1974 Oklahoma Sooners football team
1974 Oklahoma Sooners football | |
---|---|
AP Poll national champion Big 8 champion | |
Conference | Big Eight Conference |
Ranking | |
AP | No. 1 |
Record | 11–0 (7–0 Big 8) |
Head coach |
|
Offensive coordinator | Galen Hall (2nd season) |
Offensive scheme | Wishbone |
Defensive coordinator | Larry Lacewell (5th season) |
Base defense | 5–2 |
Captains | |
Home stadium | Oklahoma Memorial Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 1 Oklahoma $ | 7 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Missouri | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 9 Nebraska | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Oklahoma State | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Colorado | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Iowa State | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kansas | 1 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kansas State | 1 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
AP Poll
|
The 1974 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 1974 NCAA Division I football season. This was the first of three national championship squads for head coach Barry Switzer. Only one opponent played the Sooners within 14 points and four failed to score a touchdown. At the same time, OU led the nation in scoring offense with an average of 43 points per game to finish the season as the only undefeated team in the country at 11–0.
Schedule
Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 14 | Baylor* | No. 1 | W 28–11 | 62,375 | ||
September 28 | Utah State* | No. 3 |
| W 72–3 | 62,065 | |
October 5 | Wake Forest* | No. 2 |
| W 63–0 | 61,191–61,826 | [1] |
October 12 | vs. No. 17 Texas* | No. 2 | W 16–13 | 72,032 | ||
October 19 | at Colorado | No. 2 | W 49–14 | 48,447–51,777 | ||
October 26 | Kansas State | No. 2 |
| W 63–0 | 62,460 | |
November 2 | at Iowa State | No. 2 | W 28–10 | 33,580 | ||
November 9 | Missouri | No. 2 |
| W 37–0 | 62,600 | |
November 16 | at Kansas | No. 1 | W 45–14 | 43,974 | ||
November 23 | No. 6 Nebraska | No. 1 | W 28–14 | 74,504 | ||
November 30 | Oklahoma State | No. 1 |
| W 44–13 | 62,619 | |
|
Season summary
Oklahoma was loaded with talent, evidenced by its eight
Oklahoma also featured a tough defense led by senior All-American Rod Shoate, a swift and punishing linebacker, and a defensive front consisting of brothers Lee Roy and Dewey Selmon, and Jimbo Elrod.
Because Oklahoma was on NCAA probation for recruiting violations, it was ineligible for ranking in the
The win didn't impress AP voters, and OU dropped to #3 behind Ohio State and Notre Dame. The Sooners quickly rebounded by destroying Utah State and Wake Forest in back-to-back weeks by a combined score of 135–3. Eight Sooners scored touchdowns against Utah State, while nine players found the end zone against the Demon Deacons.
Next up for the Sooners was the
The Sooners followed their victory over Texas with a pair of blowouts over #16 Colorado, 49-14, and Kansas State, 63–0. Joe Washington rushed for 200 yards and four touchdowns against the Buffaloes, while eight players found the end zone versus the Wildcats. After a sloppy performance on a soggy field in a 28–10 win at Iowa State, Oklahoma shutout a tough Missouri squad 37–0, a team that had beaten Nebraska and scored 82 points in its previous two games. OU's third shutout of the season ran its record to 8–0 as top-ranked Ohio State was upset by Michigan State, 16–13.
Oklahoma regained the #1 ranking and, following a 45–14 win over Kansas, traveled to Lincoln with a Big Eight Conference title on the line. OU changed its defense for the game against Nebraska, using man-to-man coverage instead of zone. The move paid dividends as the Sooners intercepted four passes, including three by Randy Hughes, while the offense rolled up 482 yards on the ground despite not completing a single pass in the contest. The victory earned Oklahoma its second straight Big Eight Championship with one game remaining against Oklahoma State. Against the Cowboys, OU faced a 13–10 deficit late in the third quarter before scoring five touchdowns during a seven–and–a–half–minute span. The 44–13 victory marked OU's 20th consecutive win and 29th straight game without a loss.
When Alabama fell to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, the Sooners were left as the nation's only unbeaten team. With a #1 ranking in the final AP Poll, OU laid claim to its fourth national championship and first since 1956. To date, the 1974 Sooners are the last NCAA Division I-A team to claim an AP national title without benefit of a postseason bowl win.
Game summaries
Wake Forest
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Texas (Red River Shootout)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Colorado
This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020) |
Personnel
1974 Oklahoma Sooners football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
|
Defense
|
Special teams
|
|
Rankings
Week | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Final |
AP | 1 (23) | 1 (22) | 3 (18) | 3 (8) | 2 (24.2) | 2 (24) | 2 (5) | 2 (8) | 2 (10) | 2 (14) | 1 (48) | 1 (45) | 1 (49) | 1 (49) | 1 (51) |
Coaches Poll | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
After the season
NFL draft
The following players were drafted into the National Football League following the season.[8] [9]
Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Team |
---|---|---|---|---|
2 | 41 | Rod Shoate | Linebacker | New England Patriots |
4 | 82 | Tony Peters | Defensive back | Cleveland Browns |
4 | 96 | Randy Hughes | Defensive back | Dallas Cowboys |
5 | 113 | Kyle Davis | Center | Dallas Cowboys |
6 | 134 | John Carroll | Wide receiver | San Diego Chargers |
8 | 189 | Wayne Hoffman | Tackle | Kansas City Chiefs |
10 | 239 | Clyde Russell | Guard | Miami Dolphins |
14 | 355 | Jerry Arnold | Running back | Denver Broncos |
15 | 370 | John Roush | Running back | San Diego Chargers |
15 | 372 | Grant Burget | Guard | New Orleans Saints |
References
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ "1974 OU Football Season Schedule - SoonerStats - Historical scores, records, and stats for Oklahoma Sooners football, basketball, baseball, and softball".
- ^ "Football Bowl Subdivision Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 27. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
- ^ "2009 Division I Football Records Book: Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 28. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
- ^ "The Best Team You'll Never See". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ Eugene Register-Guard. October 6, 1974
- ^ Eugene Register-Guard. 1974 Oct 13.
- ^ "1975 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
- ^ "Oklahoma Drafted Players/Alumni". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 23, 2023.