1986 Orange Bowl
| MVP | DB Sonny Brown K Tim Lasher |
|---|---|
The 1986 Orange Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Background
This was Oklahoma's second straight Orange Bowl appearance and their second straight Big Eight Conference title. This was Penn State's first Orange Bowl appearance since 1974.
Game summary
Tim Manoa gave Penn State an early lead on a short touchdown run as they led 7-0 after one quarter of play. But Tim Lasher kicked two field goals and Keith Jackson caught a touchdown from Jamelle Holieway as Oklahoma scored 16 points in the second quarter while Massimo Manca gave Penn State their only points in the quarter with his field goal just before the half ended to make it 16-10. Penn State was shut out from there, as Oklahoma's defense took over from there, as Brian Bosworth had 12 tackles and the defense had a total of four interceptions. In the second half, Lashar kicked his third field goal, and Lydell Carr scored on a touchdown run to seal the championship for the Sooners. [1]
Aftermath
The Sooners' championship would become unanimous later that evening following the loss by AP #2 Miami in the Sugar Bowl, which was played at the same time as the Orange Bowl. If the Hurricanes had won, the possibility would exist for a split national champion as Miami was outranked by Oklahoma in the coaches poll.
Penn State would find itself in title contention again the following season, as they finished #2 in the polls. This time, a matchup between the #1 and #2 teams was able to be made and the Nittany Lions were scheduled to play #1 Miami for the national championship in the Fiesta Bowl, which they won.
Statistics
| Statistics | Oklahoma | Penn State |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 12 | 14 |
| Yards Rushing | 228 | 103 |
| Yards Passing | 91 | 164 |
| Total Yards | 319 | 267 |
| Punts-Average | 5-42.6 | 6-46.3 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 5-1 | 2-1 |
| Interceptions | 0 | 4 |
| Penalties-Yards | 7-45 | 6-49 |