1950 Oklahoma Sooners Football Team
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The 1950 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the
University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...
in the
1950 college football season The 1950 college football season finished with the unbeaten and untied Oklahoma Sooners (9–0) being the consensus choice for national champion. On New Year's Day, however, the Sooners were upset by the Kentucky Wildcats (ranked No. 7 in the A ...
, the 56th season of Sooner football. Led by fourth-year head coach
Bud Wilkinson Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson (April 23, 1916 – February 9, 1994) was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to 1963, compiling a record of ...
, they played their home games at
Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, also known as Owen Field or The Palace on the Prairie, is the football stadium on the campus of the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma. It serves as the home of the Oklahoma Sooners football team. ...
in
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...
, and competed in the Big Seven Conference. The Sooners finished the regular season 10–0 (6–0 in Big 7), and won their fifth consecutive conference championship, and eleventh overall. Both major polls (AP writers, UP coaches) awarded the Sooners with their first
national championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...
at the end of the regular season. They were invited to the
Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed onl ...
in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
on but were upset by the
Kentucky Wildcats The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 ...
, halting their winning streak at Five Sooners received All-American honors following the season: Frankie Anderson, Buddy Jones, Leon Heath, and
Jim Weatherall James Preston Weatherall (October 26, 1929 – August 2, 1992) was an American football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, and the Detroit Lions. He also played in the Western ...
. In addition, eight sooners won all conference honors, Anderson, Claude Arnold, Tom Catlin, Heath, Norman McNabb, Harry Moore,
Billy Vessels Billy Dale Vessels (March 22, 1931 – November 17, 2001) was a gridiron football player. He played college football at the University of Oklahoma and won the Heisman Trophy in 1952. Vessels went on to play professional football with the Nati ...
, and Weatherall.


Schedule


Roster

* QB
Eddie Crowder Eddie Crowder (August 26, 1931 – September 9, 2008) was an American football player and coach. He was an All-American quarterback (QB) and safety at the University of Oklahoma (OU) in the early 1950s and a successful head coach and athletic dir ...
, So. * QB Claude Arnold, Sr. * HB
Billy Vessels Billy Dale Vessels (March 22, 1931 – November 17, 2001) was a gridiron football player. He played college football at the University of Oklahoma and won the Heisman Trophy in 1952. Vessels went on to play professional football with the Nati ...
, So. * T
Jim Weatherall James Preston Weatherall (October 26, 1929 – August 2, 1992) was an American football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, and the Detroit Lions. He also played in the Western ...
* RE
Bill Beckman Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...
, So.


Rankings


Game summaries


Texas (Red River Shootout)

Late in the contest, a low punt snap gives Oklahoma the ball at the Texas 11.
Billy Vessels Billy Dale Vessels (March 22, 1931 – November 17, 2001) was a gridiron football player. He played college football at the University of Oklahoma and won the Heisman Trophy in 1952. Vessels went on to play professional football with the Nati ...
dashes around right end for the touchdown while Texas native
Jim Weatherall James Preston Weatherall (October 26, 1929 – August 2, 1992) was an American football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, and the Detroit Lions. He also played in the Western ...
kicks the game-winning extra point for the 14–13 victory. Minutes earlier, Longhorns defensive back Bobby Dillon had returned at interception 50 yards for a touchdown and a 13-7 Texas lead. Twice during the contest Texas had goal-line scoring opportunities, once stopped by Oklahoma's defense at the one-yard line and another ended with a fumble at the five.


After the season


NFL Draft

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


References

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
Oklahoma Sooners football seasons College football national champions Big Eight Conference football champion seasons
Oklahoma Sooners football The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma (variously "Oklahoma" or "OU"). The team is a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is in Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (forme ...
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