1986 NCAA Division I-A football season
Encyclopedia
The 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Penn State winning the national championship. Coached by Joe Paterno
, they defeated Miami (Fl) 14–10 in the Fiesta Bowl
. This Fiesta Bowl was the first in the game's history to decide the national championship, launching it into the top tier of bowls.
Miami came into the game #1 and Penn State #2. In a move that would come to symbolize the game for years to come, Miami arrived wearing combat fatigues while Penn State arrived wearing suits and ties.
Despite all the hype surrounding Miami, Penn State forced Heisman trophy
winner Vinny Testaverde
to throw five interceptions, including one in the end zone with 18 seconds left, winning the game for the Nittany Lions.
and Michigan
began the season at #1 and #2. A 28–16 defeat of Oklahoma by Miami on September 27 pushed Miami into the #1 ranking. Alabama moved into the number 2 spot. Probably the strongest case for Penn State was a defeat of a well-regarded #2 ranked Alabama team 23–3 at Tuscaloosa on October 26. This pushed Penn State into the number two spot. Otherwise, both Miami and Penn State had a number of teams on their schedule that were not strong opponents. Michigan defeated Iowa
in a rematch of the previous season's #1-#2 Iowa game. Three games later, Michigan was number 2 and undefeated after Penn State fell in the ranksings following a 17–15 close win to Maryland
.
Arizona State Sun Devils
quarterback Jeff Van Raaphorst threw five interceptions in a 21–21 tie with Washington State
ASU's 16-9 win over the UCLA Bruins
in the Rose Bowl stadium
on October 4 would later prove to be the deciding game in the conference. The Sun Devils beat both USC and UCLA in Los Angeles
, the first Pacific-10 conference team to do so. The Sun Devils defeated outgoing coach Joe Kapp
's California Golden Bears
team 49–0. Kapp had unzipped his pants in front of the Seattle media following an embarrassing 50–18 loss against Washington
on October 4. The win over Cal, combined with the UCLA loss to Stanford, enabled the Sun Devils to clinch the Rose Bowl Berth on November 8. The early clinching of the Rose Bowl bid for Arizona State began a scramble for all the Bowl games to confirm teams before the bids were to be extended on November 22.
The Michigan Wolverines football team began the season ranked number 3 in the nation. A #1 vs #2 matchup the previous season between Iowa and Michigan decided the race for the 1986 Rose Bowl
. The Wolverines defeated Iowa 20–17. Minnesota was regarded as an easy victory as a 25-point underdog to number two ranked Michigan. The Gophers had not defeated the Wolverines since 1977. With two minutes to go, and Michigan just having scored a touchdown to bring the Wolverines at 16 to the Gophers 17, Bo Schembechler called for the extra point to be kicked for the tie. Minnesota quarterback Rickey Foggie
scrambled to put Chip Lohmiller
in position to get the winning field goal. The Gophers took home the Little Brown Jug
from Michigan for the first time since 1962. The Wolverines fell to #6 and then faced arch rival Ohio State
for the right to play in the Rose Bowl
. Jim Harbaugh
guaranteed a Michigan Victory over Ohio State. "We don't care where we play the game," said the senior quarterback early in the week. "I hate to say it, but we could play it in the parking lot. We could play the game at 12 noon or midnight. We're going to be jacked up." The Wolverines won 26–24.
and Citrus Bowl
scrambling to bid for the #1 Miami (Florida) vs. #2 Penn State Game, the Cotton Bowl Classic struck an agreement to take the loser of the Michigan-Ohio State game. All the bowl games attempted to line up participants before the official bids were extended on November 22. The Sugar Bowl agreed to take the loser of the Oklahoma-Nebraska game to match the SEC winner, and the Orange Bowl agreed to take the second place SWC team to match the Big 8 winner. The Citrus Bowl, which moved to January 1, got a second place SEC team in Auburn, and, what they hoped would be a good matchup, in 7-2 USC. The Trojans would lose to UCLA and Notre Dame after they were invited.
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
, they defeated Miami (Fl) 14–10 in the Fiesta Bowl
1987 Fiesta Bowl
The 1987 Sunkist Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game sponsored by Sunkist. It was part of the bowl season of the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. The game was the 16th edition of the Fiesta Bowl, played annually since 1971. The 1987 game was played on January 2, 1987, at the Sun...
. This Fiesta Bowl was the first in the game's history to decide the national championship, launching it into the top tier of bowls.
Miami came into the game #1 and Penn State #2. In a move that would come to symbolize the game for years to come, Miami arrived wearing combat fatigues while Penn State arrived wearing suits and ties.
Despite all the hype surrounding Miami, Penn State forced Heisman trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner Vinny Testaverde
Vinny Testaverde
Vincent Frank Testaverde is a former NFL quarterback. Testaverde last played for the Carolina Panthers and had previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Testaverde holds the NFL record for having...
to throw five interceptions, including one in the end zone with 18 seconds left, winning the game for the Nittany Lions.
Conference standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT = Winning Percentage, Conf. = Conference Record| Conference Champion |
Key matchups and upsets
Oklahoma1986 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 1986 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season.-Schedule:-Team players in the NFL:...
and Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
began the season at #1 and #2. A 28–16 defeat of Oklahoma by Miami on September 27 pushed Miami into the #1 ranking. Alabama moved into the number 2 spot. Probably the strongest case for Penn State was a defeat of a well-regarded #2 ranked Alabama team 23–3 at Tuscaloosa on October 26. This pushed Penn State into the number two spot. Otherwise, both Miami and Penn State had a number of teams on their schedule that were not strong opponents. Michigan defeated Iowa
1986 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 1986 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the 1986 college football season.-Season:The Hawkeyes non-conference games were against Iowa State, Northern Illinois, and Texas El-Paso.-Schedule:-Team players in the NFL:...
in a rematch of the previous season's #1-#2 Iowa game. Three games later, Michigan was number 2 and undefeated after Penn State fell in the ranksings following a 17–15 close win to Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
.
Arizona State Sun Devils
Arizona State Sun Devils football
The Arizona State Sun Devils' football program represents Arizona State University in college football, and competes in NCAA Division I FBS as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference....
quarterback Jeff Van Raaphorst threw five interceptions in a 21–21 tie with Washington State
Washington State Cougars football
The Washington State Cougars football team is the intercollegiate football team of Washington State University. The team is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference...
ASU's 16-9 win over the UCLA Bruins
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
in the Rose Bowl stadium
Rose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
on October 4 would later prove to be the deciding game in the conference. The Sun Devils beat both USC and UCLA in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, the first Pacific-10 conference team to do so. The Sun Devils defeated outgoing coach Joe Kapp
Joe Kapp
Joseph Robert Kapp is a former professional American and Canadian football quarterback. He is also a former college football head coach of the University of California, and a former general manager of the CFL's BC Lions. Kapp played primarily with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and the CFL's BC Lions...
's California Golden Bears
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
team 49–0. Kapp had unzipped his pants in front of the Seattle media following an embarrassing 50–18 loss against Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
on October 4. The win over Cal, combined with the UCLA loss to Stanford, enabled the Sun Devils to clinch the Rose Bowl Berth on November 8. The early clinching of the Rose Bowl bid for Arizona State began a scramble for all the Bowl games to confirm teams before the bids were to be extended on November 22.
The Michigan Wolverines football team began the season ranked number 3 in the nation. A #1 vs #2 matchup the previous season between Iowa and Michigan decided the race for the 1986 Rose Bowl
1986 Rose Bowl
The 1986 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1986. It was the 72nd Rose Bowl Game. The UCLA Bruins defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 45-28. UCLA tailback Eric Ball was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game. He ran for a Rose Bowl record four touchdowns.-Iowa Hawkeyes:Iowa...
. The Wolverines defeated Iowa 20–17. Minnesota was regarded as an easy victory as a 25-point underdog to number two ranked Michigan. The Gophers had not defeated the Wolverines since 1977. With two minutes to go, and Michigan just having scored a touchdown to bring the Wolverines at 16 to the Gophers 17, Bo Schembechler called for the extra point to be kicked for the tie. Minnesota quarterback Rickey Foggie
Rickey Foggie
Rickey Foggie is a former quarterback. Foggie was the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Golden Gophers for four seasons, before going on to play professionally in – first the Canadian Football League, and then later in the Arena Football League...
scrambled to put Chip Lohmiller
Chip Lohmiller
John McLeod "Chip" Lohmiller is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, and the St. Louis Rams...
in position to get the winning field goal. The Gophers took home the Little Brown Jug
Little Brown Jug (football)
The Little Brown Jug is an earthenware jug that serves as a trophy awarded to the winner of the American college football rivalry game played annually by the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team of the university of Minnesota and the Michigan Wolverines football team of the University of Michigan...
from Michigan for the first time since 1962. The Wolverines fell to #6 and then faced arch rival Ohio State
Michigan-Ohio State rivalry
The Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry, also known as The Game, is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Wolverines of the University of Michigan and the Buckeyes of The Ohio State University...
for the right to play in the Rose Bowl
1987 Rose Bowl
The 1987 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1987 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. It was the 73rd Rose Bowl Game. The Arizona State Sun Devils, champions of the Pacific-10 Conference, defeated the Michigan Wolverines, champions of the Big Ten Conference, 22-15....
. Jim Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at...
guaranteed a Michigan Victory over Ohio State. "We don't care where we play the game," said the senior quarterback early in the week. "I hate to say it, but we could play it in the parking lot. We could play the game at 12 noon or midnight. We're going to be jacked up." The Wolverines won 26–24.
#1 and #2 Progress
| WEEKS | #1 | #2 | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRE | Oklahoma | Michigan | Miami 23, Florida 15 | Sep 6 |
| 1-3 | Oklahoma | Miami | Miami 28, Oklahoma 16 | Sep 27 |
| 4-7 | Miami | Alabama | Penn State 23, Alabama 3 | Oct 25 |
| 8-9 | Miami | Penn State | Penn State 17, Maryland 15 | Nov 8 |
| 10 | Miami | Michigan | Minnesota 20, Michigan 17 | Nov 15 |
| 11-13 | Miami | Penn State | Penn State 14, Miami 10 | Jan 2 |
Notable rivalry games
- LSULSU Tigers footballThe LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
37, TulaneTulane Green Wave footballThe Tulane Green Wave football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents Tulane University in New Orleans. The team is a member of Conference USA and is led by interim head coach Mark Hutson, who took over on October 18, 2011, when fifth-year head coach Bob Toledo resigned...
17 - MichiganMichigan Wolverines footballThe Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
27, Notre DameNotre Dame Fighting Irish footballNotre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
26 - Notre DameNotre Dame Fighting Irish footballNotre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
38, USC 37 - Oklahoma1986 Oklahoma Sooners football teamThe 1986 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season.-Schedule:-Team players in the NFL:...
20, NebraskaNebraska Cornhuskers footballThe Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
17 - UCLAUCLA Bruins FootballThe UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
45, USC 25
Bowl games
With Arizona State having clinched the Rose Bowl berth on November 8, and the Fiesta BowlFiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
and Citrus Bowl
Citrus Bowl
The Florida Citrus Bowl is a stadium in Orlando, Florida, USA, built for football, which currently seats around 70,000 people....
scrambling to bid for the #1 Miami (Florida) vs. #2 Penn State Game, the Cotton Bowl Classic struck an agreement to take the loser of the Michigan-Ohio State game. All the bowl games attempted to line up participants before the official bids were extended on November 22. The Sugar Bowl agreed to take the loser of the Oklahoma-Nebraska game to match the SEC winner, and the Orange Bowl agreed to take the second place SWC team to match the Big 8 winner. The Citrus Bowl, which moved to January 1, got a second place SEC team in Auburn, and, what they hoped would be a good matchup, in 7-2 USC. The Trojans would lose to UCLA and Notre Dame after they were invited.
- Rose BowlRose Bowl GameThe Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
: #7 Arizona State 22, #4 Michigan 15 (1987 Rose Bowl1987 Rose BowlThe 1987 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1987 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. It was the 73rd Rose Bowl Game. The Arizona State Sun Devils, champions of the Pacific-10 Conference, defeated the Michigan Wolverines, champions of the Big Ten Conference, 22-15....
) - Sugar BowlSugar BowlThe Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
: #6 Nebraska 30, #5 LSU 15 (1987 Sugar Bowl1987 Sugar BowlThe 1987 edition to the Sugar Bowl featured the fifth ranked LSU Tigers, and the sixth ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers. It was the third time in five seasons that the two teams had met in a bowl game, with Nebraska winning all three encounters....
) - Cotton Bowl Classic: #11 Ohio State 28, #8 Texas A&M 12
- Fiesta BowlFiesta BowlThe Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
: #2 Penn State 14, #1 Miami (Fl) 10 (1987 Fiesta Bowl1987 Fiesta BowlThe 1987 Sunkist Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game sponsored by Sunkist. It was part of the bowl season of the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. The game was the 16th edition of the Fiesta Bowl, played annually since 1971. The 1987 game was played on January 2, 1987, at the Sun...
) - Florida Citrus BowlCapital One BowlThe Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
: #10 Auburn 16, USC 7 - Orange Bowl: #3 Oklahoma 42, #9 Arkansas 8 (1987 Orange Bowl)
- Hall of Fame Bowl: Boston College 27, #17 Georgia 24
- Gator BowlGator BowlThe Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
: #21 Clemson 27, #20 Stanford 21 - John Hancock BowlSun BowlThe Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
: #13 Alabama 28, #12 Washington 6 (1986 Sun Bowl1986 Sun BowlThe 1986 John Hancock Sun Bowl featured the Alabama Crimson Tide of the Southeastern Conference and the Washington Huskies of the Pacific-10 Conference . In Ray Perkins's final game as Alabama head coach, the Crimson Tide defeated the Huskies 28–6...
) - Holiday BowlHoliday BowlThe Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Beginning with the 2010 playing the bowl will officially be known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after...
: #19 Iowa 39, San Diego State 38 - Freedom BowlFreedom BowlThe Freedom Bowl was an annual post-season college football bowl game played at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California, from 1984 to 1994. Beginning with the 1995 season, the Freedom Bowl's WAC tie-ins were merged with that of the Holiday Bowl and the game was dissolved...
: #15 UCLA 31, BYU 10 - Peach Bowl1986 Peach BowlThe 1986 Peach Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game at Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Wolfpack from North Carolina State University on December 31, 1986...
: Virginia Tech 25, #18 NC State 24 - All-American BowlAll-American BowlThe All-American Bowl was an annual postseason college football bowl game played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama from 1977 to 1990. The game was known as the Hall of Fame Classic from 1977 to 1985....
: Florida State 27, Indiana 13 - Liberty BowlLiberty BowlThe Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in December of each year from 1959 to 2007 and in January in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty Bowl was sponsored by AXA Financial and was known as the AXA Liberty Bowl from 1997 to 2003...
: Tennessee 21, Minnesota 14 - Aloha Bowl: #16 Arizona 30, North Carolina 21
- Independence BowlIndependence BowlThe Independence Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana, so named because it was inaugurated in the United States bicentennial year, 1976....
: Mississippi 20, Texas Tech 17 - California BowlCalifornia BowlThe California Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game played annually at Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, California, from 1981 to 1991. The games matched the championship teams from the Big West Conference with teams from the Mid-American Conference...
: San Jose State 37, Miami (Ohio) 7
Final AP Poll
- Penn State
- Miami (FL)
- Oklahoma
- Arizona State
- Nebraska
- Auburn
- Ohio State
- Michigan
- Alabama
- LSU
- Arizona
- Baylor
- Texas A&M
- UCLA
- Arkansas
- Iowa
- Clemson
- Washington
- Boston College
- Virginia Tech
Final Coaches Poll
- Penn St.
- Miami (FL)
- Oklahoma
- Nebraska
- Arizona St.
- Ohio St.
- Michigan
- Auburn
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Louisiana St.
- Texas A&M
- Baylor
- UCLA
- Iowa
- Arkansas
- Washington
- Boston College
- Clemson
- Florida St.
Heisman Trophy
- Winner: Vinny Testaverde, Miami (Fl), Sr. QB
- Paul Palmer, Temple, Sr. TB
- Jim Harbaugh, Michigan, Sr. QB
- Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma, Sr. LB
- Gordie Lockbaum, Holy Cross, Jr. TB
Other major awards
- Maxwell (Player):Vinny Testaverde, Miami (Fl)
- Camp (Back): Vinny Testaverde, Miami (Fl)
- O'Brein Award (QB): Vinny Testaverde, Miami (Fl)
- Rockne (Lineman): N/A
- Lombardi (Defensive Front Seven): Cornelius Bennett, Alabama
- Butkus (Linebacker): Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma
- Outland (Interior): Jason Buck, BYU
- Coach of the Year: Joe Paterno, Penn St.