Completed Event: Football versus Illinois State on August 30, 2025 , Win , 35, to, 3
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Football
35
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3
University of Oklahoma Athletics
OU to Honor 1985 National Championship Football Team Saturday
September 29, 2025 | Football
NORMAN — The University of Oklahoma Athletics Department announced Monday it will honor the 1985 national championship OU football team during the Sooners' 3 p.m. game against Kent State this Saturday in Norman. This season marks the 40th anniversary of OU's 1985 national title.
Former head coach Barry Switzer and many of his players, coaches and support staff members from the 1985 squad will be recognized on Owen Field at halftime of the contest against the Golden Flashes. They will also be celebrated during a private Friday night event.
Switzer directed the 1985 team to an 11-1 record and watched his Sooners outscore opponents by an 371-103 margin (average score of 31-9). They were ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP poll and fell to as low as No. 10 following their 27-14 home loss to Miami (Fla.) in the season's fourth game. OU dominated its final seven regular season outings, holding five opponents to seven or fewer points, including No. 2 Nebraska in a 27-7 home victory on Nov. 23 that clinched the Big Eight title.
Making their second of four straight Orange Bowl appearances, the third-ranked Sooners downed top-ranked Penn State 25-10 on New Year's night in Miami behind a 71-yard pass from freshman quarterback Jamelle Holieway to sophomore tight end Keith Jackson, a 61-yard touchdown run by sophomore fullback Lydell Carr, four field goals by junior kicker Tim Lashar, two interceptions by redshirt junior defensive back Sonny Brown and 13 solo tackles by redshirt sophomore linebacker Brian Bosworth. Lashar and Brown were named game MVPs.
Bosworth (unanimous), redshirt senior noseguard Tony Casillas (consensus) and redshirt senior defensive end Kevin Murphy were 1985 first-team All-Americans. Bosworth won the first of two straight Butkus Awards as the nation's outstanding linebacker and Casillas earned the Lombardi Award as the country's outstanding lineman.
Switzer, Bosworth, Casillas, Jackson and defensive back Rickey Dixon are all members of the College Football Hall of Fame, while Switzer, Jackson and running back Spencer Tillman are in the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame.
Switzer directed 12 of his 16 OU squads to top-10 national finishes, with 10 teams finishing in the AP top 5 and nine in the AP top 3. All told, his Sooner teams were ranked in the AP top 5 for 148 weeks and were ranked No. 1 for 43 weeks. The 1985 national title was the sixth in OU football history and the third of Switzer's career (his 1974 and '75 teams also claimed championships).
Details regarding the reunion celebration have been sent to former players, managers, and staff from the 1985 team by the Varsity O letterwinner association. Individuals with questions are encouraged to contact Varsity O at 405-325-4709 or at varsityo@ou.edu.
Saturday's game is officially sold out, but tickets are available via SeatGeek, the official fan-to-fan marketplace of Oklahoma Athletics. The contest will be televised by SEC Network.
Former head coach Barry Switzer and many of his players, coaches and support staff members from the 1985 squad will be recognized on Owen Field at halftime of the contest against the Golden Flashes. They will also be celebrated during a private Friday night event.
Switzer directed the 1985 team to an 11-1 record and watched his Sooners outscore opponents by an 371-103 margin (average score of 31-9). They were ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP poll and fell to as low as No. 10 following their 27-14 home loss to Miami (Fla.) in the season's fourth game. OU dominated its final seven regular season outings, holding five opponents to seven or fewer points, including No. 2 Nebraska in a 27-7 home victory on Nov. 23 that clinched the Big Eight title.
Making their second of four straight Orange Bowl appearances, the third-ranked Sooners downed top-ranked Penn State 25-10 on New Year's night in Miami behind a 71-yard pass from freshman quarterback Jamelle Holieway to sophomore tight end Keith Jackson, a 61-yard touchdown run by sophomore fullback Lydell Carr, four field goals by junior kicker Tim Lashar, two interceptions by redshirt junior defensive back Sonny Brown and 13 solo tackles by redshirt sophomore linebacker Brian Bosworth. Lashar and Brown were named game MVPs.
Bosworth (unanimous), redshirt senior noseguard Tony Casillas (consensus) and redshirt senior defensive end Kevin Murphy were 1985 first-team All-Americans. Bosworth won the first of two straight Butkus Awards as the nation's outstanding linebacker and Casillas earned the Lombardi Award as the country's outstanding lineman.
Switzer, Bosworth, Casillas, Jackson and defensive back Rickey Dixon are all members of the College Football Hall of Fame, while Switzer, Jackson and running back Spencer Tillman are in the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame.
Switzer directed 12 of his 16 OU squads to top-10 national finishes, with 10 teams finishing in the AP top 5 and nine in the AP top 3. All told, his Sooner teams were ranked in the AP top 5 for 148 weeks and were ranked No. 1 for 43 weeks. The 1985 national title was the sixth in OU football history and the third of Switzer's career (his 1974 and '75 teams also claimed championships).
Details regarding the reunion celebration have been sent to former players, managers, and staff from the 1985 team by the Varsity O letterwinner association. Individuals with questions are encouraged to contact Varsity O at 405-325-4709 or at varsityo@ou.edu.
Saturday's game is officially sold out, but tickets are available via SeatGeek, the official fan-to-fan marketplace of Oklahoma Athletics. The contest will be televised by SEC Network.
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Michael Hawkins Jr. Postgame vs Kent State
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