1976 Oklahoma Sooners football team

1976 Oklahoma Sooners football
Big 8 co-champion Fiesta Bowl champion
Fiesta Bowl, W 41–7 vs. Wyoming
Conference	Big Eight Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 6
AP	No. 5
Record	9–2–1 (5–2 Big 8)
Head coach	Barry Switzer (4th season)
Offensive coordinator	Galen Hall (4th season)
Offensive scheme	Wishbone
Defensive coordinator	Larry Lacewell (7th season)
Base defense	5–2
Captains	Jerry Anderson Scott Hill Mike Vaughan
Home stadium	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
Seasons ←  1975 1977  →

1976 Big Eight Conference football standings

v t e	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

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 11	at Vanderbilt *	No. 5	Dudley Field Nashville, TN		W 24–3	34,694	[7]
September 18	California *	No. 4	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK		W 28–17	71,286	[8]
September 25	Florida State *	No. 4	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK		W 24–9	71,184	[9]
October 2	at Iowa State	No. 3	Cyclone Stadium Ames, IA		W 24–10	48,500	[10]
October 9	vs. No. 16 Texas *	No. 3	Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX (Red River Shootout)	ABC	T 6–6	72,032	[11]
October 16	at No. 15 Kansas	No. 6	Memorial Stadium Lawrence, KS		W 28–10	52,100	[12]
October 23	Oklahoma State	No. 5	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK (Bedlam Series)		L 24–31	71,184	[13]
October 30	at No. 19 Colorado	No. 13	Folsom Field Boulder, CO		L 31–42	53,380	[14]
November 6	Kansas State	No. 14	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK		W 49–20	71,184	[15]
November 13	No. 11 Missouri	No. 14	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK (rivalry)		W 27–20	71,184	[16]
November 26	at No. 10 Nebraska	No. 8	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (rivalry)	ABC	W 20–17	76,247	[17]
December 25	vs. Wyoming *	No. 8	Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, AZ (Fiesta Bowl)	CBS	W 41–7	48,714	[18]
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Rankings

See also: 1976 NCAA Division I 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	Final
AP	5 (6)	4 (4)	4 (3)	3 (2)	2 (3)	6	5	13	17	14	10	8	8	5

Game summaries

Florida State

Florida State Seminoles at #4 Oklahoma Sooners

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Florida State	6	0	3	0	9
•Oklahoma	3	14	0	7	24

• Date: Saturday, September 25
• Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma

• Source: Eugene Register-Guard

Scoring summary

1		OKLA	von Schamann 40-yard field goal	OKLA 3-0
1		FSU	Key 5-yard run (kick failed)	FSU 6-3
2		OKLA	Ivory 37-yard run (von Schamann kick)	OKLA 10-6
2		OKLA	Ivory 23-yard run (von Schamann kick)	OKLA 17-6
3		FSU	Cappelen 41-yard field goal	OKLA 17-9
4		OKLA	Peacock 3-yard run (von Schamann kick)	OKLA 24-9

Texas

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Texas	0	3	0	3	6
Oklahoma	0	0	0	6	6

• Date: October 9
• Location: Cotton Bowl
• Game attendance: 72,032
• TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson and Bud Wilkinson

^[19]

Oklahoma State

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Oklahoma St	10	3	8	10	31
Oklahoma	14	7	3	0	24

• Date: October 23
• Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

^[20]

Kansas State

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Kansas St	7	10	3	0	20
•Oklahoma	21	7	7	14	49

• Date: November 6
• Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, Oklahoma
• Game attendance: 71,184

Scoring summary

1		OKLA	Ivory 4-yard run (von Schamann kick)	Oklahoma 7-0
1		OKLA	Ivory 6-yard run (von Schamann kick)	Oklahoma 14-0
1		KSU	Lovely 1-yard run (Sinovic kick)	Oklahoma 14-7
1		OKLA	King 30-yard run (von Schamann kick)	Oklahoma 21-7
2		OKLA	Lott 2-yard run (von Schamann kick)	Oklahoma 28-7
2		KSU	Whitley 9-yard pass from Henrikson (Sinovic kick)	Oklahoma 28-14
2		KSU	Sinovic 30-yard field goal	Oklahoma 28-17
3		KSU	Sinovic 39-yard field goal	Oklahoma 28-20
3		OKLA	Lott 11-yard run (von Schamann kick)	Oklahoma 35-20
4		OKLA	Lott 3-yard run (von Schamann kick)	Oklahoma 42-20
4		OKLA	Ivory 8-yard run (von Schamann kick)	Oklahoma 49-20

^[21]

Nebraska

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Oklahoma	7	0	0	13	20
Nebraska	0	3	14	0	17

• Date: November 26
• Location: Memorial Stadium
• Game attendance: 76,247
• TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson and Ara Parseghian

Scoring summary

Q1	0:16	OKLA	Peacock 1 yard run (von Schamann kick)	OKLA 7–0
Q2	9:06	NEB	Eveland 33 yard field goal	OKLA 7–3
Q3	9:56	NEB	Craig 9 yard run (Eveland kick)	NEB 10–7
Q3	6:31	NEB	Berns 4 yard run (Eveland kick)	NEB 17–7
Q4	12:28	OKLA	Peacock 50 yard run (run failed)	NEB 17–13
Q4	0:38	OKLA	Peacock 2 yard run (von Schamann kick)	OKLA 20–17

^[22]

Roster

1976 Oklahoma Sooners football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class OT 67 Karl Baldischwiler Jr QB 2 Dean Blevins Jr OT 63 Sam Claphan  So WR 15 Jim Culbreath Sr RB 28 George Cumby  Fr WR 33 Bud Hebert So TE 80 Victor Hicks So RB 32 Horace Ivory  Sr RB 30 Kenny King So QB 6 Thomas Lott So RB 11 Fred Nixon Fr OT 66 Louis Oubre Fr RB 4 Elvis Peacock  Jr SE 3 Darrol Ray Fr SE 24 Steve Rhodes Fr G 65 Greg Roberts So RB 34 Jimmy Rogers  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  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 (4th year) Coordinators/assistant coaches Donnie Duncan (assistant) Gary Gibbs (GA) Galen Hall (OC) Warren Harper (LB) Gene Hochevar Larry Lacewell (DC) Rex Norris (DL) Gerald O'Dell Jerry Pettibone Lucious Selmon (DL) Mike Shanahan (GA) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster

^[23]

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]

NFL draft

The following players were drafted into the National Football League following the season. ^[24]

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

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. "1976 Football Season". SoonerStats.com. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
4. "All-American: Zac Henderson". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
5. "All-American: Mike Vaughan". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
6. "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. p. 175. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
7. "Sooners crush Vanderbilt, 24–3". The Sunday Express-News. September 12, 1976. Retrieved October 28, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
8. "Sooners let air out of Cal 28–17". The Wichita Eagle & Beacon. September 19, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
9. "Oklahoma pressed to beat Seminoles". Panama City News. September 26, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
10. "Big OU plays burst Cyclone's bubble, 24–10". Lincoln Journal & Star. October 3, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
11. "Texas and Oklahoma deadlock". Del Rio News Herald. October 10, 1976. Retrieved March 29, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
12. "Cromwell hurt; Sooners whip KU". The Salina Journal. October 17, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
13. "Comeback Cowboys finish OU, 31–24". Lincoln Journal & Star. October 24, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
14. "Buffaloes bury OU 42–31". Southwest Times Record. October 31, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
15. "Sooners rediscover winning ways 49–20". The El Paso Times. November 7, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
16. "Sooners, OSU run wild". Tulsa World. November 14, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
17. "Sooners comeback kills Huskers". Casper Star-Tribune. November 27, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
18. "Sooners crush Wyoming". The Odessa American. December 26, 1976. Retrieved October 17, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
19. SoonerStats.com. Retrieved 2018-Oct-07.
20. SoonerStats.com. Retrieved 2018-Oct-07.
21. Palm Beach Post. 1976 Nov 7.
22. HuskerMax. Retrieved 2018-Oct-07.
23. Woodling, Chuck (October 14, 1976). "Aerial circus unlikely when Kansas, Oklahoma vie". Lawrence Journal-World. p. 14.
24. "1977 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 29, 2020.