1975 Oklahoma Sooners football team

Schedule

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Rankings

Game summaries

Oklahoma had won the AP National Title in 1974 and began the year by thrashing Oregon 62–7 in Norman. OU played host to a Johnny Majors coached #15 Pittsburgh squad, sporting junior running back sensation Tony Dorsett (only a year away from the Heisman Trophy and the collegiate rushing record), and they dominated, outscoring the Panthers 46–10. But a trip to unranked Miami was nearly fatal. The Sooners scored all 20 of their points in the second quarter and finished with just 163 rushing yards and 176 total, barely surviving a ten-point Hurricanes' fourth quarter en route to a 20–17 victory. That win was not enough to knock the Sooners to the second spot in the polls, but a one-point win over Colorado the following week was. Against the Buffaloes, the vaunted Sooner wishbone offense looked abysmal, and they surrendered a 14-point lead in the second half. A botched CU extra point in the final 79 seconds proved the difference. Ohio State took over the number one ranking. The Sooners, despite the close calls, came into Dallas atop a 24-game winning streak and a 33-game unbeaten streak and ranked #2 in the country.

Oregon

Pittsburgh

Miami (FL)

Colorado

First quarter

• OU – Joe Washington 11-yard run (Tony DiRienzo kick). Oklahoma 7–0. Second quarter
• OU – Joe Washington 74-yard punt return (Tony DiRienzo kick). Oklahoma 14–0.
• CU – Billy Waddy 3-yard run (Tom Mackenzie kick). Oklahoma 14–7. Third quarter
• CU – David Williams 1-yard run (Tom Mackenzie kick). Tie 14–14.
• OU – Elvis Peacock 2-yard run (Tony DiRienzo kick). Oklahoma 21–14. 'Fourth quarter
• CU – Billy Waddy 8-yard pass from David Williams (kick failed), 1:23. Oklahoma 21–20.

Texas

Texas came into Dallas with a bona fide superstar in 225-pound sophomore fullback Earl Campbell. The fearsome runner had trampled everything in his path en route to 508 yards (8.1 ypc), including 198 yards against Washington. Behind the young Campbell, the Longhorns were leading the nation in rushing, total offense and scoring, averaging 44 points per game.

The Sooners had a leader in Steve Davis, an ordained minister that could run and pass. The halfbacks, Joe Washington and Horace Ivory were speedy and elusive. The receiving corps, paced by Senior Billy Brooks, was among the best of the wishbone era at OU. Of course, the greatest asset to the Sooners was not on offense. The 1975 OU defense was among the very best in a storied history, led by Lee Roy Selmon, who would go on to win both the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award as the nation's best lineman.

It was the Sooner defense that made the Longhorns lose a fifth straight Red River Shootout. Neither offense exploded with big plays, both scoring hard fought points in the red zone. The game was best characterized by the hard hitting from both sides, which led to a considerable number of turnovers. The Longhorns fumbled the ball four times and gave away an interception. The Sooners lost two fumbles. The Sooner defense proved its mettle against the powerful Campbell, holding him to 95 yards on 23 carries. Although he was the game's leading ball carrier, he also marked the 21st straight time that a team failed to have a 100-yard rusher against the Sooners. The Sooners prevailed 24–17.

Kansas State

Iowa State

Oklahoma State

Kansas

After thrashing Kansas State, Iowa State, and Oklahoma State by a combined score of 91–17, the Sooners returned home. Inexplicably, a team that had run roughshod over equivalent teams, managed to suffer a 23–3 loss to unranked Kansas, a team that came into Norman with a 5–3 record. The Sooners were caught flat and were upset by the Jayhawks, knocking them from the #2 spot in the polls down to #7. In Columbia against #18 Missouri the following week, they needed a 71-yard touchdown run from Joe Washington on a critical fourth and one, a Washington run for a successful two-point conversion, and two missed field goal attempts by the Tigers in the final two minutes to eke out a 28–27 win. The struggles took their toll, and OU found themselves down another spot in the poll heading into the annual showdown against Nebraska. The defending national champs were reeling and in search of an identity. No game could have had nearly as much on the line as the final regular season game for the Big 8 Championship.

Missouri

Nebraska

Nebraska began 1975 mostly under the radar, but they were riding a 10–0 record and sporting one of the best passing quarterbacks in the nation in Vince Ferragamo, who had transferred a season before from California. He had completed 66 of 109 passes for 1,007 yards and 12 touchdowns, against only two interceptions. The Huskers had stepped into the #2 spot in the polls that the Sooners had vacated in their loss to Kansas.

The Cornhusker offense was balanced, averaging 265.6 yards rushing and 156.7 yards passing per game, and was among the nation's leaders in scoring, averaging 34.3 points per game. The Nebraska defense was allowing only 8.5 points per game. They had posted four shutouts, including their last two opponents to run their string to ten consecutive scoreless quarters. The Black Shirt D had held the same Jayhawks team that had upset OU earlier in the season to only 177 yards of total offense.

The Big Eight title, as usual, was on the line in 1975. The winner would play in the Orange Bowl with a possible shot at a national championship. Oklahoma, realizing all that was on the line, had worked with Fiesta Bowl officials for a potential bid in Tempe if they lost to the Cornhuskers. Nebraska had shunned the Fiesta officials, possibly shutting themselves out of the bowls in the event of a loss.

Ultimately, the Sooners came out of Norman with the conference title and the shot at a national title in the Orange Bowl, and it turned out to not even be close. Three turnovers in the fourth quarter had ended the Huskers' chances. Oklahoma scored on all three to make it five touchdowns from six Nebraska turnovers. The Sooners came away with a convincing and incredible 25-point victory over the second-ranked team in the land.

Once again, it was the Oklahoma defense that made the big plays when they needed to and controlled the Nebraska offense, limiting them to 245 total yards, only 70 on the ground. Ferragamo, who came into the game with high expectations, had completed 13 of his 25 passes for 146 yards. His four turnovers, however, had spoiled the game for Nebraska, and Oklahoma was on its way to face Michigan in the 1976 Orange Bowl.

Michigan—Orange Bowl

Main article: 1976 Orange Bowl

Second quarter

• OU – Billy Brooks 39-yard run (Tony DiRienzo kick). Oklahoma 7–0. Fourth quarter
• OU – Steve Davis 9-yard run (Tony DiRienzo kick). Oklahoma 14–0.
• MICH – Gordon Bell 2-yard run (run failed). Oklahoma 14–6. ;Top passers
• MICH – Rick Leach – 2/16, 33 yards, 3 INT
• OU – Steve Davis – 3/5, 63 yards ;Top rushers
• MICH – Rick Leach – 13 rushes, 62 yards
• OU – Joe Washington – 17 rushes, 73 yards ;Top receivers
• MICH – Gordon Bell – 1 reception, 17 yards
• OU – Tinker Owens – 3 receptions, 63 yards

UCLA upset top-ranked Ohio State earlier in the day, and Oklahoma knew that it had a chance for a national title in Barry Switzer's first bowl game as a head coach. It wouldn't be easy. The Wolverines were a punishing team, and made the Sooners know it early. In the end, a 39-yard end around by Billy Brooks and a nine-yard keeper by Steve Davis were enough for a 14–6 victory and a fifth national championship.

Roster

Awards and honors

All-Americans

• Lee Roy Selmon, Defensive tackle
• Dewey Selmon, Noseguard
• Terry Webb, Offensive guard
• Mike Vaughan, Offensive tackle
• Billy Brooks, Split end
• Jimbo Elrod, Defensive end
• Tinker Owens, Split end
• Joe Washington, Halfback

Individual award winners

• Lee Roy Selmon – Outland Trophy, Lombardi Award

NFL draft

The following Oklahoma players were selected in the 1976 NFL draft following the season.

References

References

1. "2009 Division I Football Records Book: Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Records". [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]].
2. "1975 National Champions". [[University of Oklahoma.
3. (September 14, 1975). "OU continues unbeaten streak". Northwest Arkansas Times.
4. (September 21, 1975). "Oklahoma crushes Panthers". The Post-Crescent.
5. (September 28, 1975). "Oklahoma survives stormy challenge". Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
6. (October 5, 1975). "Sooners nip Colorado". Columbia Daily Tribune.
7. (October 12, 1975). "Sooners clip Horns 24–17". Casper Star-Tribune.
8. (October 19, 1975). "Sooners step past Wildcats". The Salina Journal.
9. (October 26, 1975). "Fumbling Sooners top ISU". The Lincoln Star.
10. (November 2, 1975). "OU plain, but still poison". Tulsa World.
11. (November 9, 1975). "Kansas surprises No. 2-ranked Oklahoma, 23–3". The Columbian.
12. (November 16, 1975). "O.U. sneaks past Tigers". Omaha World-Herald.
13. (November 23, 1975). "Sooners skin Huskers, 35–10". The Arizona Republic.
14. Jonathan Rand. (January 2, 1976). "Oklahoma delivers its kayo punch". Miami News.
15. Curt Sylvester. (January 2, 1976). "Sooners Beat U-M, 14-6, Stake Claim to No. 1". Detroit Free Press.
16. (2007). "1975 Oklahoma Sooners Schedule". Soonerstats.com.
17. (2007). "Beginning of Oklahoma Sooners 1975 Football Season". Soonerstats.com.
18. Eugene Register-Guard. 1975 Oct 5. Retrieved 2018-Nov-09.
19. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=mq6pegT_rlEC&dat=19751012&printsec=frontpage&hl=en "Oklahoma Outlasts Rugged Heat, Texas." Palm Beach Post. October 12, 1975]
20. (2007). "1975 OU-Texas Game". Soonerstats.com.
21. Eugene Register-Guard. October 26, 1975
22. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=4pF9x-cDGsoC&dat=19751123&printsec=frontpage&hl=en "Oklahoma rides fumbles to Miami." Eugene Register-Guard. November 23, 1975]
23. (2007). "OU-Nebraska Game 1975". Soonerstats.com.
24. "2006 Oklahoma Football Guide". [[University of Oklahoma.
25. "1976 NFL Draft Listing".