# 1988 Miami Hurricanes football team

The 1988 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami during the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the Hurricanes' 63rd season of football. The Hurricanes were led by fifth-year head coach Jimmy Johnson and played their home games at the Orange Bowl. They finished the season 11–1 overall. They were invited to the Orange Bowl, where they defeated Nebraska, 23–3.

## Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 3 | No. 1 Florida State | No. 6 | Miami Orange BowlMiami, FL (rivalry) | CBS | W 31–0 | 77,836 |
| September 17 | at No. 15 Michigan | No. 1 | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI | ABC | W 31–30 | 105,834 |
| September 24 | Wisconsin | No. 1 | Miami Orange BowlMiami, FL | | W 23–3 | 48,311 |
| October 1 | Missouri | No. 1 | Miami Orange BowlMiami, FL | | W 55–0 | 40,654 |
| October 15 | at No. 4 Notre Dame | No. 1 | Notre Dame StadiumSouth Bend, IN (Catholics vs. Convicts, rivalry) | CBS | L 30–31 | 59,075 |
| October 22 | Cincinnati | No. 4 | Miami Orange BowlMiami, FL | | W 57–3 | 44,107 |
| October 29 | at East Carolina | No. 4 | Ficklen Memorial StadiumGreenville, NC | | W 31–7 | 29,400 |
| November 5 | Tulsa | No. 3 | Miami Orange BowlMiami, FL | | W 34–3 | 38,196 |
| November 19 | at No. 11 LSU | No. 3 | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA | ESPN | W 44–3 | 79,528 |
| November 26 | No. 8 Arkansas | No. 3 | Miami Orange BowlMiami, FL | CBS | W 18–16 | 63,271 |
| December 3 | BYU | No. 2 | Miami Orange BowlMiami, FL | ESPN | W 41–17 | 59,637 |
| January 2 | vs. No. 6 Nebraska | No. 2 | Miami Orange BowlMiami, FL (Orange Bowl, rivalry) | NBC | W 23–3 | 79,480 |
| HomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game ||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking ( ) = First-place votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Final |
| AP | 8 (1) | 6 (1) | 1 (38) | 1 (46) | 1 (46) | 1 (55) | 1 (53) | 1 (52) | 4 | 4 | 3 (1) | 3 (1) | 3 (1) | 3 (1) | 2 (1) | 2 (1) | 2 (1 1⁄2) |
| Coaches | 5 (4) | 5 (4) | 1 (29) | 1 (37) | 1 (45) | 1 (45) | 1 (43) | 1 (44) | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 (1) | 3 (1) | 2 (2) | 2 (3) | 2 (2) |

## Game summaries
### Florida State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seminoles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • Hurricanes | 3 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 31 |

### At Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Hurricanes | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 31 |
| Wolverines | 3 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 30 |

### Wisconsin

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Badgers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| • Hurricanes | 0 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 23 |

### Missouri

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Tigers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • Hurricanes | 21 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 55 |
The dominating win over Missouri was Miami's most lopsided victory in 21 years, dating back to a 58–0 win over Pittsburgh in 1967.

### At Notre Dame

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hurricanes | 0 | 21 | 0 | 9 | 30 |
| • Fighting Irish | 7 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 31 |

### Cincinnati

* Steve Walsh 286 Yds, 5 TD (tied school record)

### At LSU

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Hurricanes | 10 | 10 | 0 | 24 | 44 |
| Tigers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |

### Arkansas

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Razorbacks | 10 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 16 |
| • Hurricanes | 10 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 18 |

### BYU

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 17 |
| • Hurricanes | 7 | 27 | 0 | 7 | 41 |

### Vs. Nebraska (Orange Bowl)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Hurricanes | 7 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 23 |
| Cornhuskers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |

## Personnel
### Coaching staff

| Name | Position | Seasons | Alma mater |
| Jimmy Johnson | Head coach | 5th | Arkansas (1965) |
| Gary Stevens | Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks | 9th | John Carroll (1965) |
| Dave Wannstedt | Defensive coordinator/linebackers | 3rd | Pittsburgh (1974) |
| Hubbard Alexander | Wide receivers | 10th | Tennessee State (1962) |
| Joe Brodsky | Running backs | 11th | Florida (1956) |
| Butch Davis | Defensive line | 5th | Arkansas (1973) |
| Art Kehoe | Assistant offensive line | 4th | Miami (1982) |
| Don Soldinger | Tight ends | 5th | Memphis (1967) |
| Tony Wise | Offensive line | 4th | Ithaca (1972) |
| Dave Campo | Defensive backs | 2nd | Central Connecticut State (1969) |

### Support staff

| Name | Position | Seasons | Alma mater |
| Bill Foran | Strength & Conditioning | 4th | Central Michigan (1977) |
| Tommy Tuberville | Graduate Assistant | 3rd | Southern Arkansas (1976) |
| Ed Orgeron | Graduate Assistant | 1st | Northwestern State (1983) |

## Awards and honors

* Steve Walsh, Sammy Baugh Trophy

### Jack Harding University of Miami MVP Award

* Steve Walsh, QB

## 1989 NFL draft

| Player | Position | Round | Pick | Team |
| Bill Hawkins | Defensive end | 1 | 21 | Los Angeles Rams |
| Cleveland Gary | Running back | 1 | 26 | Los Angeles Rams |
| Bubba McDowell | Defensive back | 3 | 77 | Houston Oilers |
| Melvin Bratton | Running back | 7 | 180 | Denver Broncos |
| Rod Carter | Linebacker | 10 | 252 | Dallas Cowboys |
| Randy Shannon | Linebacker | 11 | 280 | Dallas Cowboys |