1976 Tangerine Bowl


The 1976 Tangerine Bowl was held on December 18, 1976, featuring the BYU Cougars and Oklahoma State Cowboys at the Tangerine Bowl stadium in Orlando, Florida. BYU represented the Western Athletic Conference in only their second bowl game as a program, and Oklahoma State represented the Big Eight Conference. The matchup pitted the two schools in the postseason for the second time in three years, following the 1974 Fiesta Bowl, a game in which the Cowboys defeated the Cougars by a score of 16-6. Oklahoma State's running back Terry Miller broke the Tangerine Bowl records for total net yards run and longest run from scrimmage as well as tying another with four touchdowns scored as OSU defeated BYU, 49–21.
It was during this game, as well a regular season matchup between Florida and Miami three weeks earlier, that the new east upper deck at the stadium severely swayed whenever fans stood up and cheered. The poorly designed upper deck became a huge source of controversy, and was dismantled just over three years later.

Background

BYU was champion of the WAC for the third time in 11 years. The Cowboys went 3-1 against ranked opponents while finishing in a three-way tie in the Big Eight with Oklahoma and Colorado, with the former going to the Fiesta Bowl and the latter going to the Orange Bowl. The Cowboys were invited to the Tangerine Bowl, their second bowl appearance in three seasons. The two teams had met previously in the 1974 Fiesta Bowl.

Game summary

Terry Miller rushed for 173 yards on 23 carries for the Cowboys, who scored 21 straight points in the third quarter to pull away from the Cougars.

Aftermath

The Cougars returned to this bowl nine years later, by which time the game's name had changed and it was the 1985 Florida Citrus Bowl, while the Cowboys have not returned to this bowl.