The Remarkable College Football Winning Streak

[Phil C]

This is in major college football. I know there is at least one in smaller divisions who have gone longer but this topic is with the major colleges. It is owned by Oklahoma who won a remarkable 47 straight games from 1953 to 1957. What is remarkable is not only did Oklahoma play good teams but also they avoided the upsets which even though they happen now it was much more common then - when a team with a losing record pulled upsets on top teams.
The first two games Oklahoma played in 1953 were with Notre Dame that they lost 21 - 28 and the next week they tied Pittsburgh 7 to 7. Then the remarkable streak began as they won the next 9 games that season including an Orange Bowl Victory over Maryland.

In 1954 they won ten games to extend the streak but didn't get get voted No. 1 by the AP which was considered the main poll at the time. This was because Ohio State was undefeated and the AP as long as Notre Dame or a Big Ten School had a perfect record would not consider others. The Sooners did not get to go to a bowl game because their conference had an agreement with the Orange Bowl that the winner of the conference would play there but not two years in a roll. Yes silly rules even then. A few years later that rule was cancelled fortunately.

In 1955 Oklahoma won the MNC and had a perfect 11 - 0 record. They were No. 1 and played No. 2 Maryland in the Orange Bowl and won 20 to 6.

In 1956 they won another MNC going a perfect 10 - 0 but were unfortunately second place Nebraska got to go to the bowl game and this probably influenced the Orange Bowl and the conference to do away with not allowing the same team to go to two straight bowl games. Oklahoma beat Nebraska 54 to 6 and then Nebraska lost in the Orange Bowl to Duke 34 to 7. It is very likely Oklahoma would have beaten Duke even though it would have been a better game than what Nebraska showed.

In 1957 the remarkable streak came to an end late in the season with a 0 - 7 loss to Notre Dame. The Sooners had been on the cover of Sports Illustrated the week before which started the conception of the Sports Illustrated cover jinx. This was the only loss they had that year and they went on to win a bowl game.

A remarkabel record indeed and a great job by Coach Bud Wilkerson. Three perfect seasons and two MNCs (and they probably deserved a third one).

This streak has set a record that was probably never be broken because of the competition and the BCS playoff system. It will be harder if and when Division 1 football starts a real playoff system. Some teams may get in the thirties but I don't think they will ever get in the forties and if they do they probably won't reach 47. In fact I don't see any teams ever getting in the 40s again.

47 straight games. Remarkable indeed.

[Phil C]

Even though Oklahoma's win streak will never be broken (in my opinion) as far as Major College Football is concerned it must be noted that as far as overall NCAA football it has been broken.
It was broken by a Division III liberal arts college of about 2,200 students. This was Mount Union located in Alliance, Ohio.
Remember this is in Division III football where they have a real playoff system. There are 10 regular season games and 4 playoffs games if you get to the NC game which is 14 games a year.
On Sept. 14, 1996 Until Dec.11, 1999 they won 54 straight games for the NCAA record.
This was outstanding but it was to be duplicated and then some. From 2000 until the NC game in 2003 they won 55 straight games.

This is remarkable indeed as they have the NCAA record of 55 straight games.

But no one in Division I football will ever break Oklahoma's record in my opinion.

[Phil C]

I need to add that Mount Union College is a four year college and has had the same head coach since 1986 - Coach Larry Kehres. He was a quarterback for the Purple Raiders and then was the offensive coordinator for 11 years becoming the head coach in 1986. It appears he is happy to stay there because I am surprised that none of the bigger universities haven't got him even though I am sure he has had some offers.

[Phil C]

The only thread to Oklahoma's win streak in NCAA football before Mount Union came in the 1970s by Texas A&I University in Kingsville (Later TAMUK) when the Hogs won 44 straight games under Coach Steinke and in the last year by Coach Fred Jonus. This streak started in late 1973 and continued the next four years. They were in the NAIA division then and besides the regular season ten games the top four teams at the end of the year played for the NAIA National Championship so this meant that you had to play 12 games per season.
In 1974 the Hogs played some close games. They had a great offense and Richard Ritchie was a great sophomore wish bone qb. The defense was fair because teams could move and score against them. But they made the big play when it counted like when Troy State of Alabama went for two points near the end of the game they stopped them for the win. And the big stop against Stephen F. Austin to win 28 to 24. But after half the season was over they really had it together and went on to win the NAIA National Championship. They did it again in 1975 and in 1976 they really dominated with their cloest game being a 20 to 10 win against San Angelo.
In 1977 Coach Gil Steinke who had been there for many years game up coaching and Coach Fred Jonus took over with a young team. They kept the win streak going and got closer to Oklahoma but it wasn't met to be.
Against East Texas State the Hogs scored first but a botched snap cost them the extra point. East Texas State scored a td and made the extra point. The Hogs threatened but couldn't score and thus by one point the threat to Oklahoma's win streak was not broken until Mount Union succeeded.

[Phil C]

The Oklahoma Win streak had major contributors to the players who played from 1954 to 1956. Several of these players had successful pro football careers such as Jerry Tubbs who played center and linebacker for the Sooners and Tommy McDonald who was a great receiver in the NFL, Jimmy Harris, John Bell and Billy Princer who played on Baltimore's championship teams in the late 50s.

Jerry Tubbs played briefly for the Bears and 49ers and became an original Cowboy in 1960 - an association that lasted 29 years. He played linebacker for 8 years and was a player-coach for the Cowboys in 1966-67 then became a coach for Dallas and coached such all pro linebackers as Lee Roy Jordon, Bob Breunig, Church Howley and Thomas Henderson among other good ones. He is now semi retired living on his ranch near McKinney, Texas.

Wahoo McDaniels the great wrestler was on the 1957 to 1959 teams and Jack Gring the distinguished actor was on the 1951 to 1953 teams.

[Phil C]

As with any impressive win streak you are going to have to win some close games that could have gone either way and of course the Sooners had their share also.

In 1953 they streak started after a loss to Notre Dame 28 to 21 and a tie with Pittsburgh 7 to 7. The ND loss was an exception because in the 50s teams with defenses dominated and the Sooners had great defenses even though their great offenses got most of the publicity. Back then usually if you scored 20 points in a game you were generally certain of winning but there were exceptions. You could only score one point on extra points since the two point option wasn't in effect until 1958. Also defenses could not score on extra points until the 90s.

Several of the close games are as follows:

1953

After the Pittsburgh tie the Sooners won a close one at the Cotton Bowl against UT. The Sooners had a 19 to 0 lead in the fourth quarter and then UT scored and it was 19 to 7. Late in the game Oklahoma was deep in its' territory and Coach Wilkinson told the punter to take the safety on the punt to make the score 17 to 9 so they could get to kick at the twenty but the punter made a mistake and thought he could run for an first down and tried it and was caught at about the 1/2 yard line. UT scored easily and then it was 19 - 14. UT got an onside kick but time ran out on them before they could score again so the win streak started off shakey but it gave the team confidence to start it.

What really gave the team confidence in their ability was when they beat Colorado 27 to 20. It was tied at 20 all with less than a minute to play when Merrill Green made a 72 yard td run to win the game.

The Sooners had to struggle but they beat Missouri 14 to 0.

In the Orange Bowl this team beat top ranked Maryland 7 to 0 in a defensive game. In the second quarter Oklahoma scored the only td with future actor Jack Gring making a great block on the safety to help get the td. He also made some key runs on this drive.

1954

With the best sophomore classes in the nation the streak was to continue.

Oklahoma had trouble with California but won 27 to 13.

Then the big scare against TCU. Oklahoma was behind TCU 16 to 7. Oklahoma scored a td and the defense held and then they moved down the field to lead 21 to 16. Then TCU moved down the field and threatened in the last few seconds. As the clock neared the end a TCU player named Johnny Crouch trapped the ball but an official called it a td. Don Lonney (who son Joe Don was to be a star at Oklahoma) who was on TCU's National Championship in 1938 saw the trap and was going to overrule the catch but Crouch showed great sportsmanship and admitted he didn't catch the ball. The td was reversed. On the last play TCU completed a pass to the Oklahoma 5 yard line but the receiver was immediatly tackled and this the streak was saved.

Next scare was when Oklahoma was behind UT in the third quarter 7 to 0 but scored tds in the third and fourth quarter to win 14 to 7.

Oklahoma's last scare was against Colorado who always seemed to give them a scare during this streak. Colorado scored in the first quarter and led 6 - 0 at the half. Ok scored in the third quarter to lead 7 to 6 and then got another td for the final win at 13 to 6.

1955

North Caroline led 6 - 0 at the half . Oklahoma scord in third quarter to lead for good 7 to 6 and made another td to win 13 to 6.

Next during the Oklahoma 26 Pittsburgh 14 game, Okahoma led 19 to 0 at half but Pittsburgh scored twice to make it 19 to 14. Oklahoma got a cushion td and won 26 to 14.

Then in the Orange Bowl against highly ranked Maryland (Oklahoma was already the National Champions) Oklahoma got behind 0 - 6 when Maryland scored to lead at the half. Jerry Tubbs had blocked the extra point. Oklahoma scored twice in the third quarter to lead 14 to 6 and then midway in the fourth Oklahoma returned an interception 82 yards for the final td to win 20 to 6.

1956

This was not a scare but Oklahoma finally won a game against Notre Dame rather easily 40 to 0 to get revenge for the loss in 1953.

This team rolled over everybody except for Colorado of course. In all years of the streak Colorado gave the Sooners a scare every year. Colorado lead 19 to 6 at the half. Oklahoma scored twice in the third quarter to lead 20 to 19 and then scored again with 5 minutes left in the game and won 27 to 19.

The Sooners could have gone to the Orange Bowl that year but the players decided to end the season because of the rough practices they had before the bowl games. They already had won the NC and bowl games weren't considered that important then. It would have been a fairly close game but the Sooners would probably have beat Clemson in the Orange Bowl. As it was Colorado went there and beat Clemson 27 to 21.

1957

The streak was to come to an end late in the year when Notre Dame pulled the 7 to 0 upset but there were still some close games before then. Gone were the great players who played from 1954 to 1956 but they still had some good players.

Against UT the Sooners were behind 7 to 0 but scored in the second quarter to tie it 7 to 7. The Sooners then scored two more tds the second half to win 21 to 7.

The Colorado gave them another big scare and almost ended the win streak. Colorad led 13 to 7 at the start of the fourth quarter. Oklahoma scored to tie it 13 to 13. The extra points were no sure thing and the Oklahoma kicker sliped when the ball was placed and had to quickly replant his foot and kick it quickly. The ball just made it over the crossbar by inches and Oklahoma won 14 to 13.

The only other minor scare was the struggle to beat Kansas State 13 to 0.

So the Sooners won 47 games which is remarkable indeed but they did have trials and tribulations and had several scares and sometimes had to come from behind in the second half but they did it and that is what made great teams.