The 1989 Miami Hurricanes | Season in Review

The 1989 Miami Hurricanes were a program in the state of transition because Head Coach Jimmy Johnson who was 52-9 including 2 national championship appearances in 1986 and 1987 featuring one national championship in 1987 when Miami beat Oklahoma by score of 20-14.

Jimmy Johnson would join the Dallas Cowboys as the new head coach in 1989 which would eventually pay dividends because as an impeccable talent evaluator he was able to build the Cowboys back to prominence in the NFL again after several years of mediocrity and bad teams. Tom Landry was the head coach for the Dallas Cowboys before he was replaced by Jimmy Johnson coming from coach college football was a great transition to success despite a 1-15 record in 1989.

In 1991,the Cowboys were a playoff team winning 11 games including a road playoff win at Chicago against the Chicago Bears winning by score of 17-13 before losing to the Detroit Lions by score of 38-6 in the Divisional Round. But in 1992 the Dallas Cowboys was truly back with the plethora of talent featuring the Triplets: Quarterback Troy Aikman, Running Back Emmitt Smith and Wide Receiver Michael Irvin winning 13 games including a Super Bowl win against the Buffalo Bills:52-17. Then in 1993 the Dallas Cowboys won their second consecutive Super Bowl against the Bills again winning 30-13.

So the Miami Hurricanes of 1989 had to hired a new coach and his name was Dennis Erickson who would be a masterclass of a innovator from an offensive standpoint by implementing the one back offensive system known as the one back spread. Erickson was the head coach of the Washington State Cougars prior to becoming the coach of the Hurricanes. Miami Hurricanes had won 2 national championships in 1983 and 1987 with 2 different head coaches in Howard Schnellenberger and Jimmy Johnson.

Now could Dennis Erickson be the third head coach to win a national championship for the Miami Hurricanes to cement the Canes as the team of the 80s by capturing the third national championship. Miami would get off to a great start at Wisconsin on the road by winning 51-3. Overall Miami Hurricanes were 6-0 during the 1989 season until they faced their archrival the Florida State Seminoles on the road truly their first test of the season but lost by score of 24-10.

But Miami would bounce back and run the table by winning against opponents like Pittsburgh,East Carolina,San Diego State,and Notre Dame which was the team that beat Miami at home in 1988 winning 31-30 snapping Miami’s 36-game regular season winning streak. So it was revenge time for Miami by winning at home by score of 27-10 snapping Notre Dame’s 23-game winning streak.

Now the Hurricanes were able to play for the National Championship by playing the University of Alabama in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. But Miami had to have Notre Dame beat Colorado in the Orange Bowl in order to preserve the opportunity for the Miami Hurricanes to win the championship so Miami won 33-25. Notre Dame won against Colorado winning by score of 21-6.

Miami was back on top of the college football world winning their 3rd national championship cementing the team of the 80s in the annals of college football. Miami proved that it could win another championship with a different head coach which was a rarity. Players that stood out from the team was Quarterback Craig Erickson, Running Back Leonard Conley, Fullback Stephen McGuire, Wide Receiver Dale Dawkins, Wide Receiver Randal Hill and Tight End Rob Chuzinski.

On the defensive side of the ball was Defensive Lineman Russell Maryland, Cortez Kennedy, Greg Mark which was the arguably the strength of the defense. Overall the Miami Hurricanes of 1989 not only won their 3rd national championship but they also won a game against a number one-ranked opponent for the 7th time in 7th attempts during the 1980s.