1985 Oklahoma Sooners football
Consensus national champion
Big 8 champion
Orange Bowl champion
Orange Bowl, W 25–10 vs. Penn State
ConferenceBig Eight Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 1
APNo. 1
Record11–1 (7–0 Big 8)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorJim Donnan (1st season)
Offensive schemeWishbone
Defensive coordinatorGary Gibbs (5th season)
Base defense5–2
Captains
Home stadiumOklahoma Memorial Stadium
1985 Big Eight Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Oklahoma $ 7 –0 –011 –1 –0
No. 11 Nebraska 6 –1 –09 –3 –0
Oklahoma State 4 –3 –08 –4 –0
Colorado 4 –3 –07 –5 –0
Iowa State 3 –4 –05 –6 –0
Kansas 2 –5 –06 –6 –0
Kansas State 1 –6 –01 –10 –0
Missouri 1 –6 –01 –10 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1985 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season. This year was Barry Switzer's 13th season as head coach. The Sooners ended this season with 11 wins and a sole loss coming to the Miami Hurricanes in Norman, in a game in which the Sooners lost starting quarterback Troy Aikman for the season. The Sooners were forced to place their trust in lightning-quick true freshman quarterback Jamelle Holieway and a physical defense featuring three All-Americans, who led them to a Big 8 Conference title and a national championship. This was Oklahoma's sixth national championship and 34th conference championship in school history.[1]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 287:00 p.m.at Minnesota*No. 2
TBSW 13–762,446[2]
October 511:30 a.m.at Kansas StateNo. 2
RaycomW 41–623,500[2]
October 1212:00 p.m.vs. No. 17 Texas*No. 2
ABCW 14–775,587[2]
October 192:30 p.m.Miami (FL)*No. 3
ABCL 14–2773,102[2]
October 261:30 p.m.Iowa StateNo. 10
  • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Norman, OK
W 59–1470,124[2]
November 21:30 p.m.KansasNo. 9
  • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Norman, OK
W 48–674,726[2]
November 911:30 a.m.at MissouriNo. 7
HSEW 51–650,321[2]
November 161:30 p.m.ColoradodaggerNo. 7
  • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Norman, OK
W 31–073,611[2]
November 232:30 p.m.No. 2 NebraskaNo. 5
  • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Norman, OK (rivalry)
ABCW 27–775,554[2]
November 306:30 p.m.at No. 17 Oklahoma StateNo. 3
ESPNW 13–044,000[2]
December 72:30 p.m.SMU*No. 4
  • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Norman, OK
ABCW 35–1372,046[2]
January 1, 19867:00 p.m.vs. No. 1 Penn State*No. 3
NBCW 25–1074,178[2]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Central time

[3]

Roster

Quarterbacks

  • 18 Troy Aikman† – Sophomore
  • 4 Jamelle Holieway† – Freshman
  • 16 Kyle Irvin – Sophomore
  • 1 Eric Mitchel – Freshman
  • 9 Glen Sullivan – Sophomore

Running backs

  • 28 Rotnei Anderson FB – Redshirt Freshman
  • 45 Lydell Carr† FB – Sophomore
  • 43 Chris Howard FB – Redshirt Freshman
  • 5 Earl Johnson FB – Junior
  • 84 Chris Youman FB – Freshman
  • 35 Eric Bross – Freshman
  • 33 Patrick Collins† – Sophomore
  • 28 Ron Counter – Sophomore
  • 23 Don Maloney – Redshirt Freshman
  • 22 Gregg Nesbitt – Sophomore
  • 2 Leon Perry† – Freshman
  • 38 Chris Richards – Redshirt Freshman
  • 27 Damon Stell – Sophomore
  • 20 Spencer Tillman† – Junior
  • 26 Mark White – Freshman
  • 82 Greg Dixon – Freshman
  • 13 Dion Wharry – Freshman
  • 30 Robert Stanley† – Sophomore

Receivers

  • 15 Derrick Crudup – Sophomore
  • 87 Paul Rodgers – Freshman
  • 3 Derrick Shepard† – Junior
  • 24 Don Smitherman – Freshman
  • 25 Anthony Stafford† – Freshman
  • Lee Morris – Sophomore
  • Carl Cabbiness – Freshman
  • 83 Jeff Jones – Freshman

Tight ends

  • 85 Darin Berryhill – Senior
  • 88 Keith Jackson† – Sophomore
  • 97 Aubrey King – Redshirt Freshman
  • 89 Terry Pritchard – Freshman
  • 67 David Frolich – Freshman
  • 81 David Shoemaker – Freshman
  • Lance Price – Sophomore
  

Offensive line

  • 74 W. Bennett G – Redshirt Freshman
  • 62 Al Laurita G – Sophomore
  • 71 Jeff Pickett G – Junior
  • 63 Eric Pope†‡ G – Senior
  • 73 Scott Harrison L – Redshirt Freshman
  • 72 Dugan Forrest T – Freshman
  • 58 Mickey Greene T – Redshirt Freshman
  • 79 Mark Hutson† T – Sophomore
  • 73 Chuck Johnson C – Redshirt Freshman
  • 75 Greg Johnson T – Sophomore
  • 70 Richard Marks T – Sophomore
  • 68 Anthony Phillips† T – Redshirt Freshman
  • 77 Caesar Rentie T – Sophomore
  • 76 Mark Van Keirsbilck T – Freshman
  • 65 Mike Wise L – Freshman
  • 57 Kevin Adkins C – Junior
  • 78 Daniel Blackwood C – Sophomore
  • 53 Travis Simpson C – Junior
  • 52 Ric Uhles C – Senior
  • 59 Greg Williams C – Freshman
  • 55 Paul Ferrer† C/G – Senior

Defensive line

  • 92 Tony Casillas†‡ NG – Senior
  • 51 Richard Davis NG – Redshirt Freshman
  • 93 Curtice Williams NG – Redshirt Freshman
  • 69 Andre Williams L – Freshman
  • 98 Dante Williams L – Freshman
  • 61 Mike Aljoe E – Junior
  • 47 Jeff Hake E – Junior
  • 80 Troy Johnson E – Sophomore
  • 46 Kert Kaspar E – Sophomore
  • 60 Mike Mantle E – Junior
  • 39 Kevin Murphy†‡ E – Senior
  • 40 Darrell Reed E – Sophomore
  • 95 Jodie Britt T – Sophomore
  • 86 Steve Bryan T – Junior
  • 90 Darren Kilpatrick T – Sophomore
  • 56 Bob Latham† T – Redshirt Freshman
  • 66 Jon Phillips T – Sophomore
  • 96 Richard Reed T – Junior
  • 78 Jeff Tupper T – Senior
  • 99 Tony Woods T – Redshirt Freshman
  

Linebackers

  • 44 Brian Bosworth† – Sophomore
  • 41 Tony Sebo – Freshman
  • 54 Evan Gatewood – Junior
  • 50 Dante Jones† – Sophomore
  • 43 Frederick McDonald injured resv."Sophomore"
  • 48 Brad McBride – Sophomore
  • 42 Paul Migliazzo† – Junior

Defensive backs

  • 8 Sonny Brown† – Junior
  • 29 Rickey Dixon† – Sophomore
  • 9 Lonnie Finch – Freshman
  • 49 Scott Garl – Redshirt Freshman
  • 7 Ledell Glenn – Junior
  • 32 Percy Hines – Junior
  • 6 Andre Johnson – Sophomore
  • 36 Steve Jones – Redshirt Freshman
  • 17 Ken McMichel – Freshman
  • 35 Tony Rayburn† – Junior
  • 21 Carlos Scott – Freshman
  • 37 Todd Smith – Junior
  • 11 Leonard Thomas – Freshman
  • 22 Kevin Thompson – Freshman
  • 19 Scott Thompson – Freshman
  • 10 David Vickers† – Sophomore
  • 14 Derrick White – Redshirt Freshman

Kickers

  • 31 Tim Lashar† – Junior
  • 91 Todd Thomsen – Freshman
  • 26 Darren Atyia P – Sophomore
  • 12 Mike Winchester P† – Junior
† Starter at position      ‡ Team Captain     * Injured; did not play in 1985.

Courtesy of Soonerstats.com

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
( ) = First place votes.
Week
PollPre123456789101112131415Final
AP1 (23)12 (28)2 (23)2 (21)2 (13)2 ()3 (12)1097 (1)7 ()5 (2)3 (6)4 (5)3 (5)1 (55)
Coaches1 (14)1 (14)1 (18)2 ()2 (8)2 (14)2 (14)2 (14)1085632 (2)2 (2)2 (1)1 (41)

Game summaries

After struggling in the 1985 Orange Bowl to a scrappy Washington Huskies football team and letting any National Championship aspirations for that year disappear in a puff of smoke (and be awarded to the BYU Cougars, the nation's only undefeated college football team that year), the defending Big 8 Champion Sooners came into the 1985 season on a mission. Led by an aggressive and punishing defense (which later drew comparisons to their NFL counterpart Chicago Bears) and budding superstar quarterback sophomore Troy Aikman, the Sooners seemed poised for a run at the Orange Bowl and the National Championship.

Nothing seemed to indicate otherwise, as the Sooners rolled past Minnesota and Kansas State before beating the Longhorns in the annual Red River Shootout.

at Minnesota

#2 Oklahoma Sooners at Minnesota Golden Gophers
1 234Total
• No. 2 Sooners 3 703 13
Golden Gophers 0 007 7
Scoring summary
1OULashar 21-yard field goalOU 3-0
2OUE. Johnson 1-yard run (Lashar kick)OU 10-0
4OULashar 21-yard field goalOU 13-0
4MINStarks 12-yard pass from Foggie (Lohmiller kick)OU 13-7
OUMINN
First Downs216
Rushing Yards64–25425–57
Passing7–17–08–20–0
Passing Yards67121
Total Offense321178
Fumbles Lost10
Penalties6–355–35
Time of Possession40:5419:06

[4]

at Kansas State

#2 Oklahoma Sooners at Kansas State Wildcats
1 234Total
• No. 2 Sooners 0 141314 41
Wildcats 0 060 6
  • Date: October 5
  • Location: KSU Stadium
  • Game attendance: 23,500

[5]

OUKSU
First Downs306
Rushing Yards76–35325–21
Passing10–14–113–26–3
Passing Yards177100
Total Offense530121
Fumbles Lost30
Penalties10–747–64
Time of Possession37:2722:33

vs. No. 17 Texas (Red River Shootout)

#17 Texas Longhorns vs. #2 Oklahoma Sooners
1 234Total
No. 17 Longhorns 7 000 7
• No. 2 Sooners 0 707 14
Scoring summary
1TEXKip Cooper 7-yard fumble return (Jeffrey Ward kick)TEX 7-0
210:18OULydell Carr 1-yard run (Tim Lashar kick)Tied 7-7
412:25OUPatrick Collins 45-yard run (Tim Lashar kick)OU 14-7

The Sooners' offense didn't have a banner day in the 80th edition of the Red River Rivalry although they still rolled up 220 yards rushing and Troy Aikman completed four of nine passes for 67 yards. Lydell Carr led all rushers with 80 yards on 23 carries, and Patrick Collins added 61 yards on four carries. Keith Jackson had 49 yards on his two receptions.

On the game's third play, Oklahoma's All-American nose guard Tony Casillas went down with a sprained right knee. The Oklahoma defense, even without Casillas, manhandled Texas. The Sooners held the Longhorns to just 70 yards in total offense, 17 on the ground for an average of less than half a yard per their 35 carries, and just four first downs. They got into Oklahoma territory only three times, twice to the 49-yard line and once to the 46, and one of those trips was thanks to another fumble. In addition, the Sooners picked off three passes, and Texas was held to no first downs in the second half. Brian Bosworth finished the game with 14 tackles, 11 of them unassisted, and a leaping interception of quarterback Todd Dodge.[7][8]

TexasOU
First Downs414
Rushing Yards35–1766–220
Passing4–15–34–9–0
Passing Yards5367
Total Offense70287
Fumbles Lost02
Penalties5–303–20
Time of Possession24:4435:16

Miami (FL)

Miami Hurricanes at #3 Oklahoma Sooners
1 234Total
• Hurricanes 7 7130 27
No. 3 Sooners 7 007 14
Scoring summary
18:44Miami (FL)Michael Irvin 56-yard pass from Vinny Testaverde (Greg Cox kick)Miami (FL) 7-0
16:34OUDerrick Shepard 14-yard pass from Troy Aikman (Tim Lashar kick)Tied 7-7
214:16Miami (FL)Testaverde 3-yard run (Cox kick)Miami (FL) 14-7
38:49Miami (FL)Cox 20-yard field goalMiami (FL) 17-7
34:06Miami (FL)Brian Blades 35-yard pass from Testaverde (Cox kick)Miami (FL) 24-7
32:34Miami (FL)Cox 36-yard field goalMiami (FL) 27-7
410:28OULydell Carr 1-yard run (Lashar kick)Miami (FL) 27-14

The third-ranked Sooners (3-0) returned home to play their first game in Norman, hosting unranked Miami (4-1). The game made local headlines as a homecoming for Hurricanes coach Jimmy Johnson who was an Oklahoma defensive line coach with Switzer from '70-'72 and went 0-5 against the Sooners as the Oklahoma State head coach.

Oklahoma came into the contest with the nation's most aggressive defense (leading to their comparisons to the Monsters of the Midway), which seemingly got better each week, and was led up front by All-American nose tackle Tony Casillas, whose injury against Texas forced him to miss the game. The line featured sophomore tackle Troy Johnson, sophomore end Darrell Reed, and senior end Kevin Murphy, himself an All-American candidate. Lining up behind the group was the menacing Brian Bosworth, with fellow linebackers Paul Migliazzo and Dante Jones (another talented sophomore). This group had permitted an average of only 32 yards rushing per game. Juniors Tony Rayburn and Sonny Brown, and sophomores Rickey Dixon and Derrick White, patrolled the secondary, allowing only 91 yards passing per game. In three games, the defense had allowed only 16 first downs and had permitted an average of 6.6 points per game.

Miami had lost their '85 opener to Florida, 35-23, before reeling off four straight wins against unranked opponents. The Hurricanes were the nation's top offensive team, and they were sporting a pro-style passing attack, orchestrated by junior quarterback Vinny Testaverde, who had backed up Bernie Kosar the last time the Hurricanes had won the National Championship. Alonzo Highsmith and Melvin Bratton lined up in the backfield, and the acrobatics of top-flight wide receivers Michael Irvin and Brian Blades helped the team average 36.2 points per game. The Hurricane defense came in after a shutout of Cincinnati, permitting an average of only 16 points per game, featuring junior tackle Jerome Brown and cornerback Bennie Blades.

In front of a sellout crowd of 75,008 at Memorial Stadium, Miami's Jerome Brown broke through and sacked Aikman on the 29-yard line with 9:18 left in the first half and broke his ankle. Aikman, who had been six of eight passing for 131 yards, would be lost for the season.

Testaverde and company took over, scorching the Oklahoma secondary with 270 yards passing and the 'Canes rambled for 105 on the ground. They played mistake-free football and didn't give up any turnovers. Brown led the Miami defensive effort with 16 tackles, a blocked field goal, and the sack on Aikman. And on the other side, pressed into duty as a true freshman, Holieway had rushed for only 57 yards on 17 carries and attempted just six passes.[9][10]

Furious about the loss, both of the game and their starting quarterback, Oklahoma proceeded to go on a rampage, pasting Iowa State, Kansas, Missouri and Colorado by a combined score of 189-26, before playing host to Nebraska in a game that would ultimately decide the Big 8 Championship.

MiamiOU
First Downs1720
Rushing Yards39–10563–211
Passing17–28–07–14–1
Passing Yards270151
Total Offense375362
Fumbles Lost01
Penalties4–305–48
Time of Possession26:5733:03

Iowa State

Iowa State Cyclones at #10 Oklahoma Sooners
1 234Total
Cyclones 7 007 14
• No. 10 Sooners 10 21217 59
  • Date: October 26
  • Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Game attendance: 70,124

In freshman Jamelle Holieway's first start at quarterback, the Sooners rolled up 542 yards rushing and 643 yards of total offense in a dominant win over Iowa State.[11][12]

ISUOU
First Downs1525
Rushing Yards41–12264–542
Passing15–27–02–5–0
Passing Yards128101
Total Offense250643
Fumbles Lost11
Penalties8–657–81
Time of Possession31:2128:39

Kansas

Kansas Jayhawks at #9 Oklahoma Sooners
1 234Total
Jayhawks 3 030 6
• No. 9 Sooners 0 201414 48
  • Date: November 2
  • Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Game attendance: 74,726

[13]

KUOU
First Downs1422
Rushing Yards40–6358–424
Passing14–33–35–8–0
Passing Yards112101
Total Offense175525
Fumbles Lost13
Penalties9–693–30
Time of Possession33:3026:30

at Missouri

#7 Oklahoma Sooners at Missouri Tigers
1 234Total
• No. 7 Sooners 3 20721 51
Tigers 0 330 6

[14]

OUMU
First Downs2412
Rushing Yards66–34137–62
Passing8–17–115–25–2
Passing Yards168157
Total Offense509219
Fumbles Lost24
Penalties6–384–35
Time of Possession32:4927:11

Colorado

Colorado Buffaloes at #7 Oklahoma Sooners
1 234Total
Buffaloes 0 000 0
• No. 7 Sooners 7 7107 31
Scoring summary
1OUCollins 1-yard run (Lashar kick)OU 7–0
2OUHolieway 2-yard run (Lashar kick)OU 14–0
3OUHolieway 20-yard run (Lashar kick)OU 21–0
3OULashar 30-yard field goalOU 24–0
4OUTillman 5-yard run (Lashar kick)OU 31–0

[15]

CUOU
First Downs624
Rushing Yards39–7581–360
Passing4–12–13–10–0
Passing Yards3439
Total Offense109399
Fumbles Lost03
Penalties5–453–20
Time of Possession25:3434:26

No. 2 Nebraska

#2 Nebraska Cornhuskers at #5 Oklahoma Sooners
1 234Total
No. 2 Cornhuskers 0 007 7
• No. 5 Sooners 14 3100 27
Scoring summary
111:21OUKeith Jackson 88-yard run (Tim Lashar kick)OU 7–0
15:52OUJamelle Holieway 43-yard run (Lashar kick)OU 14–0
21:18OULashar 37-yard field goalOU 17–0
39:19OULashar 33-yard field goalOU 20–0
32:26OUHolieway 17-yard run (Lashar kick)OU 27–0
40:26NebChris Spachman 76-yard fumble return (Klein kick)OU 27–7

Nebraska came into Norman ranked second in the nation, with the nation's highest scoring offense with 39.1 points per game and the best rushing attack in the country with 395 yards per game. This high-powered offense was led by fullback Tom Rathman, one of the best in Nebraska history who had rushed for over 800 yards that season. Together with quarterback McCathorn Clayton and junior I-back Doug DuBose, whose 1,115 rushing yards made 1985 his second straight season over 1,000, the Cornhuskers were poised for a national title run. Junior linebacker Marc Munford was the leading tackler for the Huskers for the second straight year and led the defense, together with tackle Jim Skow and defensive back Brian Washington.[16]

The home team struck quickly. On their second possession of the game, Oklahoma was faced with a second down-and-six at its 12, and they ran a tight end reverse. Freshman quarterback Jamelle Holieway, starting just his fifth game and in charge of a wishbone that was the third best rushing offense in the land, optioned to the left and gave a reverse handoff to big sophomore tight end Keith Jackson, who raced untouched down the right sideline 88 yards for a touchdown, the sixth longest run in school history.[16]

Tom Osborne was forced to reach into his bag of tricks in the second quarter, as Nebraska executed a perfect double reverse. Clayton flipped the ball to DuBose who headed right, and DuBose handed the ball to wingback Van Sheppard who carried it 52 yards before being brought down inside the Sooner ten. The Oklahoma defense, led by senior nose tackle Tony Casillas and sophomore linebacker Brian Bosworth, did not budge. The Cornhuskers, stifled at the point of attack, were forced to kick a field goal. Sophomore kicker Dale Klein missed a 23-yard field goal attempt and the Huskers were kept off the board after their best offensive series of the game.[16]

In fact, the only time the Huskers would score that day was on defense, and then only as a side note. Freshman backup quarterback Eric Mitchel bobbled a handoff, and Nebraska defensive tackle Chris Spachman caught the Sooner fumble in midair and rambled 76 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown with only 26 seconds left. The Sooners had won 27-7.[16]

The Oklahoma defense was devastating, holding the nation's highest scoring offense without a point. Bosworth had nine tackles, Murphy sacked the quarterback twice, including the stopper on one of the goal line stands, and Casillas was all over the Nebraska backfield. They held the Huskers to just 161 yards on 42 carries, led by Sheppard's 65 yards and with DuBose gaining only 46 on 16 carries. It was the second straight year that the Sooners had held the Huskers to just a touchdown and the first time they had accomplished that feat in back-to-back games in 27 years.[16]

Holieway was spectacular, directing the wishbone as if he were far more experienced than his true freshman status. He was virtually flawless as he rushed for 110 yards on 25 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns. Keith Jackson ran for 136 yards on just three carries and scored once. Together they accounted for 246 yards on the ground, representing more than half the team's 461 total yards. This marked the first time in 11 years that two Sooners had crossed the century mark rushing against the Huskers.[16]

NUOU
First Downs1019
Rushing Yards42–16170–423
Passing4–15–31–4–0
Passing Yards6338
Total Offense224461
Fumbles Lost12
Penalties2–203–13
Time of Possession25:3434:26

At Oklahoma St

#3 Oklahoma Sooners (8–1) at #17 Oklahoma State Cowboys (8–2)
Period 1 2 34Total
Oklahoma 0 10 0313
Oklahoma St 0 0 000

at Lewis Field, Stillwater, Oklahoma

  • Date: November 30
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: low 20s
  • Game attendance: 44,000
  • TV: ESPN
  • [17]
Game information

"The Ice Bowl"

Tim Lashar sets Oklahoma single season school field goal record.

[18] [19]

SMU

SMU Mustangs at #4 Oklahoma Sooners
1 234Total
Mustangs 7 006 13
• No. 4 Sooners 0 2177 35
  • Date: December 7
  • Location: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
  • Game attendance: 72,046
  • TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson (1st half only), Frank Broyles, and Tim Brant (1st half sideline reporter/2nd half play-by-play)

[20]

SMUOU
First Downs1427
Rushing Yards51–20675–377
Passing8–15–23–8–0
Passing Yards7640
Total Offense282417
Fumbles Lost22
Penalties5–313–30
Time of Possession25:5934:01

vs. No. 1 Penn State (Orange Bowl)

#1 Penn State Nittany Lions vs. #3 Oklahoma Sooners
1 234Total
No. 1 Nittany Lions 7 300 10
• No. 3 Sooners 0 1636 25
    
Scoring summary
18:17PSUTim Manoa 1-yard run (Massimo Manca kick)PSU 7–0
214:35OUTim Lashar 26-yard field goalPSU 7–3
12:26OUKeith Jackson 71-yard pass from Jamelle Holieway (Tim Lashar kick)OU 10–7
5:20OUTim Lashar 31-yard field goalOU 13–7
1:49OUTim Lashar 21-yard field goalOU 16–7
0:01PSUMassimo Manca 27-yard field goalOU 16–10
33:09OUTim Lashar 22-yard field goalOU 19–10
41:42OULydell Carr 61-yard run (Lashar kick failed)OU 25–10

Earlier in the day, UCLA had crushed #4 Iowa 45-28 in the Rose Bowl. SEC champion Tennessee and Miami were playing in the Sugar Bowl, with the Hurricanes allowed an outside shot at the title with a Penn State loss. The Sooners needed either a win combined with a Miami loss or a blowout victory to claim the title during the 1986 Orange Bowl.[21]

On their opening possession, Oklahoma reached into their bag of tricks and a handoff to Keith Jackson was flipped to Anthony Stafford, but linebacker Shane Conlan was ready for it, stuffing the play for a two-yard loss. This set the initial tempo of the game, as the Penn State defense showed itself to be ready for the speedy Sooner wishbone option.[21]

The game was very close, and remained a defensive struggle into the 4th quarter, but Oklahoma proved to be too much for the Lions, particularly after it was announced at the half that Tennessee was pounding Miami to the tune of 28-7 in the Sugar Bowl. The Sooner defense played inspired football, Tim Lashar nailed four critical field goals, Keith Jackson caught a 71-yard bomb from Jamelle Holieway in stride, and Lydell Carr put the nail in the coffin with a brilliant 61-yard touchdown scamper with 1:42 remaining on the clock.[21][22]

The Sooners scored a 25-10 victory over the top team in the land in the 1986 Orange Bowl and the team's sixth National Championship.

PSUOU
First Downs1412
Rushing Yards36–10352–228
Passing18–34–43–6–0
Passing Yards16491
Total Offense267319
Fumbles Lost11
Penalties6–497–45
Time of Possession31:2328:37

Awards and honors

All-Americans

Individual award winners

Postseason

NFL draft

The following players were drafted into the National Football League following the season.[23]

Round Pick Player Position NFL Team
12Tony CasillasDefensive tackleAtlanta Falcons
240Kevin MurphyLinebackerTampa Bay Buccaneers
5116Jeff TupperDefensive endSt. Louis Cardinals

References

  1. ↑ "University of Oklahoma Official 1985 Championship Page". SoonerSports.com. University of Oklahoma Athletic Department. Archived from the original on July 18, 2007. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "1985 OU Football Season Schedule - SoonerStats - Historical scores, records, and stats for Oklahoma Sooners football, basketball, baseball, and softball".
  3. ↑ "1985 University of Oklahoma Football Schedule". Soonerstats.com. 2007. Retrieved April 18, 2007.
  4. ↑ "Sooners Prevail by 13-7". The New York Times. September 29, 1985. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  5. ↑ SoonerStats.com. Retrieved 2018-Feb-18.
  6. ↑ "45-yard run gives No. 2 OU 14-7 win over Texas." Gainesville Sun. October 13, 1985
  7. ↑ "Texas Picks Up Only Four First Downs as Oklahoma Wins, 14-7". The Los Angeles Times. October 13, 1985. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  8. ↑ "1985 OU-Texas Game". Soonerstats.com. 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2007.
  9. ↑ "MIAMI BEATS SOONERS, 27-14". The New York Times. October 20, 1985. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  10. ↑ "1985 OU-Miami Game". Soonerstats.com. 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2007.
  11. ↑ "Oklahoma, Holieway Stun Iowa State, 59-14". The Los Angeles Times. October 27, 1985. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  12. ↑ SoonerStats.com. Retrieved 2018-Feb-18.
  13. ↑ SoonerStats.com. Retrieved 2018-Feb-18.
  14. ↑ SoonerStats.com. Retrieved 2018-Feb-18.
  15. ↑ Gainesville Sun. November 17, 1985
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "1985 OU-Nebraska Game". Soonerstats.com. 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2007.
  17. ↑ Eugene Register-Guard. 1985 Dec 01.
  18. ↑ SoonerStats.com. Retrieved 2018-Feb-18.
  19. ↑ "Sooners leave Cowboys cold, 13-0." Eugene Register-Guard. 1985 Dec 01. Retrieved 2020-Nov-22.
  20. ↑ SoonerStats.com. Retrieved 2018-Feb-18.
  21. 1 2 3 "1986 Orange Bowl". Soonerstats.com. 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2007.
  22. ↑ "1986 Orange Bowl Official Recap". Orangebowl.org. 2007. Retrieved February 14, 2007.
  23. ↑ "1986 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
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