1985 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team

1985 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
Hall of Fame Classic champion
Hall of Fame Classic, W 17–14 vs. Michigan State
Conference	Atlantic Coast Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 18
AP	No. 19
Record	9–2–1 (5–1 ACC)
Head coach	Bill Curry (6th season)
Offensive coordinator	Dwain Painter (4th season)
Defensive coordinator	Don Lindsey (2nd season)
Captain	John Ivemeyer Ted Roof Mike Snow
Home stadium	Grant Field
Seasons ←  1984 1986  →

1985 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 18 Maryland $	6	–	0	–	0			9	–	3	–	0
No. 19 Georgia Tech	5	–	1	–	0			9	–	2	–	1
Virginia	4	–	3	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
Clemson	4	–	3	–	0			6	–	6	–	0
North Carolina	3	–	4	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Duke	2	–	5	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
NC State	2	–	5	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Wake Forest	1	–	6	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

The 1985 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Yellow Jackets were led by sixth-year head coach Bill Curry and played their home games at Grant Field in Atlanta. In their third season as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, they finished in second with an ACC record of 5–1. They were invited to the 1985 Hall of Fame Classic bowl game, where they defeated Michigan State, 17–14. The Yellow Jackets finished ranked in both the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll for the first time in 15 years.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 14	at NC State	Carter–Finley Stadium Raleigh, NC	Raycom	W 28–18	32,100	[1]
September 21	Virginia	Grant Field Atlanta, GA		L 13–24	38,291	[2]
September 28	at Clemson	Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC (rivalry)		W 14–3	78,000	[3]
October 5	North Carolina	Grant Field Atlanta, GA	Raycom	W 31–0	35,625	[4]
October 12	Western Carolina *	Grant Field Atlanta, GA		W 24–17	36,111	[5]
October 19	No. 8 Auburn *	Grant Field Atlanta, GA (rivalry)	CBS	L 14–17	57,501	[6]
October 26	at No. 16 Tennessee *	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (rivalry)	ESPN	T 6–6	94,575	[7]
November 2	at Duke	Wallace Wade Stadium Durham, NC		W 9–0	14,400	[8]
November 9	Chattanooga *	Grant Field Atlanta, GA		W 35–7	25,763	[9]
November 16	Wake Forest	Grant Field Atlanta, GA	Raycom	W 41–10	28,575	[10]
November 30	No. 20 Georgia *	Grant Field Atlanta, GA (Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate)	TBS	W 20–16	59,602	[11]
December 31	vs. Michigan State *	Legion Field Birmingham, AL (Hall of Fame Classic)	TBS	W 17–14	45,000	[12]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

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Roster

1985 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class RB Robert Lavette WR David Dean Sr TE Robert Massey OL Andy Hearn OL John Ivemeyer OL John Thomas OL John Davis OL Sam Bracken QB John Dewberry	Defense Pos. # Name Class DL Ivry Lee LB Pat Swilling LB Ted Roof DB Mike Travis DL Mark Pike LB Jim Anderson LB Todd Ellis DB Cleve Pounds DB Anthony Harrison	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K Thomas Palmer P Mike Snow	Head coach Bill Curry Coordinators/assistant coaches Dwain Painter –Offensive coordinator Chip Wisdom –Running backs Mark Hendrickson –Wide receivers Jack Fligg –Offensive tackle/tight ends Don Lindsey –Defensive coordinator Larry New –Defensive line John Guy –Defensive ends Rick Smith –Defensive backs Keith Colson –Defensive backs Mac McWhorter –Assistant head coach Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt

References

1. "Errors cost Pack in loss to Tech". The Charlotte Observer. September 15, 1985. Retrieved January 31, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
2. "Work found a way for Cavaliers". The Greenville News. September 22, 1985. Retrieved January 31, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
3. "Georgia Tech whips error-prone Clemson". Lexington Herald-Leader. September 29, 1985. Retrieved January 31, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
4. "Georgia Tech dominates punchless North Carolina". The State. October 6, 1985. Retrieved January 31, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
5. "Jackets sting Western, 24–17". Asheville Citizen-Times. October 13, 1985. Retrieved January 31, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
6. "Jackson, Tigers run past Ga. Tech". The Charlotte Observer. October 20, 1985. Retrieved November 4, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
7. "Vols get a kick, Jackets get a 6–6 tie". The Atlanta Journal & Constitution. October 27, 1985. Retrieved November 4, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
8. "Georgia Tech edges Duke". Daily Press. November 3, 1985. Retrieved January 31, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
9. "A quarter pounder for Jackets 35–7". The Atlanta Journal & Constitution. November 10, 1985. Retrieved January 31, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
10. "Georgia Tech romps past Deacons". Anderson Independent-Mail. November 17, 1985. Retrieved January 31, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
11. "Tech beats Georgia for bragging rights". The Macon Telegraph & News. December 1, 1985. Retrieved November 4, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
12. "Wreck outlasts Spartans". Birmingham Post-Herald. January 1, 1986. Retrieved January 31, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
13. "1985 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 14, 2017.