This was the Owls' sixth bowl game in 14 years, and second in the year of 1961, having appeared in the Sugar Bowl in January, though they had lost the last two. This was the Jayhawks' first bowl game since 1948.
Rice was playing the game on its home turf, in the second annual Bluebonnet Bowl. Ken Coleman of Wichita ran for a 1 yard touchdown for Kansas, but the extra point fell short. Johnny Burrell caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Randy Kerbow to give Rice a 7-6 lead. When Kansas was forced to punt later in the quarter, John Hadl mishandled the snap and ran 41 yards to give the Jayhawks crucial position. Coleman would score his second touchdown of the day to give Kansas a 12-7 lead at halftime. Rodger McFarland and Curtis McClinton both scored on rushing touchdowns on reverse plays to give Kansas a 25-7 lead by the fourth quarter, and McFarland scored his second touchdown in the fourth quarter to make the final score 33-7, giving Kansas their first ever bowl win.[1]
^"Archived copy". www.riceowls.com. Archived from the original on December 7, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
