1985 Oklahoma Sooners football team

1985 Oklahoma Sooners football
Consensus national champion Big 8 champion Orange Bowl champion
Orange Bowl, W 25–10 vs. Penn State
Conference	Big Eight Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 1
AP	No. 1
Record	11–1 (7–0 Big 8)
Head coach	Barry Switzer (13th season)
Offensive coordinator	Jim Donnan (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Wishbone
Defensive coordinator	Gary Gibbs (5th season)
Base defense	5–2
Captains	Tony Casillas Kevin Murphy Eric Pope
Home stadium	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
Seasons ←  1984 1986  →

1985 Big Eight Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 1 Oklahoma $	7	–	0	–	0			11	–	1	–	0
No. 11 Nebraska	6	–	1	–	0			9	–	3	–	0
Oklahoma State	4	–	3	–	0			8	–	4	–	0
Colorado	4	–	3	–	0			7	–	5	–	0
Iowa State	3	–	4	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Kansas	2	–	5	–	0			6	–	6	–	0
Kansas State	1	–	6	–	0			1	–	10	–	0
Missouri	1	–	6	–	0			1	–	10	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

The 1985 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season. This year was Barry Switzer's 13th season as head coach. The Sooners ended this season with 11 wins and a sole loss coming to the Miami Hurricanes in Norman, in a game in which the Sooners lost starting quarterback Troy Aikman for the season. The Sooners were forced to place their trust in lightning-quick true freshman quarterback Jamelle Holieway and a physical defense featuring three All-Americans, who led them to a Big 8 Conference title and a national championship. This was Oklahoma's sixth national championship and 34th conference championship in school history. ^[1]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 28	7:00 p.m.	at Minnesota *	No. 2	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Minneapolis, MN	TBS	W 13–7	62,446 [2]
October 5	11:30 a.m.	at Kansas State	No. 2	KSU Stadium Manhattan, KS	Raycom	W 41–6	23,500 [2]
October 12	12:00 p.m.	vs. No. 17 Texas *	No. 2	Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX (Red River Shootout)	ABC	W 14–7	75,587 [2]
October 19	2:30 p.m.	Miami (FL) *	No. 3	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK	ABC	L 14–27	73,102 [2]
October 26	1:30 p.m.	Iowa State	No. 10	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK		W 59–14	70,124 [2]
November 2	1:30 p.m.	Kansas	No. 9	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK		W 48–6	74,726 [2]
November 9	11:30 a.m.	at Missouri	No. 7	Faurot Field Columbia, MO (rivalry)	HSE	W 51–6	50,321 [2]
November 16	1:30 p.m.	Colorado	No. 7	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK		W 31–0	73,611 [2]
November 23	2:30 p.m.	No. 2 Nebraska	No. 5	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK (rivalry)	ABC	W 27–7	75,554 [2]
November 30	6:30 p.m.	at No. 17 Oklahoma State	No. 3	Lewis Field Stillwater, OK (Bedlam)	ESPN	W 13–0	44,000 [2]
December 7	2:30 p.m.	SMU *	No. 4	Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK	ABC	W 35–13	72,046 [2]
January 1, 1986	7:00 p.m.	vs. No. 1 Penn State *	No. 3	Miami Orange Bowl Miami, FL (Orange Bowl)	NBC	W 25–10	74,178 [2]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

^[3]

Roster

Quarterbacks 18 Troy Aikman † – Sophomore 4 Jamelle Holieway † – Freshman 16 Kyle Irvin – Sophomore 1 Eric Mitchel – Freshman 9 Glen Sullivan – Sophomore Running backs 28 Rotnei Anderson FB – Freshman 45 Lydell Carr † FB – Sophomore 43 Chris Howard FB – Freshman 5 Earl Johnson FB – Junior 84 Chris Youman FB – Freshman 35 Eric Bross – Freshman 33 Patrick Collins † – Sophomore 28 Ron Counter – Sophomore 23 Don Maloney – Freshman 22 Gregg Nesbitt – Sophomore 2 Leon Perry† – Freshman 38 Chris Richards – Freshman 27 Damon Stell – Sophomore 20 Spencer Tillman † – Junior 26 Mark White – Freshman 82 Greg Dixon – Freshman 13 Dion Wharry – Freshman 30 Robert Stanley† – Sophomore Receivers 15 Derrick Crudup – Sophomore 87 Paul Rodgers – Freshman 3 Derrick Shepard † – Junior 24 Don Smitherman – Freshman 25 Anthony Stafford† – Freshman Lee Morris – Sophomore Carl Cabbiness – Freshman 83 Jeff Jones – Freshman Tight ends 85 Darin Berryhill – Senior 88 Keith Jackson † – Sophomore 97 Aubrey King – Freshman 89 Terry Pritchard – Freshman 67 David Frolich – Freshman 81 David Shoemaker – Freshman Lance Price – Sophomore		Offensive line 74 W. Bennett G – Freshman 62 Al Laurita G – Sophomore 71 Jeff Pickett G – Junior 63 Eric Pope†‡ G – Senior 73 Scott Harrison L – Freshman 72 Dugan Forrest T – Freshman 58 Mickey Greene T – Freshman 79 Mark Hutson † T – Sophomore 73 Chuck Johnson C – Freshman 75 Greg Johnson T – Sophomore 70 Richard Marks T – Sophomore 68 Anthony Phillips † T – Freshman 77 Caesar Rentie T – Sophomore 76 Mark Van Keirsbilck T – Freshman 65 Mike Wise L – Freshman 57 Kevin Adkins C – Junior 78 Daniel Blackwood C – Sophomore 53 Travis Simpson C – Junior 52 Ric Uhles C – Senior 59 Greg Williams C – Freshman 55 Paul Ferrer† C/G – Senior Defensive line 92 Tony Casillas †‡ NG – Senior 51 Richard Davis NG – Freshman 93 Curtice Williams NG – Freshman 69 Andre Williams L – Freshman 98 Dante Williams L – Freshman 61 Mike Aljoe E – Junior 47 Jeff Hake E – Junior 80 Troy Johnson E – Sophomore 46 Kert Kaspar E – Sophomore 60 Mike Mantle E – Junior 39 Kevin Murphy †‡ E – Senior 40 Darrell Reed E – Sophomore 95 Jodie Britt T – Sophomore 86 Steve Bryan T – Junior 90 Darren Kilpatrick T – Sophomore 56 Bob Latham† T – Freshman 66 Jon Phillips T – Sophomore 96 Richard Reed T – Junior 78 Jeff Tupper T – Senior 99 Tony Woods T – Freshman		Linebackers 44 Brian Bosworth † – Sophomore 41 Tony Sebo – Freshman 54 Evan Gatewood – Junior 50 Dante Jones† – Sophomore 43 Frederick McDonald injured resv."Sophomore" 48 Brad McBride – Sophomore 42 Paul Migliazzo † – Junior Defensive backs 8 Sonny Brown† – Junior 29 Rickey Dixon † – Sophomore 9 Lonnie Finch – Freshman 49 Scott Garl – Freshman 7 Ledell Glenn – Junior 32 Percy Hines – Junior 6 Andre Johnson – Sophomore 36 Steve Jones – Freshman 17 Ken McMichel – Freshman 35 Tony Rayburn† – Junior 21 Carlos Scott – Freshman 37 Todd Smith – Junior 11 Leonard Thomas – Freshman 22 Kevin Thompson – Freshman 19 Scott Thompson – Freshman 10 David Vickers† – Sophomore 14 Derrick White – Freshman Kickers 31 Tim Lashar † – Junior 91 Todd Thomsen – Freshman 26 Darren Atyia P – Sophomore 12 Mike Winchester P† – Junior
† Starter at position      ‡ Team Captain     * Injured; did not play in 1985. Courtesy of Soonerstats.com

Rankings

Further information: 1985 NCAA Division I-A 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	14	15	Final
AP	1 (23)	1	2 (28)	2 (23)	2 (21)	2 (13)	2 ()	3 (12)	10	9	7 (1)	7 ()	5 (2)	3 (6)	4 (5)	3 (5)	1 (55)
Coaches	1 (14)	1 (14)	1 (18)	2 ()	2 (8)	2 (14)	2 (14)	2 (14)	10	8	5	6	3	2 (2)	2 (2)	2 (1)	1 (41)

Game summaries

After struggling in the 1985 Orange Bowl to a scrappy Washington Huskies football team and letting any National Championship aspirations for that year disappear in a puff of smoke (and be awarded to the BYU Cougars, the nation's only undefeated college football team that year), the defending Big 8 Champion Sooners came into the 1985 season on a mission. Led by an aggressive and punishing defense (which later drew comparisons to their NFL counterpart Chicago Bears) and budding superstar quarterback sophomore Troy Aikman, the Sooners seemed poised for a run at the Orange Bowl and the National Championship.

Nothing seemed to indicate otherwise, as the Sooners rolled past Minnesota and Kansas State before beating the Longhorns in the annual Red River Shootout.

at Minnesota

#2 Oklahoma Sooners at Minnesota Golden Gophers

1 2 3 4 Total •No. 2 Sooners 3 7 0 3 13 Golden Gophers 0 0 0 7 7 Date: September 28 Location: Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

Scoring summary 1 OU Lashar 21-yard field goal OU 3-0 2 OU E. Johnson 1-yard run (Lashar kick) OU 10-0 4 OU Lashar 21-yard field goal OU 13-0 4 MIN Starks 12-yard pass from Foggie (Lohmiller kick) OU 13-7

See also: 1985 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

	OU	MINN
First Downs	21	6
Rushing Yards	64–254	25–57
Passing	7–17–0	8–20–0
Passing Yards	67	121
Total Offense	321	178
Fumbles Lost	1	0
Penalties	6–35	5–35
Time of Possession	40:54	19:06

^[4]

at Kansas State

#2 Oklahoma Sooners at Kansas State Wildcats

1 2 3 4 Total •No. 2 Sooners 0 14 13 14 41 Wildcats 0 0 6 0 6 Date: October 5 Location: KSU Stadium Game attendance: 23,500

See also: 1985 Kansas State Wildcats football team

^[5]

	OU	KSU
First Downs	30	6
Rushing Yards	76–353	25–21
Passing	10–14–1	13–26–3
Passing Yards	177	100
Total Offense	530	121
Fumbles Lost	3	0
Penalties	10–74	7–64
Time of Possession	37:27	22:33

vs. No. 17 Texas (Red River Shootout)

See also: Red River Shootout and 1985 Texas Longhorns football team

#17 Texas Longhorns vs. #2 Oklahoma Sooners

1 2 3 4 Total No. 17 Longhorns 7 0 0 0 7 •No. 2 Sooners 0 7 0 7 14 Date: October 12 Location: Cotton Bowl, Dallas Game attendance: 75,587 Source: [6]

Scoring summary 1 TEX Kip Cooper 7-yard fumble return (Jeffrey Ward kick) TEX 7-0 2 10:18 OU Lydell Carr 1-yard run (Tim Lashar kick) Tied 7-7 4 12:25 OU Patrick Collins 45-yard run (Tim Lashar kick) OU 14-7

The Sooners' offense didn't have a banner day in the 80th edition of the Red River Rivalry although they still rolled up 220 yards rushing and Troy Aikman completed four of nine passes for 67 yards. Lydell Carr led all rushers with 80 yards on 23 carries, and Patrick Collins added 61 yards on four carries. Keith Jackson had 49 yards on his two receptions.

On the game's third play, Oklahoma's All-American nose guard Tony Casillas went down with a sprained right knee. The Oklahoma defense, even without Casillas, manhandled Texas. The Sooners held the Longhorns to just 70 yards in total offense, 17 on the ground for an average of less than half a yard per their 35 carries, and just four first downs. They got into Oklahoma territory only three times, twice to the 49-yard line and once to the 46, and one of those trips was thanks to another fumble. In addition, the Sooners picked off three passes, and Texas was held to no first downs in the second half. Brian Bosworth finished the game with 14 tackles, 11 of them unassisted, and a leaping interception of quarterback Todd Dodge. ^{[7] [8]}

	Texas	OU
First Downs	4	14
Rushing Yards	35–17	66–220
Passing	4–15–3	4–9–0
Passing Yards	53	67
Total Offense	70	287
Fumbles Lost	0	2
Penalties	5–30	3–20
Time of Possession	24:44	35:16

Miami (FL)

Miami Hurricanes at #3 Oklahoma Sooners

1 2 3 4 Total •Hurricanes 7 7 13 0 27 No. 3 Sooners 7 0 0 7 14 Date: October 19 Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Game attendance: 73,102 Game weather: Overcast TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson, Frank Broyles, and Tim Brant

Scoring summary 1 8:44 Miami (FL) Michael Irvin 56-yard pass from Vinny Testaverde (Greg Cox kick) Miami (FL) 7-0 1 6:34 OU Derrick Shepard 14-yard pass from Troy Aikman (Tim Lashar kick) Tied 7-7 2 14:16 Miami (FL) Testaverde 3-yard run (Cox kick) Miami (FL) 14-7 3 8:49 Miami (FL) Cox 20-yard field goal Miami (FL) 17-7 3 4:06 Miami (FL) Brian Blades 35-yard pass from Testaverde (Cox kick) Miami (FL) 24-7 3 2:34 Miami (FL) Cox 36-yard field goal Miami (FL) 27-7 4 10:28 OU Lydell Carr 1-yard run (Lashar kick) Miami (FL) 27-14

See also: 1985 Miami Hurricanes football team

The third-ranked Sooners (3-0) returned home to play their first game in Norman, hosting unranked Miami (4-1). The game made local headlines as a homecoming for Hurricanes coach Jimmy Johnson who was an Oklahoma defensive line coach with Switzer from '70-'72 and went 0-5 against the Sooners as the Oklahoma State head coach.

Oklahoma came into the contest with the nation's most aggressive defense (leading to their comparisons to the Monsters of the Midway), which seemingly got better each week, and was led up front by All-American nose tackle Tony Casillas, whose injury against Texas forced him to miss the game. The line featured sophomore tackle Troy Johnson, sophomore end Darrell Reed, and senior end Kevin Murphy, himself an All-American candidate. Lining up behind the group was the menacing Brian Bosworth, with fellow linebackers Paul Migliazzo and Dante Jones (another talented sophomore). This group had permitted an average of only 32 yards rushing per game. Juniors Tony Rayburn and Sonny Brown, and sophomores Rickey Dixon and Derrick White, patrolled the secondary, allowing only 91 yards passing per game. In three games, the defense had allowed only 16 first downs and had permitted an average of 6.6 points per game.

Miami had lost their '85 opener to Florida, 35-23, before reeling off four straight wins against unranked opponents. The Hurricanes were the nation's top offensive team, and they were sporting a pro-style passing attack, orchestrated by junior quarterback Vinny Testaverde, who had backed up Bernie Kosar the last time the Hurricanes had won the National Championship. Alonzo Highsmith and Melvin Bratton lined up in the backfield, and the acrobatics of top-flight wide receivers Michael Irvin and Brian Blades helped the team average 36.2 points per game. The Hurricane defense came in after a shutout of Cincinnati, permitting an average of only 16 points per game, featuring junior tackle Jerome Brown and cornerback Bennie Blades.

In front of a sellout crowd of 75,008 at Memorial Stadium, Miami's Jerome Brown broke through and sacked Aikman on the 29-yard line with 9:18 left in the first half and broke his ankle. Aikman, who had been six of eight passing for 131 yards, would be lost for the season.

Testaverde and company took over, scorching the Oklahoma secondary with 270 yards passing and the 'Canes rambled for 105 on the ground. They played mistake-free football and didn't give up any turnovers. Brown led the Miami defensive effort with 16 tackles, a blocked field goal, and the sack on Aikman. And on the other side, pressed into duty as a true freshman, Holieway had rushed for only 57 yards on 17 carries and attempted just six passes. ^{[9] [10]}

Furious about the loss, both of the game and their starting quarterback, Oklahoma proceeded to go on a rampage, pasting Iowa State, Kansas, Missouri and Colorado by a combined score of 189-26, before playing host to Nebraska in a game that would ultimately decide the Big 8 Championship.

	Miami	OU
First Downs	17	20
Rushing Yards	39–105	63–211
Passing	17–28–0	7–14–1
Passing Yards	270	151
Total Offense	375	362
Fumbles Lost	0	1
Penalties	4–30	5–48
Time of Possession	26:57	33:03

Iowa State

Iowa State Cyclones at #10 Oklahoma Sooners

1 2 3 4 Total Cyclones 7 0 0 7 14 •No. 10 Sooners 10 21 21 7 59 Date: October 26 Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Game attendance: 70,124

See also: 1985 Iowa State Cyclones football team

In freshman Jamelle Holieway's first start at quarterback, the Sooners rolled up 542 yards rushing and 643 yards of total offense in a dominant win over Iowa State. ^{[11] [12]}

	ISU	OU
First Downs	15	25
Rushing Yards	41–122	64–542
Passing	15–27–0	2–5–0
Passing Yards	128	101
Total Offense	250	643
Fumbles Lost	1	1
Penalties	8–65	7–81
Time of Possession	31:21	28:39

Kansas

Kansas Jayhawks at #9 Oklahoma Sooners

1 2 3 4 Total Jayhawks 3 0 3 0 6 •No. 9 Sooners 0 20 14 14 48 Date: November 2 Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Game attendance: 74,726

^[13]

	KU	OU
First Downs	14	22
Rushing Yards	40–63	58–424
Passing	14–33–3	5–8–0
Passing Yards	112	101
Total Offense	175	525
Fumbles Lost	1	3
Penalties	9–69	3–30
Time of Possession	33:30	26:30

at Missouri

#7 Oklahoma Sooners at Missouri Tigers

1 2 3 4 Total •No. 7 Sooners 3 20 7 21 51 Tigers 0 3 3 0 6 Date: November 9 Location: Memorial Stadium Game attendance: 50,321

^[14]

	OU	MU
First Downs	24	12
Rushing Yards	66–341	37–62
Passing	8–17–1	15–25–2
Passing Yards	168	157
Total Offense	509	219
Fumbles Lost	2	4
Penalties	6–38	4–35
Time of Possession	32:49	27:11

Colorado

Colorado Buffaloes at #7 Oklahoma Sooners

1 2 3 4 Total Buffaloes 0 0 0 0 0 •No. 7 Sooners 7 7 10 7 31 Date: November 16 Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma Game attendance: 74,145

Scoring summary 1 OU Collins 1-yard run (Lashar kick) OU 7–0 2 OU Holieway 2-yard run (Lashar kick) OU 14–0 3 OU Holieway 20-yard run (Lashar kick) OU 21–0 3 OU Lashar 30-yard field goal OU 24–0 4 OU Tillman 5-yard run (Lashar kick) OU 31–0

^[15]

	CU	OU
First Downs	6	24
Rushing Yards	39–75	81–360
Passing	4–12–1	3–10–0
Passing Yards	34	39
Total Offense	109	399
Fumbles Lost	0	3
Penalties	5–45	3–20
Time of Possession	25:34	34:26

No. 2 Nebraska

#2 Nebraska Cornhuskers at #5 Oklahoma Sooners

1 2 3 4 Total No. 2 Cornhuskers 0 0 0 7 7 •No. 5 Sooners 14 3 10 0 27 Date: November 23 Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma Game attendance: 75,554 Game weather: Overcast TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson, Frank Broyles, and Tim Brant

Scoring summary 1 11:21 OU Keith Jackson 88-yard run (Tim Lashar kick) OU 7–0 1 5:52 OU Jamelle Holieway 43-yard run (Lashar kick) OU 14–0 2 1:18 OU Lashar 37-yard field goal OU 17–0 3 9:19 OU Lashar 33-yard field goal OU 20–0 3 2:26 OU Holieway 17-yard run (Lashar kick) OU 27–0 4 0:26 Neb Chris Spachman 76-yard fumble return (Klein kick) OU 27–7

Nebraska came into Norman ranked second in the nation, with the nation's highest scoring offense with 39.1 points per game and the best rushing attack in the country with 395 yards per game. This high-powered offense was led by fullback Tom Rathman, one of the best in Nebraska history who had rushed for over 800 yards that season. Together with quarterback McCathorn Clayton and junior I-back Doug DuBose, whose 1,115 rushing yards made 1985 his second straight season over 1,000, the Cornhuskers were poised for a national title run. Junior linebacker Marc Munford was the leading tackler for the Huskers for the second straight year and led the defense, together with tackle Jim Skow and defensive back Brian Washington. ^[16]

The home team struck quickly. On their second possession of the game, Oklahoma was faced with a second down-and-six at its 12, and they ran a tight end reverse. Freshman quarterback Jamelle Holieway, starting just his fifth game and in charge of a wishbone that was the third best rushing offense in the land, optioned to the left and gave a reverse handoff to big sophomore tight end Keith Jackson, who raced untouched down the right sideline 88 yards for a touchdown, the sixth longest run in school history. ^[16]

Tom Osborne was forced to reach into his bag of tricks in the second quarter, as Nebraska executed a perfect double reverse. Clayton flipped the ball to DuBose who headed right, and DuBose handed the ball to wingback Van Sheppard who carried it 52 yards before being brought down inside the Sooner ten. The Oklahoma defense, led by senior nose tackle Tony Casillas and sophomore linebacker Brian Bosworth, did not budge. The Cornhuskers, stifled at the point of attack, were forced to kick a field goal. Sophomore kicker Dale Klein missed a 23-yard field goal attempt and the Huskers were kept off the board after their best offensive series of the game. ^[16]

In fact, the only time the Huskers would score that day was on defense, and then only as a side note. Freshman backup quarterback Eric Mitchel bobbled a handoff, and Nebraska defensive tackle Chris Spachman caught the Sooner fumble in midair and rambled 76 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown with only 26 seconds left. The Sooners had won 27-7. ^[16]

The Oklahoma defense was devastating, holding the nation's highest scoring offense without a point. Bosworth had nine tackles, Murphy sacked the quarterback twice, including the stopper on one of the goal line stands, and Casillas was all over the Nebraska backfield. They held the Huskers to just 161 yards on 42 carries, led by Sheppard's 65 yards and with DuBose gaining only 46 on 16 carries. It was the second straight year that the Sooners had held the Huskers to just a touchdown and the first time they had accomplished that feat in back-to-back games in 27 years. ^[16]

Holieway was spectacular, directing the wishbone as if he were far more experienced than his true freshman status. He was virtually flawless as he rushed for 110 yards on 25 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns. Keith Jackson ran for 136 yards on just three carries and scored once. Together they accounted for 246 yards on the ground, representing more than half the team's 461 total yards. This marked the first time in 11 years that two Sooners had crossed the century mark rushing against the Huskers. ^[16]

	NU	OU
First Downs	10	19
Rushing Yards	42–161	70–423
Passing	4–15–3	1–4–0
Passing Yards	63	38
Total Offense	224	461
Fumbles Lost	1	2
Penalties	2–20	3–13
Time of Possession	25:34	34:26

At Oklahoma St

See also: 1985 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team and Bedlam Series

#3 Oklahoma Sooners (8–1) at #17 Oklahoma State Cowboys (8–2)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Oklahoma	0	10	0	3	13
Oklahoma St	0	0	0	0	0

at Lewis Field, Stillwater, Oklahoma

• Date: November 30
• Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
• Game weather: low 20s
• Game attendance: 44,000
• TV: ESPN
• ^[17]

Game information

First quarter No scoring Second quarter OU – Tim Lashar 27-yard field goal. Oklahoma 3–0. Drive: OU – Spencer Tillman 3-yard run (Tim Lashar kick). Oklahoma 10–0. Drive: Third quarter No scoring Fourth quarter OU – Tim Lashar 30-yard field goal, 5:44. Oklahoma 13–0. Drive: Top passers OU – Jamelle Holieway – 4/5, 54 yards, INT OSU – Ronnie Williams – 5/25, 32 yards, INT Top rushers OU – Lydell Carr – 24 rushes, 78 yards OSU – Thurman Thomas – 23 rushes, 100 yards Top receivers OU – Damon Stell – 1 reception, 31 yards OSU – Kenneth Brown – 1 reception, 15 yards

"The Ice Bowl"

Tim Lashar sets Oklahoma single season school field goal record.

^{[18] [19]}

SMU

SMU Mustangs at #4 Oklahoma Sooners

1 2 3 4 Total Mustangs 7 0 0 6 13 •No. 4 Sooners 0 21 7 7 35 Date: December 7 Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Game attendance: 72,046 TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson (1st half only), Frank Broyles, and Tim Brant (1st half sideline reporter/2nd half play-by-play)

^[20]

	SMU	OU
First Downs	14	27
Rushing Yards	51–206	75–377
Passing	8–15–2	3–8–0
Passing Yards	76	40
Total Offense	282	417
Fumbles Lost	2	2
Penalties	5–31	3–30
Time of Possession	25:59	34:01

vs. No. 1 Penn State (Orange Bowl)

#1 Penn State Nittany Lions vs. #3 Oklahoma Sooners

1 2 3 4 Total No. 1 Nittany Lions 7 3 0 0 10 •No. 3 Sooners 0 16 3 6 25 Date: January 1, 1986 Location: Orange Bowl Game attendance: 74,178 Referee: Robert Aillet (SEC) TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui (play-by-play), Bob Trumpy (analyst), Bob Griese (sideline), and Jimmy Cefalo (sideline)

Scoring summary 1 8:17 PSU Tim Manoa 1-yard run (Massimo Manca kick) PSU 7–0 2 14:35 OU Tim Lashar 26-yard field goal PSU 7–3 12:26 OU Keith Jackson 71-yard pass from Jamelle Holieway (Tim Lashar kick) OU 10–7 5:20 OU Tim Lashar 31-yard field goal OU 13–7 1:49 OU Tim Lashar 21-yard field goal OU 16–7 0:01 PSU Massimo Manca 27-yard field goal OU 16–10 3 3:09 OU Tim Lashar 22-yard field goal OU 19–10 4 1:42 OU Lydell Carr 61-yard run (Lashar kick failed) OU 25–10

Main article: 1986 Orange Bowl

See also: 1985 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

Earlier in the day, UCLA had crushed #4 Iowa 45-28 in the Rose Bowl. SEC champion Tennessee and Miami were playing in the Sugar Bowl, with the Hurricanes allowed an outside shot at the title with a Penn State loss. The Sooners needed either a win combined with a Miami loss or a blowout victory to claim the title during the 1986 Orange Bowl. ^[21]

On their opening possession, Oklahoma reached into their bag of tricks and a handoff to Keith Jackson was flipped to Anthony Stafford, but linebacker Shane Conlan was ready for it, stuffing the play for a two-yard loss. This set the initial tempo of the game, as the Penn State defense showed itself to be ready for the speedy Sooner wishbone option. ^[21]

The game was very close, and remained a defensive struggle into the 4th quarter, but Oklahoma proved to be too much for the Lions, particularly after it was announced at the half that Tennessee was pounding Miami to the tune of 28-7 in the Sugar Bowl. The Sooner defense played inspired football, Tim Lashar nailed four critical field goals, Keith Jackson caught a 71-yard bomb from Jamelle Holieway in stride, and Lydell Carr put the nail in the coffin with a brilliant 61-yard touchdown scamper with 1:42 remaining on the clock. ^{[21] [22]}

The Sooners scored a 25-10 victory over the top team in the land in the 1986 Orange Bowl and the team's sixth National Championship.

	PSU	OU
First Downs	14	12
Rushing Yards	36–103	52–228
Passing	18–34–4	3–6–0
Passing Yards	164	91
Total Offense	267	319
Fumbles Lost	1	1
Penalties	6–49	7–45
Time of Possession	31:23	28:37

Awards and honors

All-Americans

• Brian Bosworth, Linebacker – Irving, Texas
• Tony Casillas, Noseguard – Tulsa, Okla.
• Kevin Murphy, Defensive end – Richardson, Texas

Individual award winners

• Brian Bosworth – Dick Butkus Award
• Tony Casillas – Lombardi Award

Postseason

NFL draft

Main article: 1986 NFL draft

The following players were drafted into the National Football League following the season. ^[23]

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL Team
1	2	Tony Casillas	Defensive tackle	Atlanta Falcons
2	40	Kevin Murphy	Linebacker	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5	116	Jeff Tupper	Defensive end	St. Louis Cardinals

References

1. "University of Oklahoma Official 1985 Championship Page". SoonerSports.com. University of Oklahoma Athletic Department. Archived from the original on July 18, 2007. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
2. "1985 OU Football Season Schedule - SoonerStats - Historical scores, records, and stats for Oklahoma Sooners football, basketball, baseball, and softball".
3. "1985 University of Oklahoma Football Schedule". Soonerstats.com. 2007. Retrieved April 18, 2007.
4. "Sooners Prevail by 13-7". The New York Times . September 29, 1985. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
5. SoonerStats.com. Retrieved 2018-Feb-18.
6. "45-yard run gives No. 2 OU 14-7 win over Texas." Gainesville Sun. October 13, 1985
7. "Texas Picks Up Only Four First Downs as Oklahoma Wins, 14-7". The Los Angeles Times . October 13, 1985. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
8. "1985 OU-Texas Game". Soonerstats.com. 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2007.
9. "MIAMI BEATS SOONERS, 27-14". The New York Times . October 20, 1985. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
10. "1985 OU-Miami Game". Soonerstats.com. 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2007.
11. "Oklahoma, Holieway Stun Iowa State, 59-14". The Los Angeles Times . October 27, 1985. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
12. SoonerStats.com. Retrieved 2018-Feb-18.
13. SoonerStats.com. Retrieved 2018-Feb-18.
14. SoonerStats.com. Retrieved 2018-Feb-18.
15. Gainesville Sun. November 17, 1985
16. "1985 OU-Nebraska Game". Soonerstats.com. 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2007.
17. Eugene Register-Guard. 1985 Dec 01.
18. SoonerStats.com. Retrieved 2018-Feb-18.
19. "Sooners leave Cowboys cold, 13-0." Eugene Register-Guard. 1985 Dec 01. Retrieved 2020-Nov-22.
20. SoonerStats.com. Retrieved 2018-Feb-18.
21. "1986 Orange Bowl". Soonerstats.com. 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2007.
22. "1986 Orange Bowl Official Recap". Orangebowl.org. 2007. Retrieved February 14, 2007.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
23. "1986 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 29, 2020.

External links

• Soonerstats.com breakdown of the 1985 schedule
• Roster for the 1985 Sooners
• Jamelle Holieway's 71 yard touchdown pass to Keith Jackson 1986 Orange Bowl