1987 Oklahoma Sooners football team

1987 Oklahoma Sooners football
Big 8 champion
Orange Bowl, L 14–20 vs. Miami (FL)
ConferenceBig Eight Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 3
APNo. 3
Record11–1 (7–0 Big 8)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorJim Donnan (3rd season)
Offensive schemeWishbone
Defensive coordinatorGary Gibbs (7th season)
Base defense5–2
Captains
Home stadiumOklahoma Memorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1986
1988 →
1987 Big Eight Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Oklahoma $ 7 – 0 – 0 11 – 1 – 0
No. 6 Nebraska 6 – 1 – 0 10 – 2 – 0
No. 11 Oklahoma State 5 – 2 – 0 10 – 2 – 0
Colorado 4 – 3 – 0 7 – 4 – 0
Missouri 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Iowa State 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 8 – 0
Kansas 0 – 6 – 1 1 – 9 – 1
Kansas State 0 – 6 – 1 0 – 10 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1987 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. Oklahoma was a member of the Big Eight Conference played its home games in Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, where it has played its home games since 1923.[1] The team posted an 11–1 overall record and a 7–0 conference record to the Conference title outright under head coach Barry Switzer who took the helm in 1973.[2][3] This was Switzer's twelfth conference title, fourth consecutive conference title and eighth undefeated conference record in fifteen seasons.[2]

The team was led by All-Americans Rickey Dixon (who won the Jim Thorpe Award),[4] Mark Hutson,[5] Keith Jackson,[6] Danté Jones,[7] and Darrell Reed[8] After going undefeated in its eleven regular season games, it earned a trip to the Orange Bowl for an appearance against the Miami Hurricanes.[3] During the season, it faced three ranked opponents (In order, #12 Oklahoma State, #1 Nebraska, and #2 Miami). Both of its last two games were #1 vs. #2 matches with the last being a national title game in which it endured its only loss to the resulting national champion Hurricanes.[3] The game marked the third Miami victory over Oklahoma in three seasons to former Switzer assistant coach Jimmy Johnson.[9]

Jamelle Holieway led the team in rushing for the second season with 807 yards and in passing for the third of four times with 548 yards, Jackson led the team in receiving for the third straight season with 403 yards, Placekicker R. D. Lashar led the team in scoring with 91 points, Reed posted 8 quarterback sacks, Jones led the team with 125 tackles and Dixon posted 9 interceptions.[10] Dixon established the current school record total of 9 single-season interceptions. He set the school record for single-season interception return yards with 232 that season and the career record with 303, which was broken by Derrick Strait in 2003.[11]

  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 "1987 Football Season". SoonerStats.com. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference AARD was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference AAMH was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference AAKJ was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference AADJ was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference AADR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Moran, Malcolm (January 2, 1988). "Orange Bowl; Hurricanes Overwhelm the Sooners to Claim No. 1". The New York Times. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  10. ^ "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF). Big12sports.com. p. 175. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  11. ^ "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF). Big12sports.com. p. 177. Retrieved June 30, 2010.