1973 Oklahoma Sooners football team

1973 Oklahoma Sooners football
National Champion(CFRA, Sagarin)
Big 8 champion
ConferenceBig Eight Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 2
APNo. 3
Record10–0–1 (7–0 Big 8)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorGalen Hall (1st season)
Offensive schemeWishbone
Defensive coordinatorLarry Lacewell (4th season)
Captains
Home stadiumOklahoma Memorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1972
1974 →
1973 Big Eight Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Oklahoma $ 7 – 0 – 0 10 – 0 – 1
No. 7 Nebraska 4 – 2 – 1 9 – 2 – 1
No. 18 Kansas 4 – 2 – 1 7 – 4 – 1
No. 17 Missouri 3 – 4 – 0 8 – 4 – 0
Oklahoma State 2 – 3 – 2 5 – 4 – 2
Colorado 2 – 5 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Kansas State 2 – 5 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Iowa State 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 7 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1973 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. Oklahoma participated as members of the Big Eight Conference and played its home games in Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium where it has played its home games since 1923.[1] The team posted a 10–0–1 overall record and a 7–0 conference record to earn the Conference outright title under first-year head coach Barry Switzer.[2][3] This would be the first of eight consecutive Big Eight Conference championships for the Sooners with Switzer as head coach.[2]

The team was led by three All-Americans: Rod Shoate (Oklahoma's second three-time All-American)[4] the oldest of the Selmon brothers, Lucious,[5] and Eddie Foster.[5] The Selmon brothers Lucious, Lee Roy and Dewey started on the defensive line.[6] The team went undefeated on a schedule that included seven ranked opponents (In order, #1 USC, #17 Miami, #13 Texas, #13 Colorado, #10 Missouri, #18 Kansas, and #10 Nebraska). Five of these opponents finished the season ranked. The team tied with USC in the second game of the season before winning nine consecutive contests. It began the season ranked number 11 and steadily climbed in the polls as the season progressed.[3]

Joe Washington led the team in rushing with 1173 yards, Steve Davis led the team in passing yard for with 934 yards, Tinker Owens led the team in receiving with 472 yards, Davis led the team in scoring with 108 points, Shoate led the team in tackles with 126, and Randy Hughes led the team in interceptions with 5.[7]

Prior to the season in August, the Sooners were put on probation by the Big Eight Conference, which included a two-year ban on bowl appearances, and a two-year ban on television appearances (1974, 1975).[8]

  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 "1973 Football Season". SoonerStats.com. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference AARC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference AALS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Seays, Lillian (2005). "LEE ROY SELMON: Small Town Boy-Next-Door Makes Good". Onyx Magazine. Archived from the original on October 30, 2006. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  7. ^ "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. p. 164. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  8. ^ "Oklahoma on probation for 10 grid infractions". Nashua Telegraph. (New Hampshire). Associated Press. August 9, 1973. p. 15.