Stormin in Norman
Fansided

Oklahoma football: The 10 best teams of the Wilkinson-Switzer-Stoops eras

By Chip Rouse

NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 11: The Oklahoma Sooners take the field before the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated TCU 38-20. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 11: The Oklahoma Sooners take the field before the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated TCU 38-20. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
7 of 9
Next
NORMAN, OK – OCTOBER 29: Oklahoma Sooners fans wait to enter the east side of the stadium before the game against the Kansas Jayhawks October 29, 2016 at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK – OCTOBER 29: Oklahoma Sooners fans wait to enter the east side of the stadium before the game against the Kansas Jayhawks October 29, 2016 at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /

No. 3 — 1985 Oklahoma Sooners (11-1, 7-0), national champions

In eight out of 16 seasons, Barry Switzer’s Oklahoma teams went undefeated or lost only one game. The year 1985 was one such season.

NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman was the OU starting quarterback to begin that season, but he suffered a broken ankle in the fourth game of the season, a 27-14 loss to the University of Miami (Florida) Hurricanes. He  missed the remainder of the season and was replaced at quarterback by true freshman Jamelle Holieway.

Holieway led the Sooners to eight consecutive wins following the loss to Miami, including a thrilling Orange Bowl victory over No. 1-ranked Penn State (25-10) that earned Oklahoma its sixth national championship and third under Switzer.

Until Tua Tagovailoa of Alabama did it last season, Holieway was the only freshman quarterback to lead his team to an NCAA championship.

Aikman never regained his starting job at OU and transferred to UCLA, where h earned consensus All-America honors in 1988 before becoming the overall No. 1 pick in the 1989 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.

The Sooners averaged less than 100 yards passing per game in the 1985 season, but more than made up for that, averaging 326.8 yards rushing per game and almost 5.0 yards per play, according to sports-reference.com.

Lydell Carr and Holieway accounted for more than 1,600 of Oklahoma’s rushing yards for the season, and Leon Perry added another 542 yards. Keith Jackson led the Sooners in receiving with 22 catches for 566 yards and an average of 25.7 yards per reception.

Home/OU Football