1986 Season
| Date | Rank | Opponent | Result | TV | Attendance | Opponent Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 30 | #1 | at #13 Florida (I-A) | L 14-38 | WSB | 74,221 | 6-5 (2-4) |
| September 13 | #1 | at Florida A&M* | W 35-12 | 21,982 | 4-6 | |
| September 20 | #4 | at #17 Middle Tennessee | W 34-31 | 11,000 | 6-5 (4-3) | |
| September 27 | #4 | Chattanooga | W 34-14 | 15,234 | 4-7 (2-4) | |
| October 4 | #4 | at Tennessee Tech | W 59-13 | 6,211 | 0-10 (0-7) | |
| October 11 | #3 | Bethune-Cookman | W 52-31 | 14,321 | 3-8 (2-3) | |
| October 18 | #2 | at East Carolina (I-A) | L 33-35 | 27,121 | 2-9 | |
| November 1 | #9 | at Western Kentucky | W 49-32 | 13,000 | 4-6-1 | |
| November 8 | #5 | at UCF (D-II) | W 33-23 | 11,137 | 6-5 | |
| November 15 | #5 | James Madison | W 45-35 | 16,135 | 5-5-1 | |
| November 22 | #5 | South Carolina State | W 28-7 | 12,585 | 5-6 (3-2) | |
| November 29 | #4 | #20 North Carolina A&T NCAA I-AA 1st Round | W 52-21 | 7,767 | 9-3 (4-1) | |
| December 6 | #4 | #12 Nicholls State NCAA I-AA Quarterfinals | W 55-31 | 9,121 | 10-3 (2-2) | |
| December 13 | #4 | at #1 Nevada NCAA I-AA Semifinals | W 48-38 | WJCL | 13,715 | 13-1 (7-0) |
| December 19 (Fri) | #4 | at #2 Arkansas State* NCAA I-AA Championship | W 48-21 |  | 4,419 | 12-2-1 (5-0) |