The 1985 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA", "Bama" or "The Tide") represented the University of Alabama in the 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 93rd overall and 52nd season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Ray Perkins, in his third 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 nine wins, two losses and one tie (9–2–1 overall, 4–1–1 in the SEC) and with a victory in the Aloha Bowl over USC.
Quick Facts Alabama Crimson Tide football, Aloha Bowl champion ...
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More information Conf, Overall ...
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Highlights of the 1985 season included a last-second, 20–16 comeback victory on Labor Day over Georgia to open the season.[1] The 1985 edition of the Iron Bowl against Auburn is regarded as one of Alabama's most dramatic victories in the history of the series. In the game, Alabama led 16–10 after three quarters, but saw four lead changes in the fourth quarter, including two in the final minute.[2] It ended with Van Tiffin's 52-yard field goal as time expired to give Alabama a 25–23 victory.[2] Tiffin's field goal is remembered simply as "The Kick" in Alabama lore.[3][4]
Due to NCAA sanctions that led to the forfeit of Alabama's 1993 17–17 tie with Tennessee, and college football's adoption of an overtime that does not allow ties, the 14–14 tie with LSU remains the last official tie in school history.[5][6]
More information Date, Time ...
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
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| 7:00 p.m. | at Georgia | | | ABC | W 20–16 | 81,277 | [7] |
September 14 | 6:45 p.m. | Texas A&M* | No. 20 | | ESPN | W 23–10 | 74,697 | [8] |
September 21 | 1:30 p.m. | Cincinnati* | No. 16 | | PPV | W 45–10 | 58,714 | [9] |
September 28 | 11:30 a.m. | at Vanderbilt | No. 15 | | WTBS | W 40–20 | 41,186 | [10] |
October 12 | 2:30 p.m. | at No. 8 Penn State* | No. 10 | | ABC | L 17–19 | 85,444 | [11] |
October 19 | 11:30 a.m. | No. 20 Tennessee | No. 15 | | WTBS | L 14–16 | 75,808 | [12] |
October 26 | 1:30 p.m. | at Memphis State* | | | PPV | W 28–9 | 37,609 | [13] |
November 2 | 1:30 p.m. | Mississippi State![dagger](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Dagger-14-plain.png) | | - Bryant–Denny Stadium
- Tuscaloosa, AL (rivalry)
| | W 44–28 | 60,210 | [14] |
November 9 | 2:30 p.m. | at No. 15 LSU | No. 20 | | ABC | T 14–14 | 76,772 | [15] |
November 16 | 1:30 p.m. | Southern Miss* | No. 20 | - Bryant–Denny Stadium
- Tuscaloosa, AL (rivalry)
| | W 24–13 | 58,714 | [16] |
November 30 | 2:30 p.m. | vs. No. 7 Auburn | | | ABC | W 25–23 | 75,808 | [17] |
December 28 | 7:00 p.m. | vs. USC* | No. 13 | | ISN | W 24–3 | 35,183 | [18] |
- *Non-conference game
Homecoming- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
- All times are in Central time
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[19]
More information Players, Coaches ...
1985 Alabama Crimson Tide football team roster |
Players |
Coaches |
Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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- Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
Injured
Redshirt
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More information Week, Poll ...
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked | Week |
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Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Final |
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AP | — | — | 20 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 15 | — | — | 20 | 20 | — | — | 15 | 15 | 13 |
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Coaches | — | | 16 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 14 | — | 20 | 20 | — | — | — | 14 | 14 | 14 |
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[20]
Texas A&M
More information Total, Scoring summary ...
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Aggies |
0 |
3 | 7 | 0 |
10 |
• No. 20 Crimson Tide |
7 |
3 | 0 | 13 |
23 |
- Date: September 14
- Location: Legion Field
- Game attendance: 74,697
- Television network: ESPN
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Scoring summary |
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| 1 | | ALA | Chester Braggs 2-yard run (Van Tiffin kick) | ALA 7–0 |
| 2 | 2:46 | A&M | Eric Franklin 20-yard field goal | ALA 7–3 |
| ALA | Van Tiffin 57-yard field goal | ALA 10–3 |
| 3 | | A&M | Anthony Toney 1-yard run (kick) | Tied 10–10 |
| 4 | 11:15 | ALA | Van Kiffin 40-yard field goal | ALA 13–10 |
| ALA | Van Kiffin 51-yard field goal | ALA 16–10 |
1:07 | ALA | Craig Turner 32-yard run (Tiffin kick) | ALA 23–10 |
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At LSU
More information Total, Scoring summary ...
Alabama at LSU
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
No. 20 Crimson Tide |
7 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
14 |
No. 15 Tigers |
0 |
0 | 14 | 0 |
14 |
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Vs. Auburn
More information Total, Scoring summary ...
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
• Crimson Tide |
10 |
6 | 0 | 9 |
25 |
No. 7 Tigers |
0 |
10 | 0 | 13 |
23 |
- Date: November 30
- Location: Legion Field
- Game attendance: 75,808
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Scoring summary |
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| Q1 | | ALA | Turner 1-yard run (Tiffin kick) | ALA 7–0 |
| Q1 | | ALA | Tiffin 26-yard field goal | ALA 10–0 |
| Q2 | | ALA | Tiffin 32-yard field goal | ALA 13–0 |
| Q2 | | AUB | Jackson 7-yard run (Johnson kick) | ALA 13–7 |
| Q2 | | ALA | Tiffin 42-yard field goal | ALA 16–7 |
| Q2 | | AUB | Johnson 49-yard field goal | ALA 16–10 |
| Q4 | | AUB | Jackson 1-yard run (Johnson kick) | AUB 17–16 |
| Q4 | | ALA | Jelks 74-yard run (pass failed) | ALA 22–17 |
| Q4 | :57 | AUB | Ware 1-yard run (run failed) | AUB 23–22 |
| Q4 | :00 | ALA | Tiffin 52-yard field goal | ALA 25–23 |
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Van Tiffin kicked his fourth field goal of the game, from 52 yards out, as time expired to give Alabama the Iron Bowl victory.
[22]
General
Specific
1985 Game Recaps, Game No. 11
Rappaport, Ken; Barry Wilmer (2007). Football Feuds: The Greatest College Football Rivalries. Guilford, Connecticut: The Lyons Press. pp. 85–86. ISBN 978-1-59921-014-8. Hersch, Hank (December 9, 1985). "The Week". Sports Illustrated. SI.com. Retrieved February 21, 2012. Eugene Register-Guard. 1985 Dec 1. Retrieved 2015-Sep-18.