Sooners Arrive for Sugar Bowl

NEW ORLEANS ? Bowl season has officially arrived for the Oklahoma football team as the squad arrived in New Orleans Tuesday afternoon, six days ahead of Monday's Allstate Sugar Bowl matchup against Auburn on Jan. 2.

As the Sooners deplaned, they were greeted by a brass band and a number of Sugar Bowl representatives to give them a proper welcome to the city. Head coach Bob Stoops held a brief media session afterward along with a few players.

From there, the team traveled to its hotel where it had about an hour to get settled in to their respective rooms. After a team meeting, the Sooners departed for the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for a short practice to get acclimated to their new surroundings.

QUICK CHRISTMAS BREAK

Tuesday's one-hour practice marked OU's first team workout since Friday morning, as players were released to head home for Christmas that day. Quarterback Baker Mayfield and wide receiver Dede Westbrook both went home to central Texas to be with their families. Each said he enjoyed his brief time away from football but was eager to get back on the field Tuesday.

"I think all of us were happy to get home and be around family," said Mayfield, who was in Austin, "but toward the end you start to get a little bored because you know you have one more game. So I think everybody was happy to get here (to New Orleans)."

Westbrook, who went home to the small town of Cameron, concurred.

"The first several hours are real cool because you get to see all of your family, but before too long you start to miss football and, of course, your teammates, the guys who make you laugh all the time," said Westbrook.

The duo also agreed on the best part of their trips home.

"The food," said Mayfield, who complimented the kitchen talents of his mom and grandmother. "Great banana pudding and fruit salad. And dressing with gravy all over it."

Said Westbrook, "The highlight of my Christmas was eating my mama's cooking, which was meatloaf, mashed potatoes and some green beans."

DOME SWEET DOME

Oklahoma's last visit to New Orleans was one to remember. Redshirt freshman Trevor Knight completed a Sugar Bowl-record 32 passes on 44 attempts for 348 yards and four touchdowns, and the No. 11 Sooners took down third-ranked Alabama 45-31 to cap the 2013 season.

Of the 108 players currently on the Oklahoma roster, only 15 were on the team when OU faced the Crimson Tide. Of those 15, only six actually played in the game. Defensive tackle Jordan Wade was the lone Sooner to record stats in the game, assisting on a sack and collecting three tackles.

“It feels good to back,” Wade said after Tuesday's practice. “When I was here three years ago I had a great experience.”

Fellow senior Jordan Evans saw playing time against Alabama, but he enters this year's game with a much different role as starting linebacker.

“Yeah, it's definitely a different vibe with it,” he said. “Last time we were here I was a freshman and I basically just watched but this time I am more a part of it so I'm looking forward to it and excited.”

Wade recalled what it took to win last time the team was in New Orleans, and he's hoping that same mindset will be applied this year.

“When the time came everyone was just focused,” he explained. “We took it as a business trip. We knew when we came back everyone just had to be sharp on all of their things. Everything we went through in 2014, we need to just bring it back this year and it starts with focus.”

SUGAR BOWL NAME CARRIES WEIGHT

First played in 1935, the Sugar Bowl is tied with the Orange Bowl and the Sun Bowl for the second-oldest bowl games in existence. Only the Rose Bowl, which began in 1902, has been around longer. Oklahoma is making its eighth Sugar Bowl appearance, the most of any school not currently in the SEC.

The Sooners are 5-2 in their previous seven Sugar Bowl appearances and among teams playing in the game at least five times, OU's .714 winning percentage is the best. Though it isn't part of the College Football Playoff this cycle, the historic nature of the game still weighs heavily for the Sooners.

“This always has been, one of the elite bowl games, and it still is,” Stoops said. “Each and every year it's one of those (bowl games) you aspire to get to.”

Jordan Evans echoed similar sentiments.

“Obviously we want to play for the national championship, but at the same time it's still a big-time bowl game against a really good team,” Evans said. “It's another game for our team. There is a trophy behind it and we want it.”

QUICK CHRISTMAS BREAK

DOME SWEET DOME

SUGAR BOWL NAME CARRIES WEIGHT

Players Mentioned

Jordan Evans

Trevor Knight

Baker Mayfield

Jordan Wade

Dede Westbrook

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics