Miami Thumps McNeese St. 61-14
Aug. 31, 2000
By MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer
MIAMI – No. 5 Miami used the first half to prepare for Washington andthe second half to prepare for the future.
The Hurricanes appear ready for both.
Ken Dorsey threw three touchdown passes and Santana Moss gained 204all-purpose yards as Miami beat Division I-AA McNeese State 61-14 on Thursdaynight.
The Hurricanes totaled 628 yards, most of them coming in the first half.Dorsey, Moss and many other starters sat out much of the second half whiletheir backups picked up playing time. In all, Miami used 69 players.
“The playmakers on offense, they just kept making big plays,” said Miamicoach Butch Davis, whose team plays at No. 14 Washington next Saturday. “Kennyplayed well, very poised. Sixty percent of his plays were audibles. AndSantana, he did what we’ve come to expect from him.”
It was a good start to what should be Miami’s most productive season inrecent years.
In Davis’ five seasons at Miami, the Hurricanes have as many losses (19) asthey had in the 12 years before he arrived. They also won four nationalchampionships in that span.
After enduring NCAA sanctions and 31 lost scholarships between 1995 and1997, the program has been rebuilt and reloaded with talent at every position.
It showed, especially against the overmatched Cowboys.
“They have great talent. Their No. 2s and 3s have as much talent as theirfirst team,” Cowboys cornerback Jerod Jones said. They’re big kids – fast andphysical.”
Miami scored on six of eight first-half possessions, including fivetouchdowns.
Dorsey, a sophomore, hit Reggie Wayne on a pair of perfectly thrown fadepasses in the same corner of the end zone in the first quarter. Dorsey also hitDaryl Jones on a 23-yard pass in the second to give Miami a 34-7 lead.
Dorsey completed 17 of 29 passes for 248 yards, winning for the fourth timein as many starts. In his four starts, Dorsey is 81-for-120 for 966 yards with12 TD passes and just one interception.
“You could really tell it was my first game,” Dorsey said. “I missed acouple of reads here and there. I made a few more mistakes than the coacheswanted. But all in all, not bad.
“They were trying to stop the run and it opened up the pass. We reallythought they would try to take away one or the other, it just so happened to bethe run and it really opened up the outside guys.”
Moss opened up holes everywhere.
The speedy 5-foot-10 receiver returned a punt 77 yards late in the firstquarter, putting the ‘Canes ahead 20-7. He picked up the bouncing kick at the23, cut right toward the sideline, turned upfield and sprinted untouched intothe end zone. He got two key blocks on the play, one from Andre King andanother from Al Blades.
Moss added a 75-yard run on an end around, skirting outside the defense andcutting back across the field for the score. Moss finished with 35 yardsreceiving, 75 yards rushing and 94 return yards.
He sat out the second half with a sore right foot.
“I feel I showed something tonight,” Moss said. “But we still have a lotto prove.”
The Cowboys answered Miami’s opening-drive score with a nine play, 65-yarddrive that they kept alive by converting a fourth-and-3 play at the Hurricanes’36. Jessie Burton scored two plays later, breaking three tackles en route to21-yard run.
McNeese State added a late touchdown, converting a Miami turnover into a27-yard scoring pass from Slade Nagle to Jermaine Martin. The Cowboys tallied409 yards.
But they just couldn’t stop Miami.
The ‘Canes added two late touchdowns. Ethnic Sands connected with AndreJohnson on a 32-yard pass play, and Clinton Portis outran the defense 82 yardsfor the final score.
“They have so many weapons, and you saw them tonight,” McNeese State coachTommy Tate said. “The offense is so good. They’re talented and deep. It was achallenge for our team to make a first down, but we did sustain some drives andmade some plays, but they were few and far between.”
