1985 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

The 1985 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA", "Bama" or "The Tide") represented the University of Alabama in the 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 93rd overall and 52nd season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Ray Perkins, in his third 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 nine wins, two losses and one tie (9–2–1 overall, 4–1–1 in the SEC) and with a victory in the Aloha Bowl over USC.

1985 Alabama Crimson Tide football
Aloha Bowl champion
Aloha Bowl, W 24–3 vs. USC
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 14
APNo. 13
Record9–2–1 (4–1–1 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorGeorge Henshaw (3rd season)
Defensive coordinatorJoe Kines (1st season)
Captains
Home stadiumBryant–Denny Stadium
(Capacity: 60,210)
Legion Field
(Capacity: 75,808)
1985 Southeastern Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 4 Tennessee $ 5 –1 –09 –1 –2
No. 5 Florida 5 –1 –09 –1 –1
No. 13 Alabama 4 –1 –19 –2 –1
No. 20 LSU 4 –1 –19 –2 –1
Georgia 3 –2 –17 –3 –2
Auburn 3 –3 –08 –4 –0
Ole Miss 2 –4 –04 –6 –1
Vanderbilt 1 –4 –13 –7 –1
Kentucky 1 –5 –05 –6 –0
Mississippi State 0 –6 –05 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • Florida ineligible for SEC championship due to NCAA probation.
Rankings from AP Poll

Highlights of the 1985 season included a last-second, 20–16 comeback victory on Labor Day over Georgia to open the season.[1] The 1985 edition of the Iron Bowl against Auburn is regarded as one of Alabama's most dramatic victories in the history of the series. In the game, Alabama led 16–10 after three quarters, but saw four lead changes in the fourth quarter, including two in the final minute.[2] It ended with Van Tiffin's 52-yard field goal as time expired to give Alabama a 25–23 victory.[2] Tiffin's field goal is remembered simply as "The Kick" in Alabama lore.[3][4]

Due to NCAA sanctions that led to the forfeit of Alabama's 1993 17–17 tie with Tennessee, and college football's adoption of an overtime that does not allow ties, the 14–14 tie with LSU remains the last official tie in school history.[5][6]

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 27:00 p.m.at Georgia
ABCW 20–1681,277[7]
September 146:45 p.m.Texas A&M*No. 20
ESPNW 23–1074,697[8]
September 211:30 p.m.Cincinnati*No. 16
PPVW 45–1058,714[9]
September 2811:30 a.m.at VanderbiltNo. 15
WTBSW 40–2041,186[10]
October 122:30 p.m.at No. 8 Penn State*No. 10
ABCL 17–1985,444[11]
October 1911:30 a.m.No. 20 TennesseeNo. 15
WTBSL 14–1675,808[12]
October 261:30 p.m.at Memphis State*
PPVW 28–937,609[13]
November 21:30 p.m.Mississippi Statedagger
  • Bryant–Denny Stadium
  • Tuscaloosa, AL (rivalry)
W 44–2860,210[14]
November 92:30 p.m.at No. 15 LSUNo. 20
ABCT 14–1476,772[15]
November 161:30 p.m.Southern Miss*No. 20
  • Bryant–Denny Stadium
  • Tuscaloosa, AL (rivalry)
W 24–1358,714[16]
November 302:30 p.m.vs. No. 7 Auburn
ABCW 25–2375,808[17]
December 287:00 p.m.vs. USC*No. 13
ISNW 24–335,183[18]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Central time

[19]

Roster
1985 Alabama Crimson Tide football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
WR 1 Albert Bell Jr
TE 85 Howard Cross Fr
RB 26 Bobby Humphrey Fr
RB 22 Gene Jelks Fr
WR 17 Bennie Magee Fr
QB 11 Mike Shula Jr
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
LB 97 Cornelius Bennett Jr
CB 36 Chris Goode So
LB 55 Derrick Thomas Fr
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
P 5 Chris Mohr Fr
K 3 Van Tiffin Jr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Rankings
Further information: 1985 NCAA Division I-A football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
— = Not ranked.
Week
PollPre123456789101112131415Final
AP——201615121015——2020——151513
Coaches—1612108814—2020———141414

[20]

Game summaries

Texas A&M
1 234Total
Aggies 0 370 10
• No. 20 Crimson Tide 7 3013 23
  • Date: September 14
  • Location: Legion Field
  • Game attendance: 74,697
  • Television network: ESPN
   
Scoring summary
1ALAChester Braggs 2-yard run (Van Tiffin kick)ALA 7–0
22:46A&MEric Franklin 20-yard field goalALA 7–3
ALAVan Tiffin 57-yard field goalALA 10–3
3A&MAnthony Toney 1-yard run (kick)Tied 10–10
411:15ALAVan Kiffin 40-yard field goalALA 13–10
ALAVan Kiffin 51-yard field goalALA 16–10
1:07ALACraig Turner 32-yard run (Tiffin kick)ALA 23–10
See also: 1985 Texas A&M Aggies football team

[21]

At LSU
Alabama at LSU
1 234Total
No. 20 Crimson Tide 7 007 14
No. 15 Tigers 0 0140 14
Scoring summary
17:57BAMAGene Jelks 34-yard run (Van Tiffin kick)Alabama 7–0
314:06LSUGarry James 49-yard run (Ron Lewis kick)Tied 7–7
310:12LSUWendell Davis 67-yard pass from Jeff Wickersham (Lewis kick)LSU 14–7
41:23Gene Jelks 3-yard pass to Mike Shula (Tiffin kick)Tied 14–14
See also: 1985 LSU Tigers football team

Vs. Auburn
1 234Total
• Crimson Tide 10 609 25
No. 7 Tigers 0 10013 23
  • Date: November 30
  • Location: Legion Field
  • Game attendance: 75,808
Scoring summary
Q1ALATurner 1-yard run (Tiffin kick)ALA 7–0
Q1ALATiffin 26-yard field goalALA 10–0
Q2ALATiffin 32-yard field goalALA 13–0
Q2AUBJackson 7-yard run (Johnson kick)ALA 13–7
Q2ALATiffin 42-yard field goalALA 16–7
Q2AUBJohnson 49-yard field goalALA 16–10
Q4AUBJackson 1-yard run (Johnson kick)AUB 17–16
Q4ALAJelks 74-yard run (pass failed)ALA 22–17
Q4:57AUBWare 1-yard run (run failed)AUB 23–22
Q4:00ALATiffin 52-yard field goalALA 25–23
See also: 1985 Auburn Tigers football team and Iron Bowl

Van Tiffin kicked his fourth field goal of the game, from 52 yards out, as time expired to give Alabama the Iron Bowl victory. [22]

Vs. USC (Aloha Bowl)
Main article: 1985 Aloha Bowl
See also: 1985 USC Trojans football team

References

General

  • "1985 Game Recaps". 1986 Alabama Football Media Guide (PDF). Tuscaloosa, Alabama: UA Athletics Media Relations Office. 1986. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 4, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2012.

Specific

  1. Hersch, Hank (September 8, 1986). "The Tide Rolls with a Shula named Mike". Sports Illustrated. SI.com. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  2. 1985 Game Recaps, Game No. 11
  3. Rappaport, Ken; Barry Wilmer (2007). Football Feuds: The Greatest College Football Rivalries. Guilford, Connecticut: The Lyons Press. pp. 85–86. ISBN 978-1-59921-014-8.
  4. Hersch, Hank (December 9, 1985). "The Week". Sports Illustrated. SI.com. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  5. Deas, Tommy (August 4, 1995). "1993 will be lost season for Tide". The Gadsden Times. Google News. NYT Regional Newspapers. p. D4. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  6. Whiteside, Kelly (August 25, 2006). "Overtime system still excites coaches". USA Today. McLean, Virginia. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  7. "Tide turns on Dogs". The Atlanta Constitution. September 3, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Alabama drops A&M". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. September 15, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "'Bama overwhelms Bearcats". The Cincinnati Enquirer. September 22, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "VU errors help Tide roll, 40–20". The Tennessean. September 29, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Penn State rolls, 19–17, over Bama". The Pittsburgh Press. October 13, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Ground, kicking games propel Vols past Tide". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 20, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Alabama claims a comedy of errors". The Anniston Star. October 27, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Alabama whets SEC taste in romp over State". The Clarion-Ledger. November 3, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. "LSU Tigers, Crimson Tide struggle to 14–14 stalemate". The Daily Advertiser. November 10, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "USM's upset bid 'officially' doused". Hattiesburg American. November 17, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "Game-winning field goal is new experience for Tiffin". The Montgomery Advertiser. December 1, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. "Crimson Tide washes over USC, 24–3". The Honolulu Advertiser. December 29, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. "1985 Alabama football archives". RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  20. "Alabama 1985 AP Football Rankings". collegepollarchive.com. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  21. "ALABAMA 23, TEXAS A&M 10". UPI Archives. September 15, 1985. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  22. Eugene Register-Guard. 1985 Dec 1. Retrieved 2015-Sep-18.
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