1987–88 NCAA football bowl game season
The 1987–1988 NCAA football bowl games followed the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season, featuring 18 games. Twenty ranked teams participated, and seven of the eighteen matchups were between two ranked teams.[1] The Miami Hurricanes were declared the national champions, after upsetting #1 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.[2][3]
Seventeen of the bowl games ended with a winner, while there was a lone tie (Auburn vs Syracuse in the Sugar Bowl).
Nine independent teams competed, along with six SEC teams, four Big Ten, four Pac-10, three WAC, three Big 8, three SWC, two ACC, one MAC, and one PCAA.
The largest margin of victory occurred twice; Clemson beat Penn State and Texas A&M beat Notre Dame, both 35-10.
The "bowl week" started on December 13 with the California Bowl, and concluded on January 2, 1988 with the Hall of Fame Bowl and the Peach Bowl.
Bowl games
Date |
Game |
Site |
Television |
Teams |
Affiliations |
Results |
Dec. 13 |
California Bowl |
Bulldog Stadium Fresno, CA |
|
Eastern Michigan Hurons (9–2) San Jose State Spartans (10–1) |
MAC PCAA |
Eastern Michigan 30 San Jose State 27 |
Dec. 19 |
Independence Bowl |
Independence Stadium Shreveport, LA |
Mizlou |
Washington Huskies (6–4–1) Tulane Green Wave (6–5) |
Pac-10 Independent |
Washington 24 Tulane 12 |
Dec. 22 |
All-American Bowl |
Legion Field Birmingham, AL |
Raycom |
BYU Cougars (9–3) Virginia Cavaliers (7–4) |
WAC ACC |
Virginia 22 BYU 16 |
Dec. 25 |
Jeep Eagle Aloha Bowl |
Aloha Stadium Honolulu, HI |
ABC |
#10 UCLA Bruins (9–2) Florida Gators (6–5) |
Pac-10 SEC |
UCLA 20 Florida 16 |
John Hancock Sun Bowl |
Sun Bowl Stadium El Paso, TX |
CBS |
West Virginia Mountaineers (6–5) #11 Oklahoma State Cowboys (9–2) |
Independent Big 8 |
Oklahoma State 35 West Virginia 33 |
Dec. 29 |
Liberty Bowl |
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN |
Raycom |
Arkansas Razorbacks (9–3) #15 Georgia Bulldogs (8–3) |
SWC SEC |
Georgia 20 Arkansas 17 |
Dec. 30 |
Freedom Bowl |
Anaheim Stadium Anaheim, CA |
Mizlou |
Air Force Falcons (9–3) Arizona State Sun Devils (6–4–1) |
WAC Pac-10 |
Arizona State 33 Air Force 28 |
SeaWorld Holiday Bowl |
Jack Murphy Stadium San Diego, CA |
ESPN |
#18 Iowa Hawkeyes (9–3) Wyoming Cowboys (10–2) |
Big Ten WAC |
Iowa 20 Wyoming 19 |
Dec. 31 |
Mazda Gator Bowl |
Gator Bowl Stadium Jacksonville, FL |
CBS |
#9 South Carolina Gamecocks (8–3) #7 LSU Tigers (9–1–1) |
Independent SEC |
LSU 30 South Carolina 13 |
Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl |
Astrodome Houston, TX |
Mizlou |
#19 Pittsburgh Panthers (8–3) Texas Longhorns (6–5) |
Independent SWC |
Texas 32 Pittsburgh 27 |
Jan. 1 |
Rose Bowl |
Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA |
NBC |
#16 USC Trojans (8–3) #8 Michigan State Spartans (8–2–1) |
Pac-10 Big Ten |
Michigan State 20 USC 17 |
Orange Bowl National Championship |
Orange Bowl Miami, FL |
NBC |
#2 Miami Hurricanes (11–0) #1 Oklahoma Sooners (11–0) |
Independent Big 8 |
Miami 20 Oklahoma 14 |
Florida Citrus Bowl |
Florida Citrus Bowl Orlando, FL |
ABC |
#14 Clemson Tigers (9–2) #20 Penn State Nittany Lions (8–3) |
ACC Independent |
Clemson 35 Penn State 10 |
Sunkist Fiesta Bowl |
Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, AZ |
NBC |
#3 Florida State Seminoles (10–1) #5 Nebraska Cornhuskers (10–1) |
Independent Big 8 |
Florida State 31 Nebraska 28 |
Cotton Bowl Classic |
Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX |
CBS |
#12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8–3) #8 Texas A&M Aggies (9–2) |
Independent SWC |
Texas A&M 35 Notre Dame 10 |
USF&G Sugar Bowl |
Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, LA |
ABC |
#6 Auburn Tigers (9–1–1) #4 Syracuse Orangemen (11–0) |
SEC Independent |
Auburn 16 Syracuse 16 |
Jan. 2 |
Hall of Fame Bowl |
Tampa Stadium Tampa, FL |
NBC |
Michigan Wolverines (7–4) Alabama Crimson Tide (7–4) |
Big Ten SEC |
Michigan 28 Alabama 24 |
Peach Bowl |
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium Atlanta, GA |
Mizlou |
#17 Tennessee Volunteers (9–2–1) Indiana Hoosiers (8–3) |
SEC Big Ten |
Tennessee 27 Indiana 22 |
References