The 2014 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

2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season The 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The regular season began on August 27, 2014 and ended on D ...

, the 120th season of Sooner football. The team was led by two-time

Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award The Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football head coach adjudged by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) head coaches and sports inf ...

winner,

Bob Stoops Robert Anthony Stoops (born September 9, 1960) is an American football coach. He was the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1999 through the 2016 season, and on an interim basis during the 2021 Alamo Bowl. He led the Oklahoma ...

, in his 16th season as head coach. They played their home games at

Gaylord Family 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. ...

Norman, Oklahoma Norman () is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, with a population of 128,097 as of 2021. It is the largest city and the county seat of Cleveland County, Oklahoma, Cleveland County, and the second-largest city in the Oklahoma C ...

. They were a member of the

Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...

. Oklahoma, entered the 2014 season ranked 4th in AP Poll and were projected to capture their first Big 12 title since 2012, finishing 1st in the Big 12 media poll. The Sooners won their first four games of the season, before being upset by then-No. 25 TCU. The team also lost to then-No. 14

Kansas State Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...

two weeks later & then to No. 10 Baylor, which was the first and only win in Norman for the Bears to date. The Sooners recovered and won their next two games, which included a record-setting performance from freshman running back

Samaje Perine Samaje Perine ( ; born September 16, 1995) is an American football running back for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oklahoma Sooners football, Oklahoma, and was drafted by the Washingto ...

, who ran for 427 yards, which broke the single-game rushing record set a week prior by Wisconsin's

Melvin Gordon Melvin Gordon III (born April 13, 1993) is an American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Wisconsin, and was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the first roun ...

. They entered the season finale against

Oklahoma State Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New M ...

at 8–3 and ranked 18th in the AP Poll. However, the Sooners lost in overtime, giving the Cowboys their first win in Bedlam since 2011, which also earned them bowl eligibility and their first win in Norman since 2001. Oklahoma finished out the regular season with an 8–4 record, 5–4 in Big 12 play to finish in a three-way tie for fourth place. The Sooners were invited to play in the

Russell Athletic Bowl The Cheez-It Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at Camping World Stadium. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Citrus Bowl and the Florida Clas ...

against the

Clemson Tigers The Clemson Tigers are the athletic teams that represent Clemson University, located in Clemson, South Carolina. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) ...

, where they were defeated by a score of 40–6. Following the season,

Jordan Phillips Jordan Phillips (born September 21, 1992) is an American football defensive tackle who is a free agent. He played college football at Oklahoma. Early years Phillips attended Circle High School in Towanda, Kansas, where he played high school ...

was selected in the second round of the

2015 NFL Draft The 2015 NFL Draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previous ...

, along with

Geneo Grissom Geneo Grissom (born June 4, 1992) is a former American football defensive end. He played college football at the University of Oklahoma. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round with the 97th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Dra ...

in the third,

Daryl Williams Daryl Williams may refer to: * Daryl Williams (politician) (born 1942), Australian politician * Daryl Williams (American football) (born 1992), American football offensive tackle * Daryl Williams (rugby union) (born 1964), New Zealand-born Samoan r ...

and

Blake Bell Blake M. Bell (born August 7, 1991) is an American football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college footba ...

in the fourth, and

Tyrus Thompson Tyrus Thompson (born November 17, 1991) is a former American football offensive tackle. He played college football at Oklahoma. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Early years Thompson attended ...

and Aaron Ripkowski in the sixth.

Preseason

Recruits

Award watch lists

John Mackey Award The John Mackey Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding tight end. Established in 2000 by the Nassau County Sports Commission, the award is given annually to the tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, ac ...

: Taylor McNamara *

Lou Groza Award The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza. It has be ...

: Michael Hunnicutt *

Lombardi Award The Rotary Lombardi Award is an award for college football in the United States. Awarded by the Rotary Club of Houston, Texas annually to the college football player "who best embodies the values and spirit of NFL's legendary coach Vince Lombar ...

Eric Striker Eric Striker (born October 1, 1993) is a professional Canadian football defensive lineman who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Oklahoma. Early years Striker grew up in Tampa, Florida and attended Armwood High School, whe ...

Jim Thorpe Award The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport athlete Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986. It is voted on by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. In 2017, the award became sponsored by Paycom ...

:Zack Sanchez *

Butkus Award The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football. The award, named in honor of College Football Hall of Fame ...

:Frank Shannon :

Maxwell Award The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best all ...

Trevor Knight Trevor A. Knight (born October 3, 1993) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Oklahoma and Texas A&M. After leading Oklahoma to an 8–5 record in the 2014 season, he lost the starting job in an open quarter ...

Rimington Trophy The Dave Rimington Trophy is awarded to the player considered to be the best American football center in college football. Dave Rimington was a center who played at the University of Nebraska from 1979 to 1982. A member of the National College F ...

: Ty Darlington *

Outland Trophy The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States as adjudged by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named an All-Ame ...

Davey O'Brien Award The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Co ...

Chuck Bednarik Award The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive player in college football as judged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States. The award is named for Chuck Bednarik, a former college and professional Ame ...

:Frank Shannon :

:Charles Tapper *

Walter Camp Award The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football player of the year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I FBS head coaches and sports information directo ...

Bronko Nagurski Trophy The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football defensive player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) to be the best in the National Collegiate Athle ...

:Zack Sanchez :

:Charles Tapper

Schedule

Roster

Depth chart

Game summaries

Louisiana Tech

Tulsa

Tennessee

West Virginia

TCU

Texas (Red River Showdown)

Kansas State

Iowa State

Baylor

Texas Tech

Kansas

Kickoff was delayed from the original start time of 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM due to lightning and thunderstorms in the vicinity of the University of Oklahoma. Oklahoma true freshman running back

broke the NCAA single-game rushing record in this game, recording 427 yards and five touchdowns on 34 carries. Perine broke Wisconsin running back

's record — which only stood for seven days — on a 42-yard run early in the fourth quarter. The yardage also allowed him to become OU's single-game leading rusher, breaking the mark previously owned by

Greg Pruitt Gregory Donald Pruitt (born August 18, 1951) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) from 1973 through 1984. He was selected to five Pro Bowls, four as a member of the Cleveland Browns and one as a member o ...

(294 yards vs. Kansas State, October 23, 1971). It was the third game of the season in which Perine rushed for more than 200 yards.

Oklahoma State (Bedlam Series)

Clemson (Russell Athletic Bowl)

Rankings

Statistics

Team

*Most points given up in Stoops era *Least sacks allowed since

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

*Smallest average margin of victory (10.5), least passing touchdowns and lowest passing completion percentage since

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

*Least rushing yards per game given up since

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

*Least passing completions and third down conversions since

*Highest passing completion percentage allowed since

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

*Least field goals made and attempted since

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

*Most rushing touchdowns since

*Most first downs, total touchdowns and passing completions given up since

*Least rushing first downs, rushing yards and yards per rush given up since

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

*Highest fourth down conversion rate allowed since

*Lowest field goal conversion rate since

Scores by quarter

*Most second quarter points allowed since

*Least second quarter points scored since

Postseason

Coaching changes

* On January 4, 2015, co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach

Jay Norvell Merritt James Norvell III (born March 28, 1963) is an American college football coach and former player who is currently the head coach for the Colorado State Rams. Norvell served as the head football coach at University of Nevada, Reno from 2017 ...

was fired. * On January 6, 2015, co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach

Josh Heupel Joshua Kenneth Heupel ( ; born March 22, 1978) is an American football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at the Tennessee Volunteers football, University of Tennessee. Previously he served as head coach at the UCF Knights fo ...

was fired. * On January 12, 2015, assistant head coach and cornerbacks coach Bobby Jack Wright announced his retirement from coaching. * On January 12, 2015, East Carolina offensive coordinator

Lincoln Riley Lincoln Michael Riley (born September 5, 1983) is an American college football coach and former player who is the head coach of the USC Trojans football program at the University of Southern California. He previously served as the head coach a ...

was hired as Oklahoma offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. * On February 4, 2015, Washington State wide receivers coach Dennis Simmons was hired as Oklahoma outside receivers coach. * On February 9, 2015, Notre Dame defensive backs coach

Kerry Cooks Kerry Cooks (born March 28, 1974) is an American football coach and former player. Biography Cooks was born on March 28, 1974 in Dallas, Texas. He is a graduate of the University of Iowa, where he was a team captain on the football team, and is ...

was hired as Oklahoma defensive backs coach. * On February 10, 2015, defensive line coach

Jerry Montgomery Jerry Montgomery (born September 19, 1979) is an American football coach and former player who is the defensive line coach and running game coordinator for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Playing career Montgomery pl ...

left Oklahoma to become a defensive front assistant for the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

. * On February 19, 2015, Stanford defensive assistant Diron Reynolds was hired as defensive line coach.

2015 NFL Draft

The

was held at

Auditorium Theatre The Auditorium Theatre is a music and performance venue located inside the Auditorium Building at 50 Ida B. Wells Drive in Chicago, Illinois. Inspired by the Richardsonian Romanesque Style of architect Henry Hobson Richardson, the building was d ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

on April 30 through May 2, 2015. The following Oklahoma players were either selected or signed as free agents following the draft.

References

{{Oklahoma Sooners football navbox

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

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 ...