1985 Syracuse Orangemen football
Cherry Bowl, L 18–35 vs. Maryland
ConferenceIndependent
Record7–5
Head coach
CaptainTim Green & Rudy Reed[1]
Home stadiumCarrier Dome
Seasons
← 1984
1986 →
1985 Major eastern college football independents records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Penn State $ 6 – 0 – 0 11 – 1 – 0
West Virginia 4 – 1 – 1 7 – 3 – 1
Syracuse 4 – 2 – 0 7 – 5 – 0
Boston College 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 8 – 0
Pittsburgh 2 – 3 – 1 5 – 5 – 1
Temple 1 – 5 – 0 4 – 7 – 0
Rutgers 0 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 1
Rankings from AP Poll
1985 NCAA Division I-A independents football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Penn State   –   –   11 – 1 – 0
No. 9 Miami (FL)   –   –   10 – 2 – 0
Army   –   –   9 – 3 – 0
No. 15 Florida State   –   –   9 – 3 – 0
West Virginia   –   –   7 – 3 – 1
Southern Miss   –   –   7 – 4 – 0
Syracuse   –   –   7 – 5 – 0
Virginia Tech   –   –   6 – 5 – 0
Pittsburgh   –   –   5 – 5 – 1
Cincinnati   –   –   5 – 6 – 0
Notre Dame   –   –   5 – 6 – 0
South Carolina   –   –   5 – 6 – 0
Southwestern Louisiana   –   –   4 – 7 – 0
Navy   –   –   4 – 7 – 0
Temple   –   –   4 – 7 – 0
Boston College   –   –   4 – 8 – 0
Memphis State   –   –   2 – 7 – 2
Rutgers   –   –   2 – 8 – 1
East Carolina   –   –   2 – 9 – 0
Louisville   –   –   2 – 9 – 0
Tulane   –   –   1 – 10 – 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1985 Syracuse Orangemen football team represented Syracuse University during the 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was led by fifth-year head coach Dick MacPherson and played their home games in the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. Syracuse finished with a 7–5 record and played in the 1985 Cherry Bowl against Maryland, where they lost, 18–35.

Notable players included Tim Green, who earned unanimous All-American honors at defensive tackle and was a finalist for the Lombardi Award. Green was drafted 17th overall in the 1986 NFL Draft, ending his career at Syracuse as the school's all-time leader in sacks with 45.5, a record that he still owns.[2]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 14at Mississippi State
L 3–3026,832[3]
September 21Kent State
W 34–029,822
September 28at Virginia Tech
L 14–2433,400[4]
October 5Louisville
  • Carrier Dome
  • Syracuse, NY
W 48–026,922
October 19No. 6 Penn State
L 20–2450,021
October 26Temple
  • Carrier Dome
  • Syracuse, NY
W 29–1445,391
November 2at Pittsburgh
W 12–025,500
November 9at Navy
W 24–2025,049
November 16Boston College
W 41–2145,790
November 23at Rutgers
W 31–1419,685
November 30West Virginia
L 10–1333,431[5]
December 21vs. No. 20 Maryland
L 18–3551,858[6]
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[7][1]

References

  1. ^ a b 2017 Syracuse football media guide. pg. 150
  2. ^ 2017 Syracuse football media guide. pg. 121.
  3. ^ "Mississippi St. routs SU, 30–3". Democrat and Chronicle. September 15, 1985. Retrieved November 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Granted a second chance, Virginia Tech wins 24–14". The Courier-Journal. September 29, 1985. Retrieved January 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Late drive cuts down Syracuse". Democrat and Chronicle. December 1, 1985. Retrieved January 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Terps' Cherry Bowl fruitful". Detroit Free Press. December 22, 1985. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "1985 Syracuse Orange Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 24, 2018.


Categories