American college football season
The1978 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented theUniversity of Oklahoma in thecollege football 1978 NCAA Division I-A season .Oklahoma Sooners football participated in the formerBig Eight Conference at that time and played its home games inOklahoma Memorial Stadium where it has played its home games since 1923.[ 1] head coach Barry Switzer . This was Switzer's sixth conference title in six seasons since taking the helm in 1973.[ 2] [ 3]
The team was led byAll-Americans Billy Sims (who won theHeisman Trophy ),[ 4] Daryl Hunt ,[ 5] Reggie Kinlaw ,[ 6] Greg Roberts ,[ 7] Nebraska .[ 3] Missouri , #6Texas , and #4 & #6 Nebraska); four different opponents finished the season ranked. Its only defeat came against Nebraska in their regular season match.[ 3] Orange Bowl against conference co-champions Nebraska, who had claimed the automatic berth by virtue of their victory over OU.[ 8]
Sims led the nation in scoring with 132 points (based on per game average of 10.9, which includes 120 in 11 games).[ 9] Thomas Lott led the team in passing with 487 yards,Bobby Kimball led the team in receiving with 207 yards, Hunt led the team with 157tackles andDarrol Ray posted 8interceptions .[ 10]
The 5001 yards rushing remain second in Oklahoma football history behind the 1971 team's 5635.[ 11] interceptions and tied the record of 50 forcedturnovers .[ 12] Daryl Hunt set the school record for career tackles.[ 13] Billy Sims became the only Sooner to post four 200-yard games in a season.[ 12] Adrian Peterson posted 1925 in 2004.[ 12]
Billy Sims became the sixth junior to win the Heisman Trophy. Sims was the nation's leading rusher and scorer for 1978. He averaged 160.1 yards and 10.9 points. He set the Big Eight Conference single season rushing record of 1,762 yards on 231 carries for an average of 7.6 yards. Sims was the only back in the nation's top 50 to average 7.0 per carry, and became the first player in Big Eight history to rush for more than 300 yards in three straight games.[ 14]
Date Opponent Rank Site TV Result Attendance Source September 9 atStanford * No. 4 W 35–2958,883 [ 15] September 16 West Virginia * No. 3 W 52–1071,187–71,885 [ 16] September 23 Rice * No. 3 Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK W 66–771,774 [ 17] September 30 No. 14Missouri No. 1 Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK (rivalry ) W 45–2372,371 [ 18] October 7 vs. No. 6Texas * No. 1 ABC W 31–1072,032 [ 19] October 14 atKansas No. 1 W 17–1640,450–44,450 [ 20] October 21 atIowa State No. 1 W 34–649,862 [ 21] October 28 Kansas State No. 1 Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK W 56–1972,105 [ 22] November 4 atColorado No. 1 W 28–752,506 [ 23] November 11 at No. 4Nebraska No. 1 ABC L 14–1774,657 [ 24] November 18 Oklahoma State No. 4 W 62–772,339 [ 25] January 1, 1979 vs. No. 6 Nebraska No. 4 NBC W 31–2466,365 [ 26] *Non-conference game Rankings fromAP Poll released prior to the game
[ 27]
Ranking movementsLegend: ██ Increase in ranking██ Decrease in ranking Week Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Final AP 4 3 3 т 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 4 4 4 3 Coaches Poll 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 3 4 4 3
#4 Oklahoma Sooners at Stanford Cardinals
Team 1 2 3 4 Total •#4 Oklahoma 14 14 0 7 35 Stanford 7 3 10 9 29
Scoring summary 1 OKLA Sims 2-yard run (von Schamann kick) OKLA 7-0 1 OKLA Rhodes 70-yard pass from Lott (von Schamann kick) OKLA 14-0 1 STAN Margerum 7-yard pass from Dils (Naber kick) OKLA 14-7 2 STAN Naber 43-yard field goal OKLA 14-10 2 OKLA Lott 19-yard run (von Schamann kick) OKLA 21-10 2 OKLA Kimball 17-yard pass from Lott (von Schamann kick) OKLA 28-10 3 STAN Banks 4-yard pass from Dils (Naber kick) OKLA 28-17 3 STAN Naber 49-yard field goal OKLA 28-20 4 OKLA Lott 1-yard run (von Schamann kick) OKLA 35-20 4 STAN Safety, von Schamann intentionally downed ball in end zone OKLA 35-22 4 STAN Margerum 11-yard pass from Dils (Naber kick) OKLA 35-29
Team 1 2 3 4 Total West Virginia 0 3 0 7 10 • Oklahoma 17 14 14 7 52
Team 1 2 3 4 Total Rice 0 0 0 7 7 • Oklahoma 17 35 7 7 66
Date: September 23Location: Oklahoma Memorial StadiumGame attendance: 71,774
#1 Oklahoma Sooners vs. #6 Texas Longhorns
Team 1 2 3 4 Total #6 Texas 0 3 7 0 10 •#1 Oklahoma 7 10 7 7 31
Date: Saturday, October 7Location: Cotton Bowl ,Dallas, Texas Game attendance: 72,032Game weather: SunnyTelevision network: ABC
Scoring summary 1 OKLA Billy Sims 18-yard run (Uwe von Schamann kick)OKLA 7-0 2 OKLA Billy Sims 1-yard run (Uwe von Schamann kick) OKLA 14-0 2 TEX Russell Erxleben 26-yard field goalOKLA 14-3 2 OKLA Uwe von Schamann 35-yard field goal OKLA 17-3 3 OKLA Bobby Kimball 24-yard pass from Thomas Lott (Uwe von Schamann kick)OKLA 24-3 3 TEX Johnny Lam Jones 25-yard run (Russell Erxleben kick)OKLA 24-10 4 OKLA David Overstreet 2-yard run (Uwe von Schamann kick)OKLA 31-10
Statistics
OU: Billy Sims 25 Rush, 131 Yds (Sims had been injured in two previous meetings)
Team 1 2 3 4 Total • Oklahoma 10 0 0 7 17 Kansas 0 7 0 9 16
Team 1 2 3 4 Total • Oklahoma 21 6 7 0 34 Iowa St 0 6 0 0 6
Team 1 2 3 4 Total Kansas St 0 7 12 0 19 • Oklahoma 21 14 0 21 56
Date: October 28Location: Oklahoma Memorial StadiumGame attendance: 72,105
Team 1 2 3 4 Total •#1 Oklahoma 7 0 14 7 28 Colorado 0 7 0 0 7
Date: November 4Location: Folsom Field Game attendance: 53,553
Scoring summary 1 OU Lott 1-yard run (von Schamann kick) OU 7-0 2 COL Mayberry 4-yard run (Dadiotis kick) Tied 7-7 3 OU Sims 59-yard run (von Schamann kick) OU 14-7 3 OU Valora 20-yard pass from Lott (von Schamann kick) OU 21-7 4 OU King 74-yard run (von Schamann kick) OU 28-7
[ 28]
Team 1 2 3 4 Total Oklahoma 7 0 7 0 14 • Nebraska 0 7 7 3 17
Team 1 2 3 4 Total Oklahoma St 7 0 0 0 7 • Oklahoma 7 21 21 13 62
Date: November 18Location: Oklahoma Memorial StadiumGame attendance: 72,339
Team 1 2 3 4 Total • Oklahoma 7 7 17 0 31 Nebraska 7 0 3 14 24
Date: January 1Location: Orange Bowl Game attendance: 66,365
1978 Oklahoma Sooners football team roster Players Coaches Offense Defense Special teams Head coach Coordinators/assistant coaches Legend (C) Team captain(S) Suspended(I) IneligibleRoster
All-American :Billy Sims ,[ 4] Daryl Hunt ,[ 5] Reggie Kinlaw ,[ 6] Greg Roberts ,[ 7] Greg Roberts,Outland Trophy [ 7] Billy Sims, Associated Press College Player of the Year Billy Sims , Heisman Trophy[ 29] Billy Sims, Sports Magazine's Player of the Year Billy Sims, United Press College Player of the Year Billy Sims, Walter Camp Foundation's Player of the Year[ 30] Big 8 rushing champion: Sims[ 4] NCAA DI scoring champion: Sims[ 4] NCAA team rushing leaders[ 7] NCAA team scoring leaders[ 7] The following players were drafted into the National Football League following the season.[ 31]
^ "Memorial Stadium" .CBS Interactive . Archived fromthe original on June 28, 2010. RetrievedJune 30, 2010 .^ "OU Football Tradition – 42 Conference Titles" .CBS Interactive . Archived fromthe original on June 22, 2010. RetrievedJune 30, 2010 .^a b c "1978 Football Season" . SoonerStats.com. RetrievedJune 30, 2010 .^a b c d "All-American: Billy Sims" .CBS Interactive . Archived fromthe original on May 25, 2010. RetrievedJune 29, 2010 .^a b "All-American: Daryl Hunt" .CBS Interactive . Archived fromthe original on May 25, 2010. RetrievedJune 29, 2010 .^a b "All-American: Reggie Kinlaw" .CBS Interactive . Archived fromthe original on May 25, 2010. RetrievedJune 29, 2010 .^a b c d e "All-American: Greg Roberts" .CBS Interactive . Archived fromthe original on May 25, 2010. RetrievedJune 29, 2010 .^ "OU Stings Nebraska in Big 8 Clash" . Orange Bowl Committee. Archived fromthe original on February 11, 2010. RetrievedJune 30, 2010 .^ "2009 Division I Football Records Book: Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Records" (PDF) .National Collegiate Athletic Association . p. 47. RetrievedJuly 9, 2010 .^ "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF) . Big 12 Conference. p. 175. RetrievedJune 30, 2010 .^ "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF) . Big 12 Conference. p. 165. RetrievedJune 30, 2010 .^a b c "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF) . Big 12 Conference. p. 166. RetrievedJune 30, 2010 .^ "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF) . Big 12 Conference. p. 167. RetrievedJune 30, 2010 .^ "Archived copy" . Archived fromthe original on December 12, 2004. RetrievedMarch 26, 2016 .{{cite web }}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link )^ "Butterfingered Sooners win 35–29" .The Oregonian . September 10, 1978. RetrievedOctober 20, 2024 – viaNewspapers.com .^ "Sooners peak over Mountaineers" .Tulsa World . September 17, 1978. RetrievedJanuary 27, 2024 – viaNewspapers.com .^ "Sooners turn 'awesome' wishbone loose on Rice" .Springfield Leader and Press . September 24, 1978. RetrievedOctober 20, 2024 – viaNewspapers.com .^ "Oklahoma impresses in easy win over Missouri" .Lincoln Journal Star . October 1, 1978. RetrievedOctober 20, 2024 – viaNewspapers.com .^ "Oklahoma tramples Longhorns, 31–10" .The Patriot-News . October 8, 1978. RetrievedOctober 20, 2024 – viaNewspapers.com .^ "OU squeaks past Jayhawks" .Fort Worth Star-Telegram . October 15, 1978. RetrievedOctober 20, 2024 – viaNewspapers.com .^ "Sims, OU devastating" .The Shreveport Times . October 22, 1978. RetrievedOctober 20, 2024 – viaNewspapers.com .^ "Close shave? Sooners rip" .The Tampa Tribune-Times . October 29, 1978. RetrievedOctober 20, 2024 – viaNewspapers.com .^ "Oklahoma handles Colorado" .The Manhattan Mercury . November 5, 1978. RetrievedOctober 20, 2024 – viaNewspapers.com .^ "Sooners fumble away No. 1" .Rapid City Journal . November 12, 1978. RetrievedOctober 20, 2024 – viaNewspapers.com .^ "Orange Bowl bound Sooners smash OSU" .The Wichita Eagle & Beacon . November 19, 1978. RetrievedOctober 20, 2024 – viaNewspapers.com .^ "Sooners turn on Huskers" .The Indianapolis Star . January 2, 1979. RetrievedOctober 20, 2024 – viaNewspapers.com .^ "1978 OU Football Season Schedule - SoonerStats - Historical scores, records, and stats for Oklahoma Sooners football, basketball, baseball, and softball" .^ "Sims Ignites Oklahoma." Palm Beach Post. November 5, 1978. ^ "Heisman.com - Heisman Trophy" . Archived fromthe original on April 11, 2007. RetrievedApril 16, 2007 .^ "Football" . Archived fromthe original on January 7, 2008. RetrievedJune 29, 2010 .^ "1979 NFL Draft Listing" .Pro-Football-Reference.com . RetrievedNovember 29, 2020 .
Venues Bowls & rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons National championship seasons in bold
MVIAA Big Eight National championships in bold
