1979 Oklahoma Sooners football team

The 1979 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football 1979 NCAA Division I-A season. Oklahoma Sooners football participated in the former Big Eight Conference at that time and played its home games in Gaylord Family 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 earn the Conference title outright under head coach Barry Switzer who took the helm in 1973.[2][3] This was Switzer's seventh conference title and fourth undefeated conference record in seven seasons.[2]

1979 Oklahoma Sooners football
Big Eight champion
Orange Bowl champion
ConferenceBig 8 Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 3
APNo. 3
1979 record11–1 (7–0 Big 8)
Head coachBarry Switzer (7th season)
Offensive coordinatorGalen Hall (7th season)
Offensive schemeWishbone
Defensive coordinatorRex Norris (2nd season)
Base defense5–2
Home stadiumOklahoma Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 71,187)
1979 Big Eight Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 3 Oklahoma $ 7 –0 –0  11 –1 –0
No. 9 Nebraska 6 –1 –0  10 –2 –0
Oklahoma State 5 –2 –0  7 –4 –0
Missouri 3 –4 –0  7 –5 –0
Colorado 2 –5 –0  3 –8 –0
Iowa State 2 –5 –0  3 –8 –0
Kansas 2 –5 –0  3 –8 –0
Kansas State 1 –6 –0  3 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The team was led by All-Americans Billy Sims and George Cumby.[4][5] After winning the conference title outright, it earned a trip to the Orange Bowl for a bout with Florida State. During the season, it faced three different ranked opponents (In order, #4 Texas, #3 Nebraska and #4 Florida State). All three of these opponents finished the season ranked. It endured its only defeat of the season against Texas in the Red River Shootout.[3] The Sooners started the season with a four consecutive wins before losing to Texas and then won their remaining seven games.[3] Sims and J.C. Watts both posted for 100-yard games in the Orange Bowl.[6]

Sims led the nation in scoring with 138 points (based on per game average of 12.0, which includes 132 in 11 games).[7] Sims led the team in rushing with 1670 yards, Watts led the team in passing with 821 yards, Freddie Nixon led the team in receiving with 293 yards, Cumby led the team with 160 tackles and Bud Hebert posted 4 interceptions.[8] Billy Sims set numerous Oklahoma offensive records that still stand including career 200-yard games, single-season rushing touchdowns (tied)[9]

Schedule
DateOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 15Iowa*No. 3
ESPNW 21–672,531[10]
September 22Tulsa*No. 3
  • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Norman, OK
ESPNW 49–1372,451[10]
September 29at Rice*No. 3
ESPNW 66–730,442[10]
October 6ColoradoNo. 3
  • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Norman, OK
ESPNW 49–2472,512[10]
October 13vs. No. 4 Texas*No. 3
ABCL 7–1672,032[10]
October 20at Kansas StateNo. 8
ESPNW 38–627,257[10]
October 27Iowa StateNo. 7
  • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Norman, OK
ESPNW 38–972,069[10]
November 3at Oklahoma StateNo. 7
ABCW 38–751,453[10]
November 10KansasNo. 6
  • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Norman, OK
ESPNW 38–071,882[10]
November 17at MissouriNo. 7
ABCW 24–2269,973[10]
November 24No. 3 NebraskaNo. 8
  • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Norman, OK (rivalry)
ABCW 17–1472,516[10]
January 1, 1980vs. No. 4 Florida StateNo. 5
NBCW 24–766,714[10]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Game summaries

Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes at #3 Oklahoma Sooners
1 234Total
Iowa 6 000 6
• #3 Oklahoma 0 7014 21
  • Date: September 15
  • Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma
  • Game attendance: 72,531

[11]

Tulsa

Rice

Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes at #3 Oklahoma Sooners
1 234Total
Colorado 7 0314 24
• #3 Oklahoma 7 2877 49

[12]

Oklahoma faced its former coach Chuck Fairbanks for the first time since his departure following the 1972 season.

Texas (Red River Shootout)

Kansas State
1 234Total
• Oklahoma 3 01421 38
Kansas St 0 600 6
  • Date: October 20
  • Location: KSU Stadium
  • Game attendance: 31,480

[13]

Iowa State

Oklahoma State (Bedlam Series)
#7 Oklahoma at Oklahoma State
1 234Total
• #7 Oklahoma 24 770 38
Oklahoma State 0 007 7

[14]

Kansas

Missouri
  • Oklahoma's 100th win of the 1970s (Alabama only other school to do so) [15]

Nebraska
#3 Nebraska Cornhuskers at #8 Oklahoma Sooners
1 234Total
#3 Nebraska 0 707 14
• #8 Oklahoma 0 377 17

[16]

Florida State (Orange Bowl)

Roster
1979 Oklahoma Sooners football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
G 75 Terry Crouch So
HB 11 Fred Nixon Sr
HB 22 David Overstreet Jr
WR 24 Steve Rhodes Sr
HB 20 Billy Sims Sr
C 73 Paul Tabor Sr
QB 1 J. C. Watts Jr
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
LB 28 George Cumby Sr
DT 92 Keith Gary Jr
DE 72 John Goodman Sr
FS 33 Bud Hebert Sr
DE 83 Mike Joyce Sr
DB 3 Darrol Ray Sr
DT 96 Richard Turner Jr
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured
  • Redshirt

Roster

Awards and honors

1979 NFL Draft
See also: 1979 NFL Draft

The following Sooners were selected in the following year's NFL Draft.

Player Position Round Overall Pick NFL Team
Billy SimsRB11Detroit Lions
George CumbyLB126Green Bay Packers
Darrol RayS240New York Jets
John GoodmanDE256Pittsburgh Steelers
Fred NixonWR487Green Bay Packers
Paul TaborC5130Chicago Bears
Darry HebertDB5179New York Giants
Barry BurdetLB9235New England Patriots
Mike BabbDB11284Atlanta Falcons

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. "1979 Football Season". SoonerStats.com. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  4. "All-American: Billy Sims". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
  5. "All-American: George Cumby". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 23, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
  6. "Sooners Spoil Seminole Uprising". Orange Bowl Committee. Archived from the original on September 24, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  7. "2009 Division I Football Records Book: Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 47. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
  8. "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. p. 175. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  9. "2009 Football Record Book" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. p. 166. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  10. http://www.soonerstats.com/football/seasons/schedule.cfm?seasonid=1979
  11. "Sluggish Oklahoma Downs Iowa." September 16, 1979
  12. Eugene Register-Guard. 1979 October 7.
  13. Eugene Register-Guard. 1979 Oct 21. Retrieved 2018-Oct-28.
  14. Palm Beach Post. 1979 Nov 4.
  15. Eugene Register-Guard. 1979 Nov 18.
  16. Eugene Register-Guard. 1979 Nov 25.
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