1986 Florida Gators football team
American college football season
The 1986 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season . The season was Galen Hall 's third as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. The 1986 Florida Gators compiled a 6–5 overall record and a Southeastern Conference (SEC) record of 2–4, tying for 7th place among Ten SEC teams. This was the last year that Florida lost to the Kentucky Wildcats until 2018. This was the longest annual win streak of any team over another in NCAA history and the longest such streak in Southeastern Conference history.[ 1]
Schedule
Date Opponent Rank Site TV Result Attendance Source August 30 No. 1 (I-AA ) Georgia Southern * No. 13 W 38–1474,221 [ 2]
September 6 No. 3 Miami (FL) * No. 13 Florida Field Gainesville, FL (rivalry ) L 15–2374,875 [ 3]
September 20 No. 4 Alabama No. 13 Florida Field Gainesville, FL (rivalry ) L 7–2174,685 [ 4]
September 27 at Mississippi State L 10–1638,625 [ 5]
October 4 No. 18 LSU Florida Field Gainesville, FL (rivalry ) TigerVision L 17–2874,211 [ 6]
October 11 Kent State * Florida Field Gainesville, FL W 52–973,718 [ 7]
October 18 at Rutgers * W 15–336,781 [ 8]
November 1 No. 5 Auburn Florida Field Gainesville, FL (rivalry ) W 18–1774,521 [ 9]
November 8 vs. No. 19 Georgia W 31–1981,957 [ 10]
November 15 at Kentucky L 3–1052,160 [ 11]
November 29 at Florida State * W 17–1362,370 [ 12]
*Non-conference game HomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
[ 1]
Personnel
1986 Florida Gators football team roster
Players
Coaches
Offense
Pos.
#
Name
Class
QB
12
Kerwin Bell
Jr
RB
Larry Bernstein
QB
Rodney Brewer
OL
John Durden
RB
Dwayne Ferguson (C)
WR
Ed Frazier
RB
Octavius Gould
WR
Eric Hodges
TE
Rodney Jones
QB
Pepe Lescano
RB
Tony Lomack
RB
James Massey
OL
Frank McCarthy
TE
Mark McGriff
WR
89
Ricky Nattiel (C)
Sr
WR
Stacey Simmons
OL
Bob Sims
RB
Cedric Smith
WR
Bret Wiechmann
RB
Anthony Williams
OL
David Williams
RB
Wayne Williams
WR
Darrell Woulard
OL
Charlie Wright
OL
Jeff Zimmerman
Defense
Pos.
#
Name
Class
LB
Scott Armstrong (C)
LB
Clifford Charlton
DB
Richard Fain
LB
Pat Moorer
LB
Ron Moten
DB
Rick Mulberry
DB
Louis Oliver
DL
Jeff Roth
LB
Steve Stipe
DB
Kerry Watkins
DL
Rhondy Weston
DB
Adrian White
LB
Arthur White
DB
Jarvis Williams
DL
Keith Williams
Special teams
Pos.
#
Name
Class
K
Jeff Dawson
P
Jamie McAndrew
K
Robert McGinty
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
Injured
Redshirt
Game summaries
Georgia Southern
1
2
3
4
Total
Georgia Southern
0
0
0
14
14
Florida
7
14
3
14
38
Miami (FL)
1
2
3
4
Total
Miami (FL)
7
0
9
7
23
Florida
0
9
0
6
15
Alabama
1
2
3
4
Total
Alabama
0
0
14
7
21
Florida
7
0
0
0
7
At Mississippi State
1
2
3
4
Total
Florida
7
0
3
0
10
Mississippi State
0
10
3
3
16
LSU
1
2
3
4
Total
LSU
14
7
0
7
28
Florida
3
14
0
0
17
Kerwin Bell was injured during the game.[ 13]
Kent State
1
2 3 4 Total
Kent State
0
3 0 6
9
• Florida
7
21 14 10
52
Scoring summary 1 FLA Gould 7 yard run (Dawson kick) FLA 7-0
2 FLA Massey 5 yard run (Dawson kick) FLA 14-0
2 KSU Steinberg 27 yard field goal FLA 14-3
2 FLA A. Williams 12 yard pass from Brewer (Dawson kick) FLA 21-3
2 FLA Gould 2 yard run (Dawson kick) FLA 28-3
3 FLA Nattiel 60 yard pass from Brewer (Dawson kick) FLA 35-3
3 FLA Gould 1 yard run (Dawson kick) FLA 42-3
4 FLA Dawson 30 yard field goal FLA 45-3
4 FLA W. Williams 9 yard run (Dawson kick) FLA 52-3
4 KSU Potter 1 yard run (run failed) FLA 52-9
[ 14]
At Rutgers
1
2
3
4
Total
Florida
6
0
9
0
15
Rutgers
0
0
3
0
3
at Giants Stadium
Auburn
#5 Auburn at Florida
1
2 3 4 Total
Auburn
7
7 3 0
17
• Florida
0
0 0 18
18
Scoring summary 1 5:50 AUB Ware 1 yard run (Knapp kick) AUB 7-0
2 14:53 AUB Fullwood 11 yard run (Knapp kick) AUB 14-0
3 :14 AUB Knapp 31 yard field goal AUB 17-0
4 12:09 FLA Bell 1 yard run (Dawson kick) AUB 17-7
4 7:10 FLA McGinty 51 yard field goal AUB 17-10
4 :36 FLA Nattiel 5 yard pass from Bell (Bell run)
For most of the game, coach Pat Dye's fifth-ranked 1986 Auburn Tigers dominated coach Galen Hall's unranked Gators at Florida Field.[ 15] The Tigers defense was stifling, and forced Gators substitute quarterback Rodney Brewer to commit four turnovers in the first two quarters.[ 15] Hall replaced Brewer with starting quarterback Kerwin Bell , who had missed two games with a knee injury.[ 15] Tigers tailback Brent Fullwood gained 166 yards on the ground, including a second-quarter touchdown, to give Auburn a 17–0 lead early in the fourth quarter.[ 15] Bell then led the Gators on two scoring drives, with Gators placekicker Robert McGinty—a transfer from Auburn—booting a 51-yard field goal to close the Tigers' advantage to 17−10 with 1:45 to play.[ 16] With thirty-six seconds remaining in the game, Bell directed one final 79-yard drive in ten plays that was capped by a five-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ricky Nattiel , who was playing with a separated shoulder.[ 15] The limping Bell then surprised the Tigers defense by running in the two-point conversion and completing the comeback, with the Gators winning 18–17.[ 17]
Vs. Georgia
1
2 3 4 Total
Georgia
10
6 3 0
19
• Florida
0
10 7 14
31
Scoring summary 1 UGA Tate 1 yard run (Crumley kick) UGA 7-0
1 UGA Crumley 24 yard field goal UGA 10-0
2 FLA Dawson 23 yard field goal UGA 10-3
2 UGA Crumley 35 yard field goal UGA 13-3
2 UGA Crumley 45 yard field goal UGA 16-3
2 FLA Nattiel 8 yard pass from Bell (Dawson kick) UGA 16-10
3 UGA Crumley 43 yard field goal UGA 19-10
3 FLA Nattiel 9 yard pass from Bell (Dawson kick) UGA 19-17
4 FLA Massey 3 yard run (Dawson kick) FLA 24-19
4 FLA Nattiel 42 yard pass from Bell (Dawson kick) FLA 31-19
[ 18]
At Kentucky
1
2
3
4
Total
Florida
0
3
0
0
3
Kentucky
7
0
0
3
10
At Florida State
1
2
3
4
Total
Florida
7
3
0
7
17
Florida State
3
7
3
0
13
References
^ a b 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived 2015-12-08 at the Wayback Machine , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, p. 107 (2015). Retrieved August 16, 2015.
^ "Big game for goliath: Gators 38, Eagles 14" . The Atlanta Journal & Constitution . August 31, 1986. Retrieved November 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ " 'Canes clean Gators' house" . The Tampa Tribune . September 7, 1986. Retrieved November 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Bama rules Gators for 21–7 victory" . The Orlando Sentinel . September 21, 1986. Retrieved November 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Bulldogs' defense stops Gators 16–10" . The Palm Beach Post . September 28, 1986. Retrieved November 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Gators lose more than just another game" . The Palm Beach Post . October 5, 1986. Retrieved November 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Gators filet outmanned Golden Flashes" . Florida Today . October 12, 1986. Retrieved November 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Defenses rule as Gators bite toothless RU" . The Central New Jersey Home News . October 19, 1986. Retrieved November 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Bell stages comeback to upset Auburn 18–17" . The Selma Times-Journal . November 2, 1986. Retrieved November 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Bell sounds death knell for Georgia" . The Sun Herald . November 9, 1986. Retrieved November 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ " 'Cats put Gator Bowl plans in deep freeze" . The Tennessean . November 16, 1986. Retrieved November 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Gators grab a six-pack" . Fort Myers News-Press . November 30, 1986. Retrieved November 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Lsu Greases Florida's Slide -- Bell Injured" .
^ Gainesville Sun . 12 Oct 1986.
^ a b c d e Paul Jenkins, "Ask not for whom the Bell tolls: Florida 18, Auburn 17 ," The Gainesville Sun , pp. 1F & 10F (November 2, 1986). Retrieved August 18, 2011.
^ Bob Dunkel, "UF kicker McGinty gets revenge ," The Gainesville Sun , p. 10F (November 2, 1986). Retrieved August 18, 2011.
^ Bob Greene, "Kramer's last-second pass lifts Wolfpack ," Madison Courier , p. B5 (November 3, 1986). Retrieved August 18, 2011.
^ Gainesville Sun. 1986 Nov 9.
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