The 1973 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 1973 college 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]
Schedule [ ]
Date
Opponent#
Rank #
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
September 15*
at Baylor
#11
Baylor Stadium • Waco, TX
W 42–14
41,573[8]
September 29*
at #1 USC
#8
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, CA
T 7–7
83,986[8]
October 6*
#17 Miami
#6
Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK
W 24–20
62,040[8]
October 13*
vs. #13 Texas
#6
Cotton Bowl • Dallas, TX (Red River Shootout )
ABC
W 52–13
72,032[8]
October 20
#16 Colorado
#3
Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK
W 34–7
62,580[8]
October 27
at Kansas State
#3
KSU Stadium • Manhattan, KS
W 56–14
29,523[8]
November 3
Iowa State
#3
Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK
W 34–17
61,876[8]
November 10
at #10 Missouri
#3
Memorial Stadium • Columbia, MO (Tiger-Sooner Peace Pipe )
W 31–3
65,515[8]
November 17
#18 Kansas
#3
Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK
W 48–20
60,961[8]
November 23
#10 Nebraska
#3
Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK (Rivalry )
ABC
W 27–0
62,257[8]
December 1
at Oklahoma State
#2
Lewis Field • Stillwater, OK
W 45–18
50,964[8]
*Non-Conference Game. † Homecoming. # Rankings from AP Poll .
[3]
Game notes [ ]
Baylor [ ]
by Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
• Oklahoma
21
14
0
7
42
Baylor
0
0
6
8
14
Scoring summary
1
Oklahoma Davis 3 yard run (Fulcher kick) Oklahoma 7-0
1
Oklahoma Foster recovered fumble in end zone (Fulcher kick) Oklahoma 14-0
1
Oklahoma Washington 7 yard run (Fulcher kick) Oklahoma 21-0
2
Oklahoma Washington 13 yard run (Fulcher kick) Oklahoma 28-0
2
Oklahoma Clark 50 yard run (Fulcher kick) Oklahoma 35-0
3
Baylor Dancer 6 yard pass from Jeffries (run failed) Oklahoma 35-6
4
Oklahoma Davis 27 yard run (Fulcher kick) Oklahoma 42-6
4
Baylor Kent 28 yard pass from Armstrong (Kent run) Oklahoma 42-14
[9]
Texas [ ]
by Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
• Oklahoma
7
14
14
17
52
Texas
3
3
0
7
13
Scoring summary
1
OU Owens 40 yard pass from Washington (Fulcher kick) OU 7-0
1
TEX Schott 36 yard field goal OU 7-3
2
TEX Schott 44 yard field goal OU 7-6
2
OU Owens 53 yard pass from Davis (Fulcher kick) OU 14-6
2
OU Brooks 47 yard pass from Davis (Fulcher kick) OU 21-6
3
OU Davis 15 yard run (Fulcher kick) OU 28-6
3
OU Davis 2 yard run (Fulcher kick) OU 35-6
4
OU Fulcher 25 yard field goal OU 38-6
4
OU Melandez recovered fumble in end zone (Fulcher kick) OU 45-6
4
TEX Priestly 31 yard run (Schott kick) OU 45-13
4
OU McReynolds 11 yard run (Fulcher kick) OU 52-13
The most points Oklahoma had scored against Texas to date.[10]
Missouri [ ]
by Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
• Oklahoma
7
3
12
9
31
Missouri
3
0
0
0
3
Scoring summary
1
MU Hill 42 yard field goal MU 3-0
1
OU Waymon Clark 14 yard run (Rick Fulcher kick) OU 7-3
2
OU Rick Fulcher 39 yard field goal OU 10-3
3
OU Joe Washington 26 yard run (kick failed) OU 16-3
3
OU Billy Brooks 63 yard pass from Steve Davis (pass failed) OU 22-3
4
OU Rick Fulcher 30 yard field goal OU 25-3
4
5:51
OU Joe Washington 80 yard punt return (kick failed) OU 31-3
[11]
Nebraska [ ]
by Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
Nebraska
0
0
0
0
0
• Oklahoma
14
0
6
7
27
Scoring summary
1
6:55
OU Waymon Clark 2 yard run (Rick Fulcher kick) OU 7-0
1
0:01
OU Steve Davis 47 yard run (Rick Fulcher kick) OU 14-0
3
2:37
OU Steve Davis 1 yard run (pass failed) OU 20-0
4
2:11
OU Steve Davis 8 yard run (Rick Fulcher kick) OU 27-0
[12]
Oklahoma State [ ]
by Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
• Oklahoma
7
14
7
17
45
Oklahoma State
0
3
3
12
18
Scoring summary
1
OU Steve Davis 7 yard run (Rick Fulcher kick) OU 7-0
2
OU Waymon Clark 7 yard run (Rick Fulcher kick) OU 14-0
2
OSU Daigle 50 yard field goal OU 14-3
2
2:52
OU Steve Davis 9 yard run (Rick Fulcher kick) OU 21-3
3
OSU Daigle 36 yard field goal OU 21-6
3
OU Steve Dodd recovered punt in end zone (Rick Fulcher kick) OU 28-6
4
OU Rick Fulcher 38 yard field goal OU 31-6
4
OU Steve Davis 8 yard run (Rick Fulcher kick) OU 38-6
4
OU Scott Hill 10 yard run (Rick Fulcher kick) OU 45-6
4
OSU Charlie Weatherbie 8 yard run (pass failed) OU 45-12
4
OSU Charlie Weatherbie 5 yard run (pass failed) OU 45-18
[13]
Awards & Honors [ ]
References [ ]
↑ "Memorial Stadium" . CBS Interactive . Archived from the original on June 28, 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20100628213311/http://www.soonersports.com/facilities/memorial-stadium_history.html . Retrieved June 30, 2010 .
↑ 2.0 2.1 "OU Football Tradition" . CBS Interactive . Archived from the original on June 22, 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20100622232057/http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/m-footbl-conf-titles.html . Retrieved June 30, 2010 .
↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "1973 Football Season" . SoonerStats.com. http://www.soonerstats.com/football/seasons/schedule.cfm?SeasonID=1973 . Retrieved June 30, 2010 .
↑ 4.0 4.1 "All-American: Rod Shoate" . CBS Interactive . Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20100525073705/http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/aa-rod-shoate-1972-73-74.html . Retrieved July 1, 2010 .
↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 "All-American: Lucious Selmon" . CBS Interactive . Archived from the original on May 23, 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20100523224735/http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/aa-lucious-selmon-1973.html . Retrieved July 1, 2010 .
↑ Seays, Lillian (2005). "LEE ROY SELMON: Small Town Boy-Next-Door Makes Good" . Onyx Magazine . http://www.onyxmagazine.com/aspx/selmon.aspx . Retrieved July 2, 2010 .
↑ "2009 Football Record Book" . Big 12 Conference. p. 164. http://www.big12sports.com/fls/10410/pdfs/football/record_book.pdf?&DB_OEM_ID=10410 . Retrieved July 2, 2010 .
↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 http://www.soonerstats.com/football/seasons/schedule.cfm?seasonid=1973
↑ "Powerful Sooners Rip Baylor in 42-14 Game." Palm Beach Post. 1973 Sept 16.
↑ "Sooners Slam Texas, 52-13." Palm Beach Post. October 14, 1973
↑ "Powerful Sooners Rip Missouri, 31-3." Palm Beach Post. November 11, 1973
↑ [1]
↑ "Sooners Corral Cowboys." Palm Beach Post. December 2, 1973
↑ "All-American: Eddie Foster" . CBS Interactive . Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20100525220746/http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/aa-eddie-foster-1973.html . Retrieved July 1, 2010 .
External links [ ]