| Game Name: | Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl |
| Subheader: | 25th Bluebonnet Bowl |
| Date Game Played: | December 31 |
| Year Game Played: | 1983 |
| Football Season: | 1983 |
| Home Name Short: | Baylor |
| Home Nickname: | Bears |
| Home Record: | 7–3–1 |
| Home 1Q: | 0 |
| Home 2Q: | 7 |
| Home 3Q: | 0 |
| Home 4Q: | 7 |
| Home Rank Ap: | 20 |
| Home Rank Coaches: | 17 |
| Visitor Name Short: | Oklahoma State |
| Visitor Nickname: | Cowboys |
| Visitor Record: | 7–4 |
| Visitor 1Q: | 6 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 18 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 0 |
| Type: | bg |
| Referee: | Joe Hicks (SEC) |
| Us Announcers: | Merle Harmon and Paul Maguire |
The 1983 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game that featured the Baylor Bears and the Oklahoma State Cowboys.[1]
Oklahoma State finished 4th in the Big Eight Conference in their second bowl appearance in three seasons. Baylor finished tied for 3rd in the Southwest Conference in their first bowl game since 1981.
For Baylor, Gerald McNeil caught 10 passes for 163 yards with 2 touchdowns. Oklahoma State quarterback Rusty Hilger went 12-of-17 for 137 yards and two touchdowns before being knocked out by Robert Watters, missing the 2nd half.
Johnson left for the Miami Hurricanes after the game ended. Baylor returned to the penultimate Bluebonnet Bowl in 1986. Both would become conference rivals starting in 1996 with advent of the Big XII.
| Statistics | Baylor | Oklahoma State |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 18 | 19 |
| Rushing yards | 134 | 178 |
| Passing yards | 245 | 187 |
| Passing (C–A–I) | 16–32–2 | 17–30–1 |
| Total offense | 379 | 365 |
| Punts–average | 5–42.0 | 6–39.0 |
| Fumbles–lost | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| Penalty–yards | 7–55 | 4–40 |
| 3rd-down conversions | 6-of-14 | 7-of-18 |