In the early years, college football teams avoided passing the ball because they thought running was the better way to play. That all changed in the 1960s when Tulsa's emphasis on the passing game le to the Golden Hurricane leading the nation in passing for five straight seasons – 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1966.
During that time, quarterback Jerry Rhome became the Heisman Trophy runner-up in 1964 after a spectacular passing season. A year later, there was another outstanding Hurricane passer. His name Billy Guy Anderson.
In 1964, Rhome had a 488-yard passing performance in a 61-14 win over Oklahoma State.