The 1986 Baylor Bears football team represented Baylor University as a member of the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by 15th-year head coach Grant Teaff, the Bears compiled an overall record of 9–3 with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, tying for second place in the SWC. Baylor was invited to the Bluebonnet Bowl, where the Bears defeated Colorado. The team played home games at Baylor Stadium in Waco, Texas.
The Bears offense scored 325 points, while the Bears defense allowed 207 points. In the Battle of the Brazos, Texas Football magazine voted the 1986 football game between Baylor and Texas A&M the outstanding game of the Southwest Conference of the 1980s. Texas A&M overcame a 17–0 deficit, and won the game, 31–30, and later won the SWC title and earned a berth in the Cotton Bowl Classic.[1]
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|
| September 6 | at Wyoming* | No. 12 | | | W 31–28 | 20,542 | [2] |
| September 13 | Louisiana Tech* | No. 12 | | | W 38–7 | 31,000 | [3] |
| September 20 | USC* | No. 9 | | ABC | L 14–17 | 35,000 | [4] |
| September 27 | at Texas Tech | No. 17 | | Raycom | W 45–14 | 41,046 | [5] |
| October 4 | Houston | No. 13 | | ESPN | W 27–13 | 34,000 | [6] |
| October 11 | No. T–20 SMU | No. 13 | | | L 21–27 | 36,927 | [7] |
| October 18 | at No. 11 Texas A&M | No. T–20 | | ABC | L 30–31 | 74,739 | [8] |
| October 25 | at TCU | | | Raycom | W 28–17 | 24,101 | [9] |
| November 8 | No. 10 Arkansas | | | Raycom | W 29–14 | 44,500 | [10] |
| November 15 | at Rice | No. 18 | | | W 23–17 | 12,500 | [11] |
| November 22 | Texas | No. 17 | | | W 18–13 | 42,500 | [12] |
| December 31 | vs. Colorado* | No. 14 | | Raycom | W 21–9 | 40,470 | [13] |
- *Non-conference game
- Homecoming
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
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Game summaries
USC
USC at Baylor
| Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Trojans |
0 |
7 | 0 | 10 |
17 |
| No. 9 Bears |
7 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
14 |
Scoring summary |
| 1 | | Baylor | Matt Clark 1-yard run (Terry Syler kick) | Baylor 7–0 |
|
| 2 | 0:15 | USC | Tim McDonald 99-yard fumble return (Don Shafer kick) | Tied 7–7 |
|
| 4 | 7:24 | Baylor | Charles Perry 3-yard run (Terry Syler kick) | Baylor 14–7 |
| 3:50 | USC | Ken Henry 12-yard pass from Rodney Peete (Don Shafer kick) | Tied 14–14 |
| 0:00 | USC | Don Shafer 32-yard field goal | USC 17–14 |
Visiting USC stunned the No. 9 Bears on a 32-yard field goal on the final play. Baylor dominated the game statistically, outgaining USC 408-197, holding a 26-11 advantage is first downs (including not allowing USC a first down through three quarters), and maintaining a 15-minute advantage in time of possession (37:47 to 22:13). Mirroring the result of last year's matchup, the unranked road team knocked off the host with an AP top ten ranking.[14]
Roster
| 1986 Baylor Bears football team roster
|
| Players
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Coaches
|
| Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
| Pos. |
# |
Name |
Class
|
| PK
|
32
|
Jim Mueller
|
Sr
|
| K
|
|
Terry Syler
|
So
|
|
- Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
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After the season
Awards and honors
Team players drafted into the NFL
The following players were drafted into professional football following the season.[16]
References
- ^ "High Five: Texas A&M-Baylor".
- ^ "Baylor averts upset". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. September 7, 1986. Retrieved April 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Baylor gets answers in 38–7 romp". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. September 14, 1986. Retrieved July 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Southern Cal kick beats Baylor, 17–14". The Paris News. September 21, 1986. Retrieved April 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Baylor bounces Texas Tech". The Tyler Courier-Times-Telegraph. September 28, 1986. Retrieved April 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bears' Rose plucks win from Coogs". The Abilene Reporter-News. October 5, 1986. Retrieved April 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Collins' hunch correct as Ponies shock Bears". Bryan-College Station Eagle. October 12, 1986. Retrieved April 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Murray whips Aggies past Baylor". The Corpus Christi Caller-Times. October 19, 1986. Retrieved April 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bears get big play to nip TCU". The Victoria Advocate. October 26, 1986. Retrieved April 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Baylor bowls over Arkansas, 29–14". Waco Tribune-Herald. November 9, 1986. Retrieved April 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Baylor Bears survive Owls". Wichita Falls Times. November 16, 1986. Retrieved April 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Baylor squeaks out 18–13 win over UT". The Orange Leader. November 23, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bears rip Buffs in Bluebonnet, 21–9". The Kilgore News Herald. January 1, 1987. Retrieved April 19, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "At the End, USC Takes Baylor by Storm, 17-14". The Los Angeles Times. September 21, 1986. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ "Do You Know Which Team Has the Most College Football Championships?". Archived from the original on April 2, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
- ^ "1987 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2007.
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