1986 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game

This article is about the Division I-AA (now FCS) championship game. For the Division I-A (now FBS) champions, see 1986 Penn State Nittany Lions football team.

College football game

1986 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship

I-AA National Championship Game
Diamond Bowl II
| Georgia Southern Eagles | Arkansas State Indians

|

(12–2) | (12–1–1)
Independent | Southland
48 | 21
Head coach:
Erk Russell | Head coach:
Larry Lacewell
| NCAA| Seed

|

4| 4
| NCAA| Seed

|

2| 2
|  | 1| 2| 3| 4 | Total

|
|
|
|
|

Georgia Southern | 10| 16| 15| 7 | 48
Arkansas State | 7| 0| 8| 6 | 21
Date| December 19, 1986
Season| 1986
Stadium| Tacoma Dome
Location| Tacoma, Washington
Referee| Gary Peters[1]
Attendance| 4,419[1]
United States TV coverage
Network| ESPN[2]
Announcers| Tim Brando and Kevin Kiley
|  NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship

< 1985 | 1987 >

The 1986 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Arkansas State Indians (now the Arkansas State Red Wolves) and the Georgia Southern Eagles. The game was played on December 19, 1986, at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington.[1] The culminating game of the 1986 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Georgia Southern, 48–21.[3] Georgia Southern, the defending champion from 1985, became the first program to win consecutive Division I-AA titles.

Contemporary news reports also referred to this game as Diamond Bowl II,[4] as the NCAA had introduced Diamond Bowl branding for the Division I-AA championship game in 1985.[5] The on-field logo at midfield included "1986 Diamond Bowl" wording.[6] NCAA records list the game date as Saturday, December 20, 1986;[7] however, contemporary news reports are clear that the game was played on the evening of Friday, December 19, 1986.[4][3]

## Teams

[edit]

The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 1986 I-AA Playoffs, which began with a 16-team bracket.[8]

### Georgia Southern Eagles

[edit]

Main article: 1986 Georgia Southern Eagles football team

Georgia Southern finished their regular season with a 9–2 record; they played two Division I-A programs, losing to both Florida and East Carolina.[9] Ranked fourth in the final NCAA I-AA in-house poll[10] and seeded fourth in the tournament, the Eagles defeated North Carolina A&T, Nicholls State, and top-seed Nevada to reach the final. This was the second appearance for Georgia Southern in a Division I-AA championship game, having won in 1985.

### Arkansas State Indians

[edit]

See also: Arkansas State Indians football

Arkansas State finished their regular season with a 9–1–1 record (5–0 in conference); they played four games against Division I-A programs, resulting in two wins (Memphis and Texas A&M), one loss (Mississippi State), and a tie (Ole Miss).[11] Ranked second in the final NCAA I-AA in-house poll[10] and seeded second in the tournament, the Indians defeated Sam Houston State, Delaware, and Eastern Kentucky to reach the final. This was the first appearance for Arkansas State in a Division I-AA championship game.

## Game summary

[edit]

### Scoring summary

[edit]

Scoring summary

| Quarter  | Time  | Drive | Team  | Scoring information  | Score

|
|
|
|
|

Plays | Yards  | TOP | GSC  | stAte
1  | 11:03  | 7  | 31  | 3:43  | GSC  | 20-yard field goal by Tim Foley  | 3  | 0
1  | 6:08  | 9  | 62  | 4:04  | GSC  | Gerald Harris 1-yard touchdown run, Foley kick good  | 10  | 0
1  | 3:08  | 8  | 97  | 3:00  | stAte  | Boris Whiteside 15-yard touchdown run, Scott Roper kick good  | 10  | 7
2  | 13:21  | 10  | 64  | 4:40  | GSC  | 30-yard field goal by Foley  | 13  | 7
2  | 6:53  | 9  | 69  | 4:28  | GSC  | 25-yard field goal by Foley  | 16  | 7
2  | 1:33  | 9  | 95  | 3:37  | GSC  | Tracy Ham 25-yard touchdown run, Foley kick good  | 23  | 7
2  | 0:06  | 5  | 32  | 0:39  | GSC  | 36-yard field goal by Foley  | 26  | 7
3  | 12:11  | 6  | 77  | 2:49  | GSC  | Ham 31-yard touchdown run, 2-point pass good (Herman Barron from Ham)  | 34  | 7
3  | 8:55  |  |  |  | stAte  | Safety: GSC snapped ball out of end zone on a punt attempt  | 34  | 9
3  | 8:17  | 2  | 50  | 0:14  | GSC  | Ham 11-yard touchdown run, Foley kick good  | 41  | 9
3  | 5:36  | 6  | 76  | 2:41  | stAte  | Whiteside 15-yard touchdown run, 2-point pass failed  | 41  | 15
4  | 10:52  | 2  | 73  | 0:49  | GSC  | Ricky Harris 79-yard touchdown reception from Ham, Foley kick good  | 48  | 15
4  | 5:15  | 3  | 67  | 0:43  | stAte  | Cazzy Francis 44-yard touchdown run, 2-point pass failed  | 48  | 21
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 48  | 21

[1]

### Game statistics

[edit]

| 1  | 2  | 3  | 4 | Total

|
|
|
|
|

Eagles | 10  | 16  | 15  | 7 | 48
Indians  | 7  | 0  | 8  | 6 | 21
Tacoma Dome, site of the 1986 Division I-AA championship game Statistics  | GSC  | stAte

|
|

First downs | 28 | 21
Plays–yards | 70–603 | 69–424
Rushes–yards | 58–297 | 51–343
Passing yards | 306 | 81
Passing: comp–att–int | 12–22–0 | 8–18–1
Time of possession | 35:43 | 24:17
Team | Category | Player | Statistics

|
|
|

Georgia Southern  | Passing | Tracy Ham | 12–21, 306 yds, 1 TD
Rushing | Tracy Ham | 24 car, 180 yds, 3 TD
Receiving | Ricky Harris | 3 rec, 143 yds, 1 TD
Arkansas State  | Passing | Dwane Brown | 8–71, 81 yds, 1 INT
Rushing | Richard Kimble | 13 car, 134 yds
Receiving | Andre Tate | 2 rec, 29 yds

[1]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e "NCAA Official Scoring Summary" (PDF). December 19, 1986. Retrieved May 2, 2019 - via Amazon Web Services.
2. ^ "Quarterbacks duel in Division I-AA title game". The San Bernardino Sun. San Bernardino, California. AP. December 19, 1986. p. C2. Retrieved May 2, 2019 - via newspapers.com.
3. ^ a b "Georgia Southern wins I-AA football crown". Reno Gazette-Journal. Reno, Nevada. December 20, 1986. p. 1B. Retrieved May 2, 2019 - via newspapers.com.
4. ^ a b "Georgia Southern goes for 2nd-straight title". The News-Press. Fort Myers, Florida. AP. December 19, 1986. p. 5C. Retrieved May 2, 2019 - via newspapers.com.
5. ^ "I-AA championship moved to Tacoma". Billings Gazette. Billings, Montana. AP. January 5, 1985. p. 2-C. Retrieved May 1, 2019 - via newspapers.com.
6. ^ "1986 I-AA National Championship - Georgia Southern vs Arkansas State". Lewis Sports Network. August 7, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2019 - via YouTube.
7. ^ "1986 NCAA Division I Football Championship" (PDF). NCAA.org. p. 14. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
8. ^ "I-AA playoffs". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. November 24, 1986. p. C5. Retrieved February 6, 2019 - via newspapers.com.
9. ^ "Georgia Southern Eagles 1986 Schedule". cfbinfo.com. Retrieved May 2, 2019.[permanent dead link]
10. ^ a b "Division I-AA Poll". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. November 25, 1986. p. 4-C. Retrieved May 2, 2019 - via newspapers.com.
11. ^ "Arkansas State Red Wolves 1986 Schedule". cfbinfo.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2019.

## Further reading

[edit]

* "National Championship Rewind: 1986". gseagles.com. October 2, 2016. Retrieved May 2, 2019.

## External links

[edit]

* 1986 I-AA National Championship - Georgia Southern vs Arkansas State via YouTube

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*[comp]: Completions
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