Which six Oklahoma football greats would you invite to the ideal dinner party?
By Chip Rouse
Jack Mildren
Jack Mildren is best known as Oklahoma’s first quarterback to operate in the Wishbone offense, the triple-option offense that revolutionized the college game. I like to think of it as a three-way offensive ground attack that was invented at Texas but perfected at Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Sooners Football
With Barry Switzer as OU’s offensive coordinator, Oklahoma decided to install the Wishbone formation in 1970 in the two-week prep time before its annual Red River Rivalry game with Texas. The Sooners were 2-1 going into their game with Texas. The Longhorns ran the Wishbone offense in winning the national championship the year before.
Needless to say, OU’s implementation of the Wishbone left something to be desired. The Longhorns thrashed Mildren and the Sooners 41-9. Things got better thereafter, though, as Oklahoma went 5-2-1 the rest of the way to finish 7-4-1 overall and 5-2 in the Big Eight.
The very next year, the Oklahoma Wishbone offense averaged 472.4 rushing yards per game, and Mildren set a single-season rushing record with 1,289 yards to go along with 20 touchdown passes.
Mildren was the first of a handful of Oklahoma quarterbacks who found great success operating out of the Wishbone offense. He was the Sooner quarterback in the Game of the Century in 1971, when No. 2 Oklahoma lost to No. 1 Nebraska 35-31. The Sooners finished the 1971 season going 11-1 and capped it off with a 40-22 Sugar Bowl win over No. 5 Auburn.