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 .
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]
Date Time Opponent Rank Site TV Result Attendance Source 7:00 p.m. at Georgia ABC W 20–1681,277 [ 7]
September 14 6:45 p.m. Texas A&M * No. 20 ESPN W 23–1074,697 [ 8]
September 21 1:30 p.m. Cincinnati * No. 16 PPV W 45–1058,714 [ 9]
September 28 11:30 a.m. at Vanderbilt No. 15 WTBS W 40–2041,186 [ 10]
October 12 2:30 p.m. at No. 8 Penn State * No. 10 ABC L 17–1985,444 [ 11]
October 19 11:30 a.m. No. 20 Tennessee No. 15 WTBS L 14–1675,808 [ 12]
October 26 1:30 p.m. at Memphis State * PPV W 28–937,609 [ 13]
November 2 1:30 p.m. Mississippi State Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL (rivalry ) W 44–2860,210 [ 14]
November 9 2:30 p.m. at No. 15 LSU No. 20 ABC T 14–1476,772 [ 15]
November 16 1:30 p.m. Southern Miss * No. 20 Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL (rivalry) W 24–1358,714 [ 16]
November 30 2:30 p.m. vs. No. 7 Auburn ABC W 25–2375,808 [ 17]
December 28 7:00 p.m. vs. USC * No. 13 ISN W 24–335,183 [ 18]
*Non-conference game HomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time
[ 19]
1985 Alabama Crimson Tide football team roster
Players
Coaches
Offense
Defense
Special teams
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
Injured
Redshirt
Ranking movementsLegend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked Week Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Final AP — — 20 16 15 12 10 15 — — 20 20 — — 15 15 13 Coaches — 16 12 10 8 8 14 — 20 20 — — — 14 14 14
[ 20]
1
2 3 4 Total
Aggies
0
3 7 0
10
• No. 20 Crimson Tide
7
3 0 13
23
Date: September 14Location: Legion Field Game attendance: 74,697Television network: ESPN
Scoring summary 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
[ 21]
Alabama at LSU
1
2 3 4 Total
No. 20 Crimson Tide
7
0 0 7
14
No. 15 Tigers
0
0 14 0
14
1
2 3 4 Total
• Crimson Tide
10
6 0 9
25
No. 7 Tigers
0
10 0 13
23
Date: November 30Location: Legion Field Game attendance: 75,808
Scoring summary 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
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]
Vs. USC (Aloha Bowl)
edit
General
Specific
^ Hersch, Hank (September 8, 1986). "The Tide Rolls with a Shula named Mike" . Sports Illustrated . SI.com. Archived from the original on December 3, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2012 .
^ a b 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. Archived from the original on December 3, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2012 .
^ Deas, Tommy (August 4, 1995). "1993 will be lost season for Tide" . The Gadsden Times . Google News. NYT Regional Newspapers. p. D4. Retrieved February 21, 2012 .
^ Whiteside, Kelly (August 25, 2006). "Overtime system still excites coaches" . USA Today . McLean, Virginia. Retrieved February 21, 2012 .
^ "Tide turns on Dogs" . The Atlanta Constitution . September 3, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Alabama drops A&M" . Fort Worth Star-Telegram . September 15, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ " 'Bama overwhelms Bearcats" . The Cincinnati Enquirer . September 22, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "VU errors help Tide roll, 40–20" . The Tennessean . September 29, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Penn State rolls, 19–17, over Bama" . The Pittsburgh Press . October 13, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Ground, kicking games propel Vols past Tide" . The Montgomery Advertiser . October 20, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Alabama claims a comedy of errors" . The Anniston Star . October 27, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Alabama whets SEC taste in romp over State" . The Clarion-Ledger . November 3, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "LSU Tigers, Crimson Tide struggle to 14–14 stalemate" . The Daily Advertiser . November 10, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "USM's upset bid 'officially' doused" . Hattiesburg American . November 17, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Game-winning field goal is new experience for Tiffin" . The Montgomery Advertiser . December 1, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Crimson Tide washes over USC, 24–3" . The Honolulu Advertiser . December 29, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "1985 Alabama football archives" . RollTide.com . University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved February 20, 2021 .
^ "Alabama 1985 AP Football Rankings" . collegepollarchive.com . Retrieved July 17, 2022 .
^ "ALABAMA 23, TEXAS A&M 10" . UPI Archives . September 15, 1985. Retrieved July 17, 2022 .
^ Eugene Register-Guard. 1985 Dec 1. Retrieved 2015-Sep-18.