1985 Long Beach State 49ers football team

1985 Long Beach State 49ers football
Conference	Pacific Coast Athletic Association
Record	6–6 (4–3 PCAA)
Head coach	Mike Sheppard (2nd season)
Defensive coordinator	Ken Visser (5th season)
Home stadium	Veterans Stadium
Seasons ←  1984 1986  →

1985 Pacific Coast Athletic Association football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 16 Fresno State $	7	–	0	–	0			11	–	0	–	1
Cal State Fullerton	5	–	2	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
UNLV	4	–	2	–	1			5	–	5	–	1
Long Beach State	4	–	3	–	0			6	–	6	–	0
Utah State	3	–	4	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
San Jose State	2	–	4	–	1			2	–	8	–	1
Pacific (CA)	2	–	5	–	0			5	–	7	–	0
New Mexico State	0	–	7	–	0			1	–	10	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from Coaches Poll

The 1985 Long Beach State 49ers football team represented California State University, Long Beach ^{[note 1]} during the 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season.

Hopes were high as the 49er's returned 15 starters heading into the 1985 season. They were once again led by senior quarterback Doug Gaynor who passed for 3563 yards a 71.2% completion percentage and 19 TD's. He returned his entire receiving corps from the previous season including Charles Lockett 69 catches, 949 yards and 10 TD's, Troy Ory (46-554-5), tight end Greg Locy (38-502-0) and running back Mark Templeton (62-500-1). The rushing attack was led by Martin Sartin who ran for 441 yards and scored 13 total TD's. The Niners also received a strong contribution from Sheldon Gaines who gained a combined 514 yards rushing and receiving along with leading the team as a kick-returner. The defense was led by a strong pass rush from ends Tom Hensley and Chuck Meierbachtol. Val James led the secondary with 5 interceptions.

The Niners were a "streaky" team in 1985. They lost their first two games, then reeled off three wins, two losses, three wins and finally two losses. The highlight of the season was a showdown with Fresno St. The 49er's were only one game behind the Bulldogs in the PCAA standings for this late-season matchup. The game was an exciting one, as the 49ers drove down the field in the waning seconds. A 54-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right and Fresno prevailed 33-31, clinching the conference championship.

Cal State Long Beach competed in the Pacific Coast Athletic Association. ^{[note 2]} The team was led by second-year head coach Mike Sheppard, and played home games at Veterans Stadium adjacent to the campus of Long Beach City College in Long Beach, California. They finished the season with a record of six wins and six losses (6–6, 4–3 PCAA).

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 7	7:00 pm	Utah State	Veterans Memorial Stadium Long Beach, CA	L 17–19	8,621	[1]
September 14	7:00 pm	at San Diego State *	Jack Murphy Stadium San Diego, CA	L 14–34	30,866	[2]
September 21	7:30 pm	at Hawaii *	Aloha Stadium Halawa, HI	W 33–30	43,076	[3]
September 28	5:00 pm	at UNLV	Sam Boyd Silver Bowl Whitney, NV	W 28–24	21,816	[4]
October 5	7:00 pm	at Boise State *	Bronco Stadium Boise ID	W 17–16	15,509	[5]
October 12	7:00 pm	at Tulsa *	Skelly Stadium Tulsa, OK	L 35–37	12,262	[6]
October 19	1:30 pm	No. 17 Eastern Washington *	Veterans Memorial Stadium Long Beach, CA	L 23–30	9,605	[7]
October 26	7:00 pm	New Mexico State	Veterans Memorial Stadium Long Beach, CA	W 38–17	5,369	[8]
November 2	1:30 pm	at Pacific (CA)	Pacific Memorial Stadium Stockton, CA	W 20–7	16,723	[9]
November 7	7:00 pm	San Jose State	Veterans Memorial Stadium Long Beach, CA	W 37–22	7,110	[10]
November 16	7:00 pm	Fresno State	Veterans Memorial Stadium Long Beach, CA	L 31–33	15,240	[11]
November 23	1:00 pm	at Cal State Fullerton	Santa Ana Stadium Santa Ana, CA	L 27–38	4,012	[12]
*Non-conference game Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game All times are in Pacific time

^{[13] [14]}

Roster

1985 Long Beach State 49ers football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class QB 19 Doug Gaynor Sr RB 34 Martin Sartin Sr RB 25 Mark Templeton Jr WR 1 Charles Lockett Jr WR 80 Troy Ory Sr TE 89 Greg Locy Jr OT 75 Joe Iosefa Jr G 66 Dickson Falefia Sr C 55 John Stapleton Sr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DE 84 Tom Hensley Sr DE 64 Chuck Meierbachtol Sr LB 33 Dave Carter Sr LB 32 Kevin Moore Sr CB 9 Val James Jr FS 18 Roger Beavers Jr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class KR 8 Sheldon Gaines Sr	Head coach Coordinators/assistant coaches Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt

Team players in the NFL

The following were selected in the 1986 NFL draft. ^[15]

Player	Position	Round	Overall	NFL team
Doug Gaynor	Quarterback	4	99	Cincinnati Bengals

The following finished their Cal State Long Beach career in 1985, were not drafted, but played in the NFL. ^[16]

Player	Position	First NFL team
Martin Sartin	Running back	1987 San Diego Chargers
Sheldon Gaines	Wide receiver	1987 Buffalo Bills

Notes

1. The official name of Long Beach State has been California State University, Long Beach since 1972. However, it is still commonly known as Long Beach State.
2. The Big West Conference was known as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association from its founding in 1969 through 1987.

References

1. "Aggies kick new season into gear nip Long Beach State, 19–17". The Salt Lake Tribune. September 8, 1985. Retrieved April 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
2. "Aztecs win special opener". Daily Times-Advocate. September 15, 1985. Retrieved April 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
3. "Rainbows lose third in a row". The Sunday Star Bulliten & Advertiser. September 22, 1985. Retrieved April 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
4. "Long Beach follows Gaynor to triumph". The Fresno Bee. September 29, 1985. Retrieved April 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
5. "49ers score late to unseat BSU". The Idaho Statesman. October 6, 1985. Retrieved April 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
6. "Tulsa beats the clock, Long Beach". Reno Gazette-Journal. October 13, 1985. Retrieved April 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
7. "Long Beach's rally falls short, 30–23". The Los Angeles Times. October 20, 1985. Retrieved April 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
8. "Aggies fall 38–17". Alamogordo Daily News. October 27, 1985. Retrieved April 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
9. "Gaynor gets records, Long Beach a win". The Daily Breeze. November 3, 1985. Retrieved April 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
10. "Gaynor leads 49ers past San Jose State". The Honolulu Advertiser. November 8, 1985. Retrieved April 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
11. "LB State falls to Fresno". The Daily Breeze. November 17, 1985. Retrieved April 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
12. "Long Beach passes a victory Fullerton's way, 38–27". The Los Angeles Times. November 24, 1985. Retrieved April 14, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
13. "1985 Long Beach State Forty Niners Schedule" . Retrieved December 6, 2016.
14. A Touch of Magic In The Air; 1986 Football Media Guide (pamphlet). Long Beach, California: CSULB Athletic Department. 1986.
15. "1986 NFL Draft". Archived from the original on December 21, 2007. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
16. "Long Beach St. Players/Alumni" . Retrieved December 8, 2016.