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1991 college football season

The 1991 Washington Huskies Get Don James A Well-Deserved Crown

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The Washington Huskies had become a nationally respected program under the leadership of head coach Don James, going back to a Rose Bowl upset of Michigan in 1977 when Warren Moon quarterbacked the Huskies.

There would be consecutive trips to Pasadena in 1980-81, including a victory in ’81. There was an Orange Bowl win and #2 national finish in 1984. James returned to Pasadena in 1990 and won another Rose Bowl. All that was missing was a national title—and the 1991 Washington Huskies filled in the last line of James’ resume.

Washington came into the 1991 season ranked #4 in the nation and stacked with players the NFL could love. Eleven Huskies would go in the following spring’s draft and it started with defensive tackle Steve Emtman. He won both the Outland and Lombardi Trophies in ’91 and was the first overall pick by the NFL in the spring of 1992.

Defensive back Dana Hall was another future first-round choice. There were three good offensive lineman, center Ed Cunningham, guard Kris Rongen and tackle Siupeli Malamala. The linebacking corps was led by future draftees Brett Collins and Chico Fraley.

Where the question mark lay was at quarterback. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Mark Brunnell had led the way in 1990 and had a long and successful NFL career in front of him. But in spring practice, he was lost for what would prove to be most of the season. Fortunately, James was able to plug in Billy Joe Hobert and Washington didn’t miss a beat.

Hobert completed 61 percent of his passes, threw for over 2,200 yards and tossed 22 touchdown passes. He had a 1,000-yard receiver in Mario Bailey and a running back in Beno Bryant who neared that same 1K threshold.

Washington opened the season by hammering Stanford on the road, 42-7. This was a Cardinal team that would win eight games, and get their head coach, Dennis Green, the Minnesota Vikings gig the following year. They were no match for Washington, although there is no record of whether Green thundered to the press corps afterward about “They were, who we thought they were!”

After a week off, Washington went to ninth-ranked Nebraska. The Cornhuskers led 21-9 late in the third quarter, and it looked this game would mark another year where Washington was good and maybe even Rose Bowl-bound, but not national title material. Then the fourth quarter happened.

Bryant ran for one touchdown. Hobert both ran and threw to get two more and Washington led 29-21. Then Jay Barry sealed the deal with an 81-yard jaunt. Washington outrushed Nebraska 335-135 and held the ball for 35 minutes, effectively dominating a proud program known for its control of the trenches.

Washington blasted Kansas State and nudged to #3 in the polls. It was only September, but the Huskies had a poll problem. Florida State and Miami had the top two spots. While they would play each other, and allow Washington access to #2, there wasn’t much reason to expect either team to lose outside of when they played each other. And with the Huskies locked into the Rose Bowl against the Big Ten champ, they could get left out of the national title situation.

For the time being, all there was to do was play football and Washington did it exceptionally well. They spun consecutive shutouts of Arizona and Toledo, a combined score of 102-0. Another tough road game came against seventh-ranked Cal. The Golden Bears would enjoy a 9-2 season and their being passed over for a major bowl bid in favor of three-loss Notre Dame would generate outrage. Cal’s showing against Washington showed why.

The game was tied 17-17 after three quarters. Bryant, just as he had at Nebraska, made the big run on the road when his team needed it most. A 65-yard jaunt made it 24-17. The defense made it stand up, but not before Cal got to the 18-yard line was able to attempt a last pass into the end zone. It was the closest the Huskies would come all year to being defeated.

Washington closed the regular season with five straight wins over Pac-10 opponents by a combined 148 points. Miami beat Florida State on November 16, but one week later, the Huskies got the break they were looking for.

While they took care of business on the field and ended the regular season with a 56-21 blasting of Washington State in the Apple Cup rivalry game, Miami struggled in a win over a pedestrian Boston College team. This combined with the sentiments from a lot of people that Washington deserved its day in the sun.

The Huskies, after all, had won two huge games on the road and dominated a pretty good schedule. It took nothing away from Miami to suggest that Washington at least win a share of the national title. While the writers kept Miami at #1, the coaches—perhaps motivated by sentiment for James—elevated Washington to #1.

Michigan still awaited in the Rose Bowl and the Wolverines were ranked #4, with the Heisman Trophy winner in Desmond Howard at receiver and returning kicks. Miami played Nebraska, only ranked #11 and already beaten down by Washington in their own backyard. Miami would get the Cornhuskers in a literal home game at the Orange Bowl. If nothing else, the Huskies probably didn’t have to worry about style points. Just win, and at least a share of the national title would be theirs.

The Rose Bowl was scoreless in the first quarter and the teams traded touchdowns in the second. Washington then drove inside the 10-yard line twice, but had to settle for field goals. A game they should have been in command of, was a competitive 13-7 at the half.

It didn’t matter. The Huskies dominated after intermission. Hobert threw a short touchdown pass and then converted the two-point play. He tossed another scoring pass in the fourth quarter. Brunnell, who had gotten healthy enough to get some reps, even got in the act, hitting Bailey on a 38-yard touchdown pass that made it 34-7 and all but sealed it.

Michigan got a meaningless touchdown and Washington could have answered, when they moved past the Wolverine five-yard line in the final minute. James, even with a critical vote hanging in the balance, did the right thing and simply took a knee, leaving the final at 34-14.

Miami, a great team in their own right, showcased the best defense in the country in shutting down Nebraska 22-0. They had beaten Florida State on the road and were a worthy championship team themselves.

Given that, what happened in 1991 was a case of the polls combining, albeit unintentionally, to do the right thing. Each held their #1 ranking, Miami with the writers, Washington with the coaches. James was, at long last, a national champion.

The 1991 Miami Hurricanes Spoil Their Archrival’s Party

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The University of Miami football program came into 1991 having established itself as the nation’s best. There had been three national titles in the previous eight seasons, all three under different head coaches.

There had been four other major bowl bids, and three top five finishes, including a final #3 ranking in 1990. The role of underdog was now a rare one in Coral Gables. But at the season’s biggest moment that’s exactly what the 1991 Miami Hurricanes were and they thrived on it.

Miami opened the regular season at #3 in the polls, but all the media hype surrounded their #1-ranked rival Florida State. This was going to be the Seminoles’ year to finally win their first national title. FSU was loaded and the November 16 date between the two archrivals would be in Tallahassee. That was how the story was supposed to play out anyway.

The Hurricanes produced the best defense in the nation, led by linebacker Darrin Smith and free safety Darryl Williams, both All-Americans. They were physical in the trenches, led by All-American offensive tackle Leon Searcy. Miami had a tough runner in Stephen McGuire and an efficient quarterback in Gino Torretta.

After a season-opening pounding of Arkansas, the ‘Canes moved to #2 in the polls behind Florida State. Up next was a Thursday night home game with Houston. The Cougars “run-and-shoot” passing offense—the forerunner of today’s spread in a lot of ways—was getting rave reviews, but the points were being piled on against bad teams. Its flaws—at least as run by Houston—were left badly exposed by an elite defense.

Miami chased Cougar quarterback David Klingler all over the field, had a 30-3 lead by halftime and won 40-10. Subsequent routs of Tulsa and Oklahoma State set up a real battle with Penn State, who was ranked #9 and no one in Coral Gables needed a reminder of what happened last time the two schools played—the Nittany Lions won a national championship battle in one of the great sporting events ever played, the Fiesta Bowl that followed the 1986 college football season.

The Hurricanes had home-field advantage and they also had a speed advantage. Kevin Williams, their excellent kick returner, brought a punt back 91 yards. Torretta found receiver Horace Copeland on an 80-yard touchdown pass. Defensively, they sacked Penn State quarterback Tony Sacca eight times.

Miami was still only ahead 26-20 with 1:04 left and the Lions were on the Hurricane 44-yard line. Sacca was a big strong-armed quarterback and there was plenty of time for him to win the game. But Darryl Williams came up with the interception that sealed it.

That was the last real test the ‘Canes would have before the biggest exam of all. They blew through Long Beach State, Arizona and West Virginia and rolled into Tallahassee on November 16 as the underdog.

Anyone remotely interested in college football was watching this game, and McGuire put Miami up early on a 30-yard touchdown run. Florida State began to take the game over the better part of 2 ½ quarters after that, but consistently did not cash in.

Miami held FSU to a field goal after a 1st-and-goal at the 1-yard line. Two deep third-quarter drives by the ‘Noles ended up with field goals. The ‘Canes made mistakes—three turnovers led to one Florida State touchdown and cut short two other promising Miami drives. But the Hurricane deficit was only 16-7 early in the fourth quarter when it could have been worse.

A 45-yard field goal by All-American kicker Carlos Huerta cut it to 16-10. On a big drive, McGuire, who rushed for 142 yards, had several tough runs and Torretta completed a 4th-and-6 pass inside the FSU red zone to Copeland. It produced a touchdown and Miami had a 17-16 lead with three minutes to play.

Florida State came driving back down. A pass interference call on Miami in the end zone set the ball up at the 18-yard-line—with college rules only giving 15 yards rather than at the 1-yard line, the penalty was actually worth it for the ‘Canes. FSU would try a field goal to win it. And in a phrase that would become legendary in college football and define this rivalry in the early 1990s, it sailed “Wide Right.” Miami had spoiled the dream season of their archrival and set themselves up for another national championship.

Miami won at mediocre Boston College the following week by a 19-14 score, but the unimpressive nature of the win and gathering sentiment for the undefeated Washington Huskies and their long-time head coach Don James, created a split poll. Washington took over the top of the coaches’ poll while Miami held firm with the writers.

The debate was really the only drama. The Hurricanes played a good San Diego State team, that had future NFL great Marshall Faulk in the backfield, but Miami had too much depth and too much at stake. They won 39-12.

Miami faced Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. This wasn’t a dominant Cornhusker team—they were a nice 9-1-1 team and co-champion of the Big Eight, but they were ranked #11 and no one was under any illusion it should have been higher. With the ‘Canes unable to play Washington (committed to the Rose Bowl) or fourth-ranked Michigan (also in Pasadena), rematching with Florida State being pointless, the Orange Bowl was an anti-climactic ending.

Toretta threw an early touchdown pass and it was 13-0 at the half. The scope of the mismatch was so bad that at halftime, NBC analyst and former San Francisco 49er head coach Bill Walsh termed it “a semi-successful half for Nebraska.” Walsh wasn’t wrong, though it begged the question of how ugly the game might have gotten had the first half not gone so swimmingly for the Huskers.

Washington had already blown out Michigan in the Rose Bowl, and Miami held up their end of the bargain with a 22-0 whitewash of Nebraska in the Orange. Both of the final polls ended up close, but the split decision held—Miami took the writers’ nod, Washington with the coaches. In those days, it was as appropriate a finish as you could hope for.

And the ultimate legacy of the 1991 Miami Hurricanes is this—not only did they win their fourth national title in nine years, but they denied their most hated rival in the most excruciating way possible. It really doesn’t get much sweeter than that.

Bowden’s Near Miss & Desmond’s Pose Highlight The 1991 College Football Season

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1991 was a year when people that had gotten close to a championship, but not yet sealed the deal, finally broke through. Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski won his first ring, as did Chicago Bulls’ star Michael Jordan. Through much of the 1991 college football season, it seemed certain that Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden would join them.

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Florida State, led by quarterback Casey Weldon and a cornerback in Terrell Buckley, who could dominate a game from his position, looked ready to validate their preseason #1 ranking. They opened with an easy win over BYU, then went on the road to Michigan.

The Wolverines were ranked third in the country and led by an electrifying wide receiver and punt returner named Desmond Howard. But the combination of home field and Howard meant nothing, as Florida State blew to a 51-31 win.

Even though Michigan suffered early elimination from the national title race, they still had a big year and no one was better than Howard. He would go on to win the Heisman Trophy and make two plays that are a part of college football lore.

Michigan was clinging to a 17-14 lead in their traditional September game with Notre Dame. The Wolverines were driving and facing a fourth-and-one just inside the ND red zone. Rather than kick a field goal and risk giving the Irish a chance to drive for the win in the fourth quarter, Michigan head coach Gary Moeller decided to go for it.

Howard ran his route straight up the right sideline. The ball was overthrown toward the goal line, but put in a place where Howard was the only one who could make a play on it. He completely outstretched, pulled it in and got the touchdown pass. The race for the Heisman Trophy might as well have ended on that day.

By the time the season-ending finale with Ohio State had arrived, Howard all but secured the Heisman and Michigan had formally clinched the Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl bid. The game itself was mediocre—the Buckeyes were an average team and the Wolverines won 31-3. The big play was Howard bringing a punt return back for a touchdown. To make his point, he stopped in the end zone and “struck a pose”, pulling up his leg and outstretching his arm to look like the Heisman Trophy. It’s a pose that continues to be mimicked to this day.

Howard eventually became a Super Bowl MVP for the Green Bay Packers in 1996, and a good ESPN college football studio analyst. But he never performed better—either on the field or for the camera—then in 1991.

Into November of the 1991 college football season, no one was performing better than Florida State. The Seminoles kept churning out wins, including a 46-14 thrashing of tenth-ranked Syracuse, but Miami was still lurking. The Hurricanes were undefeated themselves, having beaten Penn State 26-20 and playing outstanding defense. Miami would be ranked #2 when they visited FSU for a mid-November game.

Florida State led 16-7 in the third quarter, but Miami got a field goal and then drove for the go-ahead touchdown with three minutes to play. The Seminoles came driving down the field for the field goal that could all but secure a national title, given the unlikelihood either team would lose the rest of the way. FSU lined up on the last play for a 35-yard-try…The kick was up…it looked true…and it missed wide right, by the narrowest of margins. The crowd fell silent. Once again, the Seminoles had just missed.

Miami went on to beat Nebraska 22-0 in the Orange Bowl and win a share of the national title. Washington had been unbeaten and the Husky case began to get some attention. When they hammered Michigan, 34-14, in the Rose Bowl, it was enough to get Washington their own share of the national championship.

And Florida State? With all realistic hope of a title cut off, FSU lost again to archrival Florida, and then turned in a mediocre Cotton Bowl showing in a 10-2 win over Texas A&M. Once again, the Seminoles were watching their rivals celebrate while they waited until next year.

Read more about the 1991 Miami Hurricanes
Read more about the 1991 Washington Huskies