| Year Game Played: | 1986 |
| Game Name: | Sugar Bowl |
| Subheader: | 52nd edition |
| Football Season: | 1985 |
| Visitor Name Short: | Miami |
| Visitor Nickname: | Hurricanes |
| Visitor School: | University of Miami |
| Visitor Record: | 10–1 |
| Visitor Conference: | Independent |
| Visitor Coach: | Jimmy Johnson |
| Visitor Rank Ap: | 2 |
| Visitor Rank Coaches: | 4 |
| Visitor 1Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 0 |
| Home Name Short: | Tennessee |
| Home Nickname: | Volunteers |
| Home School: | University of Tennessee |
| Home Record: | 8–1–2 |
| Home Conference: | SEC |
| Home Coach: | Johnny Majors |
| Home Rank Ap: | 8 |
| Home Rank Coaches: | 8 |
| Home 1Q: | 0 |
| Home 2Q: | 14 |
| Home 3Q: | 14 |
| Home 4Q: | 7 |
| Date Game Played: | January 1 |
| Stadium: | Louisiana Superdome |
| City: | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Mvp: | Daryl Dickey (Tennessee QB) |
| Odds: | Miami by 8 points[1] |
| Referee: | Wendell Shelton (SWC) |
| Us Network: | ABC |
| Us Announcers Link: | List of announcers of major college bowl games |
| Us Announcers: | Keith Jackson, Frank Broyles |
The 1986 Sugar Bowl was the 52nd edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Wednesday, January 1. Part of the 1985–86 bowl game season, it matched the independent and second-ranked Miami Hurricanes and the #8 Tennessee Volunteers of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).[2]
Underdog Tennessee trailed early, rallied, and won in a rout, 35–7.[3] [4] [5] [6]
See main article: 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season.
See main article: 1985 Miami Hurricanes football team. The second-ranked Hurricanes were competing for another national championship; they won ten straight after dropping the opener at home to Florida. Miami's most notable win was at Oklahoma in October, which was the Sooners' only loss.[7]
See main article: 1985 Tennessee Volunteers football team. The #8 Volunteers had two non-conference ties at home (UCLA, Georgia Tech), and a loss at Florida.
The game kicked off shortly after 7 p.m. CST, televised by ABC, at the same time as the Orange Bowl on NBC,[2] with top-ranked Penn State and #3 Oklahoma.
Miami appeared dominant on its opening drive, capped with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Vinny Testaverde to Michael Irvin, and took the 7–0 lead into the second quarter. As the game wore on, however, Tennessee's defense began to shut down Miami's vaunted passing attack. Volunteers' quarterback Daryl Dickey threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Smith to tie the game at seven.
A drive from midfield took Tennessee to the Miami nine, where running back Jeff Powell gained eight yards but fumbled at the one, and All-American wide receiver Tim McGee recovered it in the end zone; Tennessee took the lead at 14–7, the score at halftime.
In the third quarter, Sam Henderson scored from a yard out and Tennessee led 21–7, then Powell broke for a sixty-yard run to make it 28–7. In the fourth quarter, Charles Wilson scored on a six-yard run as Tennessee won by a 35–7 margin.[3] [4] [5] [6]
Tennessee quarterback Dickey, a fifth-year senior back-up,[5] was named the game's most valuable player.
| Statistics | Miami | Tennessee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 22 | 16 | |
| Rushes–yards | 30–22 | 43–211 | |
| Passing yards | 237 | 131 | |
| Passes (C–A–I) | 23–44–4 | 15–25–1 | |
| Total Offense | 74–259 | 68–342 | |
| Return yards | 34 | 105 | |
| Punts–average | 6–38 | 6–39 | |
| Fumbles–lost | 5–2 | 2–1 | |
| Turnovers< | -- by--> | 6 | 2 |
| Penalties–yards | 15–120 | 11–125 | |
| Time of possession | 28:59 | 31:01 |
The 245 yards of penalties set a new Sugar Bowl record.[5]
Tennessee climbed to fourth in the final AP poll, while Miami fell to ninth.