1985 Alabama Crimson Tide football team explained

Year:1985
Team:Alabama Crimson Tide
Conference:Southeastern Conference
Short Conf:SEC
Aprank:13
Coachrank:14
Record:9–2–1
Conf Record:4–1–1
Hc Year:3rd
Oc Year:3rd
Dc Year:1st
Stadium:Bryant–Denny Stadium
(Capacity: 60,210)
Legion Field
(Capacity: 75,808)
Champion:Aloha Bowl champion
Bowl Result:W 24–3 vs. USC

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.

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

[7]

Rankings

[8]

Game summaries

Texas A&M

[9]

At LSU

See also: 1985 LSU Tigers football team.

Vs. Auburn

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.[10]

Vs. USC (Aloha Bowl)

See main article: 1985 Aloha Bowl.

See also: 1985 USC Trojans football team.

References

General

Specific

Notes and References

  1. News: The Tide Rolls with a Shula named Mike . Hank . Hersch . Sports Illustrated . SI.com . September 8, 1986 . February 21, 2012.
  2. 1985 Game Recaps, Game No. 11
  3. Book: Rappaport, Ken . Barry Wilmer . Football Feuds: The Greatest College Football Rivalries . 2007 . The Lyons Press . Guilford, Connecticut . 978-1-59921-014-8 . 85–86.
  4. News: The Week . Hank . Hersch . Sports Illustrated . SI.com . December 9, 1985 . February 21, 2012.
  5. News: 1993 will be lost season for Tide . Tommy . Deas . NYT Regional Newspapers . D4 . The Gadsden Times . Google News . August 4, 1995 . February 21, 2012.
  6. News: Kelly . Whiteside . Overtime system still excites coaches . USA Today . McLean, Virginia . August 25, 2006 . February 21, 2012.
  7. Web site: 1985 Alabama football archives . RollTide.com . University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics . February 20, 2021.
  8. Web site: July 17, 2022. collegepollarchive.com. Alabama 1985 AP Football Rankings.
  9. News: ALABAMA 23, TEXAS A&M 10 . . September 15, 1985 . July 17, 2022.
  10. Eugene Register-Guard. 1985 Dec 1. Retrieved 2015-Sep-18.