One of the toughest coaching replacements of the decade, outside of Ray Perkins replacing “Bear” Bryant at Alabama, was Jimmy Johnson, who came over from Oklahoma State, to replace the venerable Howard Schnellenberger.
Schnellenberger was the first Miami coach to create a culture of community, but the allure of fortune from the potential of being part owner and coach of The Spirit of Miami of the upstart USFL left the Hurricanes, and to pick up the pieces was Johnson.
The first season was a rocky one, it began with the Hurricanes facing pre-season No. 1 Auburn in the second annual Kickoff Classic in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The matchup touted the preseason Heisman favorites in Miami quarterback Bernie Kosar and Auburn running back Bo Jackson.
In the game, Miami was able to slow a potent Auburn ground game holding Jackson to under 100 rushing yards (96 yards on 20 carries), and two other future NFL running backs Lionel James and Tommy Agee in check. Kosar was efficient with 329 yards passing, positioning placekicker Greg Cox to hit the deciding points as Miami upended Auburn 20-18.
Miami would ascend to No. 1 in the rankings, then would proceed to drop high-profile contests on the road against Michigan and their annual showdown with Florida State.
Late in the season, Miami would suffer back-to-back defeats that would kill any major bowl bid hopes.
Against unranked Maryland, Miami got up to a 31-0 lead at the half, the Hurricanes figuratively forgot to comeback out of the locker room. Maryland quarterback Frank Reich engineered was then the largest comeback in the history of college football, something that would serve him well later when he joined the Buffalo Bills and upset Miami 42-40.
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The very next week, Miami looked to dash Boston College’s Cotton Bowl aspirations and dent quarterback Doug Flutie‘s Heisman Trophy chances.
The game went back and forth as Miami’s defensive woes carried over from the poor second half against Maryland.
Miami took a slight lead when running back Melvin Bratton ran for his fourth rushing touchdown of the game with 28 seconds to go.
As Doug Flutie positioned Boston College for a “Hail Mary” attempt with seconds to go. Flutie would earn sports immortality by connecting on “55 Flood Tip,” some consider one of the greatest plays in sports history.
Johnson would take the offseason to do some soul-searching and Miami would only lose four games over the next four seasons, some in the most high-profile fashion.
It would be under Johnson, Miami would cultivate and build the foundation of “The U” persona. It would be a tool to keep all the Miami athletes at home.
Miami began winning more 1985 saw high-profile wins against eventual national champion Oklahoma and kindle a short but highly intense rivalry, a 58-7 demolition of Notre Dame in Gerry Faust’s last game as head coach, a game that would be a catalyst for the intense 1988 “Catholics vs. Convicts” game.
While 1985 was successful, it was bookended by two high-profile losses against Florida to open the season and a 35-7 egg-laying in the Sugar Bowl against Tennessee.
As 1986 began, Miami seemed to have the pieces put together to have an all-time group. Comprising this squad would be eventual Heisman Trophy winner quarterback Vinny Testaverde, wide receivers Michael Irvin and Brian Blades, defensive tackle Jerome Brown, and safety Bennie Blades.
Their first test would be a “Game of the Century” matchup against defending national champions Oklahoma at the Orange Bowl in Miami in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup. If any game defined Miami, The U Era, and Jimmy Johnson’s time in Miami it would be this game.
Even before the game kicked off the coin toss between the two clubs would go down in lure between the smack talk levied by Miami captains Winston Moss, Alonzo Highsmith, and Jerome Brown.
The fact Miami backed up their talk and dominated Oklahoma with an aerial attack that cemented Testaverde his Heisman Trophy.
Testaverde threw from 261 yards and had four touchdown passes, at one point completing 14 straight completions against a vaunted Oklahoma defense.
“He’s the best quarterback we have ever played against in my 21 years at Oklahoma. He’s just too good. He should win the Heisman,” offered Switzer following the loss, “I don’t think anyone else is even close.”
Following the performance against Oklahoma, it seemed to draw an invincibility from the Hurricanes that they could defeat anyone and overcome all obstacles to win.
This was on full display as the Hurricanes arrived in Tempe for the Fiesta Bowl against Penn State for the national championship as they got off the plane in camouflage fatigues.
If a fatal flaw Johnson couldn’t overcome for this club, they believed they were going to win big and overlooked Penn State’s ability to compete.
Penn State defensively out-schemed Miami throwing Testaverde different looks and forcing seven turnovers giving Penn State a 14-10 win over Miami in the Fiesta Bowl and national championship, arguably the toughest defeat Miami ever had to endure.
The fuel for the fire was high octane for the Hurricanes in 1987, when you talk about the best teams of the decade and of all time this Hurricanes group is among them. Key starters returned in wide receivers Michael Irvin, Brian Blades, and Brett Perriman safety Bennie Blades, and defensive lineman Daniel Stubbs. Future NFL Pro Bowl defensive linemen Cortez Kennedy and Russell Maryland would make contributions as well.
The Hurricanes had a gauntlet of a schedule and would include five ranked opponents with four ranked in the Top 10.
One of the signature wins of the Jimmy Johnson era came against Florida State in 1987 in a Top 4 matchup.
The talent on Florida State’s side was also immense having future NFL Hall of Fame defensive backs Deion Sanders and LeRoy Butler, running backs Dexter Carter, Marion Butts, and Edgar Bennett, and quarterback Danny McManus.
The Seminoles shot to a 19-3 lead but the Hurricanes ever so determined clawed their way to take a 26-19 lead highlighted by Miami quarterback Steve Walsh hitting Michael Irvin on a 73-yard touchdown pass over Deion Sanders.
Florida State wouldn’t go down without a fight, quarterback Danny McManus would connect with Dexter Carter to set up his final strike to wide receiver Ronald Lewis to get Florida State within a point.
On the ensuing two-point conversion to decide the game, McManus tried to hit a wheel route to Carter but the Miami secondary knocked it away to secure the 26-25 win. It would be a character win that would bode well the rest of the way.
Miami would go on to dominate their schedule outscoring opponents 392 to 111 during the regular season.
It set up a titanic clash against recent rival Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl for the national championship.
Miami relied on a stifling defense and a pair of Steve Walsh touchdown passes to give Johnson his elusive national championship in a 20-14 win over Oklahoma.
In Johnson’s final season in Miami, they began the season by throttling rival and preseason No. 1 Florida State 31-0 and defeating Michigan at “The Big House” 31-30.
What prevented Johnson and the Hurricanes from repeating as national champions game in arguably the worst or second worst loss, depending on how you rank “The Fatigue Game” against Penn State, in the “Catholics vs. Convicts” game at Notre Dame?
Miami fans will forever question did Cleveland Gary fumble and it was potentially that controversial call (along with seven turnovers) that cost the Hurricanes.
Following the 1988 season, Johnson got a call from a former teammate at the University of Arkansas that he bought an NFL team as Jerry Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys looking for a new head coach. Johnson took the job and would go on to become the first head coach to win a major college football national championship and Super Bowl.
Johnson was extremely successful in Miami winning over 85% of his games. Miami’s defeats in this period are some of college football’s most storied games and moments as well as signature wins for many programs, it speaks volumes of the status Miami was in.
It also speaks volumes to have dominated a program like Oklahoma with Miami (Johnson was 0-5 vs. Oklahoma coaching Oklahoma State) and created a brand that will forever be seen as immortal by college football fans in The U.
