View source for 1986 Sun Bowl

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college football game
| name = 
| year_game_played           = 1986
| title_sponsor              = John Hancock
| game_name                  = Sun Bowl
| football_season            = 1986
| visitor_name_short         = Washington 
| visitor_nickname           = Huskies
| visitor_school             = University of Washington
| home_name_short            = Alabama 
| home_nickname              = Crimson Tide
| home_school                = University of Alabama
| visitor_record             = 8–2–1
| visitor_conference         = [[Pacific-10 Conference|Pac-10]]
| home_record                = 9–3
| home_conference            = [[Southeastern Conference|SEC]]
| visitor_coach              = [[Don James (American football)|Don James]]
| home_coach                 = [[Ray Perkins]]
| visitor_rank_AP            = 12
| visitor_rank_coaches       = 11
| home_rank_AP               = 13
| home_rank_coaches          = 14
| visitor_1q                 = 0
| visitor_2q                 = 6
| visitor_3q                 = 0
| visitor_4q                 = 0
| home_1q                    = 0
| home_2q                    = 7
| home_3q                    = 14
| home_4q                    = 7
| date_game_played           = December 25
| stadium                    = [[Sun Bowl (stadium)|Sun Bowl]]
| city                       = [[El Paso, Texas]]
| MVP                        = [[Cornelius Bennett]], Alabama [[Defensive end|DE]]<br>Steve Alvord, Washington [[Guard (American football)|G]]
| odds                       = Alabama by 2 points <ref name=betlin>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fPUhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BqIFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6891%2C2472759|work=Reading Eagle |location=(Pennsylvania) |title=Betting line |date=December 25, 1986 }}</ref>
| referee                    = Frank Shepard ([[Southwest Conference|SWC]])
| attendance                 = 48,722
| us_network                 = [[CBS Sports|CBS]]
| us_announcers_link         = List of announcers of major college bowl games
| us_announcers              = [[Brent Musburger]], {{nowrap|[[Ara Parseghian]],}} {{nowrap|[[John Dockery]]}}
}}
The '''1986 Sun Bowl''' featured the [[1986 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama Crimson Tide]] of the [[Southeastern Conference]] (SEC) and the [[1986 Washington Huskies football team|Washington Huskies]] of the [[Pacific-10 Conference]]. In [[Ray Perkins]]'s final game as Alabama head coach, the Crimson Tide defeated the Huskies {{nowrap|28–6.<ref name="tuscaloosa">{{cite news |title=Bama ends season happily, 28–6 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wzQdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=haUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6316%2C8802581 |first=Cecil |last=Hurt |newspaper=Tuscaloosa News |location=(Alabama)|page=1 |date=December 26, 1986 |access-date=January 4, 2011}}</ref><ref name=funsun>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ffUhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BqIFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6139%2C2988036 |work=Reading Eagle |location=(Pennsylvania) |agency=wire services |title=Alabama has fun in Sun Bowl win |date=December 26, 1986 |page=35}}</ref><ref name=agwisu>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hoBRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eggEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6452%2C5736406 |last=Nissenson |first=Herschel |agency=Associated Press |title=Alabama gets well in the Sun |date=December 26, 1986 |page=21}}</ref>
}}

This was the first edition of the [[Sun Bowl]] that carried [[corporate sponsorship]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66017111/corporations-playing-ball-as-year-ends/ |title=Corporations playing ball as year ends |first=Kenneth |last=Ross |newspaper=[[Hartford Courant]] |location=[[Hartford, Connecticut]] |page=B8 |date=December 31, 1986 |access-date=December 25, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> as [[John Hancock Financial]] entered a three-year, $1.5 million partnership.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66017895/sponsorships-a-new-way-to-pay/ |title=Sponsorships: A new way to pay |first=Herschel |last=Nissenson |agency=[[Associated Press|AP]] |newspaper=[[The Anniston Star]] |location=[[Anniston, Alabama]] |page=3B |date=June 27, 1986 |access-date=December 25, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> The [[Fiesta Bowl]] had done so approximately a year earlier, entering a sponsorship agreement in September 1985 and playing its [[1986 Fiesta Bowl|January 1986 edition]] as the Sunkist Fiesta Bowl.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65966770/sunkist-agrees-to-sponsor-fiesta-bowl/ |title=Sunkist agrees to sponsor Fiesta Bowl |first=Bob |last=Young |newspaper=[[The Arizona Republic]] |location=[[Phoenix, Arizona]] |page=G1 |date=September 27, 1985 |access-date=December 24, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>

==Teams==
===Alabama===
{{see also|1986 Alabama Crimson Tide football team}}
Alabama opened the season with seven wins, then lost three of its final five regular season games to finish with a 9–3 record. Following their loss to [[1986 Auburn Tigers football team|Auburn]] in the [[Iron Bowl]], university officials announced they accepted an invitation to play in the Sun Bowl. The appearance marked the second for Alabama in the Sun Bowl, and their 39th <!--overall-->bowl game<!-- appearance-->.
The Tide was favored by {{nowrap|two points.<ref name=betlin/>}}

===Washington===
{{see also|1986 Washington Huskies football team}}
Washington finished the regular season with an 8–2–1 record. Tied for second place in the Pac-10, the Huskies lost to [[1986 USC Trojans football team|USC]] and [[1986 Arizona State Sun Devils football team|Arizona State]], and tied [[1986 UCLA Bruins football team|UCLA]]. Following their victory over [[1986 Washington State Cougars football team|Washington State]] in the [[Apple Cup]], university officials announced they accepted an invitation to play in the Sun Bowl.<ref name="November 23, 1986">{{cite news |title=UW 44, WSU 23: 3 field goals give Jaeger all-time record |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OlchAAAAIBAJ&sjid=O4UFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2307%2C2898967 |first=Hec |last=Hancock |newspaper=Tri-City Herald |page=D1 |date=November 23, 1986 |access-date=January 30, 2011}}</ref> It was Washington's second appearance in the Sun Bowl, and their 17th<!-- overall--> bowl game<!-- appearance-->.

==Game summary==
After a scoreless first quarter, Alabama scored first on a 64-yard [[Bobby Humphrey]] touchdown run.<ref name="tuscaloosa"/> Washington responded with a pair of [[Jeff Jaeger]] [[Field goal (American and Canadian football)|field goals]] to cut the lead to {{nowrap|7–6}} {{nowrap|at the half.<ref name="tuscaloosa"/><ref name=funsun/><ref name=agwisu/>}}

With a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter, Alabama extended their lead to {{nowrap|21–6}}. [[Mike Shula]] was responsible for both touchdowns with the first coming on a 32-yard pass to Greg Richardson and the second on a 17-yard pass to Bobby Humphrey.<ref name="tuscaloosa"/> Humphrey then scored the final points of the game midway through the fourth on a three-yard run to cap a 16-play, {{nowrap|92-yard drive.<ref name="tuscaloosa"/><ref name=funsun/><ref name=agwisu/>}}

{{AmFootballScoreSummaryStart|VisitorName=Washington|HomeName=Alabama|state=expand}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=2
| Time=13:45
| Team=Alabama
| DriveLength=3 plays, 72 yards
| DriveTime=1:15
| Type=RushTD
| Runner=[[Bobby Humphrey]]
| yards=64
| kickresult=good
| Kicker=[[Van Tiffin]]
| Visitor=0
| Home=7
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=2
| Time=5:55
| Team=Washington
| DriveLength=11 plays, 48 yards
| DriveTime=
| Type=FG
| yards=31
| Kicker=[[Jeff Jaeger]]
| Visitor=3
| Home=7
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=2
| Time=0:38
| Team=Washington
| DriveLength=11 plays, 47 yards
| DriveTime=
| Type=FG
| yards=34
| Kicker=[[Jeff Jaeger]]
| Visitor=6
| Home=7
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=3
| Time=6:24
| Team=Alabama
| DriveLength=6 plays, 48 yards
| DriveTime=
| Type=RecTD
| Receiver=Greg Richardson
| QB=[[Mike Shula]]
| yards=32
| kickresult=good
| Kicker=[[Van Tiffin]]
| Visitor=6
| Home=14
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=3
| Time=0:13
| Team=Alabama
| DriveLength=6 plays, 83 yards
| DriveTime=
| Type=RecTD
| Receiver=[[Bobby Humphrey]]
| QB=[[Mike Shula]]
| yards=17
| kickresult=good
| Kicker=[[Van Tiffin]]
| Visitor=6
| Home=21
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry
| Quarter=4
| Time=7:16
| Team=Alabama
| DriveLength=16 plays, 92 yards
| DriveTime=
| Type=RushTD
| Runner=[[Bobby Humphrey]]
| yards=3
| kickresult=good
| Kicker=[[Van Tiffin]]
| Visitor=6
| Home=28
}}
{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEnd|Visitor=6|Home=28}}

==Aftermath==
According to then Washington [[defensive coordinator]] [[Jim Lambright]], this game<!--the 1986 Sun Bowl--> highlighted the need for Washington to begin to recruit speed more seriously.<ref name="blogs.seattletimes.com">{{Cite web|url=http://blogs.seattletimes.com/huskyfootball/2013/08/28/live-chat-today-with-jim-lambright|title=The Seattle Times &#124; Local news, sports, business, politics, entertainment, travel, restaurants and opinion for Seattle and the Pacific Northwest|access-date=2013-08-28|archive-date=2016-03-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306054333/http://blogs.seattletimes.com/huskyfootball/2013/08/28/live-chat-today-with-jim-lambright/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Lambright would later be quoted as saying, "[i]t was after our bowl game against Alabama in the Sun Bowl [that we started recruiting speed specifically] .... [W]hen we broke down the film, there was no way that our personnel matched their personnel as far as speed. So we went out after that to specifically recruit faster people .... We weren't selective enough up to that point with speed."<ref name="blogs.seattletimes.com"/>

Five years later in the [[1991 Washington Huskies football team|1991]] season, Washington went undefeated and won the [[College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS|national championship]].

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{1986 bowl game navbox}}
{{Sun Bowl navbox}}
{{Alabama Crimson Tide bowl game navbox}}
{{Washington Huskies bowl game navbox}}

[[Category:1986–87 NCAA football bowl games|Sun Bowl]]
[[Category:Sun Bowl]]
[[Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football bowl games]]
[[Category:Washington Huskies football bowl games]]
[[Category:December 1986 sports events in the United States]]
[[Category:1986 in sports in Texas]]