No. 1 Miami Hosts Troy State at NOON on Saturday
Oct. 1, 2001
Please note: UM student volunteers will collect money as fans enter the Orange Bowl and will also go through the stands at the beginning of the second quarter to collect money. All proceeds will go to the Sept 11th fund for the United Way.
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Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) — Consensus No. 1 Miami (3-0, 2-0 BIG EAST) returns home to the Orange Bowl for the first time since Sept. 8 when it shut out BIG EAST mate Rutgers 61-0. The top-ranked Hurricanes were to face Pac-10 power Washington on Sept. 15, but the game was rescheduled to Nov. 24 in light of the national tragedies on Sept. 11.
In its last game, Miami notched a big conference road win at Pittsburgh, 43-21, in front of a nationally televised audience on ESPN. Junior Clinton Portis led the Hurricanes with 156 total yards and a career-high three touchdowns. Portis gained 131 yards rushing on 24 carries with two receptions for a career-best 25 yards. The 100-yard effort improved his BIG EAST career-high total to eight games and broke a string of six straight games that the Panther defense had not allowed a 100-yard rusher. Overall, UM gained 243 yards rushing on Pittsburgh – it’s most against the Panthers since BIG EAST play began in 1993 (nine meetings).
Miami enters the Troy State match-up on a 13-game win streak, second nationally to Oklahoma’s 17, and has won 18 of 19 dating back to 1999. The Pittsburgh win also gave UM its 12th straight BIG EAST victory, two shy of Virginia Tech’s league-record (14). The Hurricanes own an 11-game win streak at the Orange Bowl, there best since winning 12 from 1994-96.
The Trojans have not played since they shut out Nicholls State, 26-0, on Sept. 22 at Scrushy Field in Troy, Ala. TSU opened the season at Big 12 power Nebraska (L, 42-14), followed by a consecutive road game at Middle Tennessee State (L, 54-17). Its home game with Appalachian State on Sept. 15 was cancelled.
Troy State made the leap Division I-A in 2001, having dominated at every other level since winning an NAIA national championship in 1968. The Trojans then moved up to Division II, where they won titles in 1984 and 1987. As a I-AA team, from 1993-2000, TSU went to the playoffs seven of eight seasons and claimed three Southland Conference titles.
Miami/Troy State Series — The Hurricanes have never faced Troy State, which is playing its first year at the Division I-A level. Miami owns an 86-58-2 all-time record in the series opener against its 146 overall opponents. Since 1990, Miami holds a 9-1 mark in these first meetings with the lone loss coming to Washington at the Orange Bowl in 1994. Additionally, UM is 14-1 in series openers at the Orange Bowl since 1980.
OVER THE AIRWAVES
TelevisionESPN Regional Broadcast (Live) and Fox Sports Net Florida (Tape Delay onMonday Oct. 8 at 8 p.m.): Frank Forte (play-by-play) and John Congemi (analysis).
RadioHurricane Radio Network (WQAM 560 AM): Marc Vandermeer (play-by-play), Joe Zagacki (analysis) and Don Bailey (sidelines). Josh Darrow will serve as studio host.En Espanol (WACC 830 AM): Jerry del Castillo (play-by-play), Joe Martinez (analysis) and Pepe Campos (studio).Student Radio WVUM 90.5 FM: Jesse Agler (director), Kyle Berger, Greg Barkau.
InternetInternet audio broadcasts of Hurricane games are available by accessing hurricanesports.com and clicking on “internet audio broadcasts” on the athletics home page.
HEAD COACH LARRY COKER – Is three games into his first season as a collegiate head coach with the Hurricanes and has a 3-0 overall record and 2-0 mark in BIG EAST play. His record includes a 1-0 mark at the Orange Bowl and a 2-0 record on the road.
Prior to becoming Miami’s 19th head coach, Coker served under Butch Davis as UM’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach since 1995. Coker’s hiring marked the first time in 25 years that the University of Miami elevated a current assistant to head coach.
While the Offensive Coordinator, UM went 51-20 overall and 33-9 in BIG EAST play. At the Orange Bowl, UM was 27-9 with Coker and 19-11 on the road. Additionally, the Hurricanes won all four Bowl games since 1995.
Prior to his arrival in 1995, Coker spent the previous two seasons at Ohio State (1993-94) coaching the defensive backfield. The Buckeyes participated in two bowl games during his tenure and were Big Ten Co-Champions in 1993. From 1990-92, Coker was offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, assisting the Sooners to two bowl game victories.
Before heading to Norman, Coker spent seven seasons as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State in Stillwater. In his seven seasons with the Cowboys, he coached 1988 Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders while the team went on to win four bowl games. Coker first made the jump to division I with Tulsa from 1979-82, as the offensive backfield coach. Tulsa went on to win three Missouri Valley Conference championships during his four seasons.
A PERFECT COACHING DEBUT – Head Coach Larry Coker became the 13th UM head football coach to win his debut game in the Hurricanes’ 33-7 triumph at Penn State on Sept. 1. Overall, UM’s 19 head football coaches are 13-6 (.684) in debut games.
At home, Coker became the 14th UM head football coach to win his home debut with a 61-0 shutout over Rutgers on Sept. 8. Overall, UM’s 19 head football coaches are 14-5 (.737). Additionally, no other UM head football coach had such a decisive debut home win.
HURRICANES CONSENSUS NO. 1 — Miami’s No. 1 ranking in both the Associated Press poll and the USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ Poll on Sept. 9 marked a string of 3,200 days and 458 weeks since the Hurricanes last were the consensus No. 1. The last time both polls had UM at No. 1 was on Dec. 6, 1992 prior to the bowl games.
The Hurricanes have played in 28 games all-time while holding the AP’s No. 1 ranking and have forged a 23-5 record in those contests. Prior to the Alabama loss (34-13) in the 1993 Sugar Bowl, UM had won 11 straight games when it held the top spot in the polls dating back to the 1991 season.
In the regular season, UM has been ranked No. 1 by the AP in 25 games and have recorded a 22-3 mark. UM last lost a regular season game while holding the No. 1 ranking in the 1990 season opener at BYU, 28-21 on Sept. 8.
