The 1983 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami during the 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their 58th season of football, the independent Hurricanes were led by fifth-year head coach Howard Schnellenberger and played their home games at the Orange Bowl.
Unranked, Miami lost their opener at Florida by 25 points, but finished the regular season at 10–1, ranked fifth, and were invited to the Orange Bowl. Playing at home on January 2, the underdog Hurricanes upset top-ranked Nebraska 31–30, denying a two-point conversion attempt with less than a minute remaining.[1][2][3][4] They climbed to first in the major polls to win the school's first national championship.[5]
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
---|
September 3 | | at No. 16 Florida | | | | L 3–28 | 73,907 | [6] |
September 10 | | at Houston | | | | W 29–7 | 20,000 | [7] |
September 17 | | Purdue | | | | W 35–0 | 34,557 | [8] |
September 24 | 9:00 pm | No. 13 Notre Dame | | - Miami Orange Bowl
- Miami, FL (rivalry)
| CBS | W 20–0 | 52,480 | [9] |
October 1 | 3:50 pm | at Duke | No. 15 | | ABC | W 56–17 | 28,750 | [10] |
October 8 | | Louisville | No. 12 | - Miami Orange Bowl
- Miami, FL (rivalry)
| | W 42–14 | 30,073 | [11] |
October 15 | | at Mississippi State | No. 10 | | | W 31–7 | 29,456 | [12] |
October 22 | | at Cincinnati | No. 8 | | | W 17–7 | 14,163 | [13] |
October 29 | | No. 12 West Virginia | No. 7 | - Miami Orange Bowl
- Miami, FL
| | W 20–3 | 63,881 | [14] |
November 5 | | East Carolina | No. 5 | - Miami Orange Bowl
- Miami, FL
| | W 12–7 | 39,225 | [15] |
November 12 | 7:00 pm | at Florida State | No. 6 | | WSVN | W 17–16 | 57,333 | [16] |
, 1984 | 8:00 pm | No. 1 Nebraska | No. 5 | | NBC | W 31–30 | 72,596 | [17] |
|
Game summaries
At Florida
Miami (FL) at Florida
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Hurricanes |
0 |
0 | 0 | 3 |
3 |
• No. 16 Gators |
13 |
0 | 12 | 3 |
28 |
At Houston
Purdue
Game information
|
- Purdue
- Everett
16/22, 186 Yds, 2 INT
- Hawthorne
12 Rush, 37 Yds
- Griffin
5 Rec, 64 Yds
|
- Miami (FL)
- Kosar
12/20, 182 Yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
- Bentley
15 Rush, 78 Yds
- Shakespeare
4 Rec, 68 Yds, 2 TD
|
|
[18]
Scoring summary
|
Quarter
|
Time
|
Drive
|
Team
|
Scoring information
|
Score
|
Plays
|
Yards
|
TOP
|
PUR
|
MIA
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
Miami (FL)
|
Kosar 1-yard touchdown run, Davis kick good
|
0
|
7
|
2
|
|
|
|
|
Miami (FL)
|
Shakespeare 35-yard touchdown reception from Kosar, Davis kick good
|
0
|
14
|
2
|
|
|
|
|
Miami (FL)
|
Vanderwende 1-yard touchdown run, Davis kick good
|
0
|
21
|
2
|
|
|
|
|
Miami (FL)
|
Shakespeare 12-yard touchdown reception from Kosar, Davis kick good
|
0
|
21
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
Miami (FL)
|
Griffin 17-yard touchdown reception from Kosar, Davis kick good
|
0
|
28
|
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.
|
0
|
28
|
|
Notre Dame
At Duke
Louisville
At Mississippi State
At Cincinnati
West Virginia
East Carolina
At Florida State
Jeff Davis game-winning 19-yard field goal as time expired [19]
Orange Bowl (vs Nebraska)
#1 Nebraska at #5 Miami (FL)
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
No.1 Cornhuskers |
0 |
14 | 3 | 13 |
30 |
• No. 5 Hurricanes |
17 |
0 | 14 | 0 |
31 |
- Date: January 2
- Location: Miami Bowl Stadium, Miami, Florida
- Game start: 8:05 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 72,596
- Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), partly cloudy, Wind N 10 mph (16 km/h)
- Referee: Jimmy Harper (SEC)
- TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and John Brodie
Scoring summary |
Q1 | 9:18 | MIA | Dennison 2-yard pass from Kosar (Davis kick) | MIA 7–0 |
|
Q1 | 4:51 | MIA | Davis 45-yard field goal | MIA 10–0 |
|
Q1 | 1:08 | MIA | Dennison 22-yard pass from Kosar (Davis kick) | MIA 17–0 |
|
Q2 | 8:54 | Neb | Steinkuhler 19-yard fumble return (Livingston kick) | MIA 17–7 |
|
Q2 | 2:17 | Neb | Gill 1-yard run (Livingston kick) | MIA 17–14 |
|
Q3 | 13:09 | Neb | Livingston 34-yard field goal | Tied 17–17 |
|
Q3 | 9:37 | MIA | Highsmith 1-yard run (Davis kick) | MIA 24–17 |
|
Q3 | 4:44 | MIA | Bentley 7-yard run (Davis kick) | MIA 31–17 |
|
Q4 | 6:55 | Neb | Smith 1-yard run (Livingston kick) | MIA 31–24 |
|
Q4 | 0:48 | Neb | Smith 24-yard run (Gill pass to Smith failed) | MIA 31–30 |
[20][21]
Personnel
1983 Miami Hurricanes football team roster
|
Players
|
Coaches
|
Offense
|
Defense
|
Special teams
Pos. |
# |
Name |
Class
|
K
|
3
|
Jeff Davis
|
P
|
|
Steve Minie
|
Jr
|
P
|
12
|
Rick Tuten
|
|
- Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
|
Awards and honors
All-Americans
- Jay Brophy, LB
- Glenn Dennison, TE
Jack Harding University of Miami MVP Award
References
- ^ "Miami topples No. 1 Nebraska". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. January 3, 1984. p. 13.
- ^ Smizik, Bob (January 3, 1983). "Miami claims No. 1 after beating Nebraska". Pittsburgh Press. p. D1.
- ^ "Hurricanes say there's no doubt". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. January 3, 1984. p. 1D.
- ^ Underwood, John (January 9, 1984). "No team was ever higher". Sports Illustrated. p. 14.
- ^ Finder, Chuck (January 1, 1987). "Miami's '83 champions: Where are they now?". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 37.
- ^ "For Gators, a Peace-full victory". St. Petersburg Times. September 4, 1983. Retrieved November 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hurricanes leave Houston tattered 29–7". Tallahassee Democrat. September 11, 1983. Retrieved February 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hurricanes race past Purdue 35–0 behind defense, Kosar's passing". News-Press. September 18, 1983. Retrieved February 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Miami of Florida shocks Irish". Evansville Courier & Press. September 25, 1983. Retrieved February 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Devils swept away by Miami". The Rocky Mount Telegram. October 2, 1983. Retrieved January 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hurricanes route Cards". The Salisbury Post. October 9, 1983. Retrieved February 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hurricanes breeze 31–7". The Palm Beach Post. October 16, 1983. Retrieved November 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Strange doings don't stop Miami, 17–7". The Orlando Sentinel. October 23, 1983. Retrieved February 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hurricanes blow past West Virginia". The Grand Island Independent. October 30, 1983. Retrieved January 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hurricanes survive East Carolina, 12–7". The Orlando Sentinel. November 6, 1983. Retrieved March 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Miami tips FSU with FG on last play of game". Fort Pierce Tribune. November 13, 1983. Retrieved February 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hurricanes hope to blow right in to No. 1 ranking". The Kansas City Star. January 3, 1984. Retrieved February 23, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Gainesville Sun. September 18, 1983.
- ^ "100 Greatest Plays in Miami History: #9-Game Winning Field Goal vs FSU 1983". August 14, 2019.
- ^ Wilbon, Michael (January 3, 1984). "Nebraska Falls, 31-30, On Day of Upsets". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ "MIAMI IS CHOSEN AS NO. 1 AFTER UPSET OF NEBRASKA". The New York Times. January 4, 1984. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
|
---|
Venues | |
---|
Bowls and rivalries | |
---|
Culture and lore | |
---|
Documentaries | |
---|
People | |
---|
Early years (1926 to 1978) | |
---|
Seasons | |
---|
National championship seasons in bold |
|
---|
1936–1949 | |
---|
1950s | |
---|
1960s |
- 1960: Minnesota (AP, Coaches, NFF) / Ole Miss (FWAA)
- 1961: Alabama (AP, Coaches, NFF) / Ohio State (FWAA)
- 1962: USC
- 1963: Texas
- 1964: Alabama (AP, Coaches) / Arkansas (FWAA) / Notre Dame (NFF)
- 1965: Alabama (AP, FWAA) / Michigan State (Coaches, FWAA, NFF)
- 1966: Notre Dame (AP, Coaches, FWAA, NFF) / Michigan State (NFF)
- 1967: USC
- 1968: Ohio State
- 1969: Texas
|
---|
1970s | |
---|
1980–1991 | |
---|