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This Date in College Football Belt History – January 1
January 1, 1985 -For the first time in Belt history, the Fiesta Bowl was the site of The Belt championship battle. Coach Terry Donahue & the 14th ranked UCLA Bruins at 8-3 met the 13th ranked, 8-4 Miami Hurricanes of coach Jimmy Johnson. Miami had held The Belt earlier in the season having defeated Auburn in the opener but lost the title at Michigan two weeks later. This game featured 7 lead changes as both teams apparently left their defenses at home. UCLA’s RB Gaston Green, making his first career start, ran for 144 yards with 2 touchdowns while QB Steve Bono threw for 2 touchdowns & All-Pac 10 PK John Lee kicked 3 field goals including a 22-yarder with 0:51 to play in a 39-37 UCLA win. Green opened the scoring with a 6-yard touchdown run but the Hurricanes responded with a 34-yard touchdown run by RB Darryl Oliver & a 68-yard punt return by All-American WR Eddie Brown. When Miami’s QB Bernie Kosar found WR Brian Blades for a 48-yard touchdown pass it looked like the Hurricanes had the momentum with a 21-7 lead. Green broke loose for a 72-yard touchdown run & UCLA’s S Josh Shinnick tackled Miami’s P Rick Tuten in the end zone for a safety. Lee then hit field goals from 51 & 33 yards giving the Bruins a 22-21 halftime lead. In the 3rd quarter, the Hurricanes got the lead back when PK Greg Cox hit a 31-yard field goal but UCLA retook the lead with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Bono to WR Mike Sherrard for the 29-24 Bruin advantage. In the 4th quarter, a 33-yard touchdown pass from Bono to WR Mike Young pushed the lead to 36-24 but the Hurricanes were ready to rally. Miami’s RB Melvin Bratton got loose for a 19-yard touchdown run with 2:58 left & the Hurricanes defense held on the next UCLA possession. Kosar drove Miami 79 yards finding Bratton for the 3-yard touchdown pass giving the Hurricanes a 37-36 lead. With just 2:07 to play, Bono drove the Bruins 61 yards to the Miami 7-yard line setting up Lee’s field goal attempt. The drive was highlighted by Sherrard’s 28-yard reception to the Miami 11-yard line that replays showed should have been ruled out-of-bounds. Lee’s 22-yard field goal with 0:51 to play appeared to be the clincher but Kosar was not done. After completing two passes to the Miami 48-yard line, Kosar fumbled as UCLA’s NG Terry Tumey sacked him; Bruins LB Eric Smith recovered & UCLA ran out the clock. Bono finished with 243 yards passing with his 2 touchdowns while Kosar had 294 yards passing & Brown was held to just 4 catches for 54 yards, all in the 4th quarter, for the Hurricanes. UCLA finished the season 9-3; ranked 9th nationally while the Hurricanes finished 8-5 & ranked 18th nationally in Johnson’s first season. Miami would play for The Belt again in 1987.
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