1984 Miami Hurricanes football team

1984 Miami Hurricanes football
Fiesta Bowl, L 37–39 vs. UCLA
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
APNo. 18
Record8–5
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorGary Stevens (2nd season)
Offensive schemePro-style
Defensive coordinatorBill Trout (1st season)
Base defense5–2[1]
Home stadiumMiami Orange Bowl
Seasons
← 1983
1985 →
1984 NCAA Division I-A independents football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 5 Boston College       10 2 0
No. 11 South Carolina       10 2 0
Army       8 3 1
Rutgers       7 3 0
No. 17 Florida State       7 3 2
Virginia Tech       8 4 0
West Virginia       8 4 0
No. 18 Miami (FL)       8 5 0
Notre Dame       7 5 0
Southwestern Louisiana       6 5 0
Penn State       6 5 0
Syracuse       6 5 0
Temple       6 5 0
Memphis State       5 5 1
Navy       4 6 1
Southern Miss       4 7 0
Pittsburgh       3 7 1
Tulane       3 8 0
Cincinnati       2 9 0
East Carolina       2 9 0
Louisville       2 9 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1984 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami during the 1984 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the Hurricanes' 59th season of football. The Hurricanes were led by first-year head coach Jimmy Johnson and played their home games at the Orange Bowl. They finished the season 8–5 overall. They were invited to the Fiesta Bowl where they lost to UCLA, 39–37.

The Hurricanes were the defending national champions from the 1983 college football season. Having defeated number one ranked Auburn, and then Florida, they rose to be ranked number one before their game at Michigan. They remained in the top ten after that loss. They lost again to Florida State. They beat a ranked Notre Dame team in South Bend to return to the top 10. The Hurricanes earned three more wins, but then suffered two of the most notable losses in college football history.

On November 10, at the Miami Orange Bowl, Maryland defeated the Hurricanes with the largest comeback in college football history.[2] Down 31–0 at halftime, Frank Reich, who had been injured, came off the bench and led the comeback. At the start of the third quarter, Reich led the Terrapins on multiple scoring drives. Three touchdowns in the third quarter and a fourth at the start of the final quarter turned what was a blowout into a close game. Maryland completed a 42–9 second half, and won 42–40.[3]

Two weeks later at the Orange Bowl stadium, the Hurricanes faced the Boston College Eagles in a nationally televised game that has become known as "Hail Flutie". It has been regarded by FOX Sports writer Kevin Hench as among the most memorable moments in sports.[4] The game is most notable for a last-second Hail Mary pass from quarterback Doug Flutie to wide receiver Gerard Phelan to give Boston College the win.

  1. ^ Feldman, Bruce (2004). Cane Mutiny: How the Miami Hurricanes Overturned the Football Establishment. New York: New American Library. p. 55. ISBN 0-451-21297-5.
  2. ^ Brown, Matt (September 4, 2017). "Biggest College Football Comebacks". MSN.com. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017.
  3. ^ This comeback from 31 points down has since been exceeded by the Michigan State Spartans' 41–38 comeback win in 2006 over the Northwestern Wildcats during which Michigan State trailed 38–3 in the third quarter.
  4. ^ Hench, Kevin (May 17, 2007). "Ten Best Damn unforgettable sports moments". FOX Sports. Archived from the original on May 16, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2022.

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