The 1978 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football 1978 NCAA Division I-A season . Oklahoma Sooners football participated in the former Big Eight Conference at that time and played its home games in Oklahoma Memorial Stadium where it has played its home games since 1923.[ 1] head coach Barry Switzer who took the helm in 1973.[ 2] [ 3] [ 2]
The team was led by All-Americans Billy Sims (who won the Heisman Trophy ),[ 4] Daryl Hunt ,[ 5] Reggie Kinlaw ,[ 6] Greg Roberts ,[ 7] Orange Bowl for a rematch with conference Co-Champion Nebraska to avenge its only loss of the season.[ 8] Missouri , #6 Texas , and #4 & #6 Nebraska). Four different opponents finished the season ranked. It endured its only defeat against Nebraska in their regular season match.[ 3] [ 3]
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 157 tackles and Darrol Ray posted 8 interceptions .[ 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 forced turnovers . 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. Sims' 1896 yards stood as the Sooner record until Adrian Peterson posted 1925 in 2004.
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]
Schedule [ ]
Date
Opponent#
Rank #
Site
TV
Result
Attendance
September 9*
at Stanford
#4
Stanford Stadium • Stanford, CA
W 35–29 58,883[ 15]
September 16*
West Virginia
#3
Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK
W 52–10 71,885[ 15]
September 23*
Rice
#3
Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK
W 66–7 71,774[ 15]
September 30
#14 Missouri
#1
Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK (Tiger-Sooner Peace Pipe )
W 45–23 72,371[ 15]
October 7*
vs. #6 Texas
#1
Cotton Bowl • Dallas, TX (Red River Shootout )
ABC
W 31–10 72,032[ 15]
October 14
at Kansas
#1
Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, KS
W 17–16 44,450[ 15]
October 21
at Iowa State
#1
Cyclone Stadium • Ames, IA
W 34–6 49,862[ 15]
October 28
Kansas State
#1
Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK
W 56–19 72,105[ 15]
November 4
at Colorado
#1
Folsom Field • Boulder, CO
W 28–7 52,506[ 15]
November 11
at #4 Nebraska
#1
Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE (Rivalry )
ABC
L 14–17 74,657[ 15]
November 18
Oklahoma State
#4
Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK (Bedlam Series )
W 62–7 72,339[ 15]
January 1
vs. #6 Nebraska
#4
Miami Orange Bowl • Miami, FL (Orange Bowl )
NBC
W 31–24 66,365[ 15]
*Non-Conference Game. † Homecoming. # Rankings from AP Poll .
Game notes [ ] Stanford [ ]
#4 Oklahoma at Stanford
by Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
• 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
Texas [ ]
#1 Oklahoma vs. #6 Texas
by Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
Texas
0
3
7
0
10
• Oklahoma
7
10
7
7
31
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)
Colorado [ ]
by Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
• Oklahoma
7
0
14
7
28
Colorado
0
7
0
0
7
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
[ 16]
Awards and 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 "1978 Football Season" . SoonerStats.com. http://www.soonerstats.com/football/seasons/schedule.cfm?SeasonID=1978 . Retrieved June 30, 2010 .↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "All-American: Billy Sims" . CBS Interactive . Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20100525143926/http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/aa-billy-sims-1978-79.html . Retrieved June 29, 2010 .↑ 5.0 5.1 "All-American: Daryl Hunt" . CBS Interactive . Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20100525143536/http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/aa-daryl-hunt-1977-78.html . Retrieved June 29, 2010 .↑ 6.0 6.1 "All-American: Reggie Kinlaw" . CBS Interactive . Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20100525150352/http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/aa-reggie-kinlaw-1977-78.html . Retrieved June 29, 2010 .↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 "All-American: Greg Roberts" . CBS Interactive . Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20100525145606/http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/aa-greg-roberts-1977-78.html . Retrieved June 29, 2010 .↑ "OU Stings Nebraska in Big 8 Clash" . Orange Bowl Committee. http://www.orangebowl.org/orange_bowl/1970s.aspx#1979 . Retrieved June 30, 2010 .↑ "2009 Division I Football Records Book: Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Records" . National Collegiate Athletic Association . p. 47. http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/football_records/DI/2009/2009FBS.pdf . Retrieved July 9, 2010 .↑ "2009 Football Record Book" . Big 12 Conference. p. 175. http://www.big12sports.com/fls/10410/pdfs/football/record_book.pdf?&DB_OEM_ID=10410 . Retrieved June 30, 2010 .↑ "2009 Football Record Book" . Big 12 Conference. p. 165. http://www.big12sports.com/fls/10410/pdfs/football/record_book.pdf?&DB_OEM_ID=10410 . Retrieved June 30, 2010 .↑ "2009 Football Record Book" . Big 12 Conference. p. 167. http://www.big12sports.com/fls/10410/pdfs/football/record_book.pdf?&DB_OEM_ID=10410 . Retrieved June 30, 2010 .↑ http://www.heisman.com/winners/b-sims78.html ↑ 15.00 15.01 15.02 15.03 15.04 15.05 15.06 15.07 15.08 15.09 15.10 15.11 http://www.soonerstats.com/football/seasons/schedule.cfm?seasonid=1978 ↑ "Sims Ignites Oklahoma." Palm Beach Post. November 5, 1978.
↑ http://www.heisman.com/winners/hsmn-winners.html ↑ http://football.about.com/cs/history/a/waltercampaward.htm
External links [ ] 