1987 Miami Hurricanes football team

1987 Miami Hurricanes football
National Champions Orange Bowl Champions
1988 Orange Bowl, W 20–14 vs. Oklahoma
Conference	Independent
Ranking
Coaches	#1
AP	#1
1987 record	12–0
Head coach	Jimmy Johnson
Offensive scheme	Pro Style
Defensive coordinator	Dave Wannstedt
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Miami Orange Bowl (Capacity: 75,500)

1987 Division I-A independents football records
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
#1 Miami (FL)		–		–				12	–	0	–	0
#4 Syracuse		–		–				11	–	0	–	1
#2 Florida State		–		–				11	–	1	–	0
#15 South Carolina		–		–				8	–	4	–	0
Pittsburgh		–		–				8	–	4	–	0
Penn State		–		–				8	–	4	–	0
#17 Notre Dame		–		–				8	–	4	–	0
Southern Miss		–		–				6	–	5	–	0
Rutgers		–		–				6	–	5	–	0
Southwestern Louisiana		–		–				6	–	5	–	0
Memphis		–		–				5	–	5	–	1
Northern Illinois		–		–				5	–	5	–	1
West Virginia		–		–				6	–	6	–	0
Tulane		–		–				6	–	6	–	0
Army		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
Boston College		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
East Carolina		–		–				5	–	6	–	0
Akron		–		–				4	–	7	–	0
Cincinnati		–		–				4	–	7	–	0
Louisville		–		–				3	–	7	–	1
Temple		–		–				3	–	8	–	0
Tulsa		–		–				3	–	8	–	0
Navy		–		–				2	–	9	–	0
Virginia Tech		–		–				2	–	9	–	0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1987 Miami Hurricanes football team were the national champions of the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. The national championship was the second of five won by the University of Miami in football.

Season summary

Pre-season

After taking over as head coach in 1984, Jimmy Johnson had a winning record, but some critics questioned whether he could gain a national championship.

In 1985, Miami finished the regular season 10-1, and had a chance to win the national title with Penn State's loss to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. Needing a victory over Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl, Miami jumped out to a 7-0 lead. Tennessee then scored 35 unanswered to derail Miami's title hopes.

In 1986, Miami achieved a perfect 11-0 regular season record. Led by Heisman Trophy-winner Vinny Testaverde, a record breaking offense, and the 5th-ranked defense in the country, #1 Miami was a prohibitive favorite heading into its Fiesta Bowl matchup against #2 Penn State. However, Penn State was able to disrupt the Miami passing game and force the Hurricanes into seven turnovers. Penn State won the national championship with a 14-10 victory over Miami that was sealed when a Testaverde pass from the Penn State 6-yard line was intercepted in the endzone by linebacker Pete Giftopoulos with 0:18 left in the game.

After losing three key players (Testaverde, Alonzo Highsmith, and Jerome Brown) from the '86 squad who were selected within the first nine picks of the 1987 NFL Draft, 1987 was expected to be somewhat of a reloading year for Miami, which began the season ranked 10th in the nation by the AP poll.

Regular season

Under the direction of sophomore quarterback Steve Walsh and a defense that returned nine starters, Miami opened the regular season with a win over rival Florida, 31-4. The game would prove to be the last in a series that had been played annually since 1944. The teams would not meet in the regular season again until the 2001 season. The victory over Florida was followed by a 51-7 victory over #10 Arkansas Razorbacks in Little Rock, which would catapult Miami to a #3 ranking.

Miami's rigorous early season schedule continued the next week with a showdown with #4 Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. The October 3 game featured not only high drama, but also an astounding 56 players who would go on to play in the NFL. Miami scored first with a second-quarter field goal, but Florida State, fielding a team many consider to be the best in school history, took control of the game after that. A 67-yard run by Florida State running back Sammie Smith was followed by a 1-yard touchdown run from Dayne Williams, giving FSU a 7-3 lead. A 36-yard field goal from Derek Schmidt pushed the Seminoles' lead to 10-3 at the half.

After Schmidt missed a third-quarter field goal wide right, Miami took over, but went three-and-out and was forced to punt. The ensuing punt by Jeff Feagles was blocked and returned by Florida State for a touchdown, increasing the Florida State lead to 16-3 (Schmidt missed the extra point). Miami was forced to punt again, and a big return by FSU's Deion Sanders put Florida State in position to add another Schmidt field goal to make the score 19-3.

With Miami having been unable to mount any offense to that point, the Hurricanes looked to be in dire straits late in the third quarter. Spurred on by an impassioned speech from receiver Michael Irvin, the Hurricanes were able to keep their focus and climbed back into the game when Walsh found a streaking Melvin Bratton for a 49-yard touchdown. Miami went for two, which they converted when Walsh was able to hook up with receiver Brian Blades, trimming the FSU lead to 19-11 heading into the fourth quarter.

The final quarter was filled with back-and-forth drama. Irvin started things off when he was on the receiving end of a 26-yard touchdown pass from Walsh. With the score now at 19-17, Miami again went for two, which Miami, again, converted, this time on a pass from Walsh to Warren Williams. With the game now tied at 19-19 and its 16-point lead evaporated, Florida State staged a drive of its own, taking the ball down to the Miami 17-yard line before quarterback Danny McManus fumbled the snap, which was recovered by Bennie Blades. Miami wasted little time in capitalizing on the miscue, as four plays later Walsh hooked up with Irvin for one of the most famous plays in University of Miami history. Walsh walked to the line, read the FSU defense, and called an audible for Irvin, who was appropriately nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays. Walsh took a quick three-step drop and hung the ball up perfectly for Irvin on a fly route. Irvin was in double coverage, but was able to get behind the coverage, catch the pass, and take it 73-yards for a Miami touchdown. With 2:22 left to play, Miami led 26-19.

Florida State would not go meekly, though, as the Seminoles valiantly fought back after taking possession on their own 25-yard line. Before long, the Seminoles were in the endzone when McManus hit Ronald Lewis on a perfect corner route for 18-yards. With college football not having overtime at the time, Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden was faced with a decision: attempt the extra point and settle for a 26-26 tie, or attempt a two-point conversion and go for the win. Complicating matters was the fact that Schmidt, FSU's kicker, had looked shaky on this day, already missing on a field goal attempt and on an extra point attempt. Nevertheless, Bowden initially had decided to kick the extra point and settle for the tie, as he had stated when asked before the game what he would if he found himself in this exact predicament. But after the FSU offense protested and urged their coach to go for the win, Bowden changed his mind and decided to go for the two, betting both FSU's and Miami's national championship hopes on the outcome. FSU called a pass play. McManus took the snap, looked for a receiver, and then threw into the right corner of the endzone. The ball was underthrown and broken up by Miami defensive back Bubba McDowell before it could reach its intended target. With Miami up 26-25, Florida State attempted an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, but Miami recovered the ball with 0:42 left and was able to run out the clock, sealing the Hurricane victory.

Having successfully negotiated its brutal early season schedule, Miami won its next six games with ease, beating Maryland (46-16), Cincinnati (48-10), East Carolina (41-3), Miami (Ohio) (54-3), Virginia Tech (27-13), and Toledo (24-14).

Next up for the now 2nd-ranked Hurricanes was a date with #10 Notre Dame in Miami. Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz brought an upset minded Irish squad to the Orange Bowl, but they proved to be little match for Daniel Stubbs and a relentless Hurricane defense. Miami continued its dominance over Notre Dame, shutting out the Irish, 24-0, and beating them for the fourth straight time. It was also the first time Notre Dame had been shutout since 1983, when they were also shutout at the hands of the Hurricanes.

Miami's final regular season game came at home against #8 South Carolina. South Carolina played a spirited game and gave the Hurricanes all they could handle. Eventually, Miami was able to walk away from the nail biter with a hard fought 20-16 victory, capping an 11-0 regular season.

The Orange Bowl

The 1988 Orange Bowl featured "Game of the Century"-type billing as the undefeated and top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners faced off against undefeated and second-ranked Miami for the national championship. Adding to the hype was the recent on-field history between the teams. Oklahoma was a dominant force in college football, winning the national championship in 1985 and losing just one game in each of the preceding two years. Miami, though, had proven to be the thorn in Oklahoma's side, as the Sooners' losses in '85 and '86 had both come at the hands of Miami. Now, with the national championship on the line, Miami sought to make it three-losses-in-three-years for Oklahoma. Further fuel for the fire was provided by the growing personal animosity between Johnson and Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer.

Miami's vaunted defense set the tone early, forcing the Sooners to punt on their first five possessions. Meanwhile, Walsh settled into a nice rhythm, putting Miami on the board first with a 30-yard touchdown pass to fullback Melvin Bratton, who caught 9 passes for 102 yards for the game. Oklahoma got on the board with a second-quarter touchdown to tie things up, but Miami responded with 10 unanswered third quarter points, coming on a 56-yard field goal by kicker Greg Cox and a 23-yard touchdown pass from Walsh to Irvin. Oklahoma would add a fourth-quarter touchdown to trim the score to 20-14, but Miami held on for the win and the national championship. Johnson received a Gatorade bath, which messed his trademark impeccably coiffed hair, and was carried off the field, having finally won "the big one" at Miami.

The Hurricane defense held Oklahoma to just 255 yards of offense, while Walsh's efficient play (18 of 30, 209 yards, 2 touchdowns) paced the Hurricane offense. Middle linebacker Bernard "Tiger" Clark- a backup middle linebacker who was forced to start after starting MLB George Mira Jr. was suspended for failing a drug test- was named the MVP of the Orange Bowl after recording 14 tackles (12 unassisted).

With the win, Miami completed its first ever undefeated season. In winning their second national championship, the Canes once again had to go through the nation's top-ranked team at the Orange Bowl, just as they had done in 1983.

Starting lineup

Offense

Position	Name
QB	Steve Walsh
HB	Melvin Bratton
HB	Warren Williams
TE	Charles Henry
SE	Brian Blades
WR	Michael Irvin
LT	Matt Patchan
LG	Mike Sullivan
C	Bobby Garcia
RG	Scott Provin
RT	John O'Neill

Defense

Position	Name
RE	Bill Hawkins
DT	Greg Mark
DT	Derwin Jones
LE	Daniel Stubbs
WLB	Rod Carter
MLB	George Mira Jr.
SLB	Randy Shannon
RCB	Tolbert Bain
LCB	Bubba McDowell
FS	Bennie Blades
SS	Selwyn Brown

Special teams

Position	Name
K	Greg Cox
P	Jeff Feagles
KR	Randal Hill
KR	Alex Johnson
PR	Cleveland Gary

Coaching staff

Name	Position	Year	Alma mater
Jimmy Johnson	Head Coach	4th	Arkansas, 1965
Dave Wannstedt	Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers	2nd	Pittsburgh, 1974
Gary Stevens	Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks	8th	John Carroll, 1965
Hubbard Alexander	Wide Receivers	9th	Tennessee State, 1962
Butch Davis	Defensive Line	4th	Arkansas, 1974
Dave Campo	Defensive Backs	1st	Central Connecticut State, 1969
Joe Brodsky	Running Backs	10th	Florida, 1956
Don Soldinger	Tight Ends	4th	Memphis, 1967
Tony Wise	Offensive Line	3rd	Ithaca College, 1972
Art Kehoe	Assistant Offensive Line	3rd	Miami, 1982
Bill Foran	Strength and Conditioning Coach	3rd	Central Michigan University, 1977

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 5	1:00 PM	#20 Florida	#10	Miami Orange Bowl • Miami, FL (Seminole War Canoe)	WTBS	W 31–4	77,224
September 26	4:00 PM	at #10 Arkansas	#5	War Memorial Stadium • Little Rock, AR	ESPN	W 51–7	55,310
October 3	2:30 PM	at #4 Florida State	#3	Doak Campbell Stadium • Tallahassee, FL (Florida State–Miami rivalry)	CBS	W 26–25	62,561
October 10	7:30 PM	Maryland	#3	Miami Orange Bowl • Miami, FL		W 46–16	43,020
October 24	8:00 PM	at Cincinnati	#3	Riverfront Stadium • Cincinnati, OH	WPLG	W 48–10	20,011
October 31	12:00 PM	at East Carolina	#3	Ficklen Memorial Stadium • Greenville, NC	Raycom	W 41–3	31,791
November 7	7:30 PM	Miami (OH)	#3	Miami Orange Bowl • Miami, FL		W 54–3	40,128
November 14	7:30 PM	Virginia Tech	#3	Miami Orange Bowl • Miami, FL		W 27–13	40,105
November 21	7:30 PM	Toledo	#3	Miami Orange Bowl • Miami, FL		W 24–14	37,010
November 28	3:30 PM	#10 Notre Dame	#2	Miami Orange Bowl • Miami, FL	CBS	W 24–0	76,640
December 5	8:00 PM	#8 South Carolina	#2	Miami Orange Bowl • Miami, FL	ESPN	W 20–16	63,317
January 1	8:00 PM	vs. #1 Oklahoma	#2	Miami Orange Bowl • Miami, FL (Orange Bowl)	NBC	W 20–14	74,760
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Eastern Time.

Game notes

at #4 Florida St.

See also: 1987 Florida State Seminoles football team

Orange Bowl vs. #1 Oklahoma

1 2 3 4 Total • #2 Miami 7 0 10 3 20 #1 Oklahoma 0 7 0 7 14 Date: January 1, 1988 Location: Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida Game attendance: 74,760 TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy Source: Box Score

Scoring summary 1 Miami Bratton 30-yard pass from Walsh (Cox kick) Miami 7-0 2 OU Stafford 1-yard run (Lashar kick) Tied 7-7 3 Miami Cox 56-yard FG Miami 10-7 3 Miami Irvin 23-yard pass from Walsh (Cox kick) Miami 17-7 4 Miami Cox 48-yard FG Miami 20-7 4 OU Hutson 29-yard run (Lashar kick) Miami 20-14

See also: 1987 Oklahoma Sooners football team

Awards and honors

Consensus All-Americans

• Bennie Blades, FS
• Daniel Stubbs, LE

Awards finalists

Bold indicates winners

• Bennie Blades, FS - Jim Thorpe Award
• Daniel Stubbs, LE - Outland Trophy

Jack Harding University of Miami MVP Award

• Steve Walsh, QB

Trivia

• From 1985 through 1987, the Oklahoma Sooners only lost three games in three seasons, but each of those losses came at the hands of the Miami Hurricanes.