1974 Oklahoma Sooners football team
Encyclopedia
The 1974 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma
in the college football
season of 1974-1975
. 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.
Oklahoma was loaded with talent, evidenced by its eight All-Americans
, the most of any season to that point. OU's wishbone offense
, triggered by running back
Joe Washington
, fullback
Jim Littrell, and quarterback
Steve Davis
, averaged 73.9 rushing attempts per game, which still stands as an NCAA single-season record, as does its 21.4 rushing first downs per game.
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
.
On probation from the Coaches' poll, The Sooners opened the '74 season as the top-ranked team in the AP Poll
, the first time since 1957 that OU debuted at #1 and the first time in 11 years that Oklahoma sat atop the poll. Despite being a 43-point favorite against Baylor
, the Sooners struggled in their season opener, needing three fourth-quarter touchdowns to secure a 28-11 victory. 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 Red River Shootout
, and the Texas Longhorns
presented Oklahoma's toughest challenge yet. Trailing 13-7 in the fourth quarter, OU dug into its bag of tricks with a reverse to split end
Billy Brooks
, who scampered 40 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. The ensuing extra point attempt by Sooner kicker John Carroll was ruled no good, leaving the game tied at 13-13. Oklahoma's defense rose to the challenge, led by Shoate, who finished the game with 21 tackles, two pass breakups, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. The last statistic was the critical one, as the Sooners forced a Texas fumble on the next possession, which Shoate recovered at the 50. A 37-yard field goal from Tony DiRienzo minutes later was the difference. "This was as close as a game can be," coach Switzer said afterward. A testament to how hard the game was fought, OU offensive tackle Mike Vaughan reportedly passed out from exhaustion following the game.
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 TDs 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.
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
in the college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
season of 1974-1975
1974 college football season
The 1974 college football season finished with two national champions. The Associated Press writers' poll ranked the University of Oklahoma, which was on probation and barred by the NCAA from postseason play, #1 at season's end...
. This was the first of three national championship
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
squads for head coach Barry Switzer
Barry Switzer
Barry Switzer is a former football coach, active in the college and professional ranks between 1962 and 1997. He has one of the highest winning percentages of any college football coach in history, and is one of only two head coaches to win both a college football national championship and a...
. 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.
Oklahoma was loaded with talent, evidenced by its eight All-Americans
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
, the most of any season to that point. OU's wishbone offense
Wishbone formation
The wishbone formation, also known simply as the ’bone, is an offensive formation in American football. The style of attack to which it gives rise is known as the wishbone offense...
, triggered by running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Joe Washington
Joe Washington
Joe Dan Washington, Jr is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Colts, Washington Redskins, and Atlanta Falcons.-Early career:...
, fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
Jim Littrell, and quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Steve Davis
Steve Davis (quarterback)
Steve Davis was a quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners from 1972–1976. He was named the Offensive Most Valuable Player of the 1976 Orange Bowl, when the Sooners won their 5th National Championship. Davis led the Sooners to a 32–1–1 record as their starting quarterback...
, averaged 73.9 rushing attempts per game, which still stands as an NCAA single-season record, as does its 21.4 rushing first downs per game.
Oklahoma also featured a tough defense led by senior All-American Rod Shoate
Rod Shoate
Rod Shoate is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was a 4 time All-Big 8 Conference Player and three time All-American at the University of Oklahoma...
, a swift and punishing linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
, and a defensive front consisting of brothers Lee Roy
Lee Roy Selmon
Lee Roy Selmon was a Hall of Fame NFL football defensive lineman.-Early life:Selmon was the youngest of nine children of Lucious and Jessie Selmon, raised on a farm near Eufaula, Oklahoma...
and Dewey Selmon
Dewey Selmon
Dewey Selmon is a former football linebacker. He played collegiate football at Oklahoma . He went on to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League....
, and Jimbo Elrod
Jimbo Elrod
James Whittington Elrod is a former American football linebacker who was an All-American at the University of Oklahoma and played professionally for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Oilers of the National Football League.Elrod graduated from East Central High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in...
.
On probation from the Coaches' poll, The Sooners opened the '74 season as the top-ranked team in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
, the first time since 1957 that OU debuted at #1 and the first time in 11 years that Oklahoma sat atop the poll. Despite being a 43-point favorite against Baylor
Baylor Bears football
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...
, the Sooners struggled in their season opener, needing three fourth-quarter touchdowns to secure a 28-11 victory. The win didn't impress AP voters, and OU dropped to #3 behind Ohio State
1974 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1974 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1974-1975. The Buckeyes compiled a 10–2 record, including the 1975 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, where they lost 18–17 to the Southern California...
and Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
. The Sooners quickly rebounded by destroying Utah State
Utah State Aggies football
The Utah State Aggies are a college football team that competes in the Western Athletic Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I, representing Utah State University. The Utah State college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Romney Stadium since 1968...
and Wake Forest
Wake Forest Demon Deacons football
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represents Wake Forest University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Wake Forest plays its home football games at BB&T Field....
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 Red River Shootout
Red River Rivalry
The Red River Rivalry, commonly known as the OU-Texas Game or Texas-OU Game, is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Oklahoma Sooners football team of the University of Oklahoma and the Texas Longhorns football team of the University of Texas. The series is considered...
, and the Texas Longhorns
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
presented Oklahoma's toughest challenge yet. Trailing 13-7 in the fourth quarter, OU dug into its bag of tricks with a reverse to split end
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Billy Brooks
Billy Brooks
William McKinley Brooks III is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals 11th overall in the 1976 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma.Brooks also played for the San Diego Chargers and Houston Oilers.-External...
, who scampered 40 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. The ensuing extra point attempt by Sooner kicker John Carroll was ruled no good, leaving the game tied at 13-13. Oklahoma's defense rose to the challenge, led by Shoate, who finished the game with 21 tackles, two pass breakups, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. The last statistic was the critical one, as the Sooners forced a Texas fumble on the next possession, which Shoate recovered at the 50. A 37-yard field goal from Tony DiRienzo minutes later was the difference. "This was as close as a game can be," coach Switzer said afterward. A testament to how hard the game was fought, OU offensive tackle Mike Vaughan reportedly passed out from exhaustion following the game.
The Sooners followed their victory over Texas with a pair of blowouts over #16 Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
, 49-14, and Kansas State
1974 Kansas State Wildcats football team
The 1974 Kansas State Wildcats football team represented Kansas State University in the college football season of 1974. The team's head football coach was Vince Gibson. The Wildcats played their home games in KSU Stadium. It was the final season for Wildcat quarterback Steve Grogan...
, 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
Iowa State Cyclones football
The Iowa State Cyclones football team represents Iowa State University in college football. The Cyclones compete in the Big 12 Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. ISU started playing football in 1892, however, it did not become an official sport until 1894...
, Oklahoma shutout a tough Missouri
Missouri Tigers football
The Missouri Tigers football team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team has competed in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996...
squad 37-0, a team that had beaten Nebraska
1974 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1974 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 1974 college football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:...
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
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
, 16-13.
Oklahoma regained the #1 ranking and, following a 45-14 win over Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks football
The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
, traveled to Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
with a Big Eight Conference
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
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
Randy Hughes
James Randell Hughes is a former American football safety who played six seasons in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys...
, 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
Oklahoma State Cowboys football
The Oklahoma State Cowboys football program represents Oklahoma State University–Stillwater in college football. The team is a member of the Big 12 Conference and completes at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Cowboys are led by Mike Gundy, who is in his seventh year as...
. Against the Cowboys, OU faced a 13-10 deficit late in the third quarter before scoring five TDs 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
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1, 2009...
, 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.