This Date in College Football Belt History – January 1

Casey — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 15:52:21 +0000

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 14^th ranked UCLA Bruins at 8-3 met the 13^th 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 3^rd 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 4^th 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 4^th quarter, for the Hurricanes. UCLA finished the season 9-3; ranked 9^th nationally while the Hurricanes finished 8-5 & ranked 18^th nationally in Johnson’s first season. Miami would play for The Belt again in 1987.

The College Football Belt

This Date in College Football Belt History – September 8

Casey — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:39:35 +0000

The top-ranked, 2-0 Miami Hurricanes & coach Jimmy Johnson traveled to Ann Arbor to meet the 14^th ranked Michigan Wolverines of coach Bo Schembechler. Michigan was opening their season while Miami were playing their third ranked team in just 12 days. This Wolverines’ team was in a down cycle but still included All-Big Ten players DT Kevin Brooks & LB Mike Mallory. Michigan used a ball-control offense led by 35:53 in time of possession with 3 rushing touchdowns from RB Bob Perryman while the Wolverines’ defense recovered 2 fumbles & intercepted Miami’s QB Bernie Kosar 6 times as Michigan claimed The Belt with a 22-14 upset of the Hurricanes. The only points of the 1^st half came when the Wolverines recovered a Miami fumble on their opening possession & Perryman scored on a 6-yard touchdown run. The missed extra-point attempt left the Wolverines with a 6-0 lead that they held through halftime. The Hurricanes took the lead early in the 3^rd quarter when Kosar hit All-American WR Eddie Brown for a 32-yard touchdown pass giving Miami a 7-6 lead. Perryman’s 3-yard touchdown run in the 3^rd quarter put Michigan back in front at 12-7. Michigan’s DT Mike Hammerstein intercepted Kosar at the Miami 24-yard line & the Wolverines scored in 7 plays with Perryman carrying in on a 1-yard run for a 19-7 lead with 7:01 left in the game. The Wolverines were helped on the drive when Miami was called for a roughing the kicker penalty giving Michigan a first down at the Miami 3-yard line instead of a field goal. Perryman scored the touchdown 2 plays after the penalty. It took the Hurricanes just 0:36 to drive 80 yards on their next drive with Kosar hitting WR Stanley Shakespeare for a 44-yard touchdown pass making the score Michigan 19 Miami 14. The Wolverines ran 3 minutes off the clock before punting back to the Hurricanes but Michigan’s LB Rodney Lyles intercepted Kosar for the third time in the game to stop the rally. The Wolverines got a 27-yard field goal from PK Bob Bergeron for the final margin of victory. Michigan’s QB Jim Harbaugh threw for 163 yards but 2 interceptions. Kosar threw for 228 yards with 2 touchdowns but 6 interceptions, a fumble, & was sacked 3 times. Shakespeare had 6 catches for 111 yards with his score, & Hurricanes’ RB Alonzo Highsmith rushed for 126 yards in the loss. Miami finished the season 8-5; ranked 18^th nationally while the Wolverines finished 6-6. Miami would play for The Belt again in 1985.

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Pickin' Splinters » Jimmy Johnson

This Date in College Football Belt History – January 1

This Date in College Football Belt History – September 8