Hurricanes Focused On Winning BIG EAST Title
Oct. 12, 1999
By MARK LONG
Associated Press Writer
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) – The Miami Hurricanes haven’t brought home anyhardware in three years, their longest span without winning a title since1987,when they waited four years to garner their second national championship.
No rings.
Not even a conference crown.
But now, after losing three consecutive games for only the second timein 15years, the 24th-ranked Hurricanes (2-3) are focusing the remainder of theirseason on winning the Big East.
They began the year with five non-conference games, including lossesto No.1 Florida State and No. 2 Penn State, and close out the season with sevenconference games in as many weeks, beginning with Temple on Saturday.
“A Big East title would be huge,” junior linebacker Dan Morgan said. “Alot of us on this team haven’t won a conference championship yet, so it’sdefinitely important. It’s a steppingstone to being a national championshipteam. All we have left is the Big East, and we can win it.
“We’ve just got to forget about the past and move on. We still know we’restill a good football team.”
Winning the Big East was almost a given when Miami first joined theconference in 1991. The Hurricanes won five league titles in the first sixyears, racking up a 31-3 record. Only a 17-14 loss at West Virginia in 1993prevented them from winning six straight conference championships.
But they faltered in 1997, finishing 3-4 in the Big East. Theyfollowed thatwith a 5-2 mark a year ago.
Miami is hoping to return to its old form beginning Saturday.
“That’s what’s left for our season – win the Big East,” wide receiverReggie Wayne said. “I have no rings to show for anything. If we can get theBig East ring, we’ll have a great bowl to go to, and it means the team hasaccomplished some kind of goal.”
The Hurricanes, who won four national titles from 1983 to 1991, had muchhigher goals to start the season. But four-point losses to the Nittany Lionsand East Carolina and last week’s 31-21 loss to Florida State have forced themto lower their expectations.
“We’ve got to bounce back emotionally from the first part of the season,”coach Butch Davis said. “But I think the kids are excited. They see it as afresh start. We haven’t played any conference games. We’re 0-0, and what’sgoing to become this season is what we’re going to make out of it.”
As badly as the Hurricanes want a title, they’re even more desperatefor awin, which they haven’t had since Sept. 4.
“I think we’re hungry to play well and get a win,” Davis said. “That’swhere we’re at right now. We want to win a game. We can’t change the outcomesof any of the previous games. We’ve learned from it, and hopefully we’ll be abetter football team these next seven games from some of things that we’velearned in the first five.”
