Greatest Sooner O Backfield Ever

[soonerboy_odanorth]

Ridiculously spoiled in this department. Take a look at the sampling of the 70's:

71- Jack Mildren QB, Leon Crosswhite FB, Joe Wylie HB, Greg Pruitt HB

75- Steve Davis QB, Horace Ivory FB, Elvis Peacock HB, Joe Washington HB

78- Thomas Lott QB, Kenny King FB, David Overstreet HB, Billy Sims HB

In parlance of the kiddies these days, that is just sick.

85- Jamelle Holieway QB, Lydell Carr FB, Patrick Collins HB, Anthony Stafford HB

04- Jason White QB, JD Runnells FB, Adrian Peterson TB, Mark Clayton SL


There are others from this last decade and the 80's, a couple of spot backfields from the 60's and 90's. And we haven't even begun to talk about the 50's when in the era of two platoon it was said our first and second string platoons were better than what some other teams could field just for their first team.

We are spoiled spoiled spoiled.

[Blue]

85 is what i grew up on and remember. Great great memories.

[picasso]

Geez, isn't the '78 backfield all first rounders? Minus the QB of ggourse.

[soonerboy_odanorth]

I'm just diggin' through all these great Sooners backfields. But I've settled:

'56 was the greatest.

Jimmie Harris at QB, Gerald McPhail at FB, Tommy McDonald at HB, and Clendon Thomas at HB.

That team won their games by an average score of 47 to 5. That's right. They were putting together a first half NBA score and holding teams to a 9-innings MLB score. Ridiculous. Might I add that in '56, though it was not one of the domers' shinier teams, they did give us our lone victory over ND by a score of 40 to ZIP. And they gave Texas a 45-0 red-arse whuppin'. They closed out the season with 2008-style scoring against Mizzou, NU, and the LoSuRs by respective scores of 67-14, 54-6, and 53-0.

Fuggehdaboudit.

[soonerboy_odanorth]

Geez, isn't the '78 backfield all first rounders? Minus the QB of ggourse.

Close. Sims and Overstreet both 1st rounders in '80 and '81, respectively. King in the 3rd round of '79. And Lott was 6th round as an RB in '79, though he went to Canada to play QB.

And I should note, in '75 Jimmy Littrell was still playing FB too, but I believe Horace was the dominant FB by years end. And out of that group, Joe Washington went in the first round of '76, Ivory went 2nd round in '77, and Peacock went first round '78.

Out of the first group, Mildren went 2nd round of 72, and Pruitt and Crosswhite both went 2nd round of 73, and Wylie went 4th round of 73.

[soonerboy_odanorth]

85 is what i grew up on and remember. Great great memories.

How good was '85? My memory banks are shorted out by how good it was.

Totally slipped my mind as I was typing that Spencer Tillman was still starting in that backfield at HB.

We've been so loaded historically that I just brain-dumped an RB as good as Tillman. Like I said... ridiculous.

[soonerboy_odanorth]

Do you realize in '82 we had Stanley Wilson and Marcus Dupree in the same backfield? That year was my first OU-Texas game. Yup, the game they took the wraps off of Marcus. What could have been...

[Salt City Sooner]

1952 gets my vote:

Eddie Crowder- All-American
Buck McPhail- All-American
Billy Vessels- All- American

Billy also won a little bronze statue that year.

[goingoneight]

Sam, DeMarco and Broyles count?

[jk the sooner fan]

if i had to rank what's been posted

i'd go with

1. 85
2. 56
3. 74-75 (Steve Davis is my all time favorite so I'm biased by putting him ahead of the Mildren crew)
4. 71


it's hard to rank the newer backfields with those of the past because they were so run oriented before now

[jk the sooner fan]

I'm just diggin' through all these great Sooners backfields. But I've settled:

'56 was the greatest.

Jimmie Harris at QB, Gerald McPhail at FB, Tommy McDonald at HB, and Clendon Thomas at HB.

That team won their games by an average score of 47 to 5. That's right. They were putting together a first half NBA score and holding teams to a 9-innings MLB score. Ridiculous. Might I add that in '56, though it was not one of the domers' shinier teams, they did give us our lone victory over ND by a score of 40 to ZIP. And they gave Texas a 45-0 red-arse whuppin'. They closed out the season with 2008-style scoring against Mizzou, NU, and the LoSuRs by respective scores of 67-14, 54-6, and 53-0.

Fuggehdaboudit.

great post......and it's spot on, even though i give the 85 team a slight edge

[badger]

Here's a fun question for you all: What Sooner jersey number is the most coveted of all time?

14? 38? 28? 97? Hmmm... I should poll this, but I don't know what numbers to nominate.

[85sooners]

78 gang gets my vote

[soonerboy_odanorth]

Sam, DeMarco and Broyles count?

Not sure... if we are talking '08 wasn't Manny the starting slot receiver? Broyles had good stats but hadn't completely blown up yet. Juaquin had over 1000 receiving.

But when you consider a very solid alternate to DeMarco in Chris Brown... and an "H" back in Brody Eldridge, you can make the case for that backfield for sure.

I sort of borrowed the slot receiver position as part of the backfield in '04 with Clayton. I think that's fair given the slot is more or less the "wing back" in the modern pro set. Though in fairness Clayton ran both slot and #1 widout depending on formation.

But even if you take Clayton out of the equation... a Heisman QB, a great fullback, and a once-in-a-generation tailback. Purty good.

[bettersoonerthenlater]

I wish I was old enough to have watched these guys but unfortunately I was born in 1984. I still have a football that says 1985 Champs! I tell my dad every time we talk about it how lucky he was to have watched most of those guys. I feel biased because I wasnt able too, I know all the history and tradition but as Soonerboy_odanorth said Jason White a Hiemann winner, JD who in college was as dominant as a FB can be and a once in a lifetime back in AD. As I said Im biased but idk that that can be topped

[cccasooner2]

Here's a fun question for you all: What Sooner jersey number is the most coveted of all time?

14? 38? 28? 97? Hmmm... I should poll this, but I don't know what numbers to nominate.

Use this guys post for guidance? http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/showthread.php?166743-Most-famous-popular-synonymous-Sooner-number :)

[Sooners78]

I wish I could have seen those 50s teams play. Watching them on tape, they looked really fast and dominant. I would probably consider 56 as one of the top two simply based on the dominating stats they put up.

But, for me, 78 was the best. Four guys in the backfield, any of whom could break the long one on any given play. One of them was one of the greatest college running backs of all time. Watching old game tapes, I forget just how fast Kenny King was. If not for the game in Lincoln that year, they would be considered the greatest college backfield of all time, and one of the greatest college teams of all time. In a playoff scenario, and possibly in a BCS scenario, I'm convinced that team would have won a national championship.

[jk the sooner fan]

I'm just diggin' through all these great Sooners backfields. But I've settled:

'56 was the greatest.

Jimmie Harris at QB, Gerald McPhail at FB, Tommy McDonald at HB, and Clendon Thomas at HB.

That team won their games by an average score of 47 to 5. That's right. They were putting together a first half NBA score and holding teams to a 9-innings MLB score. Ridiculous. Might I add that in '56, though it was not one of the domers' shinier teams, they did give us our lone victory over ND by a score of 40 to ZIP. And they gave Texas a 45-0 red-arse whuppin'. They closed out the season with 2008-style scoring against Mizzou, NU, and the LoSuRs by respective scores of 67-14, 54-6, and 53-0.

Fuggehdaboudit.

actually - a correction is needed her - McPhail played with Vessels in the 51-52 era and Bill Pricer played in the 56 backfield

[KantoSooner]

1985 was a wonderful year to be a sooner. Watching that backfield run the bone and knowing that they were all homerun threats whenever they touched the ball....
Well, it brought a tear to my eye thinking about our opponents.
(not much of one, I'll admit, but sometimes I did feel bad when we were running out of digits on the scoreboard.)

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

I'm just diggin' through all these great Sooners backfields. But I've settled:

'56 was the greatest.

Jimmie Harris at QB, Gerald McPhail at FB, Tommy McDonald at HB, and Clendon Thomas at HB.

That team won their games by an average score of 47 to 5. That's right. They were putting together a first half NBA score and holding teams to a 9-innings MLB score. Ridiculous. Might I add that in '56, though it was not one of the domers' shinier teams, they did give us our lone victory over ND by a score of 40 to ZIP. And they gave Texas a 45-0 red-arse whuppin'. They closed out the season with 2008-style scoring against Mizzou, NU, and the LoSuRs by respective scores of 67-14, 54-6, and 53-0.

Fuggehdaboudit.Easily a contender for the best ALL-WHITE backfield of any college, EVAR.

I'm leaning to the '78 backfield as OU's BEST EVAR.

[SoonerorLater]

75- Steve Davis QB, Horace Ivory FB, Elvis Peacock HB, Joe Washington HB..................by a nose.

[Peeb]

Ridiculously spoiled in this department. Take a look at the sampling of the 70's:

71- Jack Mildren QB, Leon Crosswhite FB, Joe Wylie HB, Greg Pruitt HB

75- Steve Davis QB, Horace Ivory FB, Elvis Peacock HB, Joe Washington HB

78- Thomas Lott QB, Kenny King FB, David Overstreet HB, Billy Sims HB

In parlance of the kiddies these days, that is just sick.

85- Jamelle Holieway QB, Lydell Carr FB, Patrick Collins HB, Anthony Stafford HB

04- Jason White QB, JD Runnells FB, Adrian Peterson TB, Mark Clayton SL


There are others from this last decade and the 80's, a couple of spot backfields from the 60's and 90's. And we haven't even begun to talk about the 50's when in the era of two platoon it was said our first and second string platoons were better than what some other teams could field just for their first team.

We are spoiled spoiled spoiled.
Serious man-crush on Little Joe Washington.

[StoopTroup]

It's hard to pitch Sooners against Sooners, especially the 70's to current as those are the Teams I have watched since jr HS till now. Yeah we have had some seasons that we're better than others as undefeated is hard to say that the Team doesn't deserve mention but seeing Jones and Broyles post the passing numbers they did make me crazy about how OU has switched to these fantastic QBs of the new millennium vs the great Backfields of the 70's and 80's.

We are very blessed to have been able to switch to a QB strong offense and be considered as one of the best after all the success we had in the 50's, 70's and 80's.

[ashley]

78, but it was difficult.

[BoulderSooner79]

Another vote for '78. A defense could have a great game and stop any 3 of those guys and be dominated by the 4th. Truly a pick your poison situation. Alas, Sims left what would most likely be a MNC laying on the 2 yard line in horrendous weather conditions in Lincoln, but still an incredible foursome.

[12]

What an impossible question to answer. Gee, thanks, Rich.

I'm voting 85 even though we're both old enough to remember the 78 team. It was Sooner and Switzer magic at its finest. The team that wasn't supposed to win... etc. I loved those guys. What a machine.

Honestly, no way to answer this one other than by fond memories. They were all great.

[TXBOOMER]

Put me down for 78.

[PLaw]

Geez, isn't the '78 backfield all first rounders? Minus the QB of ggourse.

They were all on track to have great pro careers. David, just sad, still to do this day. Billy and the Detroit knee hex. Kenny was a hoss for the Raiders and wound up having a darn good career.

Loved that back field - it wasn't uncommon for each of them to have a hundred yards by the end of the day.

BOOMER

[8timechamps]

As much as I want to say 85 (because that's the team that is probably my all time favorite), I'd have to go with 78. Lott, King, Overstreet and Sims...what a threat!

[Lott's Bandana]

'78.

Kenny King would be an All-American tailback for us if he played now.

Overstreet and Sims were like Spitfires in a war with Sopwith Camels.

Any of the three could break 80 yarders at any time. And often did.

[MyT Oklahoma]

Geez.. I don't know. The NCAA record for average rushing yards per game for a season is still 472.4 from 1971.

As for Sims' fumble in 1978.. I'll always remember that kickoff hit on Kelly Phelps at the 10 yard line when the ball popped straight up about 20 feet and was recovered by the Bugeaters but not ruled a fumble. I think Phelps was knocked unconscious on that play and had the refs got the call right it would have been 24 to 14 instead of 17 to 14.

So give Billy a break. As I remember that game I've never seen any NU team hit us harder than that day because they were not going to lose 6 in a row.

I vote for '56 even though I never saw them play. Those guys never lost a college game even as freshmen.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Geez.. I don't know. The NCAA record for average rushing yards per game for a season is still 472.4 from 1971.

As for Sims' fumble in 1978.. I'll always remember that kickoff hit on Kelly Phelps at the 10 yard line when the ball popped straight up about 20 feet and was recovered by the Bugeaters but not ruled a fumble. I think Phelps was knocked unconscious on that play and had the refs got the call right it would have been 24 to 14 instead of 17 to 14.

So give Billy a break. As I remember that game I've never seen any NU team hit us harder than that day because they were not going to lose 6 in a row.

I vote for '56 even though I never saw them play. Those guys never lost a college game even as freshmen.Great Post! and we agree on the top 2, except I believe as great as the '56 backfield was, (and I saw them live), I just gotta think the '78 guys were even more talented.

[SoonerMarkVA]

78 gang gets my vote

Gotta go with this one, although it is hard to pick.

[owenfieldreams]

I'd tend to vote for '78 but I'd also add the '49 backfield to the discussion:

QB Claude Arnold
HB George "Junior" Thomas
FB Leon "Mule Train" Heath
HB Lindell Pearson

By the way, Billy Pricer was the FB on the '56 team. Buck McPhail was on the '52 team.

[101sooner]

Lott, Street, Sims and King.

[MyT Oklahoma]

The '78 backfield lost to an inferior Bugeater team.

The '71 backfield lost to a better Bugeater team (i.e., the defending national champions).

The '56 backfield lost to nobody.

To each their own though because they were all Sooners.

BOOMER........

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

The '78 backfield lost to an inferior Bugeater team.

The '71 backfield lost to a better Bugeater team (i.e., the defending national champions).

The '56 backfield lost to nobody.

To each their own though because they were all Sooners.

BOOMER........'78 team barely lost to the bugs because of a fumble on their 2 yd line, and we beat them solidly in the rematch in the Orange Bowl at the end of the season.

The '71 team got gang-raped by the refs multiple times, in Norman, and we still barely lost that game.

You're right on '56. They did it in '55 too...and '54

[BoulderSooner79]

The '78 backfield lost to an inferior Bugeater team.

The '71 backfield lost to a better Bugeater team (i.e., the defending national champions).

The '56 backfield lost to nobody.

To each their own though because they were all Sooners.

BOOMER........

The subject was just about the backfield; not the team or the competition. But if you must go there, the '56 team played an incredibly weak schedule.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

...the '56 team played an incredibly weak schedule.Cows, domer, nebbish's bugeaters, plus Orange Bowl?

[owenfieldreams]

The '56 backfield was not intact as a unit in '54 or '55. In '54, the starting QB was Gene Calame but he broke his collarbone in the 2nd game of the season vs TCU. Harris replaced him. The fullback for most of the season was Jerry Tubbs. While he started the season @ center on offense, he was moved to FB vs Texas and remained FB for the rest of the season.

Clendon Thomas was a freshman in '54 so he couldn't have played if he wanted. The HB's were Buddy Leake and Bob Herndon.

In '55 Thomas was on the 2nd or as Bud called them, the "alternate" unit. Harris, McDonald, and Pricer were all in the starting '55 backfield but I'm not sure who the other HB was, maybe Dennit Morris.

[owenfieldreams]

Correction.....Darryl Royal QB'd the '49 team. He followed Jack Mitchell and Claude Arnold followed DKR.

[SoonerNomad]

I like the '78 backfield the most, but it's a long list. That '78 team was one of OU's top 5 ever, even though it didn't win the national title.

[Salt City Sooner]

Cows, domer, nebbish's bugeaters, plus Orange Bowl?
1956 OU did not play a bowl game. The only team they played that finished with a winning record was Colorado, who finished 8-2-1.

http://soonerstats.com/football/seasons/schedule.cfm?seasonid=1956

[BoulderSooner79]

The subject was just about the backfield; not the team or the competition. But if you must go there, the '56 team played an incredibly weak schedule.


Cows, domer, nebbish's bugeaters, plus Orange Bowl?

Texas won 1 game that year, Domers won 2, NU was 4-6. The only ranked team OU played was #20 Colorado and that game was won 27-19 after trailing 19-6 at halftime. In fact CU was the only opponent with a winning record. I don't think OU played in a bowl that season (no back-to-back bowl rule?). I'm not saying the '56 squad wasn't good, but folks whining about Boise's schedule would howl about that schedule.

[Sooner91ATL]

I love the 85 backfield most, probably because that was the year I graduated HS and I was very aware of every game and stat. I am sure case could be made for other backfields being better. But I had semi personal connections to the guys in that backfield (ok a stretch). I was in Norman at OU from 86-90 and I ran into Anthony Stafford quite a bit at a video store where he worked. He called it "the blackfield".

In a HS football playoff game in 1984 I hit Patrick Collins as hard as I could when he was breaking off tackle. Knocked him straight down to his butt in a jarring hit. He jumped up quick as a sprite, hit me on the helmet and said "good hit big man" and then sprinted back to his huddle. we lost the game by, um, a lot, and Booker T went on to lose to Lydell Carr's Enid Plainsmen in the state championship game the next week.

[Salt City Sooner]

Texas won 1 game that year, Domers won 2, NU was 4-6. The only ranked team OU played was #20 Colorado and that game was won 27-19 after trailing 19-6 at halftime. In fact CU was the only opponent with a winning record. I don't think OU played in a bowl that season (no back-to-back bowl rule?). I'm not saying the '56 squad wasn't good, but folks whining about Boise's schedule would howl about that schedule.
Wish I'd said this. Oh wait.....:)

[BoulderSooner79]

The subject was just about the backfield; not the team or the competition. But if you must go there, the '56 team played an incredibly weak schedule.


Wish I'd said this. Oh wait.....:)

I didn't read ahead :) But I added the info of UT and ND winning only 3 games between them and I doubt that has happened very often. Not OU's fault the competition was lousy that year. Just saying the 10-0 record is not much proof of the greatest backfield ever - the defense pretty much won 9 of those games.

[soonerboy_odanorth]

actually - a correction is needed her - McPhail played with Vessels in the 51-52 era and Bill Pricer played in the 56 backfield

Nope. 51-52 was Buck McPhail.

[papawlambert]

The problem with this thread is not many are as old as I. 56 is the best and I think you would agree if you had been around long enough. We have been very lucky to have a great deal of great running backs. Billy Vessels wasn't too bad either.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

1956 OU did not play a bowl game. The only team they played that finished with a winning record was Colorado, who finished 8-2-1.

http://soonerstats.com/football/seasons/schedule.cfm?seasonid=1956Excuse: I didn't research the bowls. I knew that back then, the Big 7 or 8 didn't like to send the same team to the same bowl for 2 yrs in a row. I don't remember why we didn't get to go to another bowl that year. Maybe we were just TOO GOOD!

[texaspokieokie]

Exclusive contract with OB.

[HateTheWhorns]

Great Post! and we agree on the top 2, except I believe as great as the '56 backfield was, (and I saw them live), I just gotta think the '78 guys were even more talented.

We lost the NU game because of 8 or 9 fumbles that day with 6 going over to NU. It was cold and blistery and I'm sure the ball felt like a rock. I sat on the 10th row goal line in the corner where Billy fumbled. The play made me sick, but that just capped off a frustrating day of watching us put the ball on the ground time and time again. It sorta resembled the previous year's Orange Bowl (except our defense showed up to play in Lincoln). After the game my father and I went to Misty's steak house and I can't tell you how many NU fans came by our table and congratulated us on a great game......their fans still had class in the 1970s.

While the 1971 team was statistically awesome (and one of my favorites), we were running a new offense with superior athletes that most defenses had not seen before.

Gotta go with 1978.

[SanJoaquinSooner]

Not to claim they are the greatest backfield ever, but the 72 Sooners weren't shabby.

It was the one year Pruitt and Washington played together. Wylie and Crosswhite were in there too. QB Robertson wasn't the option QB that Mildren was, but he was decent.

We finished #2 in the nation before being striped of our record due to our backup QB Kerry Jacskon transcript scandle.

Most importantly, we ***-***** texas 27 - 0, introducing them to Selmon-Selmon-Selmon.

[texaspokieokie]

71 was (IMHO) much better than 72, because of (as you mentioned) Mildren. Also, going only by memory, Pruitt was hurt some of the time.

Pruitt's 9.36 ypc in 71 was excellent !!!!

[texaspokieokie]

71 was (IMHO) much better than 72, because of (as you mentioned) Mildren. Also, going only by memory, Pruitt was hurt some of the time.

Pruitt's 9.36 ypc in 71 was excellent !!!!

[picasso]

Not to claim they are the greatest backfield ever, but the 72 Sooners weren't shabby.

It was the one year Pruitt and Washington played together. Wylie and Crosswhite were in there too. QB Robertson wasn't the option QB that Mildren was, but he was decent.

We finished #2 in the nation before being striped of our record due to our backup QB Kerry Jacskon transcript scandle.

Most importantly, we ***-***** texas 27 - 0, introducing them to Selmon-Selmon-Selmon.
I've said this before but Al Eschbach claims if we had signed Mark Harmon, he would have been our QB in '72 and we'd have another NC.
And great story 91ATL, I remember Lydell ran the opening kickoff for a TD.

[Since71ASooner4Life]

I wish I could have seen those 50s teams play. Watching them on tape, they looked really fast and dominant. I would probably consider 56 as one of the top two simply based on the dominating stats they put up.

But, for me, 78 was the best. Four guys in the backfield, any of whom could break the long one on any given play. One of them was one of the greatest college running backs of all time. Watching old game tapes, I forget just how fast Kenny King was. If not for the game in Lincoln that year, they would be considered the greatest college backfield of all time, and one of the greatest college teams of all time. In a playoff scenario, and possibly in a BCS scenario, I'm convinced that team would have won a national championship.


Amen brother! If not for a couple of ill timed fumbles by #20, they go undefeated and are probably the best Sooner team (not just backfield) I've ever seen. The roster was filled with NFL draft picks on both sides

[BoulderSooner79]

Amen brother! If not for a couple of ill timed fumbles by #20, they go undefeated and are probably the best Sooner team (not just backfield) I've ever seen. The roster was filled with NFL draft picks on both sides

And let's not forget Sims had 150yds and both TDs too. Just a weird day and just another example of how hard it is to go undefeated no matter how good the team is - it still requires luck.