By Jesse Crittenden
For arguably the most successful and storied college football program in history, the last decade of football for the University of Oklahoma has been a rollercoaster ride. Throughout head coach Bob Stoop’s tenure (1999-2016), the program experienced such consistent success that seasons under ten wins were considered failure. Unfortunately, the last decade saw two of those seasons for the Sooners. Here is a recap of the last decade of Sooner football.
General Overview
The Sooners finished first in the Big-12 conference six times in the last decade. They played in the national championship game in 2008, and earned a spot in the 2016 college football playoff. The Sooners finished the decade with a 102-29 record. Bowl wins included the Sun Bowl (2009), Fiesta Bowl (2010), Insight Bowl (2011), and two Sugar Bowls (2013 & 2016).
Season Results
2007: 10-3
2008: 12-2
2009: 8-5
2010: 12-2
2011: 10-3
2012: 10-3
2013: 11-2
2014: 8-5
2015: 11-2
2016: 11-2
Most Successful Season: 2008-2009 Sooners (12-2)
Under the helm of sophomore quarterback Sam Bradford, the Sooners offense posted arguably the greatest offensive season up that point. They totaled 716 points in 14 games that season, for an average of 51 points a game. They also recorded 60 or more points in five straight games, the only team in FBS history to do so. Sam Bradford went on to win the Heisman, achieving stats of 50 touchdowns, 4,721 passing yards, 67.9 percent completion percentage, and a 180.86 quarterback rating, while only throwing eight interceptions. Bradford is the fifth Sooner to win the Heisman trophy, becoming the first since quarterback Jason White in 2003.
The 2008 regular season finished with a controversial three-way tie in the Big 12 conference between Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech, with each team earning a win and a loss against the other. Because Oklahoma had the highest BCS ranking at No. 2, the Sooners received a birth in the Big 12 championship. After beating Missouri 62-21 to officially win the Big 12 conference, the Sooners earned a birth in the BCS National Championship game to play the Florida Gators.
The National Championship game was played at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, which gave the Gators about a 75/25 advantage in fan attendance. The Sooners also played without star running back Demarco Murray, putting the Sooners at a greater disadvantage. Despite a 7-7 tie at halftime, 2007 Heisman winner Tim Tebow and the Gator offense scored 17 points in the second half to propel the Gators a 24-14 win over the Sooners.
The 2008 season was the fourth time Stoops would lead the Sooners to the national championship game and the last time he would appear in his tenure.
Most Disappointing Season: 2009-2010 Sooners (8-5)
Unfortunately, the following season would end up resulting in possibly the most disappointing season of Stoops 17-year tenure with the Sooners. After coming off a national championship appearance in the previous season and most of the starters returning, the No. 3 preseason-ranked Sooners had high expectations coming into 2009.
However, the season outlook quickly changed, as Bradford injured his shoulder in the season opener against No. 20 BYU. The Sooners fell 14-13, and after losses against Miami (FL) and Texas, the Sooners found themselves with a 3-3 record. 11 starters missed significant time, including Bradford, who only played in two games, and starting tight-end Jermaine Gresham, who missed the entire season with an injury in the preseason.
The season ended on a high note with a 27-0 bedlam victory against Oklahoma State and a 31-27 Sun-Bowl victory over Stanford. But the Sooners finished unranked with an 8-5 record, greatly underachieving and underperforming expectations.
Biggest Win – 2014 Sugar Bowl vs Alabama
The Sooners found themselves in a unique position at the end of the 2013 season. They overcame injuries and inconsistency, and with a little luck, defeated No. 6 Oklahoma State to end the regular season with a 10-2 record. However, they were invited to matchup with No. 3 Alabama in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, who had won three of previous four national championships. Alabama was heavily favored and estimated as a 17½-point favorite, a position the Sooners were not used to being in. This was a chance for the Sooners to disprove the narrative that the Big 12 conference could not compete with the SEC.
Alabama managed to score a quick touchdown to start the game, and after OU quarterback Trevor Knight threw an interception on the ensuing possession, the Crimson Tide looked well on their way to a blowout. However, OU remained focus, and behind an otherworldly performance from Knight, managed to go into halftime with a 31-17 lead.
The Crimson Tide fought back, and after a 61-yard touchdown pass from AJ McCarron to Derrick Henry, they cut the deficit to seven-points midway through the fourth quarter. With one more chance to win, OU defensive back Erik Striker stripped McCarron, which defensive end Geneo Grissom returned to the endzone to seal the game for the sooners, 45-31.
Quarterback Trevor Knight played by far his best game as a Sooner, earning the MVP for the game. He finished with 348 yards on 32/44 passing, with four touchdowns and one interception.
Most Memorable Players
Sam Bradford – The fifth and last Heisman Trophy winner for the Sooners. Bradford played quarterback for the Sooners during the 2007 and 2008 seasons. While Bradford was at quarterback, the Sooner offense put up some of the greatest numbers in modern college football history. Bradford led the Sooners to a close loss against Florida in the 2009 National Championship game. He finished with career stats of 8,403 passing yards, 93 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, and had a completion percentage of 67.6 percent with a 175.6 quarterback rating.
Demarco Murray – Murray played running back for the Sooners from 2007-2010. He played a pivotal piece for the Sooners, especially during the 2008 title run. Murray set several records for the program by the time he left for the NFL. His records include all-time touchdowns (65), all-purpose yards (6,718), receiving yards for a running back (1,571), and kickoff return average (27.6).
Samaje Perine – Perine was the lead running back from 2014-2016. He became the lead back during his freshman season, rushing for 1,713 his freshman season. Perine set the NCAA record for most rushing yards in a single game against Kansas on November 15, 2015, rushing for 427 yards on 34 carries. During his final game with the Sooners in the 2016 Sugar Bowl, Perine broke the all-time rushing record for the Sooners with 4,122 yards, breaking Billy Simms record previous record of 4,118.
Sterling Shephard – Shephard was a special player for his own individual talents and accolades. However, his tenure at Oklahoma was more special because of his father, Derrick Shephard, who played wide receiver for the Sooners from 1987-1991. Shephard wore the number three to honor his father, who wore the same number. Shephard played from 2012-2015, recording 233 receptions for 3,482 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Ryan Broyles – Broyles played receiver for the Sooners from 2008-2011. He was a consensus All-American in 2010 and 2011, and made the first team All-Big 12 in 2010 and 2011. His 687 receiving yards as a freshman set a freshman record the Sooners. Broyles finished with 349 receptions, 4,586 yards and 45 touchdowns.
Dede Westbrook – Westbrook is the latest in a long list of talented wide receivers for the Sooners. His breakout season came during his senior campaign in 2016, where he earned Big-12 Player of the Year, the Biletnikoff Award for best receiver, unanimous All-American, first-team All-Big 12, and finished fourth in the Heisman voting. Westbrook finished his senior season with 80 receptions, 1,524 yards and 17 touchdowns.