American college football season
1986 Alabama Crimson Tide football Conference Southeastern Conference Coaches No. 9 AP No. 9 1986 record 10–3 (4–2 SEC) Head coach Defensive coordinator Joe Kines Captains
Home stadium Bryant–Denny Stadium (Capacity: 60,210)Legion Field (Capacity: 75,808)Seasons
The 1986 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA", "Bama" or "The Tide") represented the University of Alabama in the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season . It was the Crimson Tide's 94th overall and 53rd season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Ray Perkins , in his fourth year, and played their home games at both Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama . They finished the season with a record of ten wins and three losses (10–3 overall, 4–2 in the SEC) and with a victory in the Sun Bowl over Washington .
After opening the season with a victory over Ohio State in the Kickoff Classic , the Crimson Tide would win their first 7 games and eventually rise to as high as #2 in the rankings but lost to eventual national champion Penn State[1] and lost out on an SEC championship after losses to LSU [2] and Auburn .[3] Highlights of the season included their first ever victory over Notre Dame and a 56–28 victory over Tennessee that snapped a four-game losing streak to the Vols.[4]
After the season, Ray Perkins resigned on December 31, to become head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League .[5]
Schedule [ ]
Date Time Opponent Rank Site TV Result Attendance Source 7:00 p.m. vs. No. 9 Ohio State * No. 5 Raycom W 16–1068,296 [6]
September 6 11:30 a.m. Vanderbilt No. 5 WTBS W 42–1058,168 [7]
September 13 1:30 p.m. Southern Miss * No. 4 Legion Field Birmingham, AL W 31–1773,687 [8]
September 20 12:30 p.m. at No. 13 Florida No. 4 W 21–774,685 [9]
October 4 2:30 p.m. Notre Dame * No. 2 Legion Field Birmingham, AL ABC W 28–1075,808 [10]
October 11 1:30 p.m. Memphis State * No. 2 Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL W 37–060,210 [11]
October 18 2:30 p.m. at Tennessee No. 2 ABC W 56–2895,116 [12]
October 25 2:30 p.m. No. 6 Penn State * No. 2 Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL (rivalry ) ABC L 3–2360,210 [13]
November 1 11:30 a.m. at No. 19 Mississippi State No. 8 WTBS W 38–342,700 [14]
November 8 6:45 p.m. No. 18 LSU No. 6 Legion Field Birmingham, AL (rivalry ) ESPN L 10–1475,808 [15]
November 15 1:30 p.m. Temple * No. 11 Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL W 24–1460,210 [16]
November 29 2:30 p.m. vs. No. 14 Auburn No. 7 Legion Field Birmingham, AL (Iron Bowl ) ABC L 17–2175,808 [17]
1:30 p.m. vs. No. 12 Washington * No. 13 CBS W 28–648,722 [18]
*Non-conference game HomecomingRankings from AP Poll All times are in Central time
Source: Rolltide.com: 1986 Alabama football schedule[19]
Roster [ ]
1986 Alabama Crimson Tide football team roster
Players
Coaches
Offense
Pos.
#
Name
Class
RB
Doug Allen
WR
Marco Battle
WR
Albert Bell
RB
John Cassimus
RB
David Casteal
OL
Bill Condon
TE
85
Howard Cross
So
RB
Kerry Goode
RB
Murry Hill
RB
26
Bobby Humphrey
So
RB
Gene Jelks
OL
David Johnson
OL
Joe King
OL
Wes Neighbors
WR
Greg Payne
WR
17
Greg Richardson
Sr
RB
Carlos Robinson
OL
Larry Rose
QB
11
Mike Shula (C)
Sr
QB
David Smith
TE
Angelo Stafford
WR
Clay Whitehurst
RB
Bo Wright
Defense
Pos.
#
Name
Class
LB
97
Cornelius Bennett (C)
Sr
LB
George Bethune
DB
Britton Cooper
DB
Vantriese Davis
LB
Wayne Davis
LB
Greg Gilbert
CB
36
Chris Goode
Jr
DL
Curt Jarvis
DB
Kermit Kendrick
DB
Freddie Robinson
LB
Randy Rockwell
DL
Derrick Slaughter
DL
Cliff Thomas
LB
55
Derrick Thomas
So
DB
Ricky Thomas
Special teams
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
Injured
Redshirt
Rankings [ ]
Ranking movementsLegend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. т = Tied with team above or below. ( ) = First place votes.
Week
Poll
Pre
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Final
AP
5
4
4 (1)
3
2 (1)
2 (2)
2 (2)
2 (3)
8
6 (1)
11
9
7
13
9
Coaches
6 (1)
4 (1)
4
3 (1)
2 (1)
2
2 (3)
2 (3)
8
6
15
9
7
14
9
Season summary [ ]
Ohio State [ ]
1
2 3 4 Total
• Alabama
3
3 0 10
16
Ohio St
0
7 3 0
10
Date: August 27Location: Giants Stadium Television network: Raycom Sports
Vanderbilt [ ]
1
2 3 4 Total
Vanderbilt
0
0 3 7
10
• Alabama
3
11 14 14
42
Date: September 6Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium Game attendance: 58,168Television network: TBS
Southern Mississippi [ ]
This section is empty. You can help by . (November 2018 )
at Florida [ ]
1
2 3 4 Total
• Alabama
0
0 14 7
21
Florida
7
0 0 0
7
Date: September 20Location: Florida Field Game attendance: 74,685
Notre Dame [ ]
Memphis State [ ]
1
2 3 4 Total
Memphis St
0
0 0 0
0
• Alabama
10
7 3 17
37
Date: October 11Location: Bryant-Denny StadiumGame attendance: 60,210
Homecoming
at Tennessee [ ]
This section is empty. You can help by . (November 2018 )
Penn State [ ]
1
2 3 4 Total
• Penn St
0
14 3 6
23
Alabama
3
0 0 0
3
Date: October 25Location: Bryant-Denny StadiumGame attendance: 60,210Television network: ABC
at Mississippi State [ ]
This section is empty. You can help by . (November 2018 )
LSU [ ]
1
2 3 4 Total
• LSU
0
14 0 0
14
Alabama
7
0 3 0
10
Date: November 8Location: Legion FieldGame attendance: 75,808Television network: ESPN
Temple [ ]
This section is empty. You can help by . (November 2018 )
Auburn [ ]
1
2 3 4 Total
• Auburn
0
7 0 14
21
Alabama
7
7 3 0
17
Date: November 29Location: Legion FieldGame attendance: 75,808Television network: ABC
vs. Washington (Sun Bowl) [ ]
Washington vs. Alabama
1
2 3 4 Total
No. 12 Huskies
0
6 0 0
6
• No. 13 Crimson Tide
0
7 14 7
28
Date: December 25Location: Sun Bowl Stadium , El Paso, TX Game attendance: 48,722Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), Sunny, Wind NNE 4 mph (6.4 km/h)TV announcers (CBS ): Brent Musburger , Ara Parseghian , John Dockery
Awards and honors [ ]
1987 NFL Draft [ ]
[20]
References [ ]
General
Specific
^ Looney, Douglas S. (November 3, 1986). "A midseason run for respect" . Sports Illustrated . SI.com. Retrieved February 21, 2012 .
^ 1986 Game Recaps, Game No. 10
^ 1986 Game Recaps, Game No. 12
^ Maisel, Ivan (October 27, 1986). "Vol-in tears" . Sports Illustrated . SI.com. Retrieved February 21, 2012 .
^ Wheat, Jack (December 31, 1986). "Perkins takes Tampa Bay coaching job" . The Tuscaloosa News . Google News. p. 1. Retrieved February 21, 2012 .
^ "Alabama capitalizes on OSU's mistakes" . The Akron Beacon Journal . August 28, 1986. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Bama crashes Vandy's party, 42–10" . The Tennessean . September 7, 1986. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "USM falls short in bid to knock off Tide" . Hattiesburg American . September 14, 1986. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Bama rules Gators for 21–7 victory" . The Orlando Sentinel . September 21, 1986. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Alabama makes quick work of Irish" . Chicago Tribune . October 5, 1986. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Bama overwhelms downtrodden Tigers" . The Jackson Sun . October 12, 1986. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ " 'Bama offense destroys Vols" . Johnson City Press . October 19, 1986. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Move over Miami: State bombs Bama" . Sunday News . October 27, 1986. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Humphrey, Tide crush reeling 'Dogs" . Clarion-Ledger . November 2, 1986. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Tigers capitalize on low Tide to gig floundering Alabama" . Alexandria Daily Town Talk . November 9, 1986. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Owls can't stem Tide; Palmer gains 145 yards" . The Philadelphia Inquirer . November 16, 1986. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Tillman's mistake helps Auburn over Bama" . The Montgomery Advertiser . November 30, 1986. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ " 'Bama defense shines in Sun" . El Paso Times . December 26, 1986. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "1986 Alabama football archives" . RollTide.com . University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved February 20, 2021 .
^ "1987 NFL Draft" . pro-football-reference.com . Retrieved September 1, 2019 .
Venues Bowls & rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons Bold denotes national championship