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1973 Oklahoma Sooners football team

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1973 Oklahoma Sooners football
National Champion(CFRA, Sagarin)
Big 8 champion
ConferenceBig Eight Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 2
APNo. 3
Record10–0–1 (7–0 Big 8)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorGalen Hall (1st season)
Offensive schemeWishbone
Defensive coordinatorLarry Lacewell (4th season)
Captains
Home stadiumOklahoma Memorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1972
1974 →
1973 Big Eight Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Oklahoma $ 7 0 0 10 0 1
No. 7 Nebraska 4 2 1 9 2 1
No. 18 Kansas 4 2 1 7 4 1
No. 17 Missouri 3 4 0 8 4 0
Oklahoma State 2 3 2 5 4 2
Colorado 2 5 0 5 6 0
Kansas State 2 5 0 5 6 0
Iowa State 2 5 0 4 7 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1973 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. Oklahoma participated as members of the Big Eight Conference and played its home games in Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium where it has played its home games since 1923.[1] The team posted a 10–0–1 overall record and a 7–0 conference record to earn the Conference outright title under first-year head coach Barry Switzer.[2][3] This would be the first of eight consecutive Big Eight Conference championships for the Sooners with Switzer as head coach.[2]

The team was led by three All-Americans: Rod Shoate (Oklahoma's second three-time All-American)[4] the oldest of the Selmon brothers, Lucious,[5] and Eddie Foster.[5] The Selmon brothers Lucious, Lee Roy and Dewey started on the defensive line.[6] The team went undefeated on a schedule that included seven ranked opponents (In order, #1 USC, #17 Miami, #13 Texas, #13 Colorado, #10 Missouri, #18 Kansas, and #10 Nebraska). Five of these opponents finished the season ranked. The team tied with USC in the second game of the season before winning nine consecutive contests. It began the season ranked number 11 and steadily climbed in the polls as the season progressed.[3]

Joe Washington led the team in rushing with 1173 yards, Steve Davis led the team in passing yard for with 934 yards, Tinker Owens led the team in receiving with 472 yards, Davis led the team in scoring with 108 points, Shoate led the team in tackles with 126, and Randy Hughes led the team in interceptions with 5.[7]

Prior to the season in August, the Sooners were put on probation by the Big Eight Conference, which included a two-year ban on bowl appearances, and a two-year ban on television appearances (1974, 1975).[8]

Schedule

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DateOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 15at Baylor*No. 11W 42–1441,573
September 29at No. 1 USC*No. 8T 7–783,986
October 6No. 17 Miami (FL)*No. 6W 24–2062,040
October 13vs. No. 13 Texas*No. 6ABCW 52–1372,032
October 20No. 16 ColoradodaggerNo. 3
  • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Norman, OK
W 34–761,826–62,580[9]
October 27at Kansas StateNo. 3W 56–1429,523
November 3Iowa StateNo. 3
  • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Norman, OK
W 34–1761,876
November 10at No. 10 MissouriNo. 3W 31–365,515
November 17No. 18 KansasNo. 3
  • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Norman, OK
W 48–2060,961–64,122
November 23No. 10 NebraskaNo. 3
  • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Norman, OK (rivalry)
ABCW 27–062,257
December 1at Oklahoma StateNo. 2W 45–1850,964
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[3]

Personnel

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1973 Oklahoma Sooners football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
OL 74 Jerry Arnold Jr
RB 20 Bob Berg Jr
WR 82 Billy Brooks Jr
RB Grant Burget
RB Waymon Clark
OL Kyle Davis
QB Steve Davis
OT 77 Eddie Foster (C) Sr
RB Jerry Foster
RB Randy Harris
QB 7 Scott Hill Fr
WR Wayne Hoffman
RB David James
RB Steve Jenkinson
RB Jim Littrell
QB Jeff Mabry
RB Danny McClure
RB Joe McReynolds So
WR 11 Tinker Owens So
OL John Roush
RB Clyde Russell
RB Joe Washington
OL Terry Webb
RB Tim Welch
RB Gary Young
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DE 88 Gary Baccus (C) Sr
DL Jimbo Elrod
LB 41 Gary Gibbs Jr
DB Randy Hughes
DB Durwood Keeton
DB Terry Peters
DB Ken Pope
DB Clyde Powers
DT 91 Dewey Selmon So
DT 93 Lee Roy Selmon So
NG 98 Lucious Selmon (C) Sr
LB Rod Shoate
LB Dave Smith
DL Mike Struck
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K Tony DiRienzo
K 8 Rick Fulcher Sr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster

Game summaries

[edit]

At Baylor

[edit]
#11 Oklahoma Sooners at Baylor Bears
1 234Total
#11 Oklahoma 21 1407 42
Baylor 0 068 14

[10]

At USC

[edit]

Miami (FL)

[edit]
1 234Total
Miami (FL) 7 1300 20
Oklahoma 7 0143 24

[11]

vs Texas

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#6 Oklahoma Sooners (2–0) vs. #13 Texas Longhorns (2–1)
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Oklahoma 7 14 141752
Texas 3 3 0713

at Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas

  • Date: October 13
  • Game time: 12:30 p.m.
  • Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C)
  • Game attendance: 72,204
  • TV: ABC
  • Box Score

Worst loss in Darrell Royal's coaching career [12]

Team Category Player Statistics
Oklahoma Passing Steve Davis 5/6, 185 Yds, 2 TD
Rushing Joe Washington 12 Rush, 117 Yds
Receiving Tinker Owens 4 Rec, 163 Yds, 2 TD
Texas Passing Marty Akins 5/9, 64 Yds, INT
Rushing Roosevelt Leaks 20 Rush, 82 Yds
Receiving Pat Kelly 4 Rec, 71 Yds

Colorado

[edit]
1 234Total
Colorado 7 000 7
• Oklahoma 7 7713 34

[9]

At Kansas State

[edit]
1 234Total
• Oklahoma 21 14147 56
Kansas St 0 770 14
  • Date: KSU Stadium
  • Location: October 27
  • Game attendance: 34,500

[13]

Iowa State

[edit]
1 234Total
Iowa St 14 300 17
• Oklahoma 7 1377 34

Joe Washington 136 Rush Yds [14]

At Missouri

[edit]
#3 Oklahoma Sooners at #10 Missouri Tigers
1 234Total
#3 Oklahoma 7 3129 31
#10 Missouri 3 000 3

[15]

Kansas

[edit]

Nebraska

[edit]
#10 Nebraska Cornhuskers at #3 Oklahoma Sooners
1 234Total
#10 Nebraska 0 000 0
#3 Oklahoma 14 067 27

[16]

At Oklahoma State

[edit]
#2 Oklahoma Sooners at Oklahoma State Cowboys
1 234Total
#2 Oklahoma 7 14717 45
Oklahoma State 0 3312 18

[17]

Rankings

[edit]
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
т = Tied with team above or below ( ) = First-place votes
Week
PollPre12345678910111213Final
AP11 т1198 (1)6 (1.5)63 (8)3 (8)3 (9)3 (7)3 (10)3 (9)2 (20)2 (16)3 (16)

Awards and honors

[edit]

Postseason

[edit]

NFL draft

[edit]

Seven Sooners were selected in the 1974 NFL draft.[22]

Round Pick Player Position NFL Team
4 85 Durwood Keeton Defensive back St. Louis Cardinals
5 110 Gary Baccus Linebacker New York Giants
5 119 Clyde Powers Defensive back New York Jets
9 227 Ken Pope Defensive back Oakland Raiders
12 296 Eddie Foster Tackle New England Patriots
14 349 David Smith Linebacker Philadelphia Eagles
16 399 Lucious Selmon Defensive tackle New England Patriots

References

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  1. ^ "Memorial Stadium". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 28, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  2. ^ a b "OU Football Tradition – 42 Conference Titles". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 22, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  3. ^ a b c "1973 Football Season". SoonerStats.com. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  4. ^ a b "All-American: Rod Shoate". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "All-American: Lucious Selmon". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 23, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  6. ^ Seays, Lillian (2005). "LEE ROY SELMON: Small Town Boy-Next-Door Makes Good". Onyx Magazine. Archived from the original on October 30, 2006. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  7. ^ "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. p. 164. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  8. ^ "Oklahoma on probation for 10 grid infractions". Nashua Telegraph. (New Hampshire). Associated Press. August 9, 1973. p. 15.
  9. ^ a b "Sooners cruise by Colorado; Buckeyes, Michigan triumph". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 21, 1973. p. 4B.
  10. ^ "Powerful Sooners Rip Baylor in 42-14 Game." Palm Beach Post. 1973 Sept 16.
  11. ^ Palm Beach Post. 1973 Oct 7.
  12. ^ "Sooners Slam Texas, 52-13." Palm Beach Post. October 14, 1973
  13. ^ "Sooners Crush Wildcats." Palm Beach Post. 1973 Oct 28.
  14. ^ "Sooners Get Past Cyclones." Palm Beach Post. 1973 Nov 4.
  15. ^ "Powerful Sooners Rip Missouri, 31-3." Palm Beach Post. November 11, 1973
  16. ^ "Nebraska vs. Oklahoma 1973 -- HuskerMax".
  17. ^ "Sooners Corral Cowboys." Palm Beach Post. December 2, 1973
  18. ^ "All-American: Eddie Foster". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  19. ^ "ActivePaper Archive".
  20. ^ "ActivePaper Archive".
  21. ^ "ActivePaper Archive".
  22. ^ "1974 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
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