The 1987–88 NCAA football bowl games concluded 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] 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 schedule
Date
Game
Site
Television
Teams
Affiliations
Results
Dec. 13
California Bowl
Bulldog Stadium Fresno, California
ESPN
Eastern Michigan Hurons (9–2) San Jose State Spartans (10–1)
MAC PCAA
Eastern Michigan 30
Dec. 19
Independence Bowl
Independence Stadium Shreveport, Louisiana
Mizlou
Washington Huskies (6–4–1) Tulane Green Wave (6–5)
Pac-10 Independent
Washington 24
Dec. 22
All-American Bowl
Legion Field Birmingham, Alabama
Raycom
BYU Cougars (9–3) Virginia Cavaliers (7–4)
WAC ACC
Virginia 22
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
John Hancock Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium El Paso, Texas
CBS
West Virginia Mountaineers (6–5) Oklahoma State Cowboys (9–2)
Independent Big 8
Oklahoma State 35
Dec. 29
Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, Tennessee
Raycom
Arkansas Razorbacks (9–3) Georgia Bulldogs (8–3)
SWC SEC
Georgia 20
Dec. 30
Freedom Bowl
Anaheim Stadium Anaheim, California
Mizlou
Air Force Falcons (9–3) Arizona State Sun Devils (6–4–1)
WAC Pac-10
Arizona State 33
SeaWorld Holiday Bowl
Jack Murphy Stadium San Diego
ESPN
#18 Iowa Hawkeyes (9–3) Wyoming Cowboys (10–2)
Big Ten WAC
Iowa 20
Dec. 31
Mazda Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl Stadium Jacksonville, Florida
CBS
#9 South Carolina Gamecocks (8–3) LSU Tigers (9–1–1)
Independent SEC
LSU 30
Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl
Astrodome Houston
Mizlou
#19 Pittsburgh Panthers (8–3) Texas Longhorns (6–5)
Independent SWC
Texas 32
Jan. 1
Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Pasadena, California
NBC
#16 USC Trojans (8–3) Michigan State Spartans (8–2–1)
Pac-10 Big Ten
Michigan State 20
Orange Bowl National Championship
Orange Bowl Miami
NBC
#2 Miami Hurricanes (11–0) Oklahoma Sooners (11–0)
Independent Big 8
Miami 20
Florida Citrus Bowl
Florida Citrus Bowl Orlando, Florida
ABC
#14 Clemson Tigers (9–2) Penn State Nittany Lions (8–3)
ACC Independent
Clemson 35
Sunkist Fiesta Bowl
Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, Arizona
NBC
#3 Florida State Seminoles (10–1) Nebraska Cornhuskers (10–1)
Independent Big 8
Florida State 31
Cotton Bowl Classic
Cotton Bowl Dallas
CBS
#12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8–3) Texas A&M Aggies (9–2)
Independent SWC
Texas A&M 35
USF&G Sugar Bowl
Louisiana Superdome New Orleans
ABC
#6 Auburn Tigers (9–1–1) Syracuse Orangemen (11–0)
SEC Independent
Auburn 16 Syracuse 16
Jan. 2
Hall of Fame Bowl
Tampa Stadium Tampa, Florida
NBC
Michigan Wolverines (7–4) Alabama Crimson Tide (7–4)
Big Ten SEC
Michigan 28
Peach Bowl
Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium Atlanta
Mizlou
#17 Tennessee Volunteers (9–2–1) Indiana Hoosiers (8–3)
SEC Big Ten
Tennessee 27
References
^ "AP and Coaches Yearly Final Polls" . cfbdatawarehouse.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2016 .^ "Recognized National Championships by Year" . cfbdatawarehouse.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2016 .^ Keith Meador. "1987 Oklahoma at Miami (FL) Game Recap - SoonerStats - Oklahoma Sooners Football, Basketball, Baseball, and Softball Scores, Records, and Stats" . soonerstats.com. Retrieved November 19, 2016 .
