1986 West Virginia Mountaineers football team

The 1986 West Virginia Mountaineers football team represented West Virginia University in the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the Mountaineers' 94th overall season and they competed as a Division I-A Independent. The team was led by head coach Don Nehlen, in his seventh year, and played their home games at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia. They finished the season with a record of four wins and seven losses (4–7 overall).

1986 West Virginia Mountaineers football
ConferenceIndependent
Record4–7
Head coach
Home stadiumMountaineer Field
(Capacity: 63,500)
1986 Major eastern college football independents records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Penn State $ 6 –0 –012 –0 –0
No. 19 Boston College 3 –2 –09 –3 –0
Syracuse 3 –3 –05 –6 –0
Temple 2 –3 –06 –5 –0
Pittsburgh 2 –3 –05 –5 –1
Rutgers 2 –4 –05 –5 –1
West Virginia 1 –4 –04 –7 –0
Rankings from AP Poll
1986 NCAA Division I-A independents football records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Penn State   –  – 12 –0 –0
No. 2 Miami (FL)   –  – 11 –1 –0
No. 20 Virginia Tech   –  – 9 –2 –1
No. 19 Boston College   –  – 9 –3 –0
Tulsa   –  – 7 –4 –0
Florida State   –  – 7 –4 –1
Army   –  – 6 –5 –0
Southwestern Louisiana   –  – 6 –5 –0
Southern Miss   –  – 6 –5 –0
Temple   –  – 6 –5 –0
Pittsburgh   –  – 5 –5 –1
Rutgers   –  – 5 –5 –1
Cincinnati   –  – 5 –6 –0
Notre Dame   –  – 5 –6 –0
Syracuse   –  – 5 –6 –0
South Carolina   –  – 3 –6 –2
Tulane   –  – 4 –7 –0
West Virginia   –  – 4 –7 –0
Louisville   –  – 3 –8 –0
Navy   –  – 3 –8 –0
Wichita State   –  – 3 –8 –0
East Carolina   –  – 2 –9 –0
Northern Illinois   –  – 2 –9 –0
Memphis State   –  – 1 –10 –0
Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule
DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 6Northern Illinois
W 47–1456,665[1]
September 13at East Carolina
W 24–2133,857[2]
September 20Maryland
  • Mountaineer Field
  • Morgantown, WV (rivalry)
L 3–2463,500[3]
September 27at Pittsburgh
L 16–4855,129[4]
October 4at Virginia Tech
L 7–1350,000[5]
October 11No. 1 Miami (FL)
  • Mountaineer Field
  • Morgantown, WV
L 14–5863,500[6]
October 25Boston College
  • Mountaineer Field
  • Morgantown, WV
L 10–1947,760[7]
November 1No. 2 Penn State
  • Mountaineer Field
  • Morgantown, WV (rivalry)
L 0–1959,184[8]
November 8at Rutgers
W 24–1715,101[9]
November 15at Louisville
W 42–1921,834[10]
November 22Syracuse
  • Mountaineer Field
  • Morgantown, WV (rivalry)
L 23–3440,106[11]
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[12]

Roster
1986 West Virginia Mountaineers football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
WR 1 Grantis Bell Fr
RB 3 John Holifield Sr
WR 7 John Talley Jr
QB 13 Ben Reed Jr
QB 17 Mike Timko Jr
FB 20 Craig Taylor So
G 75 John Stroia So
OT 79 Brian Smider So
TE 81 Keith Winn So
WR 82 Calvin Phillips So
TE 83 Gary Basil Jr
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
DB 22 Bo Orlando So
DT 61 Mike Fox Fr
DE 87 Renaldo Turnbull Fr
DT 98 David Grant Jr
DT 99 Jeff Lucas Sr
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
K 8 Charlie Baumann So
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured
  • Redshirt

References
  1. "NIU gains respect, and another loss". Chicago Tribune. September 7, 1986. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "It wasn't pretty...but WVU will take its 24–21 victory". The Pittsburgh Press. September 14, 1986. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Maryland staggers W. Virginia". The Akron Beacon Journal. September 21, 1986. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Panthers rip West Virginia". The Lima News. September 28, 1986. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Hokies defeat West Virginia 13–7". Greensboro News & Record. October 5, 1986. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "'Canes barely break a sweat, 58–14". The Palm Beach Post. October 12, 1986. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "BC stops W. Va., 19–10". The Boston Globe. October 26, 1986. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Lions' defense stifles W. Virginia". The Daily News. November 2, 1986. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Rutgers shocked by WVa., 24–17". Daily Record. November 9, 1986. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Mountaineers thrash U of L 42–19". Lexington Herald-Leader. November 16, 1986. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "McPherson directs SU comeback, 34–23". Democrat and Chronicle. November 23, 1986. Retrieved January 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "1986 West Virginia Mountaineers Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
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