Miami football team battled back to win 1989 National Championship

After the win, Miami jumped a two-loss Florida State, Notre Dame and one-loss Nebraska in the polls to move up fourth nationally. One loss Michigan, undefeateds Alabama and Colorado were ahead of the Miami football team in the polls. By the time bowl season commenced Miami moved up to number two.

Miami Hurricanes Football

Alabama lost its last game of the regular season to Auburn and Miami passed Michigan. Instead of getting a chance to play Colorado in the Orange Bowl on its homefield, anyone that cared about the Miami football program was placed in the unenviable task of rooting for Notre Dame against Colorado.

Miami went to the Sugar Bowl to face Alabama. In front of a hostile crowd of Crimson Tide supporters, Miami defeated Alabama 33-25. Notre Dame took care of Colorado 21-6 in the Orange Bowl. Miami was voted the nation’s number one team and captured its third national title in seven years.

It was a remarkable achievement for a team that had to claw back from being ranked seventh in the nation in mid-October. The Hurricanes also had a new head coach Dennis Erickson and quarterback Craig Erickson (no relation). The title was about the Miami football program as a whole.

Erickson became the third Hurricanes head coach to win the third national championship in seven seasons and program history. It is an unprecedented feat in that short amount of time. Erickson was able to pick up where Jimmy Johnson left off and how Johnson succeeded Howard Schnellenberger.