1986 San Diego State Aztecs football team

1986 San Diego State Aztecs football
WAC champion
Holiday Bowl, L 38–39 vs. Iowa
Conference	Western Athletic Conference
Record	8–4 (7–1 WAC)
Head coach	Denny Stolz (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	Dana Bible (1st season)
Home stadium	Jack Murphy Stadium
Seasons ←  1985 1987  →

1986 Western Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
San Diego State $	7	–	1	–	0			8	–	4	–	0
BYU	6	–	2	–	0			8	–	5	–	0
Air Force	5	–	2	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
Hawaii	4	–	4	–	0			7	–	5	–	0
Colorado State	4	–	4	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
Wyoming	4	–	4	–	0			6	–	6	–	0
New Mexico	2	–	5	–	0			4	–	8	–	0
UTEP	2	–	6	–	0			4	–	8	–	0
Utah	1	–	7	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
$ – Conference champion

The 1986 San Diego State Aztecs football team represented San Diego State University as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by first-year head coach Denny Stolz, the Aztecs compiled an overall record of 8–4 with a mark of 7–1 conference play, winning the WAC title. San Diego State earned a berth in the Holiday Bowl, where the Aztecs lost to Iowa. The team played home games at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 6	Long Beach State *	Jack Murphy Stadium San Diego, CA		W 27–24	23,594	[1]
September 13	at Utah	Robert Rice Stadium Salt Lake City, UT		W 37–30	35,982	[2]
September 20	No. 19 UCLA *	Jack Murphy Stadium San Diego, CA		L 14–45	50,338	[3]
September 27	at New Mexico	University Stadium Albuquerque, NM		W 38–34	20,579	[4] [5]
October 4	at No. 20 Stanford *	Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA		L 10–17	36,500	[6]
October 18	at UTEP	Sun Bowl El Paso, TX		W 15–10	40,109	[7]
October 25	Air Force	Jack Murphy Stadium San Diego, CA		L 10–22	27,336	[8]
November 1	at Colorado State	Hughes Stadium Fort Collins, CO		W 27–26	14,127	[9]
November 15	Wyoming	Jack Murphy Stadium San Diego, CA		W 31–24	20,168	[10]
November 22	Hawaii	Jack Murphy Stadium San Diego, CA		W 35–5	23,838	[11]
November 29	BYU	Jack Murphy Stadium San Diego, CA		W 10–3	45,062	[12]
December 30	No. 16 Iowa *	Jack Murphy Stadium San Diego, CA (Holiday Bowl)	ESPN	L 38–39	59,473	[13]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

^{[14] [15]}

Team players in the NFL

The following were selected in the 1987 NFL draft. ^[16]

Player	Position	Round	Overall	NFL Team
Robert Awalt	Tight End	3	62	St. Louis Cardinals

The following finished their college career in 1986, were not drafted, but played in the NFL. ^[17]

Player	Position	First NFL Team
Doug Aronson	Guard	1987 Cincinnati Bengals
Duane Pettitt	Defensive End	1987 San Diego Chargers
Mike Ariey	Tackle	1989 Green Bay Packers
Randy Kirk	Linebacker	1987 San Diego Chargers
Renard Young	Defensive Back	1987 Seattle Seahawks
Richard Brown	Linebacker	1987 Los Angeles Rams

Team awards

Award	Player
Most Valuable Player (John Simcox Memorial Trophy)	Todd Santos
Outstanding Offensive & Defensive Linemen (Byron H. Chase Memorial Trophy)	Doug Aronson, Off Levi Esene, Def
Team captains Dr. R. Hardy / C.E. Peterson Memorial Trophy	Corey Gilmore, Off Doug Aronson, Off Levi Esene, Def
Most Inspirational Player	Mike Ariey

^[15]

References

1. "Aztecs beat up on Long Beach State". The Blade-Tribune. September 7, 1986. Retrieved April 20, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
2. "SDSU defeats Utah in final minute". The Los Angeles Times. September 14, 1986. Retrieved April 20, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
3. Steve Dolan (September 21, 1986). "SDSU is routed by UCLA, 45–14". The Los Angeles Times (San Diego County ed.). p. III-1. Retrieved April 20, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
4. "Aztecs recover to beat Lobos". Daily Times-Advocate. September 28, 1986. Retrieved April 20, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
5. "Lobo Summary". Albuquerque Journal. Albuquerque, New Mexico. September 28, 1986. p. G-2. Retrieved January 18, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
6. "Game At A Glance". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. October 5, 1986. p. III-12. Retrieved January 18, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
7. "Santos passes Aztecs by Miners". Daily Times-Advocate. October 19, 1986. Retrieved April 20, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
8. Steve Dolan (October 26, 1986). "No Flashback: Aztecs Lose, 22–10". The Los Angeles Times (San Diego County ed.). p. III-1. Retrieved January 18, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
9. Steve Dolan (November 2, 1986). "Offensive Line Becomes a Casualty List". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. III-14. Retrieved January 18, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
10. Steve Dolan (November 16, 1986). "SDSU Strong Arms Wyoming, 31–24, in Drive for WAC Title". The Los Angeles Times (San Diego County ed.). Los Angeles, California. p. III-14. Retrieved January 18, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
11. "Aztecs get physical in rout over Hawaii". The Blade-Tribune. November 23, 1986. Retrieved April 20, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
12. "Aztecs make believers of BYU, 10–3". The Daily Herald. November 30, 1986. Retrieved April 20, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
13. "Aztecs Upended by a Field Goal as Time Expires". The Los Angeles Times (San Diego County ed.). Los Angeles, California. December 31, 1986. p. I-1. Retrieved January 18, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
14. "San Diego State 1986 Schedule" . Retrieved December 8, 2016.
15. "San Diego State 2016 Football Media Guide". Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
16. "1987 NFL Draft". Archived from the original on December 21, 2007. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
17. "San Diego St. Players/Alumni" . Retrieved December 8, 2016.