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. 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. This was Switzer's twelfth conference title, fourth consecutive conference title and eighth undefeated conference record in fifteen seasons.
The team was led by All-Americans Rickey Dixon (who won the Jim Thorpe Award), Mark Hutson, Keith Jackson, Danté Jones, and Darrell Reed After going undefeated in its eleven regular season games, it earned a trip to the Orange Bowl for an appearance against the Miami Hurricanes. 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. The game marked the third Miami victory over Oklahoma in three seasons to former Switzer assistant coach Jimmy Johnson.
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. 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.
Schedule
Rankings
Game summaries North Carolina
Jamelle Holieway 25 Rush, 170 Yds
Gainesville Sun. 1987 Oct 13.
Iowa State
Texas
Gainesville Sun. 1987 Oct 11.
Kansas State
Gainesville Sun. 1987 Oct 18.
Colorado
Gainesville Sun. October 25, 1987
Oklahoma State
Missouri
Gainesville Sun. 1987 Nov 15. Retrieved 2019-Jan-06.
Nebraska
"Game of the Century II" The Bow - Patrick Collins
Orange Bowl
Personnel
Awards and honors All-American: Rickey Dixon, Mark Hutson, Keith Jackson, Danté Jones, and Darrell Reed Jim Thorpe Award: Dixon
After the season NFL draft The following players were selected in the 1988 NFL draft following the season. 15Rickey DixonDefensive backCincinnati Bengals113 Keith JacksonTight endPhiladelphia Eagles251Dante JonesLinebackerChicago Bears367 Mark HutsonGuardDallas Cowboys499Greg JohnsonTackleMiami Dolphins4106Lydell CarrRunning backNew Orleans Saints5116Darrell ReedLinebackerGreen Bay Packers5133Troy JohnsonLinebackerChicago Bears6148Jon PhillipsGuardPhoenix Cardinals6164Derrick WhiteDefensive backMinnesota Vikings7171Derrick CrudupDefensive backLos Angeles Raiders7189Caesar RentieTackleChicago Bears8200Patrick CollinsRunning backGreen Bay Packers
References
External links 1987 season at SoonerStats.com