1986 Orange Bowl

College football game

1986 Orange Bowl

52nd Orange Bowl
National Championship Game
| Penn State Nittany Lions | Oklahoma Sooners

|

(11–0) | (10–1)
Independent | Big 8
10 | 25
Head coach:
Joe Paterno | Head coach:
Barry Switzer
| AP| Coaches

|

1| 1
| AP| Coaches

|

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

|
|
|
|
|

Penn State | 7| 3| 0| 0 | 10
Oklahoma | 0| 16| 3| 6 | 25
Date| January 1, 1986
Season| 1985
Stadium| Orange Bowl
Location| Miami, Florida
MVP| Sonny Brown (Oklahoma DB)
Tim Lashar (Oklahoma K)
Favorite| Oklahoma by 7 points[1]
Referee| Robert Aillet (SEC)
Attendance| 74,178
United States TV coverage
Network| NBC
Announcers| Don Criqui (play-by-play)
Bob Trumpy (color analyst)
Bob Griese and Jimmy Cefalo (sideline)
Nielsen ratings| 21.3
|  Orange Bowl

< 1985 |  1987 >
College Football Championship Game

< 1984 | 1987 >

The 1986 Orange Bowl was the 52nd edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday, January 1\. Part of the 1985–86 bowl game season, it matched the independent and top-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions and the #3 Oklahoma Sooners of the Big Eight Conference.[2] Favored Oklahoma trailed early but won 25–10.[3][4][5][6]

## Teams

[edit]

Main article: 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season

### Penn State

[edit]

Main article: 1985 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

The Nittany Lions won all eleven games, were the only undefeated team coming into this matchup and were ranked first in both polls, but were an underdog in this game. This was Penn State's first Orange Bowl appearance in twelve years.

### Oklahoma

[edit]

Main article: 1985 Oklahoma Sooners football team

The #3 Sooners' sole loss was at home to Miami in mid-October. This was Oklahoma's second straight Orange Bowl appearance and their second straight Big Eight Conference title.

## Game summary

[edit]

The final game of a tripleheader on NBC, the game followed the Rose Bowl and kicked off shortly after 8 p.m. EST, at the same time as the Sugar Bowl on ABC,[2] which matched second-ranked Miami and #8 Tennessee.

Tim Manoa gave Penn State an early lead on a short touchdown run and they led 7–0 after the first quarter. But Tim Lashar kicked three field goals and Keith Jackson caught a 71-yard touchdown pass from Jamelle Holieway as Oklahoma scored sixteen points in the second quarter while Massimo Manca gave the Nittany Lions their only points of the quarter with a late field goal to make it 16–10 at halftime.

Penn State was shut out from there, as Oklahoma's defense took over. Brian Bosworth had twelve tackles and the defense had a total of four interceptions. In the second half, Lashar kicked his third field goal, and Lydell Carr broke for a 61-yard touchdown run to seal the championship for the Sooners.[3][4][7]

Kicker Lashar and defensive back Sonny Brown were named the game's most valuable players.

1976 Orange Bowl

Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3| 4| Total

|
|
|
|
|

No.1 Penn State | 7 | 3 | 0| 0| 10
No. 3 Oklahoma | 0 | 16 | 3| 6| 25

at Orange Bowl • Miami, Florida

* Date: Wednesday, January 1, 1986
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST
* Game attendance: 74,178
* TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui (play-by-play), Bob Trumpy (color analyst), Bob Griese and Jimmy Cefalo (sideline)

Game information

First quarter

* PSU – Tim Manoa 1-yard run (Massimo Manca kick)

Second quarter

* OKLA – Tim Lashar 26-yard field goal
* OKLA – Keith Jackson 71-yard pass from Jamelle Holieway (Lashar kick)
* OKLA – Lashar 31-yard field goal
* OKLA – Lashar 21-yard field goal
* PSU – Manca 27-yard field goal

Third quarter

* OKLA – Lashar 22-yard field goal

Fourth quarter

* OKLA – Lydell Carr 61-yard run (kick failed)

### Statistics

[edit]

Statistics  | PSU  | OKLA

|
|

First downs | 14 | 12
Plays–yards |  |
Rushes–yards | 36–103 | 52–228
Passing yards | 164 | 91
Passing: comp–att–int | 18–34–4 | 3–6–0
Time of possession | 31:23 | 28:37
Team | Category | Player | Statistics

|
|
|

PSU  | Passing |  |
Rushing |  |
Receiving |  |
Oklahoma  | Passing |  |
Rushing |  |
Receiving |  |

Source:[3][4]

## Aftermath

[edit]

The Sooners' championship became unanimous following #2 Miami's 35–7 loss to Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl, which was played at the same time. If the Hurricanes had won, the split national championship was probable as Miami was outranked by Oklahoma in the coaches poll and had soundly defeated the Sooners in Norman. The Sooners would not win the national championship again until 2000.

Penn State was in title contention again the following season, as they finished second in the polls. This time, a matchup between the #1 and #2 teams was able to be made and the Nittany Lions were scheduled to play #1 Miami for the national championship in the Fiesta Bowl, which they won.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "The latest line". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 1, 1986. p. 36.
2. ^ a b Harvey, Randy (January 1, 1986). "Latest line says Lions out of time". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). (Los Angeles Times). p. 1C.
3. ^ a b c Widlic, Kevin (January 2, 1986). "Call 'em No.1, Sooner or later". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). (Denver Post). p. 1B.
4. ^ a b c Finder, Chuck (January 2, 1986). "Oklahoma rips Penn State, 25-10". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 20.
5. ^ "Volunteers lend Sooners a hand for national crown". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). wire reports. January 2, 1986. p. C1.
6. ^ "Oklahoma tops No. 1 Penn St". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). Associated Press. January 2, 1986. p. 1B.
7. ^ "The 1980s | Orange Bowl".

* v
* t
* e

1985–86 NCAA football bowl game season

* California (Dec. 14)
* Cherry (Dec. 21)
* Independence (Dec. 21)
* Holiday (Dec. 22)
* Liberty (Dec. 27)
* Sun (Dec. 28)
* Aloha (Dec. 28)
* Florida Citrus (Dec. 28)
* Freedom (Dec. 30)
* Gator (Dec. 30)
* Bluebonnet (Dec. 31)
* Peach (Dec. 31)
* Hall of Fame Classic (Dec. 31)
* Fiesta (Jan. 1)
* Orange (Jan. 1)
* Sugar (Jan. 1)
* Rose (Jan. 1)
* Cotton (Jan. 1)

* v
* t
* e

Orange Bowl

History & conference tie-ins|

* History
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Notes|

* The game was also the national title game (Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, or Bowl Championship Series) in 1994, 1995, 1998, 2001, and 2005.
* There was an Orange Bowl in January and December in 1996, 2014, and 2021.
* The 2015, 2018, and 2021 (December) editions were College Football Playoff semifinals.

* v
* t
* e

Oklahoma Sooners bowl games

* 1939 Orange Bowl
* 1947 Gator Bowl
* 1949 Sugar Bowl
* 1950 Sugar Bowl
* 1951 Sugar Bowl
* 1954 Orange Bowl
* 1956 Orange Bowl
* 1958 Orange Bowl
* 1959 Orange Bowl
* 1963 Orange Bowl
* 1965 Gator Bowl (January)
* 1968 Orange Bowl
* 1968 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl
* 1970 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl
* 1972 Sugar Bowl (January)
* 1972 Sugar Bowl (December)
* 1976 Orange Bowl
* 1976 Fiesta Bowl
* 1978 Orange Bowl
* 1979 Orange Bowl
* 1980 Orange Bowl
* 1981 Orange Bowl
* 1981 Sun Bowl
* 1983 Fiesta Bowl
* 1985 Orange Bowl
* 1986 Orange Bowl
* 1987 Orange Bowl
* 1988 Orange Bowl #
* 1989 Florida Citrus Bowl
* 1991 Gator Bowl (December)
* 1993 John Hancock Bowl
* 1994 Copper Bowl
* 1999 Independence Bowl
* 2001 Orange Bowl #
* 2002 Cotton Bowl Classic
* 2003 Rose Bowl
* 2004 Sugar Bowl #
* 2005 Orange Bowl #
* 2005 Holiday Bowl
* 2007 Fiesta Bowl
* 2008 Fiesta Bowl
* 2009 BCS National Championship Game #
* 2009 Sun Bowl
* 2011 Fiesta Bowl
* 2011 Insight Bowl
* 2013 Cotton Bowl Classic
* 2014 Sugar Bowl
* 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl
* 2015 Orange Bowl †
* 2017 Sugar Bowl
* 2018 Rose Bowl †
* 2018 Orange Bowl †
* 2019 Peach Bowl †
* 2020 Cotton Bowl Classic
* 2021 Alamo Bowl
* 2022 Cheez-It Bowl
* 2023 Alamo Bowl

# denotes national championship game; † denotes College Football Playoff semifinal game

* v
* t
* e

Penn State Nittany Lions bowl games

* 1923 Rose Bowl
* 1948 Cotton Bowl Classic
* 1959 Liberty Bowl
* 1960 Liberty Bowl
* 1961 Gator Bowl
* 1962 Gator Bowl
* 1967 Gator Bowl
* 1969 Orange Bowl
* 1970 Orange Bowl
* 1972 Cotton Bowl Classic
* 1972 Sugar Bowl
* 1974 Orange Bowl
* 1975 Cotton Bowl Classic
* 1975 Sugar Bowl
* 1976 Gator Bowl
* 1977 Fiesta Bowl
* 1979 Sugar Bowl #
* 1979 Liberty Bowl
* 1980 Fiesta Bowl
* 1982 Fiesta Bowl
* 1983 Sugar Bowl #
* 1983 Aloha Bowl
* 1986 Orange Bowl
* 1987 Fiesta Bowl #
* 1988 Florida Citrus Bowl
* 1989 Holiday Bowl
* 1990 Blockbuster Bowl
* 1992 Fiesta Bowl
* 1993 Blockbuster Bowl
* 1994 Florida Citrus Bowl
* 1995 Rose Bowl
* 1996 Outback Bowl
* 1997 Fiesta Bowl
* 1998 Florida Citrus Bowl
* 1999 Outback Bowl
* 1999 Alamo Bowl
* 2003 Capital One Bowl
* 2006 Orange Bowl
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* 2007 Alamo Bowl
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* 2011 Outback Bowl
* 2012 TicketCity Bowl
* 2014 Pinstripe Bowl
* 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl
* 2017 Rose Bowl
* 2017 Fiesta Bowl
* 2019 Citrus Bowl
* 2019 Cotton Bowl Classic
* 2022 Outback Bowl
* 2023 Rose Bowl
* 2023 Peach Bowl

# denotes national championship game; † denotes College Football Playoff semifinal game
*[comp]: Completions
*[att]: Attempts
*[int]: Interceptions
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