Ken Dorsey Sets Record With 50th Career Touchdown Pass
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Nov. 3, 2001
MIAMI (AP) — Ken Dorsey threw two touchdown passes, giving him 50 for his career and breaking Miami’s all-time record, as the top-ranked Hurricanes beat Temple 38-0 Saturday.
Dorsey entered the game tied with Vinny Testaverde and Steve Walsh, but moved past them with a first-quarter touchdown pass to Kevin Beard. The junior quarterback raised his right index finger high above his head and held it there as he jogged into the end zone to celebrate with teammates.
Dorsey is well on his way to becoming No. 1 at “Quarterback U,” following in the footsteps of Testaverde, Walsh, Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar, Gino Torretta and Craig Erickson.
The Hurricanes (7-0, 4-0 Big East) moved a step closer to playing for the national championship as well. They extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 17 games, but have their toughest stretch of the season remaining.
Miami plays Boston College, Syracuse (No. 22 ESPN/USA Today, No. 19 AP), No. 10 Washington and No. 12 Virginia Tech to close out the season. If the Hurricanes win all four games, they probably will earn a berth in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 3.
Miami is third in the Bowl Championship Series standings, behind Nebraska and Oklahoma, but expects to move past the Sooners with a stronger strength of schedule — which should continually improve with the final four games.
Playing overmatched Temple (2-6, 1-4) won’t help Miami’s BCS ranking, but the Hurricanes got their desired result — an impressive victory. Miami has outscored the Owls 445-98 in the last 10 meetings.
The ‘Canes overcame another slow start and a strange first half — scoring a season-low 14 points, punting twice and turning the ball over on downs once. They also fumbled twice, but recovered both of them and scored two plays later each time.
The weirdness continued when Dorsey got sacked — the first Miami has given up this season. The Hurricanes had been the only Division I team in the nation to not allow a sack.
But on first-and-10 at the Temple 24, cornerback Jairo Almonte blitzed from the right side and tackled Dorsey for a 19-yard loss. The Hurricanes’ last sack came against Florida in the Sugar Bowl when defensive end Alex Brown slipped past tackle Joaquin Gonzalez and knocked Dorsey to the Superdome turf.
The last time Miami allowed a regular-season sack was Sept. 21, 2000 against Temple. The Hurricanes had gone 845 regular-season plays since without giving up a sack.
Dorsey didn’t seem fazed, though. He overcame a second-and-29 to give Miami a 14-0 lead in the second quarter.
Tight end Jeremy Shockey fumbled at the end of a 13-yard catch, and Beard recovered the ball. Dorsey then avoided a heavy rush and found Beard for 23 yards and a first down.
Clinton Portis, who ran 20 times for 117 yards and reached the career 2,000-yard plateau, followed with a 7-yard scoring run.
Dorsey threw another TD pass, Frank Gore had a 13-yard scoring run and Phillip Buchanon returned his second punt of the season for a touchdown to give Miami a 21-point third quarter.
Miami took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter after another near turnover. Buchanon fumbled at the end of a punt return, the ball bounced 30 yards downfield, and Al Marshall recovered at the Temple 22.
Two plays later, Dorsey found Beard for the record-setting pass. Beard caught the ball in the flat, spun out of Terrance Leftwich’s tackle and high stepped into the end zone.
Dorsey finished 16-of-24 for 175 yards and sat out the fourth quarter. Safety Ed Reed also had a record day. Reed tied Bennie Blades’ school record for interceptions at 19. Reed has seven picks this season.
