1971 Oklahoma Sooners football team

1971 Oklahoma Sooners football
Sugar Bowl champion
Sugar Bowl, W 40–22 vs. Auburn
Conference Big Eight Conference
Ranking
Coaches No. 3
AP No. 2
1971 record 11–1 (6–1 Big 8)
Head coach Chuck Fairbanks (5th season)
Offensive coordinator Barry Switzer (6th season)
Offensive scheme Wishbone
Defensive coordinator Larry Lacewell (2nd season)
Base defense 4-3
Home stadium Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 61,836)
1971 Big 8 football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
No. 1 Nebraska $ 7 – 0 – 0     13 – 0 – 0
No. 2 Oklahoma 6 – 1 – 0     11 – 1 – 0
No. 3 Colorado 5 – 2 – 0     10 – 2 – 0
Iowa State 4 – 3 – 0     8 – 4 – 0
Kansas State 2 – 5 – 0     5 – 6 – 0
Oklahoma State 2 – 5 – 0     4 – 6 – 1
Kansas 2 – 5 – 0     4 – 7 – 0
Missouri 0 – 7 – 0     1 – 10 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1971 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 1971 NCAA University Division season. Oklahoma was a member of the Big Eight Conference and played its home games in Oklahoma Memorial Stadium where it has played its home games since 1923.[1] The team posted an 11–1 and 6–1 conference record to under head coach Chuck Fairbanks.[2][3] The Sooners finished the season ranked #2, losing only once, 35–31 to eventual national champion Nebraska in the 1971 Nebraska vs. Oklahoma football game, which has become known as Game of the Century.

In 1971, offensive coordinator 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 an NCAA record by averaging over 472.4 (5196 in 11 games) rushing yards in a season.[4] The team holds the current school record with 7.07 yards per rushing attempt and 7.6 yards per play as well as the records for 469.6 rushing yards (5635 in 12 games counting bowl game) and 566.83 yards of total offense per game. The team also holds the single-season rushing touchdowns record of 62 and rushing touchdowns per game record of 5.17. The team's records of 711 single-game rushing yards and 785 total yards stood for nine seasons.[5] Jack Mildren's single-season record for yards rushing by a quarterback of 1140 would be broken three seasons later by Freddie Solomon.[6]

Greg Pruitt set the current national single-season record with 8.98 yards per attempt,[7] the school's single-game records of 294 rushing yards and 374 all-purpose yards. Meanwhile, Jon Harrison set the single-season and career yards per reception with 29.1 and 27.0.[8] His 2066 single-season all-purpose yards record stood until Quentin Griffin broke it in 2002. Joe Wylie's kickoff return average record of 28.5 stood for 27 years.[9]

The team was led by three All-Americans: Pruitt,[7] Tom Brahaney[10] and Jack Mildren.[11] The team won its first nine games on a schedule that included five ranked opponents (In order, #17 USC, #3 Texas, #6 Colorado, #1 Nebraska and #5 Auburn). All five of these opponents finished the season ranked. The only loss was to Nebraska. They played Auburn in the Sugar Bowl and won 40–22.[3]

The top three teams in the final AP poll for the 1971 season were from the Big Eight: Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Colorado. The top two teams had never been from the same conference, and this year had three.[12]

Pruitt led the team in rushing with 1760 yards, Mildren led the team in passing yards for the third straight season with 889 yards and also in scoring with 12 points, Harrison led the team in receiving with 494 yards, Mark Driscoll led the team in tackles with 134, and John Shelly led the team in interceptions with 5.[13]

Schedule

Date Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result Attendance
September 18 SMU* No. 10 Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, Oklahoma W 30–0   53,545[14]
September 25 at Pittsburgh* No. 11 Pitt Stadium • Pittsburgh W 55–29   34,916[14]
October 2 No. 17 USC* No. 8 Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, Oklahoma W 33–20   62,351[14]
October 9 vs. No. 3 Texas* No. 8 Cotton Bowl • Dallas (Red River Shootout) CBS W 48–27   72,032[14]
October 16 No. 6 Coloradodagger No. 2 Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, Oklahoma W 45–17   62,501[14]
October 23 at Kansas State No. 2 KSU Stadium • Manhattan, Kansas W 75–28   37,198[14]
October 30 Iowa State No. 2 Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, Oklahoma W 39–7   60,477[14]
November 6 at Missouri No. 2 Memorial Stadium • Columbia, Missouri W 20–3   55,098[14]
November 13 Kansas No. 2 Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, Oklahoma ABC W 56–10   54,347[14]
November 25 No. 1 Nebraska No. 2 Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, Oklahoma (Rivalry) ABC L 31–35   62,884[14]
December 4 at Oklahoma State No. 3 Lewis Field • Stillwater, Oklahoma (Bedlam Series) W 58–14   36,571[14]
January 1 vs. No. 5 Auburn* No. 3 Tulane Stadium • New Orleans (Sugar Bowl) ABC W 40–22   84,031[14]
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll.

[15]

Game summaries

Texas

#8 Oklahoma Sooners vs. #3 Texas Longhorns
1 234Total
• #8 Oklahoma 14 17710 48
#3 Texas 14 760 27

[16][17]

Colorado

#6 Colorado Buffaloes at #2 Oklahoma Sooners
1 234Total
#6 Colorado 0 0170 17
• #2 Oklahoma 14 10714 45

[18]

Kansas State

1 234Total
• Oklahoma 14 271321 75
Kansas St 7 777 28

[19]

Nebraska

#1 Nebraska at #2 Oklahoma
1 234Total
• #1 Nebraska 7 7147 35
#2 Oklahoma 3 1477 31

Oklahoma and Nebraska battled back and forth in the Game of the Century in front of a sold-out crowd in Norman and over 55 million viewers on ABC-TV on Thanksgiving Day. Nebraska struck first with a 72-yard Johnny Rodgers punt return, but Oklahoma pulled ahead by 3 by halftime. The Cornhuskers came back strong in the third quarter with two more touchdowns, but the Sooners responded with two of their own to retake the lead with only 7:10 remaining. Down by 3 points, the Huskers went on a final drive and with only 1:38 remaining, Jeff Kinney scored his fourth touchdown of the day for the lead and the win.[20][21][22]

Oklahoma State

#3 Oklahoma Sooners at Oklahoma State Cowboys
1 234Total
• #3 Oklahoma 17 20714 58
Oklahoma State 0 707 14

[23]

Awards and honors

1972 NFL Draft

Player Position Round Pick NFL Club
Jack MildrenDefensive back2 46 Baltimore Colts
Al QuallisLinebacker8 191 Baltimore Colts
Roy BellRunning Back9 234 Dallas Cowboys

[24]

References

  1. ↑ "Memorial Stadium". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 28, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  2. ↑ "OU Football Tradition – 42 Conference Titles". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 22, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  3. 1 2 "1971 Football Season". SoonerStats.com. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Football Bowl Subdivision Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 27. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  5. ↑ "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. p. 164. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  6. ↑ "2009 Division I Football Records Book: Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 35. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
  7. 1 2 3 "All-American: Greg Pruitt". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  8. ↑ "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. p. 166. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  9. ↑ "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. p. 173. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  10. 1 2 "All-American: Tom Brahaney". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  11. 1 2 3 "All-American: Jack Mildren". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Huskers solid No. 1". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. January 4, 1972. p. 20.
  13. ↑ "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. p. 164. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 http://www.soonerstats.com/football/seasons/schedule.cfm?seasonid=1971
  15. ↑ "1971 Oklahoma Sooners Schedule". Soonerstats.com. 2008. Retrieved September 27, 2008.
  16. ↑ "Sooners thunder past favored Longhorns, 48-27." Eugene Register-Guard. October 10, 1971
  17. ↑ 1971 Oklahoma vs. Texas recap - SoonerStats.com
  18. ↑ "Oklahoma Routs Buffs." Palm Beach Post. October 17, 1971
  19. ↑ "Sooners Romp, 75-28." Palm Beach Post. 1971 Oct 24.
  20. ↑ "'Huskers dump Sooners". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 26, 1971. p. 3B.
  21. ↑ "Kinney leads Nebraska triumph". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. November 26, 1971. p. 42.
  22. ↑ Jenkins, Dan (December 6, 1971). "Nebraska rides high". Sports Illustrated. p. 22.
  23. ↑ "Oklahoma Ropes Cowboys, 58-14." Palm Beach Post. December 5, 1971
  24. ↑ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/1972.htm
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