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 won their first seven games and eventually rise to as high as No. 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 16–10 | 68,296 | [6] |
September 6 | 11:30 a.m. | Vanderbilt | No. 5 | | TBS | W 42–10 | 58,168 | [7] |
September 13 | 1:30 p.m. | Southern Miss* | No. 4 | | | W 31–17 | 73,687 | [8] |
September 20 | 12:30 p.m. | at No. 13 Florida | No. 4 | | | W 21–7 | 74,685 | [9] |
October 4 | 2:30 p.m. | Notre Dame* | No. 2 | - Legion Field
- Birmingham, AL
| ABC | W 28–10 | 75,808 | [10] |
October 11 | 1:30 p.m. | Memphis State* | No. 2 | - Bryant–Denny Stadium
- Tuscaloosa, AL
| | W 37–0 | 60,210 | [11] |
October 18 | 2:30 p.m. | at Tennessee | No. 2 | | ABC | W 56–28 | 95,116 | [12] |
October 25 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 6 Penn State* | No. 2 | - Bryant–Denny Stadium
- Tuscaloosa, AL (rivalry)
| ABC | L 3–23 | 60,210 | [13] |
November 1 | 11:30 a.m. | at No. 19 Mississippi State | No. 8 | | TBS | W 38–3 | 42,700 | [14] |
November 8 | 6:45 p.m. | No. 18 LSU | No. 6 | - Legion Field
- Birmingham, AL (rivalry)
| ESPN | L 10–14 | 75,808 | [15] |
November 15 | 1:30 p.m. | Temple* | No. 11 | - Bryant–Denny Stadium
- Tuscaloosa, AL
| | W 24–14 | 60,210 | [16] |
November 29 | 2:30 p.m. | vs. No. 14 Auburn | No. 7 | | ABC | L 17–21 | 75,808 | [17] |
| 1:30 p.m. | vs. No. 12 Washington* | No. 13 | | CBS | W 28–6 | 48,722 | [18] |
- *Non-conference game
- Homecoming
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
- All times are in Central time
|
[19]
Rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = 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 |
---|
Game summaries
Ohio State
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
• Alabama |
3 |
3 | 0 | 10 |
16 |
Ohio St |
0 |
7 | 3 | 0 |
10 |
Vanderbilt
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Vanderbilt |
0 |
0 | 3 | 7 |
10 |
• Alabama |
3 |
11 | 14 | 14 |
42 |
Southern Mississippi
At Florida
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
• Alabama |
0 |
0 | 14 | 7 |
21 |
Florida |
7 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
7 |
Notre Dame
Memphis State
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Memphis St |
0 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
0 |
• Alabama |
10 |
7 | 3 | 17 |
37 |
- Date: October 11
- Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium
- Game attendance: 60,210
Homecoming
At Tennessee
Penn State
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
• Penn St |
0 |
14 | 3 | 6 |
23 |
Alabama |
3 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
3 |
- Date: October 25
- Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium
- Game attendance: 60,210
- Television network: ABC
At Mississippi State
LSU
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
• LSU |
0 |
14 | 0 | 0 |
14 |
Alabama |
7 |
0 | 3 | 0 |
10 |
- Date: November 8
- Location: Legion Field
- Game attendance: 75,808
- Television network: ESPN
Temple
Auburn
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
• Auburn |
0 |
7 | 0 | 14 |
21 |
Alabama |
7 |
7 | 3 | 0 |
17 |
- Date: November 29
- Location: Legion Field
- Game attendance: 75,808
- Television network: ABC
Vs. Washington (Sun Bowl)
Washington vs. Alabama
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
No. 12 Huskies |
0 |
6 | 0 | 0 |
6 |
• No. 13 Crimson Tide |
0 |
7 | 14 | 7 |
28 |
Roster
1986 Alabama Crimson Tide football team roster
|
Players
|
Coaches
|
Offense
|
Defense
|
Special teams
|
- Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
|
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. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. 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. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
- ^ Wheat, Jack (December 31, 1986). "Perkins takes Tampa Bay coaching job". The Tuscaloosa 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. Archived from the original on December 21, 2007. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
|
---|
Venues | |
---|
Bowls & rivalries | |
---|
Culture & lore | |
---|
People | |
---|
Seasons | |
---|
National championship seasons in bold |