1986 Freedom Bowl
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college football game
| name =
| year_game_played = 1986
| game_name = Freedom Bowl
| subheader = Freedom Bowl III
| football_season = 1986
| visitor_name_short = BYU
| visitor_nickname = Cougars
| visitor_school = Brigham Young University
| home_name_short = UCLA
| home_nickname = Bruins
| home_school = University of California, Los Angeles
| visitor_record = 8–4
| home_record = 7–3–1
| visitor_coach = Lavell Edwards
| home_coach = Terry Donahue
| home_rank_AP = 15
| home_rank_coaches = 15
| visitor_1q = 3
| visitor_2q = 0
| visitor_3q = 0
| visitor_4q = 7
| home_1q = 7
| home_2q = 0
| home_3q = 17
| home_4q = 7
| date_game_played = December 30
| stadium = Anaheim Stadium
| city = Anaheim, California
| MVP = Gaston Green (UCLA RB)
| anthem = BYU Cougar Marching Band
| halftime = BYU Cougar Marching Band
| referee = J.C. Louderback (Big Eight){{Cite episode |title=Freedom Bowl (1986) |episode-link= |url= |access-date= |series=Freedom Bowl |series-link= |first= |last= |network=Mizlou |station= |date= December 30, 1986 |season=3 |series-no= |number= |minutes= |time= |transcript= |transcript-url= |quote= |language=English}}
| attendance = 55,422
| us_network = Mizlou Television Network
| us_announcers_link = List of announcers of major college bowl games
| us_announcers = Howard David and Jack Snow
}}
The 1986 Freedom Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 30, 1986. It was the third Freedom Bowl Game. The UCLA Bruins defeated the BYU Cougars 31–10. UCLA tailback Gaston Green was named the Player Of The Game. He ran for a record 266 yards, second only at the time to Curtis Dickey who ran for 276 in the 1978 Hall of Fame Classic. This is still the Pac-10 record for most rushing yards in a bowl game,PACIFIC-10 conference football media guide and fourth highest in NCAA bowl history.NCAA Division 1 football record book
Teams
:See also 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season
The BYU Cougars were voted national champions in 1984. In their opening game in 1985, they faced UCLA. The Bruins won 27–24. It was the first win for the Bruins as the headed towards the Pac-10 conference championship and appearance in the 1986 Rose Bowl.
=BYU Cougars=
The BYU Cougars were the second place team in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). They had lost to Colorado State in October. They were still in the hunt, but a 10–3 loss to San Diego State on November 29, 1986, gave SDSU the WAC conference championship lead.
=UCLA Bruins=
The UCLA Bruins were tied for second in the Pacific-10 Conference. The ASU Sun Devils had beaten UCLA in Los Angeles. This gave them the tiebreaker for the Pac-10 championship. UCLA was still in the race, and could have been the Pac-10 champion, but a tie with Washington and a loss to Stanford put them behind the Sun Devils.
With Arizona State clinching the Pac-10 championship and berth in the 1987 Rose Bowl early, there began a scramble by the bowls to make deals with schools before the official date. The Fiesta Bowl and Citrus Bowl scrambling to host a #1 versus #2 showdown between Miami and Penn State, the Cotton Bowl struck an agreement to take the loser of the Michigan–Ohio State game.
Game summary
The weather was overcast and 68 degrees. The first two Freedom Bowls had only sold 31,000 tickets, but this one had an advance sale of 42,000.Penner, Los Angeles Times The attendance of 55,422 was the Freedom Bowl record. The 1992 Freedom bowl featuring USC and Fresno State was expected to surpass it, but had an attendance of 50,745.Crowe, Jerry – COLLEGE FOOTBALL / THE BOWL GAMES No-Win Game for USC Freedom: Trojans are expected to beat Fresno State tonight at Anaheim Stadium. Los Angeles Times. December 29, 1992[http://www.gobulldogs.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/072809aaa.html Fresno State Defeats USC, 24-7, in 1992 Freedom Bowl] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112042509/http://www.gobulldogs.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/072809aaa.html |date=2014-01-12 }} Fresno State Sports Information Office, July 28, 2009
Scoring
=First quarter=
- BYU — Leonard Chitty, 32-yard field goal.
- UCLA — Gaston Green three-yard run. Dave Franey converts.
=Second quarter=
No score
=Third quarter=
- UCLA — Green, one-yard run. Franey converts.
- UCLA — Franey, 49-yard field goal.
- UCLA — Green, 79-yard run. Franey converts.
=Fourth quarter=
- UCLA — Karl Dorrell, 13-yard pass from Green. Franey converts.
- BYU — Bruce Hansen three-yard run. Chitty converts.
References
{{Reflist}}
Bibliography
{{refbegin}}
- UCLA Football Media Guide (PDF Copy available at [http://www.uclabruins.com www.uclabruins.com])
- [http://byucougars.com/files/media_guides/m-football/2010/tradition/bowl-1986.html BYU Bowl Games - 1986 Freedom Bowl] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112005828/http://byucougars.com/files/media_guides/m-football/2010/tradition/bowl-1986.html |date=2014-01-12 }}
- Robinson, Doug – [https://web.archive.org/web/20150923225928/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/230012401/1986-Freedom-Bowl-UCLA-31-BYU-10.html?pg=all 1986 Freedom Bowl: UCLA 31, BYU 10 Turbulent BYU year ends with rout to UCLA] Deseret News, December 31, 1986
- Penner, Mike – [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-12-25-sp-364-story.html THE FREEDOM BOWL : UCLA'S CRAIG RUTLEDGE : You Can Go Home to Orange County]. Los Angeles Times, December 25, 1986
{{refend}}
{{1986 bowl game navbox}}
{{Freedom Bowl navbox}}
{{BYU Cougars bowl game navbox}}
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Category:1980s in Anaheim, California
Category:BYU Cougars football bowl games