1945 Oklahoma Sooners football team

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1945

| team = Oklahoma Sooners

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| conference = Big Six Conference

| short_conf = Big 6

| record = 5–5

| conf_record = 4–1

| head_coach = Dewey Luster

| hc_year = 5th

| captain = Eran Burgert

| stadium = Owen Field

}}

The 1945 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 1945 college football season. In their fifth year under head coach Dewey Luster, the Sooners compiled a 5–5 record (4–1 against conference opponents), finished in second place in the Big Six Conference championship, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 169 to 138.{{cite web|title=1945 Oklahoma Sooners Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|access-date=July 20, 2015|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/oklahoma/1945-schedule.html}}

No Sooners received All-America honors in 1945,{{cite web|title=2014 Oklahoma Football Records Supplement|publisher=University of Oklahoma|year=2014|access-date=July 20, 2014|page=90|url=https://admin.xosn.com/pdf9/2900563.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=31000&}} but five Sooners received all-conference honors: Omer Burgert (end); Lester Jensen (guard); Thomas Tallchief (tackle); Jack Venable (back); and John West (back).{{cite web|title=2014 Oklahoma Football Records Supplement|publisher=University of Oklahoma|year=2014|access-date=July 20, 2014|page=95|url=https://admin.xosn.com/pdf9/2900563.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=31000&}}

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| rankyear = 1945

| poll = AP

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 22

| time = 2:30 p.m.

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Hondo AAF

| site_stadium = Owen Field

| site_cityst = Norman, OK

| score = 21–6

| attend = 10,000

| source = {{cite news |author= |title=Heavy Hondo Team Menaces Inexperienced OU Eleven |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121694237/the-oklahoma-daily/ |newspaper=The Oklahoma Daily |location=Norman, Oklahoma |date=September 22, 1945 |page=7 |access-date=March 31, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{cite news |last=Pierce |first=Don |title=Sooner Show Heels to Hondo, 21-6 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122037727/the-daily-oklahoman/ |newspaper=The Daily Oklahoman |location=Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |date=September 23, 1945 |page=1B |access-date=March 31, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{cite news |last=Pierce |first=Don |title=Sooner Dashes Down Hondo Airmen, 21-6 (continued) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122037820/the-daily-oklahoman/ |newspaper=The Daily Oklahoman |location=Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |date=September 23, 1945 |page=2B |access-date=March 31, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 29

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = Nebraska

| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Lincoln, NE

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 20–0

| attend = 17,000

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 6

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Texas A&M

| site_stadium = Owen Field

| site_cityst = Norman, OK

| score = 14–19

| attend = 20,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/stillwater-news-press-sooners-edged-by-t/168222179/|work=Stillwater Daily Press-News|title=Sooners edged by Texas Aggies 19–14|date=October 7, 1945|accessdate=March 17, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 13

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| neutral = y

| opponent = Texas

| opprank = 10

| site_stadium = Cotton Bowl

| site_cityst = Dallas, TX

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 7–12

| attend = 45,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123762496/texas-defeats-oklahoma-127/|work=Lubbock Avalanche-Journal|title=Texas defeats Oklahoma, 12–7|date=October 14, 1945|accessdate=April 29, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 20

| w/l = w

| opponent = Kansas

| site_stadium = Owen Field

| site_cityst = Norman, OK

| score = 39–7

| attend = 13,000

| source = {{cite news|title=Sooners Paddle Kansas, 39-7|newspaper=The Daily Oklahoman|author=Hal Middlesworth|date=October 21, 1945|pages=Sports 1, 3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115050883/sooners-paddle-kansas-39-7/|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 27

| w/l = w

| away = y

| opponent = Kansas State

| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Manhattan, KS

| score = 41–13

| attend =

| source =

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 3

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| rank = 14

| opponent = TCU

| site_stadium = Owen Field

| site_cityst = Norman, OK

| score = 7–13

| attend = 21,000

| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-salt-lake-tribune-tcu-startles-oklah/168220098/|work=The Salt Lake Tribune|title=TCU startles Oklahoma in 13–7 tiff|date=November 4, 1945|accessdate=March 17, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 10

| w/l = w

| rank =

| opponent = Iowa State

| site_stadium = Owen Field

| site_cityst = Norman, OK

| score = 14–7

| attend = 13,163

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 17

| w/l = l

| away = y

| rank = –14

| opponent = Missouri

| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Columbia, MO

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 6–14

| attend =

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 24

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Oklahoma A&M

| opprank = 6

| site_stadium = Owen Field

| site_cityst = Norman, OK

| gamename = Bedlam

| score = 0–47

| attend = 33,000

}}

{{Cite web |last=DeLassus |first=David |title=Oklahoma Yearly Results 1945–1949 |publisher=College Football Data Warehouse |url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/o/oklahoma/1945-1949_yearly_results.php |access-date=July 20, 2015 |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905181131/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/o/oklahoma/1945-1949_yearly_results.php |url-status=dead }}

Rankings

The first AP poll came out on October 7. The Sooners made their first appearance in the poll on October 28 and made their last appearance on the poll released on November 11.

{{Ranking movements

| poll1title = AP

| poll1firstweek = 1

| poll1lastweek = 9

| poll1_1=NR

| poll1_2=NR

| poll1_3=NR

| poll1_4=14

| poll1_5=NR

| poll1_6=14т

| poll1_7=NR

| poll1_8=NR

| poll1_9=NR

}}

NFL draft

The following players were drafted into the National Football League following the season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1946/draft.htm|title=1946 NFL Draft Listing|website=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=November 29, 2020}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" {{CollegePrimaryHeader\|team=Oklahoma Sooners\|border=2\|Round\|Pick\|Player\|Position\|NFL team}}
6	42	Thurman Tigart	Guard	Boston Yanks
15	133	Tom Tallchief	Tackle	Pittsburgh Steelers
23	220	Derald Lebow	Back	Los Angeles Rams
32	300	John West	Back	Los Angeles Rams

References

Oklahoma

Category:Oklahoma Sooners football seasons

Oklahoma Sooners football