in one of the most evenly matched bowl games in OSU history. The running back ran for 155 yards and a score, and also threw another touchdown pass to quarterback Rusty Hilger. After being down 13-0 at halftime, South Carolina stormed back to take a 14-13 lead headed into the fourth.

Hilger, who threw for 205 yards and a score, threw the game-winning touchdown pass and followed that with the two-point conversion to give the Cowboys a 21-14 win.

1987 Sun Bowl

Oklahoma State 35, West Virginia 33

The Cowboys faced the Mountaineers on Christmas Day in 1987 in what would be one of the most exciting bowl games in Cowboy history. Down 24-14 at halftime after a Mike Gundy pick-six, the Cowboys rallied back in the second half. They scored twice in the third, once on a Thurman Thomas run and once again with a Gundy touchdown pass, taking a 28-27 lead into the fourth.

In the fourth, the Cowboys capped off a 13-play, 74-yard touchdown drive with a four-yard touchdown run by Thomas to take a 35-27 lead. West Virginia responded with its own touchdown drive, but was stopped just inches from the goal line on the two-point conversion with 1:13 remaining in the game. The Cowboys win sealed just the second 10-win season in school history.

1988 Holiday Bowl

Oklahoma State 62, Wyoming 14

The Cowboys faced the 11-1 Wyoming Cowboys in one of the most memorable bowl games in school history. Heisman Trophy-winner Barry Sanders led the Cowboys in their blowout against the other Cowboys with 222 yards and five touchdowns. Mike Gundy also contributed his fair share, completing 20-of-24 passes for 315 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Hart Lee Dykes set a Holiday Bowl record with 10 catches for 163 yards and a touchdown.

The game was tied at 7-7 at the end of the first quarter. Oklahoma State outscored Wyoming 55-7 in the last three. The 14 points given up by the Cowboy defense was a Holiday Bowl record at the time.

2002 Houston Bowl

Oklahoma State 33, Southern Mississippi 23

Cowboys quarterback Josh Fields threw two touchdown passes and kicker Luke Phillips added three field goals to help push the Cowboys past the Golden Eagles. The first half went back and forth, culminating in a 51-yard touchdown pass from Fields to Rashaun Woods to put the Cowboys up 20-13 at halftime.

Southern Miss came back, shutting out the Cowboys in the third quarter and taking a 23-20 lead heading into the fourth. The Cowboys responded by shutting out the Golden Eagles in the fourth and scoring 13 straight points including two Phillips kicks and a 22-yard touchdown run by running back Tatum Bell.

In their first bowl appearance in five years, the Cowboys achieved their first bowl win in 14 years.

2007 Insight Bowl

Oklahoma State 49, Indiana 33

In what would be their second straight bowl win, Oklahoma State soundly defeated Indiana. Leading 35-10 at halftime, the Cowboys were outscored 23-14 in the second half. Luckily, the Cowboys had started out fast, scoring touchdowns on their first five possessions.

Quarterback Zac Robinson was the MVP of the game, completing 24-of-34 passes for 302 yards and three touchdowns and running the ball 15 times for 70 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receivers Dez Bryant and Adarius Bowman combined for 15 catches, 191 yards and three scores.

2010 Alamo Bowl

Oklahoma State 36, Arizona 10

The Cowboys' 2010 Alamo Bowl win marked the first time in school history that the school won 11 games in one season.

In a game not as even as close as it appeared, the Cowboys dominated the Wildcats, despite being outgained by 58 yards. Quarterback Brandon Weeden threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns, while Biletnikoff-winner Justin Blackmon caught nine passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns. Senior kicker Dan Bailey also added three made field goals, each longer than 40 yards.

The Cowboy defense also played well, picking off Arizona Nick Foles three times, returning one pick for a touchdown.