Oklahoma Sooners football (1970–1979)

Contents:	1970 - 1971 - 1972 - 1973 - 1974 - 1975 - 1976 - 1977 - 1978 - 1979

1970

1970 Oklahoma Sooners football
Conference	Big 8 Conference
1970 record	7-4-1 (5-2 Big 8)
Head coach	Chuck Fairbanks
Offensive coordinator	Barry Switzer
Offensive scheme	Wishbone
Seasons « 1969 1971 »

Schedule

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 12	at SMU*	#20	Cotton Bowl • Dallas, TX		W 28–11	51,909[1]
September 19	Wisconsin*	#18	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK		W 21–7	58,100[1]
September 26	Oregon State*	#14	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK		L 14–23	54,700[1]
October 17	at #2 Texas*		Cotton Bowl • Dallas, TX (Red River Shootout)	ABC	L 9–41	71,938[1]
October 17	at #13 Colorado		Folsom Field • Boulder, CO		W 23–15	47,700[1]
October 24	Kansas State		Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK		L 14–19	60,800[1]
October 31	at Iowa State		Clyde Williams Field • Ames, IA		W 29–28	26,672[1]
November 7	Missouri		Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK		W 28–13	54,750[1]
November 14	at Kansas		Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, KS		W 28–24	38,200[1]
November 21	at #3 Nebraska		Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE		L 21–28	67,392[1]
November 28	Oklahoma State		Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK (Bedlam Series)		W 66–6	60,300[1]
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

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Awards and honors

Team players drafted into the NFL

Player	Position	Round	Pick	NFL Club
John Watson	Guard	7	179	San Francisco 49ers
Steve Casteel	Linebacker	10	248	Cleveland Browns

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1971

1971 Oklahoma Sooners football
Big 8 Champions
Conference	Big 8 Conference
1971 record	11-1 (6-1 Big 8)
Head coach	Chuck Fairbanks
Offensive coordinator	Barry Switzer
Offensive scheme	Wishbone
Seasons « 1970 1972 »

In 1971, Barry Switzer perfected the wishbone offense as it led the nation in both scoring (45 points average) and total yards (563 total yards average), and set a NCAA record by averaging over 472 rushing yards. The Sooners finished the season ranked #2, losing only once, 35-31 to eventual national champion Nebraska in the Game of the Century.

Schedule

• Please see 1971 Oklahoma Sooners football team for scores and results.
• Please see 1971 Nebraska vs. Oklahoma football game

Awards and honors

Team players drafted into the NFL

Player	Position	Round	Pick	NFL Club
Jack Mildren	Defensive Back	2	46	Baltimore Colts
Al Quallis	Linebacker	8	191	Baltimore Colts
Roy Bell	Running Back	9	234	Dallas Cowboys

^[4]

1972

1972 Oklahoma Sooners football
Big 8 Champions
Conference	Big 8 Conference
1972 record	11-1, 8-4 (6-1, 3-4 Big 8)
Head coach	Chuck Fairbanks
Offensive coordinator	Barry Switzer
Offensive scheme	Wishbone
Seasons « 1971 1973 »

Schedule

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 16	Utah State*	#4	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK		W 49–0	62,546[5]
September 23	Oregon*	#2	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK		W 68–3	62,240[5]
September 30	Clemson*	#2	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK		W 52–3	61,210[5]
October 14	vs. #10 Texas*	#2	Cotton Bowl • Dallas, TX (Red River Rivalry)	ABC	W 27–0	72,032[5]
October 21	at #9 Colorado	#2	Folsom Field • Boulder, CO	ABC	L 14–20	52,022[5]
October 28	Kansas State	#8	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK		W 52–0	61,451[5]
November 4	at #14 Iowa State	#7	Clyde Williams Stadium • Ames, IA		W 20–6	34,941[5]
November 11	#14 Missouri	#7	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK (Tiger-Sooner Peace Pipe)		W 17–6	62,267[5]
November 18	at Kansas	#4	Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, KS		W 31–7  (vacated)	43,500[5]
November 23	at #5 Nebraska	#4	Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE (OU-Nebraska)	ABC	W 17–14  (vacated)	76,587[5]
December 2	#20 Oklahoma State	#3	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK (Bedlam Series)		W 38–15	62,363[5]
December 31	vs. #5 Penn State	#2	Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl)	ABC	W 14–0  (vacated)	80,123[5]
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

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Awards and honors

Team players drafted into the NFL

1973

1973 Oklahoma Sooners football
Big 8 Champions
Conference	Big 8 Conference
Ranking
Coaches	#2
AP	#3
1973 record	10-0-1 (7-0-0 Big 8)
Head coach	Barry Switzer
Seasons « 1972 1974 »

Schedule

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 15	at Baylor*	#11	Baylor Stadium • Waco, TX		W 42–14	41,573[7]
September 29	at #1 USC*	#8	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, CA		T 7–7	83,986[7]
October 6	#17 Miami*	#6	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK		W 24–20	62,040[7]
October 13	vs. #13 Texas*	#6	Cotton Bowl • Dallas, TX (Red River Rivalry)	ABC	W 52–13	72,032[7]
October 20	#16 Colorado	#3	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK		W 34–7	62,580[7]
October 27	at Kansas State	#3	KSU Stadium • Manhattan, KS		W 56–14	29,523[7]
November 3	Iowa State	#3	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK		W 34–17	61,876[7]
November 10	at #10 Missouri	#3	Memorial Stadium • Columbia, MO (Tiger-Sooner Peace Pipe)		W 31–3	65,515[7]
November 17	#18 Kansas	#3	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK		W 48–20	60,961[7]
November 23	#10 Nebraska	#3	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK (OU-Nebraska)	ABC	W 27–0	62,257[7]
December 1	at Oklahoma State	#2	Lewis Field • Stillwater, OK		W 45–18	50,964[7]
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll.

>^[8]

Awards and honors

Team players drafted into the NFL

1974

1974 Oklahoma Sooners football
National Champions Big 8 Champions
Conference	Big 8 Conference
Ranking
AP	#1
1974 record	11-0 (7-0 Big 8)
Head coach	Barry Switzer
Offensive scheme	Wishbone
Base defense	5-2
Seasons « 1973 1975 »

Schedule

Awards and honors

• Joseph Washington, Running Back, Walter Camp Foundation All-America selection^[9]
• Rod Shoate, Linebacker, Walter Camp Foundation All-America selection
• Barry Switzer, Walter Camp Coach of the Year^[10]

Team players drafted into the NFL

1975

1975 Oklahoma Sooners football
National Champions Big 8 Champions
Conference	Big 8 Conference
Ranking
Coaches	#1
AP	#1
1975 record	12-0 (7-0 Big 8)
Head coach	Barry Switzer
Offensive scheme	Wishbone
Base defense	5-2
Seasons « 1974 1976 »

Schedule

• Please see 1975 Oklahoma Sooners football team for scores and results.

Awards and honors

Team players drafted into the NFL

1976

1976 Oklahoma Sooners football
Conference	Big 8 Conference
Ranking
Coaches	#5
AP	#6
1976 record	9-2-1 (5-2-0 Big 8)
Head coach	Barry Switzer
Offensive scheme	Wishbone
Base defense	5-2
Seasons « 1975 1977 »

The Sooners were ranked third in the Big 8.

Schedule

Awards and honors

Team players drafted into the NFL

1977

1977 Oklahoma Sooners football
Big 8 Champions
Conference	Big 8 Conference
Ranking
Coaches	#7
AP	#6
1977 record	10-2 (7-0 Big 8)
Head coach	Barry Switzer
Offensive scheme	Wishbone
Base defense	5-2
Seasons « 1976 1978 »

Schedule

Awards and honors

Team players drafted into the NFL

1978

1978 Oklahoma Sooners football
Conference	Big 8 Conference
Ranking
Coaches	#3
AP	#3
1978 record	11-1 (6-1 Big 8)
Head coach	Barry Switzer
Offensive scheme	Wishbone
Base defense	5-2
Seasons « 1977 1979 »

Billy Sims became the sixth junior to win the Heisman Trophy. Sims was the nation's leading rusher and scorer for 1978. He averaged 160.1 yards and 10.9 points. He set the Big Eight Conference single season rushing record of 1,762 yards on 231 carries for an average of 7.6 yards. Sims was the only back in the nation's top 50 to average 7.0 per carry, and became the first player in Big Eight history to rush for more than 300 yards in three straight games.^[11]

Schedule

Awards and honors

• Billy Sims, consensus All-American
• Billy Sims, Associated Press College Player of the Year
• Billy Sims, Heisman Trophy ^[12]
• Billy Sims, Sports Magazine's Player of the Year
• Billy Sims, United Press College Player of the Year
• Billy Sims, Walter Camp Foundation's Player of the Year^[13]

Team players drafted into the NFL

1979

1979 Oklahoma Sooners football
Big 8 Champions
Conference	Big 8 Conference
Ranking
Coaches	#3
AP	#3
1979 record	11-1 (7-0 Big 8)
Head coach	Barry Switzer
Offensive scheme	Wishbone
Base defense	5-2
Seasons « 1978 1980 »

Schedule

Awards and honors

Team players drafted into the NFL

References

External links

• Official site

Oklahoma Sooners football Venues Boyd Field (1905–1923) Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (1923–present) Barry Switzer Center Bowls & rivalries Bowl games Bedlam Series (Oklahoma State) Nebraska Red River Rivalry (Texas) Tiger–Sooner Peace Pipe (Missouri) Culture & lore Championships Sooner Schooner Boomer and Sooner "Boomer Sooner" The Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band The Oklahoma Heismen People Head coaches Starting quarterbacks All-Americans NFL draftees Seasons 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 National championship seasons in bold