1946 Oklahoma Sooners football team
Encyclopedia
The 1946 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) college football
. The team was led by Jim Tatum
in his first and only season as head coach. Along with first-year backfield coach Bud Wilkinson
, who became the head coach himself the following year, Tatum installed the new split-T
offense. An intensive recruiting effort, largely focused at veterans returning from the Second World War, helped Oklahoma to on-field success and eight of the team's new recruits eventually earned first-team All-America
honors. The team improved from the previous season to an 8–3 record and a share of the Big Six Conference
championship.
missed part of the season due to illness, and had struggled to recruit quality players during the Second World War when many University of Oklahoma athletes were serving overseas. His Sooners finished the year with a 5–5 record that included a finale loss, 0–47, to Oklahoma A&M (now known as Oklahoma State). At the conclusion of the 1945 season, Luster tendered his resignation.
Athletic director Jap Haskell recommended Jim Tatum
to University of Oklahoma president George Cross
, and other applicants considered by the Board of Regents included Bear Bryant
and Harold Drew
. Haskell had served in the U.S. Navy
during the war, and Tatum was an assistant coach for the Navy's Iowa Pre-Flight School
team under head coach Don Faurot
, the inventor of the split-T
formation. Prior to that, Tatum had coached at his own alma mater, North Carolina
. Bud Wilkinson
, who had been a colleague of Tatum's at Iowa Pre-Flight, was hired as Oklahoma's new backfield coach. Walter Driskill
, the former line coach at Colorado and Wyoming
, was given that same role at Oklahoma. Tatum and Wilkinson installed the split-T
, the innovative new offensive system they had learned under Don Faurot in Iowa.
, Buddy Burris
, Jack Mitchell, Jim Owens
, John Rapacz
, Darrell Royal
, George Thomas
, Wade Walker
, and Stan West
. Burris became the first Sooner to receive that honor three times.
, the defending national champions
and a 38-point favorite. The Sooners scored in the second quarter on a blocked punt, but Army equalized shortly before halftime. In the third quarter, Army blocked an Oklahoma punt on the Sooners' 15-yard line and scored four plays later. Shortly after, the Sooners recovered a fumble
on the Army 18-yard line. On fourth down at the Cadets' nine-yard line, Dave Wallace, about to be sacked
, threw a lateral
, but the ball was deflected, and Arnold Tucker
returned it 85 yards for Army's final touchdown
. The Cadets won, 21–7, and went on to finish the season ranked number-two, with no losses and one tie in a legendary game
against first-ranked Notre Dame
.
, but the A&M defense held. In the second quarter, Oklahoma again drove into A&M territory, but a pass was intercepted in the end zone. The Aggies then attempted to punt, but Norman McNabb blocked the kick and it was recovered on the A&M six-yard line. On fourth down, Jack Mitchell rushed for a score, and Wallace made the extra point
. In the third quarter, Marion Flanagan returned a punt 72 yards to equalize the score. The Sooners blocked an Aggie field goal attempted in the fourth quarter, and then mounted a drive to the A&M seven-yard line. After being stalled by the Aggie defense and incurring a delay of game penalty, Wallace made good a short field goal
attempt for the go-ahead score, 10–7.
entered the game with a 3–0 record, and had decisively beaten , 42–0; , 76–0; and Oklahoma A&M, 54–6. The Longhorns jumped out to a lead, 14–0. In the second quarter, Wallace intercepted a pass from Tom Landry
on the Oklahoma 44-yard line, and he then mounted a drive that ended with an 11-yard touchdown pass. The extra point attempt failed. Shortly thereafter, Wallace made another interception on the Longhorns' 39-yard line, but Darrell Royal
soon threw an interception of his own in the Texas end zone
. In the fourth quarter, Joe Golding
intercepted a pass and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown that tied the school record set the previous year. Texas then engineered a 75-yard drive for the final touchdown and won, 20–13.
, which marked the start to Oklahoma's conference schedule. Golding scored first with a 43-yard breakaway. In the second quarter, Kansas State equalized. Oklahoma pulled away with a third-quarter and two fourth-quarter touchdowns, with the final tally coming after a Royal interception. Immediately following that turnover, Golding rushed for an 81-yard touchdown.
, 63–0, which is the school's worst defeat in history. The Sooners recorded 398 rushing yards, 130 passing yards, and 204 return yards. Iowa State managed just four first downs, 91 rushing yards, and 43 passing yards.
knocked it down and Harold Kilman picked it up, ran 15 yards, then lateraled to Edwards. He carried it 70 yards to take the lead for the Horned Frogs, 6–0. The Sooners drove to the Frogs' 12-yard line, but fumbled away the water-logged ball. TCU failed to advance and kicked a short punt to their 28-yard line. The Sooners rushed on five plays for the score, and with the extra-point, took the lead, 7–6. At the start of the second half, Mitchell returned the kickoff 80 yards to the TCU 11-yard line. The teams traded fumbles, before the Frogs recovered a second Sooners' turnover. TCU was forced to punted and Mitchell returned it from the Frogs' 40-yard line. Lindy Berry
tackled Mitchell at the goal line, but he crossed into the end zone. Wallace kicked the extra point. TCU blocked a fourth quarter punt from the Oklahoma 25-yard line, and Doug Brightwell ran it in for the game's final score. Oklahoma held against two more scoring threat by TCU and won, 14–12.
to face the Jayhawks in another driving rainstorm. In the second quarter, Kansas took the lead before Golding rushed 65 yards to even the score, 6–6. Soon after, Kansas converted an Oklahoma fumble to take the lead again. In the third quarter, Golding rushed 14 yards for another touchdown and Wallace tied the game with the extra point. In the final 1:15, the Jayhawks' kicker made good his career first field goal attempt, and Kansas won, 16–13.
then blocked a Missouri punt, and Homer Paine
recovered it on the Tigers' 12-yard line. The Sooners then executed a halfback option
, with Mitchell lateraling to Wallace who passed to Giese for a touchdown. Wallace made the extra point and the Sooners led, 14–0. On their next possession, Missouri fumbled again and Oklahoma again capitalized with a score. In the second quarter, Golding intercepted a Missouri pass and returned it 75 yards to the Tigers' 17-yard line. The Sooners scored two plays later to take a 27–0 lead. In the final quarter, Tatum fielded his alternate lineup, against which Missouri engineered a 71-yard drive for a touchdown, and the final score, 27-6.
with Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Against the Cornhuskers, Oklahoma scored first before Nebraska equalized, 6–6, but those were their only points of the game. Eddie Davis, Golding, and Mitchell each scored rushing touchdowns and Royal threw for a passing touchdown.
With the 27–6 victory over Nebraska, Oklahoma ended its conference schedule with a 4–1 record. Since Kansas had defeated Missouri, 20–19, on Thanksgiving
, Oklahoma shared the Big Six Conference Championship the Jayhawks.
to face in-state rivals
Oklahoma A&M (now known as Oklahoma State). The Aggies' star halfback, Bob Fenimore
, missed the game due to an injury. The Sooners won 73–12, with Golding scoring three of their ten touchdowns.
The Sooners received the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards for a touchdown. NC State responded by scoring on a 42-yard pass. In the second quarter, Oklahoma scored three rushing touchdowns and entered halftime with a 27–7 advantage. In the third quarter, a 67-yard Wolfpack drive was capped by an eight-yard touchdown run. In the final quarter, the Sooners took over on downs on their 36-yard line and advanced downfield to score on a 15-yard option pass. The final result was 34–13 in Oklahoma's favor.
During the game, Oklahoma recorded 195 rushing and 74 passing yards, while NC State compiled 136 rushing and 103 passing yards. Sooners' halfback Joe Golding rushed for 91 yards on 12 attempts and was named the most valuable player
.
and Buddy Burris
, and center John Rapacz
. The All-Big Six first team included those three as well as end Warren Giese
, back Joe Golding
, and tackles Homer Paine
and Wade Walker
.
After the Gator Bowl, university president Cross learned that Tatum had paid each player $120 ($, adjusted for inflation
), despite Cross's order not to do so. He later learned that $60,000 ($ in inflation-adjusted terms) was unaccounted for in the athletic department budget. As a result, athletic director Jap Haskell was fired. Tatum accepted an offer to coach at Maryland
, and Cross promoted Bud Wilkinson into the head coaching position.
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
. The team was led by Jim Tatum
Jim Tatum
James M. "Big Jim" Tatum was an American football and baseball player and coach. Tatum served as the head football coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , the University of Oklahoma , and the University of Maryland, College Park , compiling a career college football record of...
in his first and only season as head coach. Along with first-year backfield coach Bud Wilkinson
Bud Wilkinson
Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson 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 145–29–4. His Oklahoma Sooners won three national championships and 14...
, who became the head coach himself the following year, Tatum installed the new split-T
Split-T
The split-T is an offensive formation in American football that was popular in the 1940s and 50s. Developed by Missouri Tigers head coach Don Faurot as a variation on the T formation, the split-T was first used in the 1941 season and allowed the Tigers to win all but their season-opening match...
offense. An intensive recruiting effort, largely focused at veterans returning from the Second World War, helped Oklahoma to on-field success and eight of the team's new recruits eventually earned first-team All-America
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
honors. The team improved from the previous season to an 8–3 record and a share of the Big Six Conference
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
championship.
Coaching staff
In 1945, head coach Dewey LusterDewey Luster
Dewey William "Snorter" Luster was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1941 to 1945, compiling a record of 27–18–3...
missed part of the season due to illness, and had struggled to recruit quality players during the Second World War when many University of Oklahoma athletes were serving overseas. His Sooners finished the year with a 5–5 record that included a finale loss, 0–47, to Oklahoma A&M (now known as Oklahoma State). At the conclusion of the 1945 season, Luster tendered his resignation.
Athletic director Jap Haskell recommended Jim Tatum
Jim Tatum
James M. "Big Jim" Tatum was an American football and baseball player and coach. Tatum served as the head football coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , the University of Oklahoma , and the University of Maryland, College Park , compiling a career college football record of...
to University of Oklahoma president George Cross
George Lynn Cross
George Lynn Cross was a botanist, author, and the seventh and longest serving president of the University of Oklahoma from 1943 to 1968...
, and other applicants considered by the Board of Regents included Bear Bryant
Bear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...
and Harold Drew
Harold Drew
-External links:*...
. Haskell had served in the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during the war, and Tatum was an assistant coach for the Navy's Iowa Pre-Flight School
Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football
The Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks represented the U.S. Navy pre-flight school at the University of Iowa in the college football seasons of 1942, 1943, and 1944.- History :...
team under head coach Don Faurot
Don Faurot
Donald Burrows Faurot was an American football and basketball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Northeast Missouri State Teachers College, now Truman State University, from 1926 to 1934 and at the University of Missouri from 1935 to 1942 and again from 1946 to 1956...
, the inventor of the split-T
Split-T
The split-T is an offensive formation in American football that was popular in the 1940s and 50s. Developed by Missouri Tigers head coach Don Faurot as a variation on the T formation, the split-T was first used in the 1941 season and allowed the Tigers to win all but their season-opening match...
formation. Prior to that, Tatum had coached at his own alma mater, North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels football
The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566...
. Bud Wilkinson
Bud Wilkinson
Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson 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 145–29–4. His Oklahoma Sooners won three national championships and 14...
, who had been a colleague of Tatum's at Iowa Pre-Flight, was hired as Oklahoma's new backfield coach. Walter Driskill
Walter Driskill
Walter Scott Driskill was a professional football coach for the Baltimore Colts of the All-America Football Conference in 1949. He was also the creator and owner of Dribeck Importers Inc., the North American importer of Beck's beer.Driskill earned his bachelor's in history from the University of...
, the former line coach at Colorado and Wyoming
Wyoming Cowboys football
The Wyoming Cowboys are a college football team that represents the University of Wyoming. They compete in the Mountain West Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I. The team has won 15 conference titles...
, was given that same role at Oklahoma. Tatum and Wilkinson installed the split-T
Split-T
The split-T is an offensive formation in American football that was popular in the 1940s and 50s. Developed by Missouri Tigers head coach Don Faurot as a variation on the T formation, the split-T was first used in the 1941 season and allowed the Tigers to win all but their season-opening match...
, the innovative new offensive system they had learned under Don Faurot in Iowa.
Recruiting
Tatum launched an intensive recruiting drive that included open tryouts that attracted an estimated 600 prospects. He largely rejected the players from the previous season and focused instead on building a new team. The recruiting effort targeted returning servicemen who had been athletes at other colleges before the war, rival universities, and graduating high school seniors. Tatum's recruiting paid dividends, and nine of his players would earn All-American honors at Oklahoma: Plato AndrosPlato Andros
Plato Gus Andrecopoulos was a former college All-American and professional football player. A 6'0", 240 lbs. guard from the University of Oklahoma, Andros spent four years in the United States Coast Guard fighting German submarines before coming back to earn All-American honors as a Sooner in...
, Buddy Burris
Buddy Burris
Paul "Buddy" Burris was an American football player. He played college football for the Golden Hurricane at University of Tulsa, and after a hiatus to serve in the Second World War, for the Sooners at the University of Oklahoma. Burris was the first Oklahoma player to earn All-America honors in...
, Jack Mitchell, Jim Owens
Jim Owens
-External links:...
, John Rapacz
John Rapacz
John Joseph Rapacz was an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the New York Giants. He also played in the All-America Football Conference for the Chicago Rockets/Hornets...
, Darrell Royal
Darrell Royal
Darrell K Royal is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Mississippi State University , the University of Washington , and the University of Texas at Austin , compiling a career college football record of 184–60–5...
, George Thomas
George Thomas
George Thomas may refer to:*George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy , British Labour Party politician, Speaker of the House of Commons*George Thomas , American baseball player*George Thomas...
, Wade Walker
Wade Walker
Wade Walker is an American former football player, coach, and university administrator. He played college football as a tackle at the University of Oklahoma under head coaches Jim Tatum and Bud Wilkinson. Walker was named an all-conference player all four years and a first-team All-American in 1949...
, and Stan West
Stan West
Stanley Bryon West was an American football defensive lineman in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams, the New York Giants, and the Chicago Cardinals...
. Burris became the first Sooner to receive that honor three times.
Army
The season-opener was against Army1946 Army Cadets football team
The 1946 Army Black Knights football team represents the United States Military Academy. Led by head coach Red Blaik, the team finished with an undefeated 9-0-1 season. The Black Knights offense scored 263 points, while the defense allowed 80 points. At season’s end, the team ranked second in the...
, the defending national champions
1945 Army Cadets football team
The 1945 Army Black Knights football team represents the United States Military Academy. Led by head coach Red Blaik, the team finished with a perfect 9-0 season. The Black Knights offense scored 412 points, while the defense allowed 46 points...
and a 38-point favorite. The Sooners scored in the second quarter on a blocked punt, but Army equalized shortly before halftime. In the third quarter, Army blocked an Oklahoma punt on the Sooners' 15-yard line and scored four plays later. Shortly after, the Sooners recovered a fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
on the Army 18-yard line. On fourth down at the Cadets' nine-yard line, Dave Wallace, about to be sacked
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
, threw a lateral
Lateral pass
In American football, a lateral pass or lateral, officially backward pass , occurs when the ball carrier throws the football to any teammate behind him or directly next to him...
, but the ball was deflected, and Arnold Tucker
Arnold Tucker
Arnold Tucker is a retired United States Air Force Officer who graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY in 1947....
returned it 85 yards for Army's final touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
. The Cadets won, 21–7, and went on to finish the season ranked number-two, with no losses and one tie in a legendary game
1946 Army vs. Notre Dame football game
The 1946 Army vs. Notre Dame football game was a regular season college football game played on November 9, 1946. Army , then ranked Number 1 in the Associated Press college football poll, played the University of Notre Dame, of South Bend, Indiana, ranked Number 2, at Yankee Stadium in New York City...
against first-ranked Notre Dame
1946 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 1946 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1946 college football season. The Irish, coached by Frank Leahy, ended the season with 8 wins and 1 tie, winning the national championship. The 1946 team became the fifth Irish team to win the...
.
Texas A&M
In the first quarter against Texas A&M, the Sooners drove 84-yards to the Aggies' one-yard line, including a 42-yard pass from Wallace to end Warren GieseWarren Giese
Warren Giese is an American former South Carolina state legislator and college football coach. He served as the head football coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks for five years at the University of South Carolina....
, but the A&M defense held. In the second quarter, Oklahoma again drove into A&M territory, but a pass was intercepted in the end zone. The Aggies then attempted to punt, but Norman McNabb blocked the kick and it was recovered on the A&M six-yard line. On fourth down, Jack Mitchell rushed for a score, and Wallace made the extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
. In the third quarter, Marion Flanagan returned a punt 72 yards to equalize the score. The Sooners blocked an Aggie field goal attempted in the fourth quarter, and then mounted a drive to the A&M seven-yard line. After being stalled by the Aggie defense and incurring a delay of game penalty, Wallace made good a short field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
attempt for the go-ahead score, 10–7.
Texas (#1)
First-ranked Texas1946 Texas Longhorns football team
The 1946 Texas Longhorns football team represented the University of Texas, Austin in National Collegiate Athletic Association college football. The Longhorns were led by the future Hall of Fame head coach, Dana X. Bible, in his tenth year at Texas and final year of coaching. Texas was the...
entered the game with a 3–0 record, and had decisively beaten , 42–0; , 76–0; and Oklahoma A&M, 54–6. The Longhorns jumped out to a lead, 14–0. In the second quarter, Wallace intercepted a pass from Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
on the Oklahoma 44-yard line, and he then mounted a drive that ended with an 11-yard touchdown pass. The extra point attempt failed. Shortly thereafter, Wallace made another interception on the Longhorns' 39-yard line, but Darrell Royal
Darrell Royal
Darrell K Royal is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Mississippi State University , the University of Washington , and the University of Texas at Austin , compiling a career college football record of 184–60–5...
soon threw an interception of his own in the Texas end zone
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
. In the fourth quarter, Joe Golding
Joe Golding
Joseph Griffith Golding was a professional American Football halfback/defensive back in the National Football League. He played for the Boston Yanks and the New York Bulldogs/Yanks ....
intercepted a pass and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown that tied the school record set the previous year. Texas then engineered a 75-yard drive for the final touchdown and won, 20–13.
Kansas State
Kansas State then traveled to NormanNorman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
, which marked the start to Oklahoma's conference schedule. Golding scored first with a 43-yard breakaway. In the second quarter, Kansas State equalized. Oklahoma pulled away with a third-quarter and two fourth-quarter touchdowns, with the final tally coming after a Royal interception. Immediately following that turnover, Golding rushed for an 81-yard touchdown.
Iowa State
Oklahoma routed Iowa State at their own homecomingHomecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
, 63–0, which is the school's worst defeat in history. The Sooners recorded 398 rushing yards, 130 passing yards, and 204 return yards. Iowa State managed just four first downs, 91 rushing yards, and 43 passing yards.
TCU
Oklahoma was projected as a two-touchdown favorite against TCU. In a driving rainstorm, Oklahoma advanced to the TCU nine-yard line. Royal attempted a lateral, but Weldon EdwardsWeldon Edwards
Weldon Bertrand Edwards was an American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Texas Christian University and was drafted in the fourteenth round of the 1947 NFL Draft....
knocked it down and Harold Kilman picked it up, ran 15 yards, then lateraled to Edwards. He carried it 70 yards to take the lead for the Horned Frogs, 6–0. The Sooners drove to the Frogs' 12-yard line, but fumbled away the water-logged ball. TCU failed to advance and kicked a short punt to their 28-yard line. The Sooners rushed on five plays for the score, and with the extra-point, took the lead, 7–6. At the start of the second half, Mitchell returned the kickoff 80 yards to the TCU 11-yard line. The teams traded fumbles, before the Frogs recovered a second Sooners' turnover. TCU was forced to punted and Mitchell returned it from the Frogs' 40-yard line. Lindy Berry
Lindy Berry
Lindy Berry is an American former gridiron football quarterback. He played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs at Texas Christian University. Berry was selected in the 1950 NFL Draft, and played professional football for two seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos in what later became the Canadian...
tackled Mitchell at the goal line, but he crossed into the end zone. Wallace kicked the extra point. TCU blocked a fourth quarter punt from the Oklahoma 25-yard line, and Doug Brightwell ran it in for the game's final score. Oklahoma held against two more scoring threat by TCU and won, 14–12.
Kansas
Oklahoma traveled to Lawrence, KansasLawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
to face the Jayhawks in another driving rainstorm. In the second quarter, Kansas took the lead before Golding rushed 65 yards to even the score, 6–6. Soon after, Kansas converted an Oklahoma fumble to take the lead again. In the third quarter, Golding rushed 14 yards for another touchdown and Wallace tied the game with the extra point. In the final 1:15, the Jayhawks' kicker made good his career first field goal attempt, and Kansas won, 16–13.
Missouri
Against Missouri, Oklahoma scored several plays after recovering a fumble. Buddy BurrisBuddy Burris
Paul "Buddy" Burris was an American football player. He played college football for the Golden Hurricane at University of Tulsa, and after a hiatus to serve in the Second World War, for the Sooners at the University of Oklahoma. Burris was the first Oklahoma player to earn All-America honors in...
then blocked a Missouri punt, and Homer Paine
Homer Paine
Homer Paine is a former American football tackle. He played college football at the University of Tulsa for one season and at the University of Oklahoma for three seasons. Paine was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team while at Tulsa, and he was twice named to all-conference...
recovered it on the Tigers' 12-yard line. The Sooners then executed a halfback option
Halfback option play
The halfback option play is an unorthodox play in American football. It resembles a normal running play, but the running back has the option to throw a pass to a wide receiver or tight end before crossing the line of scrimmage....
, with Mitchell lateraling to Wallace who passed to Giese for a touchdown. Wallace made the extra point and the Sooners led, 14–0. On their next possession, Missouri fumbled again and Oklahoma again capitalized with a score. In the second quarter, Golding intercepted a Missouri pass and returned it 75 yards to the Tigers' 17-yard line. The Sooners scored two plays later to take a 27–0 lead. In the final quarter, Tatum fielded his alternate lineup, against which Missouri engineered a 71-yard drive for a touchdown, and the final score, 27-6.
Nebraska
Oklahoma, with a 3–1 conference record, was tied for the lead in the Big SixBig Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
with Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Against the Cornhuskers, Oklahoma scored first before Nebraska equalized, 6–6, but those were their only points of the game. Eddie Davis, Golding, and Mitchell each scored rushing touchdowns and Royal threw for a passing touchdown.
With the 27–6 victory over Nebraska, Oklahoma ended its conference schedule with a 4–1 record. Since Kansas had defeated Missouri, 20–19, on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving (United States)
Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
, Oklahoma shared the Big Six Conference Championship the Jayhawks.
Oklahoma A&M
Oklahoma traveled to StillwaterStillwater, Oklahoma
Stillwater is a city in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. 177 and State Highway 51. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 45,688. Stillwater is the principal city of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical...
to face in-state rivals
Bedlam Series
The Bedlam Series refers to the athletics rivalry between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys, of the Big 12 Conference...
Oklahoma A&M (now known as Oklahoma State). The Aggies' star halfback, Bob Fenimore
Bob Fenimore
Robert Dale Fenimore known as the Blonde Bomber was a halfback for the Oklahoma A&M football team from 1943 to 1946. He was the first two-time All America selection from Oklahoma A&M and finished third in the Heisman voting in 1945, but still led the nation in rushing with 142 carries for 1,048...
, missed the game due to an injury. The Sooners won 73–12, with Golding scoring three of their ten touchdowns.
Gator Bowl: NC State (#18)
Oklahoma, with a final ranking of number-14, accepted an invitation to the second annual Gator Bowl to play 18th-ranked North Carolina State on January 1, 1947. During the regular season, the Wolfpack had allowed an average of 6.7 points per game and finished with an 8–2 record.The Sooners received the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards for a touchdown. NC State responded by scoring on a 42-yard pass. In the second quarter, Oklahoma scored three rushing touchdowns and entered halftime with a 27–7 advantage. In the third quarter, a 67-yard Wolfpack drive was capped by an eight-yard touchdown run. In the final quarter, the Sooners took over on downs on their 36-yard line and advanced downfield to score on a 15-yard option pass. The final result was 34–13 in Oklahoma's favor.
During the game, Oklahoma recorded 195 rushing and 74 passing yards, while NC State compiled 136 rushing and 103 passing yards. Sooners' halfback Joe Golding rushed for 91 yards on 12 attempts and was named the most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
.
Postseason
Individual honors were bestowed upon several Oklahoma players, and at the time, the 1946 team included the most all-conference honorees to date. First-team All-American honors were granted to guards Plato AndrosPlato Andros
Plato Gus Andrecopoulos was a former college All-American and professional football player. A 6'0", 240 lbs. guard from the University of Oklahoma, Andros spent four years in the United States Coast Guard fighting German submarines before coming back to earn All-American honors as a Sooner in...
and Buddy Burris
Buddy Burris
Paul "Buddy" Burris was an American football player. He played college football for the Golden Hurricane at University of Tulsa, and after a hiatus to serve in the Second World War, for the Sooners at the University of Oklahoma. Burris was the first Oklahoma player to earn All-America honors in...
, and center John Rapacz
John Rapacz
John Joseph Rapacz was an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the New York Giants. He also played in the All-America Football Conference for the Chicago Rockets/Hornets...
. The All-Big Six first team included those three as well as end Warren Giese
Warren Giese
Warren Giese is an American former South Carolina state legislator and college football coach. He served as the head football coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks for five years at the University of South Carolina....
, back Joe Golding
Joe Golding
Joseph Griffith Golding was a professional American Football halfback/defensive back in the National Football League. He played for the Boston Yanks and the New York Bulldogs/Yanks ....
, and tackles Homer Paine
Homer Paine
Homer Paine is a former American football tackle. He played college football at the University of Tulsa for one season and at the University of Oklahoma for three seasons. Paine was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team while at Tulsa, and he was twice named to all-conference...
and Wade Walker
Wade Walker
Wade Walker is an American former football player, coach, and university administrator. He played college football as a tackle at the University of Oklahoma under head coaches Jim Tatum and Bud Wilkinson. Walker was named an all-conference player all four years and a first-team All-American in 1949...
.
After the Gator Bowl, university president Cross learned that Tatum had paid each player $120 ($, adjusted for inflation
Inflation adjustment
Inflation adjustment is the process of adjusting economic indicators and the prices of goods and services from different time periods to the same price level. To adjust for inflation, an indicator is divided by the inflation index...
), despite Cross's order not to do so. He later learned that $60,000 ($ in inflation-adjusted terms) was unaccounted for in the athletic department budget. As a result, athletic director Jap Haskell was fired. Tatum accepted an offer to coach at Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football under Jim Tatum (1947–1955)
From 1947 to 1955, Jim Tatum served as the head coach of the Maryland Terrapins football team, which represented the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association college football. Maryland hired Tatum to replace Clark Shaughnessy after the 1946 season...
, and Cross promoted Bud Wilkinson into the head coaching position.