1971 Oklahoma Sooners football team

1971 Oklahoma Sooners football
Sugar Bowl champion
Sugar Bowl, W 40–22 vs. Auburn
Conference	Big Eight Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 3
AP	No. 2
Record	11–1 (6–1 Big 8)
Head coach	Chuck Fairbanks (5th season)
Offensive coordinator	Barry Switzer (6th season)
Offensive scheme	Wishbone
Defensive coordinator	Larry Lacewell (2nd season)
Base defense	4–3
Captains	Steve Aycock Glenn King Jack Mildren
Home stadium	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
Seasons ←  1970 1972  →

1971 Big Eight Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 1 Nebraska $	7	–	0	–	0			13	–	0	–	0
No. 2 Oklahoma	6	–	1	–	0			11	–	1	–	0
No. 3 Colorado	5	–	2	–	0			10	–	2	–	0
Iowa State	4	–	3	–	0			8	–	4	–	0
Kansas State	2	–	5	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Oklahoma State	2	–	5	–	0			4	–	6	–	1
Kansas	2	–	5	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
Missouri	0	–	7	–	0			1	–	10	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

The 1971 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 1971 NCAA University Division 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 an 11–1 and 6–1 conference record under head coach Chuck Fairbanks. ^{[2] [3]} The Sooners finished the season ranked #2, losing only once, 35–31 to eventual national champion Nebraska in the 1971 Nebraska vs. Oklahoma football game, which has become known as Game of the Century.

In 1971, offensive coordinator Barry Switzer perfected the wishbone offense as it led the nation in both scoring (45 points average) and total yards (563 total yards average), and set an NCAA record by averaging over 472.4 (5196 in 11 games) rushing yards in a season. ^[4] The team holds the current school record with 7.07 yards per rushing attempt and 7.6 yards per play as well as the records for 469.6 rushing yards (5635 in 12 games counting bowl game) and 566.83 yards of total offense per game. The team also holds the single-season rushing touchdowns record of 62 and rushing touchdowns per game record of 5.17. The team's records of 711 single-game rushing yards and 785 total yards stood for nine seasons. ^[5] Jack Mildren's single-season record for yards rushing by a quarterback of 1140 would be broken three seasons later by Freddie Solomon. ^[6]

Greg Pruitt set the current national single-season record with 8.98 yards per attempt, ^[7] the school's single-game records of 294 rushing yards and 374 all-purpose yards. Meanwhile, Jon Harrison set the single-season and career yards per reception with 29.1 and 27.0. ^[8] His 2066 single-season all-purpose yards record stood until Quentin Griffin broke it in 2002. Joe Wylie's kickoff return average record of 28.5 stood for 27 years. ^[9]

The team was led by three All-Americans: Pruitt, ^[7] Tom Brahaney ^[10] and Jack Mildren. ^[11] The team won its first nine games on a schedule that included five ranked opponents (In order, #17 USC, #3 Texas, #6 Colorado, #1 Nebraska and #5 Auburn). All five of these opponents finished the season ranked. The only loss was to Nebraska. They played Auburn in the Sugar Bowl and won 40–22. ^[3]

The top three teams in the final AP poll for the 1971 season were from the Big Eight: Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Colorado. The top two teams had never been from the same conference, and this year had three. ^[12]

Pruitt led the team in rushing with 1760 yards, Mildren led the team in passing yards for the third straight season with 889 yards and also in scoring with 120 points, Harrison led the team in receiving with 494 yards, Mark Driscoll led the team in tackles with 134, and John Shelly led the team in interceptions with 5. ^[13]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 18	SMU *	No. 10	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK		W 30–0	48,500–53,545	[14]
September 25	at Pittsburgh *	No. 11	Pitt Stadium Pittsburgh, PA		W 55–29	34,916
October 2	No. 17 USC *	No. 8	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK		W 33–20	62,351
October 9	vs. No. 3 Texas *	No. 8	Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX (Red River Shootout)	ABC	W 48–27	72,032–73,580	[15]
October 16	No. 6 Colorado	No. 2	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK		W 45–17	62,501
October 23	at Kansas State	No. 2	KSU Stadium Manhattan, KS		W 75–28	37,198
October 30	Iowa State	No. 2	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK		W 39–7	60,477
November 6	at Missouri	No. 2	Memorial Stadium Columbia, MO (rivalry)		W 20–3	55,098
November 13	Kansas	No. 2	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK	ABC	W 56–10	54,347
November 25	No. 1 Nebraska	No. 2	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK (rivalry)	ABC	L 31–35	62,884
December 4	at Oklahoma State	No. 3	Lewis Field Stillwater, OK (Bedlam Series)		W 58–14	36,571
January 1, 1972	vs. No. 5 Auburn *	No. 3	Tulane Stadium New Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl)	ABC	W 40–22	84,031	[16]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

^[17]

Game summaries

SMU

1 2 3 4 Total SMU 0 0 0 0 0 • Oklahoma 3 17 7 3 30 Date: September 18 Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Game attendance: 53,545

Pittsburgh

1 2 3 4 Total • Oklahoma 21 21 6 7 55 Pittsburgh 11 6 0 12 29 Date: September 25 Location: Pitt Stadium Game attendance: 34,916

USC

1 2 3 4 Total USC 7 7 0 6 20 • Oklahoma 13 6 14 0 33 Date: October 2 Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Game attendance: 62,351

Texas

See also: Red River Shootout

#8 Oklahoma Sooners vs. #3 Texas Longhorns

1 2 3 4 Total •#8 Oklahoma 14 17 7 10 48 #3 Texas 14 7 6 0 27 Date: October 9 Location: Cotton Bowl, Dallas Game weather: Sunny

Scoring summary 1 10:29 TEX Donnie Wigginton 5-yard run (Steve Valek kick) TEX 7-0 1 7:59 OU Greg Pruitt 1-yard run (John Carroll kick) Tied 7-7 1 5:04 TEX Donnie Wigginton 44-yard run (Steve Valek kick) TEX 14-7 1 2:04 OU Roy Bell 3-yard run (John Carroll kick) Tied 14-14 2 10:33 OU Greg Pruitt 4-yard run (John Carroll kick) OU 21-14 2 9:09 OU Gregg Pruitt 20-yard run (John Carroll kick) OU 28-14 2 4:53 TEX Jim Bertelsen 3-yard run (Steve Valek kick) OU 28-21 2 0:01 OU John Carroll 26-yard field goal OU 31-21 3 7:17 OU Jack Mildren 7-yard run (John Carroll kick) OU 38-21 3 2:16 TEX Jim Bertelsen 15-yard run (kick failed) OU 38-27 4 3:29 OU John Carroll 27-yard field goal OU 41-27 4 2:10 OU Jack Mildren 1-yard run (John Carroll kick) OU 48-27

^{[18] [19]}

Colorado

#6 Colorado Buffaloes at #2 Oklahoma Sooners

1 2 3 4 Total #6 Colorado 0 0 17 0 17 •#2 Oklahoma 14 10 7 14 45 Date: October 16 Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma Game attendance: 61,826

Scoring summary 1 OU Pruitt 66-yard run (Carroll kick) OU 7-0 1 OU Harrison 54-yard pass from Mildren (Carroll kick) OU 14-0 2 OU Carroll 36-yard field goal OU 17-0 2 OU Mildren 3-yard run (Carroll kick) OU 24-0 3 COL Nichols 64-yard pass from Johnson (Dean kick) OU 24-7 3 OU Pruitt 14-yard run (Carroll kick) OU 31-7 3 COL Davis 16-yard run (Dean kick) OU 31-14 3 COL Dean 32-yard field goal OU 31-17 4 OU Wylie 68-yard pass from Mildren (Carroll kick) OU 38-17 4 OU Bell 3-yard run (Carroll kick) OU 45-17

^[20]

Kansas State

1 2 3 4 Total • Oklahoma 14 27 13 21 75 Kansas St 7 7 7 7 28 Date: October 23 Location: KSU Stadium, Manhattan, Kansas Game attendance: 40,000

Scoring summary 1 KSU Butler 2 yard run (Goerger kick) Kansas St 7–0 1 OKLA Mildren 1 yard run (kick failed) Kansas St 7–6 1 OKLA Pruitt 15 yard run (Chandler pass from Mildren) Oklahoma 14–7 2 OKLA Bell 24 yard run (Carroll kick) Oklahoma 21–7 2 KSU Butler 1 yard run (Goerger kick) Oklahoma 21–14 2 OKLA Pruitt 38 yard run (Carroll kick) Oklahoma 28–14 2 OKLA Pruitt 15 yard run (Carroll kick) Oklahoma 35–14 2 OKLA Bell 5 yard run (kick failed) Oklahoma 41–14 3 OKLA Bell 6 yard run (Carroll kick) Oklahoma 48–14 3 KSU Butler 1 yard run (Goerger kick) Oklahoma 48–21 3 OKLA Mildren 42 yard run (kick failed) Oklahoma 54–21 4 OKLA Chandler 15 yard pass from Mildren (Carroll kick) Oklahoma 61–21 4 KSU Butler 1 yard run (Goerger kick) Oklahoma 61–28 4 OKLA Bell 11 yard run (Carroll kick) Oklahoma 68–28 4 OKLA Marshall 6 yard run (Carroll kick) Oklahoma 75–28

^[21]

Iowa State

1 2 3 4 Total Iowa St 6 0 6 0 12 • Oklahoma 17 12 7 7 43 Date: October 30 Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Game attendance: 60,477

Missouri

1 2 3 4 Total • Oklahoma 6 14 0 0 20 Missouri 0 3 0 0 3 Date: November 6 Location: Faurot Field Game attendance: 55,098

Kansas

1 2 3 4 Total Kansas 0 0 0 10 10 • Oklahoma 14 35 7 0 56 Date: November 13 Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

Nebraska

Main article: 1971 Nebraska vs. Oklahoma football game

#1 Nebraska at #2 Oklahoma

1 2 3 4 Total • #1 Nebraska 7 7 14 7 35 #2 Oklahoma 3 14 7 7 31 Date: 1971-11-25 Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma Game start: 1:50 pm CST Game attendance: 61,826 Referee: Vance Carlson TV announcers (ABC): Chris Schenkel, Bud Wilkinson, and Bill Flemming (sideline)

Oklahoma and Nebraska battled back and forth in the Game of the Century in front of a sold-out crowd in Norman and over 55 million viewers on ABC on Thanksgiving Day. Nebraska struck first with a 72-yard Johnny Rodgers punt return, but Oklahoma pulled ahead by 3 by halftime. The Cornhuskers came back strong in the third quarter with two more touchdowns, but the Sooners responded with two of their own to retake the lead with only 7:10 remaining. Down by 3 points, the Huskers went on a final drive and with only 1:38 remaining, Jeff Kinney scored his fourth touchdown of the day for the lead and the win. ^{[22] [23] [24]}

Oklahoma State

See also: Bedlam Series

Frustrated from their painful loss to Nebraska, the Sooners showed their in-state archrival no mercy in the final game for Cowboys coach Floyd Gass, as well as the last game at Lewis Field (now Boone Pickens Stadium) before a massive renovation which expanded the stadium's capacity, removed the cinder track around the field, and replaced the grass surface with artificial turf.

#3 Oklahoma Sooners at Oklahoma State Cowboys

1 2 3 4 Total •#3 Oklahoma 17 20 7 14 58 Oklahoma State 0 7 0 7 14 Date: December 4 Location: Lewis Field, Stillwater, Oklahoma Game attendance: 37,500

Scoring summary 1 OU Carroll 26-yard field goal OU 3-0 1 OU Mildren 4-yard run (Carroll kick) OU 10-0 1 OU Harrison 77-yard run (Carroll kick) OU 17-0 2 OU Mildren 1-yard run (Carroll kick) OU 24-0 2 OU Pruitt 1-yard run (kick failed) OU 30-0 2 OSU Garrett 38-yard run (Pruss kick) OU 30-7 2 OU Chandler 18-yard pass from Mildren (Carroll kick) OU 37-7 3 OU Pruitt 7-yard run (Carroll kick) OU 44-7 4 OSU Graham 7-yard pass from Pounds (Pruss kick) OU 44-14 4 OU Bell 4-yard run (Carroll kick) OU 51-14 4 OU Dodd 5-yard run (Carroll kick) OU 58-14

^[25]

Sugar Bowl

1 2 3 4 Total • Oklahoma 19 12 3 6 40 Auburn 0 0 7 15 22 Date: January 1 Location: Tulane Stadium Game start: 11:05 a.m. CST Game attendance: 84,031 Referee: James M. Artley TV announcers (ABC): Chris Schenkel, Bud Wilkinson

• Passing: AUB Sullivan 20/44, 250 Yds, TD, INT, OU Mildren 1/4, 11 Yds
• Rushing: AUB Unger 6 Rush, 38 Yds, 2 TD, OU Mildren 30 Rush, 149 Yds, 3 TD
• Receiving: AUB Beasley 6 Rec, 117 Yds, OU Chandler 1 Rec, 11 Yds
• OU Crosswhite 4 yd run (kick failed)
• OU Mildren 5 yd run (Carroll kick)
• OU Mildren 4 yd run (kick failed)
• OU Mildren 7 yd run (kick failed)
• OU Wylie 71 yd punt return (kick failed)
• AUB Unger 1 yd run (Jett kick)
• OU Caroll 53 yd FG
• AUB Unger 1 yd run (Jett kick)
• OU Pruitt 2 yd run (kick failed)
• AUB Cannon 11 yd pass from Sullivan (run good)

^[26]

Rankings

See also: 1971 NCAA University Division football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	Final
AP	10	10	11	8	8	2 (8)	2 (18)	2 (21)	2 (17)	2 (6)	2 (8)	2 (8)	3	3	2

Roster

1971 Oklahoma Sooners football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class G 63 Neil Acker  So SE 6 Steve Allen So OT 65 Drake Andarakes So RB 35 Roy Bell Sr HB 20 Bob Berg So C 54 Tom Brahaney Jr C 56 Paul Bunge  So HB 25 Grant Burget So HB 34 Dexter Bussey So SE 10 John Carroll So TE 82 Al Chandler So RB 17 Leon Crosswhite Jr C 50 Kyle Davis So C 53 Glenn Dewberry Sr FB 40 Steve Dodd  So G 73 Darryl Emmert Sr OT 77 Eddie Foster  So SE 80 Willie Franklin Sr QB 8 Rick Fulcher Jr TE 87 David Geren  Jr HB 36 Pete Halfman Sr SE 12 Jon Harrison Sr TE 84 Ron Hull So OT 79 Robert Jensen  Jr G 72 Ken Jones  Jr OT 74 Phil Jordan  Jr HB 24 Everett Marshall Sr OT 69 John McLaughlin  So TE 85 Mike McLaughlin  So QB 11 Jack Mildren  (C) Sr G 64 Bill Orendorff  So G 61 Jerry Perkey So RB 30 Greg Pruitt Jr TE 7 John Reddell So G 62 Sidney Riley So QB 15 Dave Robertson Jr G 78 Ron Stacy  Sr QB 9 James Stokely So OT 67 Jim Taylor So OT 75 Jimmy Teston So G 83 Perry Thompson So OT 71 Nelson Todd  Sr OT 60 Dean Unruh Jr FB 44 Ron Waters So FB 45 Tim Welch So OT 76 Brad White So	Defense Pos. # Name Class LB 43 Steve Aycock (C) Sr LB 51 Gary Baccus Jr DB 27 Gary Carter  Jr DT 90 George Davis So DT 66 Lionell Day Sr DB 23 Max Dayton  Jr DE 88 Bruce DeLoney Sr LB 59 Mark Driscoll Sr DB 4 Mike Dulan So LB 55 Gary Gibbs So DT 96 Ray Hamilton Jr LB 57 Mike Hawpe Sr LB 41 Wayne Hoffman So DE 95 Mike Hronopulos So LB 32 Ken Hulstein  So DB 31 Vic Kearney Jr DB 21 Glenn King (C) Sr DE 99 Mark Lundquist So DT 86 Haynes McBride  So LB 48 Richard Mildren So LB 49 Jon Milste Jr DT 97 Derland Moore So LB 58 Danny Mullen Jr DB 19 Geoffrey Nordgren Sr DB 18 Steve O'Shaughnessy Sr DT 89 A.G. Perryman Jr DB 28 Kenith Pope So DB 29 Clyde Powers So LB/DE 81 Al Qualls Sr LB 42 Gary Rhynes  So DB 26 Larry Roach Jr DB 16 Dan Ruster Jr DT 70 Tommy Saunders Jr DE 98 Lucious Selmon So DB 33 John Shelley Sr DB 14 Steve Shotts Jr DB 38 Dewayne Smith So LB 46 Ricky Stokes So DE 92 Mike Struck  So LB 47 Gary Weibert So DT 91 Chris West So DT 94 Joe Whitaker So DT 93 Dennis Woods So DB 37 Gary Young So	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K 5 Steve Caruthers Sr P 22 Joe Wylie Jr	Head coach Chuck Fairbanks Coordinators/assistant coaches Jim Dickey (DB) Galen Hall (WR) Warren Harper (LB) Gene Hochevar Jimmy Johnson (DL) Larry Lacewell (DC) Bill Michael (OL) Barry Switzer (OC) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster

Depth chart

Defense FS Larry Roach ⋅ LB LB LB Albert Quails Steve Aycock Mark Driscoll ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ SS John Shelley ⋅ CB Kenith Pope ⋅ DE DT DT DE Raymond Hamilton Lucious Selmon Derland Moore Lionell Day ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ CB Steve O’Shaughnessy ⋅ Offense WR Jon Harrison Willie Franklin LT LG C RG RT Dean Unruh Darryl Emmert Tom Brahaney Ken Jones Robert Jensen ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ TE Al Chandler ⋅ QB Jack Mildren Dave Robertson FB Leon Crosswhite Tim Welch Special teams RB Greg Pruitt ⋅ RB Roy Bell Joe Wylie

Awards and honors

• All-American: Greg Pruitt, ^[7] Tom Brahaney ^[10] and Jack Mildren ^[11]
• Academic All-American: Mildren ^[11]

After the season

NFL draft

The following players were selected in the National Football League draft following the season. ^{[27] [28]}

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL Team
2	46	Jack Mildren	Defensive back	Baltimore Colts
8	191	Al Qualls	Linebacker	Baltimore Colts
9	234	Roy Bell	Running back	Dallas Cowboys
17	417	John Shelley	Defensive back	Buffalo Bills

References

1. "Memorial Stadium". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 28, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
2. "OU Football Tradition – 42 Conference Titles". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 22, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
3. "1971 Football Season". SoonerStats.com. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
4. "Football Bowl Subdivision Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 27. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
5. "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. p. 164. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
6. "2009 Division I Football Records Book: Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 35. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
7. "All-American: Greg Pruitt". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
8. "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. p. 166. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
9. "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. p. 173. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
10. "All-American: Tom Brahaney". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
11. "All-American: Jack Mildren". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
12. "Huskers solid No. 1". Reading Eagle. Pennsylvania. Associated Press. January 4, 1972. p. 20.
13. "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. p. 164. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
14. "Sooners pin 30–0 defeat on Mustangs". The Austin American-Statesman. September 19, 1971. Retrieved March 26, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
15. "Sooners vanquish Longhorns, 48–27". The Arizona Republic. October 10, 1971. Retrieved March 26, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
16. "Sooners smack Auburn in Sugar Bowl matchup". The Daily Advertiser. January 2, 1972. Retrieved October 22, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
17. "1971 Oklahoma Sooners Schedule". Soonerstats.com. 2008. Retrieved September 27, 2008.
18. "Sooners thunder past favored Longhorns, 48-27." Eugene Register-Guard. October 10, 1971
19. 1971 Oklahoma vs. Texas recap - SoonerStats.com
20. "Oklahoma Routs Buffs." Palm Beach Post. October 17, 1971
21. "Sooners Romp, 75-28." Palm Beach Post. 1971 Oct 24.
22. "'Huskers dump Sooners". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. November 26, 1971. p. 3B.
23. "Kinney leads Nebraska triumph". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. November 26, 1971. p. 42.
24. Jenkins, Dan (December 6, 1971). "Nebraska rides high". Sports Illustrated. p. 22.
25. "Oklahoma Ropes Cowboys, 58-14." Palm Beach Post. December 5, 1971
26. 2018 Oklahoma football media guide. Retrieved 2019-Jan-15.
27. "1972 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
28. "Oklahoma Drafted Players/Alumni". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 23, 2023.

External links

• Sports Reference – 1971 Oklahoma football season