Football Hands Rutgers Worst Home Loss In Last 112 Years
Sept. 30, 2000
Get Your Miami Gear Here!
By TOM CANAVAN
AP Sports Writer
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Not looking ahead gave No. 10 Miami something toplay for next week against No. 2 Florida State, and also sent Rutgers to itsworst home loss in 112 years.
James Jackson ran for two touchdowns and caught one of Ken Dorsey’s three TDpasses as Miami beat Rutgers 64-6 on Saturday night, handing the ScarletKnights their worst home loss since an 80-0 setback to Princeton in 1888.
“We’re starting to figure out when you look past teams, you lose to them,”said Dorsey, who completed 14 of 19 passes for 215 yards in less than a half.”We can’t afford to do that this year, not with the situation we’re in. Wewere concentrating on Rutgers last weekend and we’re concentrating on FloridaState this week.”
Miami (3-1, 2-0 Big East) was almost flawless in the first 30 minutes,scoring touchdowns on its first five possessions en route to a 41-0 halftimelead.
The loss was the third straight for Rutgers (2-3, 0-3), and also marked the13th time in Terry Shea’s five years as coach that the Scarlet Knights havelost by 40 or more points.
“I’d have to agree with what Don Nehlen of West Virginia said after heplayed them last week,” said Shea, whose team has been outscored 142-23 thelast three weeks. “I’d have to say this Miami team is as good as they get.”
Miami outgained Rutgers 557-157, forced five turnovers and limited Rutgersto 4 yards rushing on 27 carries, or 5.3 inches per carry.
“Well, we scored,” Rutgers quarterback Chad Schwenk said when asked tocompare this year’s loss to last year’s 55-0 loss to the Hurricanes in theseason-finale.
Jackson scored on runs of 39 and 3 yards and caught an 18-yard touchdownpass from Dorsey, who also threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Andre King and a21-yarder to Reggie Wayne.
“I thought our starters played extraordinarily well,” Miami coach ButchDavis said. “We came out and wanted to get off to a good start. I thought wehad good plans. It got out of hand because we executed well.”
A week after scoring three touchdowns last week, Miami’s defense came upwith two more and a safety. Quincy Hipps recovered a fumble in the end zonelate in the second quarter and cornerback Mike Rumph returned an interception45 yards for another TD in the third quarter. The safety came on a bad snap.
Rutgers, which has seen Miami score 50 or more points in five of their lastsix games, trailed 50-0 when Schwenk threw an 11-yard pass to Jason Ohene earlyin the fourth quarter.
Schwenk, who started because Mike McMahon was nursing a shoulder injury,finished 19-of-42 for 153 yards before being lifted late.
Miami, which cleared its bench, added a 1-yard run by Jason Geathers and a7-yarder by James Scott.
Miami had scoring drives of 80, 89, 89, 19 and 78 in taking a 35-0 leadmidway through the second quarter. The streak ended when Aaron Moser botched ahold on a 21-yard field-goal attempt by Todd Sievers.
The Canes didn’t have wait long to atone.
On the next play from scrimmage, defensive tackle Matt Walters hit halfbackDennis Thomas in the backfield and forced a fumble that Hipps recovered.
Jackson, the senior who is going to get more playing time with ClintonPortis sidelined with broken toes on his right foot, finished with 118 yards on15 carries. He scored three of Miami’s first four touchdowns, catching the18-yard pass to cap a game-opening 80-yard drive and then sandwiching hisrushing TDs around the TD pass to King.
“I was trying to do too many things because I knew what the situation wasas far as my playing time,” Jackson said. “Coach just said: `Go back to theold James and let it come to you. Make one read, cut and make it happen.”‘
The second touchdown run was set up by Mark Fitzgerald’s interception. Thetouchdown pass to Wayne came on fourth-and-2 from the Rutgers 21.
