1987 Oklahoma Sooners football team

The 1987 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football 1987 NCAA Division IA 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. The team posted a 11–1 overall record and a 7–0 conference record to the Conference title outright under head coach Barry Switzer who took the helm in 1973. This was Switzer's twelfth conference title, fourth consecutive conference title and eighth undefeated conference record in fifteen seasons.

The team was led by All-Americans Rickey Dixon (who won the Jim Thorpe Award, Mark Hutson, Keith Jackson, Danté Jones, and Darrell Reed After going undefeated in its eleven regular season games, it earned a trip to the  for an appearance against the Miami Hurricanes.  During the season, it faced three ranked opponents (In order, #12 Oklahoma State, #1 Nebraska, and #2 Miami). Both of its last two games were #1 vs. #2 matches with the last being a national title game in which it endured its only loss to the resulting national champion Hurricanes. The game marked the third Miami victory over Oklahoma in three seasons to former Switzer assistant coach Jimmy Johnson.

Jamelle Holieway led the team in rushing for the second season with 807 yards and in passing for the third of four times with 548 yards, Jackson led the team in receiving for the third straight season with 403 yards, Placekicker R.D. Lashar led the team in scoring with 91 points, Reed posted 8 quarterback sacks, Jones led the team with 125 tackles and Dixon posted 9 interceptions. The defense set a school record that would only be eclipsed by the 1986 team when it allowed only 2.2 yards per rush over the course of the season. Dixon established the current school record total of 9 single-season interceptions. He set the school record for single-season interception return yards with 232 that season and the career record with 303, which was broken by Derrick Strait in 2003.

Awards and honors

 * All-American: Rickey Dixon, Mark Hutson, Keith Jackson, Danté Jones, and Darrell Reed
 * Jim Thorpe Award: Dixon