1972 Oklahoma Sooners football team

1972 Oklahoma Sooners football
Sugar Bowl Champions
Big 8 Champions
Sugar Bowl, W 14–0 vs. Penn State
Conference Big 8 Conference
Ranking
Coaches #2
AP #2
1972 record 11-1 (6-1 Big 8)
Head coach Chuck Fairbanks (6th year)
Offensive coordinator Barry Switzer (7th year)
Offensive scheme Wishbone
Defensive coordinator Larry Lacewell (3rd year)
Home stadium Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 61,836)
1972 Big 8 football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
#2 Oklahoma $ 6 – 1 – 0     11 – 1 – 0
#4 Nebraska $ 5 – 1 – 1     9 – 2 – 1
#16 Colorado 4 – 3 – 0     8 – 4 – 0
Oklahoma State 4 – 3 – 0     6 – 5 – 0
Missouri 3 – 4 – 0     6 – 6 – 0
Iowa State 2 – 4 – 1     5 – 6 – 1
Kansas 2 – 5 – 0     4 – 7 – 0
Kansas State 1 – 6 – 0     3 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • Due to a dispute over Oklahoma forfeiting games, both OU and Nebraska claim this title.
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1972 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football 1972 NCAA Division I-A season. Oklahoma Sooners football participated in the former Big Eight Conference at that time and played its home games in Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium where it has played its home games since 1923.[1] The team posted an 11–1 overall record and a 6–1 conference record, which were later changed to 8–4 overall record and a 3–4.[2][3] This was Chuck Fairbanks' last season as Sooner head coach.[2]

There is actually a discrepancy as to the Sooners' record. The NCAA never officially forced Oklahoma to forfeit games, having only penalized scholarships, TV appearances, bowl appearances, etc.[4] Oklahoma had used players (including Kerry Jackson, the team's first black quarterback) with falsified transcripts and at one point volunteered to forfeit all its games.[5] Eventually, the Big Eight conference asked them to forfeit three victories despite the fact that the NCAA still recognizes them,[6] but Oklahoma now recognizes these as wins and claims the 1972 conference title.[7]

The team was led by four All-Americans: Rod Shoate (Oklahoma's second three-time All-American),[8] Greg Pruitt,[9] Tom Brahaney[10] and Derland Moore.[11] This was the first season that the Selmon brothers Lucious, Lee Roy and Dewey, who would all become All-Americans,[12] anchored the defensive line for Oklahoma. The team played a schedule that included seven ranked opponents (In order, #10 Texas, #9 Colorado, #14 Iowa State, #14 Missouri, #5 Nebraska, #20 Oklahoma State, and #5 Penn State). Four of these opponents finished the season ranked. The team only loss on the field was in the fifth game against Colorado. The team concluded its season with a victory over Penn State in the Sugar Bowl.[3]

Pruitt led the team in rushing with 1024 yards, Dave Robertson led the team in passing with 1136 yards, Tinker Owens led the team in receiving for the first of what would become four consecutive seasons with 430 yards, Pruitt led the team in scoring with 86 points, Shoate led the team in tackles with 145, and Dan Ruster led the team in interceptions with 7.[13]

The team twice posted 37 first downs, which was a school record that stood for 16 seasons.[14]

Schedule

Date Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result Attendance
September 16 Utah State* #4 Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK W 49–0   62,546[15]
September 23 Oregon* #2 Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK W 68–3   62,240[15]
September 30 Clemson* #2 Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK W 52–3   61,210[15]
October 14 vs. #10 Texas* #2 Cotton Bowl • Dallas, TX (Red River Shootout) ABC W 27–0   72,032[15]
October 21 at #9 Colorado #2 Folsom Field • Boulder, CO ABC L 14–20   52,022[15]
October 28 Kansas State #8 Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK W 52–0   61,451[15]
November 4 at #14 Iowa State #7 Clyde Williams Field • Ames, IA W 20–6   34,941[15]
November 11 #14 Missouri #7 Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK (Tiger-Sooner Peace Pipe) W 17–6   62,267[15]
November 18 at Kansas #4 Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, KS W 31–7   37,356[15]
November 23 at #5 Nebraska #4 Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE (Rivalry) ABC W 17–14   76,587[15]
December 2 #20 Oklahoma State #3 Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK (Bedlam Series) W 38–15   62,363[15]
December 31 vs. #5 Penn State #2 Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl) ABC W 14–0   80,123[15]
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

[16]

Game notes

Clemson

#2 Oklahoma Sooners at Clemson Tigers
1 234Total
Clemson 0 003 3
• #2 Oklahoma 7 17217 52

[17]

Kansas

#4 Oklahoma Sooners at Kansas Jayhawks
1 234Total
• #4 Oklahoma 7 10140 31
Kansas 0 070 7

[18]

Awards and honors

References

  1. ↑ "Memorial Stadium". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 28, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  2. 1 2 "OU Football Tradition – 42 Conference Titles". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 22, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  3. 1 2 "1972 Football Season". SoonerStats.com. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  4. ↑ Brant, Tim (January 11, 2008). "After Further Review...The NCAA Weighs In". WJLA/NewsChannel 8. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  5. ↑ Cronley, Jay (April 30, 1973). "Oklahoma Penalty: Illegal Procedure: Admitting that Quarterback Kerry Jackson's high school transcript was altered, the Sooners forfeited eight of their 1972 wins". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  6. ↑ Edwards, Mark (June 13, 2009). "Forfeits, Voids, Vacations Make Mess of Records". Decatur Daily. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  7. ↑ "1972 season". soonersports.com. Sooner Sports Properties. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  8. 1 2 "All-American: Rod Shoate". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  9. 1 2 "All-American: Greg Pruitt". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 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 "All-American: Derland Moore". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  12. ↑ "OU Football Tradition - All-Americans". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 28, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  13. ↑ "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF). Big12sports.com. p. 164. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  14. ↑ "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. p. 164. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 http://www.soonerstats.com/football/seasons/schedule.cfm?seasonid=1972
  16. ↑ http://cfreference.net/cfr/school.s?id=382&season=1972
  17. ↑ "Sooners again." Eugene Register-Guard. October 1, 1972
  18. ↑ Eugene Register-Guard. 1972 November 19.
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