1986 Rose Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 1986 Rose Bowl was a college football
bowl game
played on January 1, 1986. It was the 72nd Rose Bowl Game. The UCLA Bruins
defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes
45-28. UCLA tailback Eric Ball was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game. He ran for a Rose Bowl record four touchdowns.
, Chuck Long
, and Ronnie Harmon
were the stars for the Hawkeyes. They eventually lost one game on November 2, 1985 to Ohio State 13-22. Iowa came into the game with a record of 10-1.
After much consideration, Chuck Long delighted Iowa Hawkeye fans by declaring that he would return for his senior season. He became an instant Heisman Trophy candidate, and Iowa was a pre-season top five team. After three weeks in 1985, the Hawkeyes ascended to #1 in the national rankings.
In Iowa's first game at #1, the Hawkeyes played Michigan State. A seesaw game had Michigan State
leading, 31-28, in the waning minutes. Long drove Iowa the length of the field, and the Hawkeyes faced fourth and goal from the two yard line with just 27 seconds remaining. Since there was no overtime rule, Iowa needed to go for the touchdown and the win. Chuck Long faked a handoff to running back Ronnie Harmon
and then ran to his right. His fake had fooled the Spartan defenders, and Long ran into the endzone, holding the ball high above his head as he crossed the goal line to give Iowa a 35-31 victory. He completed a school record 30 passes on 39 attempts for 380 yards and scored five touchdowns (four passing and the game winning score rushing) in the game.
Two weeks later, #1 Iowa faced #2 Michigan
in Kinnick Stadium
. Iowa trailed 10-9 as the Hawkeyes regained possession of the football at their own 22 yard line with just 5:27 remaining in the game. Long led Iowa on a 66 yard drive against the nation's top ranked defense, twice converting third-and-eight situations by completing passes to tight end Mike Flagg. Long drove the Iowa team to the 12 yard line with two seconds remaining to set up kicker Rob Houghtlin's game winning field goal as time expired. Chuck Long completed 26 of 39 passes for 297 yards in Iowa's 12-10 win.
A loss to Ohio State
cost Iowa their #1 ranking, but the Hawkeyes still won the Big Ten title outright for the first time in 27 years. Chuck Long won many major national awards as a senior, including the 1985 Maxwell Award
, given to the nation's top player and the Davey O'Brien Award
, given to the nation's top quarterback. He was the Big Ten Player of the Year
and a consensus first team All-American
. Finally, Chuck Long was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy
to Bo Jackson
of Auburn in what used to be the closest margin in Heisman history, losing by just 45 points.
. Needing a win against 4-5 USC, UCLA struggled. UCLA was leading in the fourth quarter 13-10 when Eric Ball fumbled at the USC 1 as he was about to score the what would have been the clinching touchdown. Freshman quarterback Rodney Peete
led USC on a drive, converting a key fourth down along the way. In the last 2 minutes, USC again faced a 4th down, this time at UCLA's 2 yard line. USC scored to take a 17-13 lead, then intercepted UCLA quarterback David Norrie as he tried to lead a Bruin comeback. UCLA's loss opened the door for Washington to grab the Rose Bowl berth, but they were upset by Washington State the same day, 21-20. Washington lost the advantage due to the loss in the 1985 Oregon State vs. Washington football game
. This put Arizona State in position to win the conference as they entered their game with Arizona with only one conference loss (40-17 to UCLA). But later that evening, Arizona defeated Arizona State 16-13 to cause a tie between UCLA, Arizona State, and Arizona; UCLA won the tiebreaker and the Rose Bowl berth by virtue of its wins over Arizona and Arizona State. UCLA came into the game with a record of 8-2-1.
The weather was overcast and 71 degrees. The UCLA Bruins wore white visitor jerseys, and the Iowa Hawkeyes wore their black home jerseys. Both teams wore Rose Bowl patches on their uniforms. The Iowa Hawkeye helmets bore a sticker with the letters "ANF" for "America Needs Farmers". Coach Hayden Fry had the players wear these stickers to bring attention the plight of American farmers.
At the half, the score is UCLA 24, Iowa 10. The story of the game so far is Ronnie Harmon's four fumbles and Eric Ball's three touchdowns.
This game had a 22.7 television ratings share. Through 2007, only the 1987 Fiesta Bowl
game has a higher U.S. television rating at 24.9. Only the 1988 Orange Bowl
at a 20.8 and the 2006 Rose Bowl
at a 21.7 have over a 20 share since the 1986 Rose Bowl.
. He is believed to be the only collegiate player to participate in five bowl games. Chuck Long's Iowa teams compiled a 35-13-1 record. He graduated with 10,461 passing yards and 74 touchdowns on 782 completions. He held every passing record at the University of Iowa
except one (passes attempted in a game) when he graduated. Long holds the best completion percentage of any college quarterback all-time who has attempted more than 1,000 career passes. He was also the first Big Ten player and just the second player in college football history to throw for more than 10,000 yards in a career. Chuck Long was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1999 and the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame
in 2001.
Coach Hayden Fry commented on the issue in his book High Porch Picnic:
, Mark Walen, Ken Norton, Jr., Jim Wahler
, Carnell Lake
, Darryl Henley
, Chuck Long
, Ronnie Harmon
, Larry Station
, Devon Mitchell
, and Mike Haight played in this game.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
played on January 1, 1986. It was the 72nd Rose Bowl Game. The UCLA Bruins
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa Hawkeyes
The Iowa Hawkeyes are the athletics teams that represent the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. The Hawkeyes have varsity teams in 24 sports, 11 for men and 13 for women. The teams participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and are members of the...
45-28. UCLA tailback Eric Ball was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game. He ran for a Rose Bowl record four touchdowns.
Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa spent a number of weeks ranked number one. On October 19, 1985, they defeated the #2 Michigan Wolverines 12-10 in the thirteenth regular season matchup between a #1 and #2 team. Mike HaightMike Haight
Michael James Haight is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Iowa. He played high school football at Beckman High School. Married to Polly Haight. Four...
, Chuck Long
Chuck Long
Chuck Long is an American football coach. He played quarterback in college at Iowa for Hayden Fry and professionally with the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams. He is an inductee of the College Football Hall of Fame. In the January 2008 issue of San Diego Magazine he was chosen as one of...
, and Ronnie Harmon
Ronnie Harmon
Ronnie Keith Harmon is a former professional American football player. After a standout career at the University of Iowa in the Big Ten Conference, he played for 12 seasons in the NFL. A 6", 220-lb...
were the stars for the Hawkeyes. They eventually lost one game on November 2, 1985 to Ohio State 13-22. Iowa came into the game with a record of 10-1.
After much consideration, Chuck Long delighted Iowa Hawkeye fans by declaring that he would return for his senior season. He became an instant Heisman Trophy candidate, and Iowa was a pre-season top five team. After three weeks in 1985, the Hawkeyes ascended to #1 in the national rankings.
In Iowa's first game at #1, the Hawkeyes played Michigan State. A seesaw game had Michigan State
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
leading, 31-28, in the waning minutes. Long drove Iowa the length of the field, and the Hawkeyes faced fourth and goal from the two yard line with just 27 seconds remaining. Since there was no overtime rule, Iowa needed to go for the touchdown and the win. Chuck Long faked a handoff to running back Ronnie Harmon
Ronnie Harmon
Ronnie Keith Harmon is a former professional American football player. After a standout career at the University of Iowa in the Big Ten Conference, he played for 12 seasons in the NFL. A 6", 220-lb...
and then ran to his right. His fake had fooled the Spartan defenders, and Long ran into the endzone, holding the ball high above his head as he crossed the goal line to give Iowa a 35-31 victory. He completed a school record 30 passes on 39 attempts for 380 yards and scored five touchdowns (four passing and the game winning score rushing) in the game.
Two weeks later, #1 Iowa faced #2 Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in Kinnick Stadium
Kinnick Stadium
Kinnick Stadium, formerly known as Iowa Stadium, and known in the area simply as Kinnick, is a stadium located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the home stadium of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, in the sport of college football...
. Iowa trailed 10-9 as the Hawkeyes regained possession of the football at their own 22 yard line with just 5:27 remaining in the game. Long led Iowa on a 66 yard drive against the nation's top ranked defense, twice converting third-and-eight situations by completing passes to tight end Mike Flagg. Long drove the Iowa team to the 12 yard line with two seconds remaining to set up kicker Rob Houghtlin's game winning field goal as time expired. Chuck Long completed 26 of 39 passes for 297 yards in Iowa's 12-10 win.
A loss to Ohio State
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
cost Iowa their #1 ranking, but the Hawkeyes still won the Big Ten title outright for the first time in 27 years. Chuck Long won many major national awards as a senior, including the 1985 Maxwell Award
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
, given to the nation's top player and the Davey O'Brien Award
Davey O'Brien Award
The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...
, given to the nation's top quarterback. He was the Big Ten Player of the Year
Chicago Tribune Silver Football
The Chicago Tribune Silver Football is awarded by the Chicago Tribune to the college football player determined to be the best player from the Big Ten Conference. The award has been presented annually since 1924, when Red Grange of Illinois was the award's first recipient.The winner of the Silver...
and a consensus first team All-American
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
. Finally, Chuck Long was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
to Bo Jackson
Bo Jackson
Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson is a former American baseball and football player. He was the first athlete to be named an All-Star in two major American sports, and also won the Heisman Trophy in 1985....
of Auburn in what used to be the closest margin in Heisman history, losing by just 45 points.
UCLA Bruins
UCLA defeated defending national champion BYU in Provo, 27-24 to start the season. They tied eventual SEC and Sugar Bowl champion Tennessee. The Bruins opened the PAC-10 season by losing at Washington, 21-14. They won the rest of their games leading to the 1985 USC vs UCLA gameUCLA-USC rivalry
The UCLA–USC rivalry is the American college rivalry between the UCLA Bruins sports teams of the University of California, Los Angeles and the USC Trojans sports teams of the University of Southern California ....
. Needing a win against 4-5 USC, UCLA struggled. UCLA was leading in the fourth quarter 13-10 when Eric Ball fumbled at the USC 1 as he was about to score the what would have been the clinching touchdown. Freshman quarterback Rodney Peete
Rodney Peete
Rodney Peete is a former American football quarterback from the University of Southern California who played in the National Football League for 16 years. He retired in 2004 and is now in broadcasting.-Early life:...
led USC on a drive, converting a key fourth down along the way. In the last 2 minutes, USC again faced a 4th down, this time at UCLA's 2 yard line. USC scored to take a 17-13 lead, then intercepted UCLA quarterback David Norrie as he tried to lead a Bruin comeback. UCLA's loss opened the door for Washington to grab the Rose Bowl berth, but they were upset by Washington State the same day, 21-20. Washington lost the advantage due to the loss in the 1985 Oregon State vs. Washington football game
1985 Oregon State vs. Washington football game
The 1985 Oregon State vs. Washington football game was a college football game between the Oregon State Beavers and the Washington Huskies that took place on October 19, 1985...
. This put Arizona State in position to win the conference as they entered their game with Arizona with only one conference loss (40-17 to UCLA). But later that evening, Arizona defeated Arizona State 16-13 to cause a tie between UCLA, Arizona State, and Arizona; UCLA won the tiebreaker and the Rose Bowl berth by virtue of its wins over Arizona and Arizona State. UCLA came into the game with a record of 8-2-1.
Game summary
- Eric Ball, a freshman for UCLA, ran for 227 yards and tied a Rose Bowl record by scoring four touchdowns. Eric was in for the injured Gaston GreenGaston GreenGaston Alfred Green III is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1st round of the 1988 NFL Draft. A 5'10", 189-lb. running back from UCLA, Green played in 5 NFL seasons from 1988 to 1992 for the Rams and Denver Broncos...
. - Matt Stevens was the UCLA quarterback. After sharing the #1 QB job with David Norrie for the first half of the season, he eventually lost the starter's job after playing poorly vs. Washington. Stevens did not find out he was starting until a few minutes before the game, when Norrie couldn't play due to an injury.
- Iowa quarterback Chuck LongChuck LongChuck Long is an American football coach. He played quarterback in college at Iowa for Hayden Fry and professionally with the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams. He is an inductee of the College Football Hall of Fame. In the January 2008 issue of San Diego Magazine he was chosen as one of...
was sacked four times. A loophole with the redshirting rule allowed Long to play in his fifth bowl gameBowl gameIn North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
. He is believed to be the only collegiate player to participate in five bowl games. - Iowa running back Ronnie HarmonRonnie HarmonRonnie Keith Harmon is a former professional American football player. After a standout career at the University of Iowa in the Big Ten Conference, he played for 12 seasons in the NFL. A 6", 220-lb...
fumbled the ball four times and later dropped a pass while wide open in the end zone as Iowa attempted a late comeback. He had only fumbled one time in the regular season. - Coach Terry DonahueTerry DonahueTerry Donahue is a former American football, player, coach, and executive and, currently, a football analyst. He served as the head football coach at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1976 to 1995, compiling a record of 151–74–8. From 2001 to 2005, Donahue served as...
's third Rose Bowl winning streak
First Quarter
- Iowa—David Hudson, one-yard run. Rob Houghtlin PAT (Point after touchdown).
- UCLA—Eric Ball, 30-yard run. John Lee (placekicker)John Lee (placekicker)John Lee is a former two-time All-American placekicker for the UCLA Bruins football team from 1982–1985. He was the 32nd pick selected in the 1986 NFL Draft and later played one year for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was inducted to the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001. Lee is the first player...
PAT. - UCLA—Lee, 42-yard field goal.
Second Quarter
- Iowa—Houghtlin, 24-yard field goal.
- UCLA—Ball, 40-yard run. Lee PAT.
- UCLA—Ball, six-yard run. Lee PAT.
At the half, the score is UCLA 24, Iowa 10. The story of the game so far is Ronnie Harmon's four fumbles and Eric Ball's three touchdowns.
Third Quarter
- Iowa—Chuck Long four-yard run. Houghtlin PAT.
- UCLA—Mike SherrardMike SherrardMichael Watson Sherrard is a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1st round of the 1986 NFL Draft. A 6'2" wide receiver from UCLA, Sherrard played in 11 NFL seasons from 1986 to 1996...
, six-yard pass from Matt Stevens. Lee PAT.
Fourth Quarter
- UCLA—Ball, 32-yard run. Lee PAT.
- Iowa—Houghtlin, 52-yard field goal.
- UCLA—Stevens, one-yard run. Lee PAT.
- Iowa—Bill Happel, 11-yard pass from Long. Harmon run for two points.
Aftermath
Iowa missed an outside shot at the final #1 ranking, with #2 Miami losing to Tennessee 35-7 in the Sugar Bowl and #3 Oklahoma defeated #1 Penn State 25-10 in the Orange Bowl. Oklahoma had leapfrogged Iowa on December 10 in the poll. Michigan finished at #2 after their Fiesta Bowl win.This game had a 22.7 television ratings share. Through 2007, only the 1987 Fiesta Bowl
1987 Fiesta Bowl
The 1987 Sunkist Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game sponsored by Sunkist. It was part of the bowl season of the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. The game was the 16th edition of the Fiesta Bowl, played annually since 1971. The 1987 game was played on January 2, 1987, at the Sun...
game has a higher U.S. television rating at 24.9. Only the 1988 Orange Bowl
1988 Orange Bowl
The 1988 Orange Bowl was a postseason American college football bowl game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Oklahoma Sooners. It was the 54th edition of the Orange Bowl and took place at the Orange Bowl stadium in Miami, Florida on January 1, 1988. Miami was coached by Jimmy Johnson and Oklahoma...
at a 20.8 and the 2006 Rose Bowl
2006 Rose Bowl
The 2006 Rose Bowl Game, played on January 4, 2006, was a football game that served as the national championship of the 2005-2006 Bowl Championship Series...
at a 21.7 have over a 20 share since the 1986 Rose Bowl.
Chuck Long
Though Iowa lost in Chuck Long's final game in the 1986 Rose Bowl a 45-28 loss to UCLA, the loophole with the redshirting rule allowed Long to play in his fifth bowl gameBowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
. He is believed to be the only collegiate player to participate in five bowl games. Chuck Long's Iowa teams compiled a 35-13-1 record. He graduated with 10,461 passing yards and 74 touchdowns on 782 completions. He held every passing record at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
except one (passes attempted in a game) when he graduated. Long holds the best completion percentage of any college quarterback all-time who has attempted more than 1,000 career passes. He was also the first Big Ten player and just the second player in college football history to throw for more than 10,000 yards in a career. Chuck Long was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1999 and the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame
Iowa Sports Hall of Fame
The Iowa Sports Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Des Moines Register, honors outstanding athletes and sports contributors. To be eligible, members must have either been born in Iowa or gained prominence while competing for a college or university in Iowa....
in 2001.
Ronnie Harmon
It has been implied that Harmon was actually throwing the game with the fumbles and dropped pass.Coach Hayden Fry commented on the issue in his book High Porch Picnic:
"Harmon took a lot of heat because he lost four fumbles, all in the first half. That was uncharacteristic of him; I think he fumbled once during the regular season. The game film reveals that every fumble he lost was caused by a UCLA defender making a hard hit. They just knocked the ball loose. They [UCLA] did a great job of tackling. UCLA made bad things happen to Iowa; Iowa didn’t self-destruct. Ronnie Harmon had a tremendous football career with the Hawkeyes, and I hated to see it end that way."
Future NFL players
Future NFL Players James WashingtonJames Washington
James McArthur Washington is a former American football safety for the UCLA Bruins and in the National Football League. Currently he is a co-host of FOX Sports Radio's flagship morning show Out Of Bounds with Craig Shemon...
, Mark Walen, Ken Norton, Jr., Jim Wahler
Jim Wahler
James Joseph Wahler is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League for the Phoenix Cardinals and the Washington Redskins. He played college football for UCLA and was drafted in the fourth round of the 1989 NFL Draft....
, Carnell Lake
Carnell Lake
Carnell Augustino Lake is a former professional American football player who was a member of the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team. He was the Cornerbacks Coach for the UCLA Bruins under head coach Rick Neuheisel in 2009 before leaving after one season for family reasons.-College career:Lake played for...
, Darryl Henley
Darryl Henley
Darryl Keith Henley is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1989 draft from UCLA. In his career he played in 76 games, he amassed 12 interceptions...
, Chuck Long
Chuck Long
Chuck Long is an American football coach. He played quarterback in college at Iowa for Hayden Fry and professionally with the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams. He is an inductee of the College Football Hall of Fame. In the January 2008 issue of San Diego Magazine he was chosen as one of...
, Ronnie Harmon
Ronnie Harmon
Ronnie Keith Harmon is a former professional American football player. After a standout career at the University of Iowa in the Big Ten Conference, he played for 12 seasons in the NFL. A 6", 220-lb...
, Larry Station
Larry Station
Larry W. Station, Jr. was a college football player for the University of Iowa. Station, who played linebacker, is Iowa's leader in career tackles and was twice named as a consensus first team All-American...
, Devon Mitchell
Devon Mitchell
Devon Dermott Mitchell is a former American football safety in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round of the 1986 NFL Draft. He played college football at Iowa....
, and Mike Haight played in this game.