1976 Oklahoma Sooners football team

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1976 Oklahoma Sooners football
Oklahoma Sooners logo.svg
Big Eight co-champion
Fiesta Bowl champion
Fiesta Bowl, W 41–7 vs. Wyoming
ConferenceBig Eight Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 6
APNo. 5
1976 record9–2–1 (5–2 Big 8)
Head coach
  • Barry Switzer (4th season)
Offensive coordinatorGalen Hall (4th season)
Offensive schemeWishbone
Defensive coordinatorLarry Lacewell (7th season)
Base defense5–2
Captains
Home stadiumOklahoma Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 71,187)
Seasons
← 1975
1977 →
1976 Big Eight Conference football standings
  • v
  • t
 Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 16 Colorado + 5 – 2 – 0 8 – 4 – 0
No. 14 Oklahoma State + 5 – 2 – 0 9 – 3 – 0
No. 5 Oklahoma + 5 – 2 – 0 9 – 2 – 1
No. 19 Iowa State 4 – 3 – 0 8 – 3 – 0
No. 9 Nebraska 4 – 3 – 0 9 – 3 – 1
Missouri 3 – 4 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
Kansas 2 – 5 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
Kansas State 0 – 7 – 0 1 – 10 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1976 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 1976 NCAA Division I football season. Oklahoma was a member of the Big Eight Conference and played its home games in Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, where it has played its home games since 1923.[1] The team posted a 9–2–1 overall record and a 5–2–0 conference record to earn a share of the Conference title under head coach Barry Switzer who took the helm in 1973.[2][3] This was Switzer's fourth conference title in four seasons.[2]

The team was led by two All-Americans: Zac Henderson[4] and Mike Vaughan.[5] After tying with Oklahoma State and Colorado for the conference title, it earned a trip to the Fiesta Bowl where it came out victorious against the Wyoming Cowboys.[3] During the season, it faced five ranked opponents (In order, #16 Texas, #15 Kansas, #19 Colorado, #11 Missouri and #10 Nebraska). Four of its opponents finished the season ranked. It tied with Texas in the Red River Shootout and lost to Oklahoma State and Colorado.[3] The Sooners started the season with a 5–0–1 record. They also began and ended the season with four-game winning streaks.[3] Sophomore Daryl Hunt's 177 tackles that season would stand as the school record for five years and continues to be the second highest total behind Jackie Shipp's 189 in 1981.[6]

Kenny King led the team in rushing with 839 yards, Dean Blevins led the team in passing with 384 yards, Steve Rhodes led the team in receiving with 160 yards, Uwe von Schamann and Horace Ivory led the team in scoring with 72 points, Hunt led the team in tackles with a record-setting 177 as well as interceptions with 4.[6]

Schedule[]

DateOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 11at Vanderbilt*No. 5
  • Dudley Field
  • Nashville, TN
W 24–334,171[7]
September 18California*No. 4
  • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Norman, OK
W 28–1772,026[7]
September 25Florida State*No. 4
  • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Norman, OK
W 24–971,343[7]
October 2at Iowa StateNo. 3
  • Cyclone Stadium
  • Ames, IA
W 24–1047,186[7]
October 9vs. No. 16 Texas*No. 3
  • Cotton Bowl
  • Dallas, TX (Red River Shootout)
ABCT 6–672,032[7]
October 16at No. 15 KansasNo. 6
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Lawrence, KS
W 28–1049,085[7]
October 23Oklahoma StateNo. 5
  • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Norman, OK (Bedlam Series)
L 24–3172,041[7]
October 30at No. 19 ColoradoNo. 13
  • Folsom Field
  • Boulder, CO
L 31–4252,000[7]
November 6Kansas StateNo. 14
  • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Norman, OK
W 49–2070,987[7]
November 13No. 11 MissouriNo. 14
  • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Norman, OK (rivalry)
W 27–2071,620[7]
November 26at No. 10 NebraskaNo. 8
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Lincoln, NE (rivalry)
ABCW 20–1774,284[7]
December 25vs. Wyoming*No. 8
  • Sun Devil Stadium
  • Tempe, AZ (Fiesta Bowl)
CBSW 41–748,714[7]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Roster[]

1976 Oklahoma Sooners football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
T 67 Karl Baldischwiler Jr
QB 2 Dean Blevins Jr
OT 63 Sam Claphan Redshirt.svg So
WR 15 Jim Culbreath Sr
RB 28 George Cumby Redshirt.svg Fr
WR 33 Bud Hebert So
TE 80 Victor Hicks So
RB 32 Horace Ivory Redshirt.svg Sr
RB 30 Kenny King So
QB 6 Thomas Lott So
RB 11 Fred Nixon Fr
T 66 Louis Oubre Fr
RB 4 Elvis Peacock Redshirt.svg Jr
SE 3 Darrol Ray Fr
SE 24 Steve Rhodes Fr
G 65 Greg Roberts So
RB 34 Jimmy Rogers Redshirt.svg So
HB 23 Woodie Shepard So
HB 20 Billy Sims So
OT 79 Mike Vaughan (C) Sr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DB 17 Jerry Anderson (C) Sr
DE 72 John Goodman Fr
S 1 Zac Henderson Jr
S 7 Scott Hill (C) Sr
DT 70 Dave Hudgens Redshirt.svg Jr
LB 85 Daryl Hunt So
DT 62 Reggie Kinlaw So
DE 58 Reggie Mathis So
DT 74 Phil Tabor So
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K 10 Uwe von Schamann So
Head coach
  • Barry Switzer
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster

Game summaries[]

Vanderbilt[]

California[]

Florida State[]

Florida State Seminoles at #4 Oklahoma Sooners
1 234Total
Florida State 6 030 9
• Oklahoma 3 1407 24
  • Date: Saturday, September 25
  • Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma
  • Source: Eugene Register-Guard

Iowa State[]

Texas[]

1 234Total
Texas 0 303 6
Oklahoma 0 006 6
  • Date: October 9
  • Location: Cotton Bowl
  • Game attendance: 72,032

[8]

Kansas[]

Oklahoma State[]

1 234Total
• Oklahoma St 10 3810 31
Oklahoma 14 730 24
  • Date: October 23
  • Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

[9]

Colorado[]

Kansas State[]

1 234Total
Kansas St 7 1030 20
• Oklahoma 21 7714 49
  • Date: November 6
  • Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, Oklahoma
  • Game attendance: 71,184

[10]

Missouri[]

Nebraska[]

1 234Total
• Oklahoma 7 0013 20
Nebraska 0 3140 17
  • Date: November 26
  • Location: Memorial Stadium
  • Game attendance: 76,247

[11]

Fiesta Bowl[]

Rankings[]

See also: 1976 NCAA Division I football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. т = Tied with team above or below. ( ) = First place votes.
Week
Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Final 
AP 5 (6) 4 (4) 4 (3) 3 (2) 2 (3) 6 5 13 17 14 10 8 8 5

Awards and honors[]

A football signed by the 1976 Oklahoma Sooners, including Billy Sims and J. C. Watts, that was gifted to President Gerald Ford.
  • All-American: Zac Henderson[4] and Mike Vaughan[5]

Postseason[]

NFL draft[]

The following players were drafted into the National Football League following the season.[12]

Player Position Round Pick Franchise
Horace Ivory Running back 2 44 New England Patriots
Sidney Brown Defensive back 3 82 New England Patriots
Mike Vaughan Tackle 4 88 New York Giants
Jerry Anderson Defensive back 4 105 Cincinnati Bengals
Jim Culbreath Running back 10 260 Green Bay Packers


References[]

  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 d "1976 Football Season". SoonerStats.com. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  4. ^ a b "All-American: Zac Henderson". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
  5. ^ a b "All-American: Mike Vaughan". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
  6. ^ a b "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. p. 175. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "1974 OU Football Season Schedule - SoonerStats - Historical scores, records, and stats for Oklahoma Sooners football, basketball, baseball, and softball".
  8. ^ SoonerStats.com. Retrieved 2018-Oct-07.
  9. ^ SoonerStats.com. Retrieved 2018-Oct-07.
  10. ^ Palm Beach Post. 1976 Nov 7.
  11. ^ HuskerMax. Retrieved 2018-Oct-07.
  12. ^ "1977 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 29, 2020.

External links[]

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