Louisiana Tech Game Press Release

Oct. 23, 2000

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The Game: Miami (5-1, 3-0 BIG EAST) returns to the Orange Bowl to begin a three-game stretch of home games as the Hurricanes take on the Bulldogs of Louisiana Tech (2-6). Louisiana Tech, which will join the Western Athletic Conference for the 2001 season, is currently an independent.

Miami returns home riding a four-game winning streak, the latest victory coming last Saturday, Oct. 21, at Temple. The Hurricanes used a career-high 241 all-purpose yards by receiver/return man Santana Moss to blow past Temple, 45-17, before 28,351 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.

The Louisiana Tech game marks the beginning of a stretch of four home games in Miami’s final five contests to finish the regular season. Miami faces Louisiana Tech, Virginia Tech (Nov. 4 at Noon) and Pittsburgh (Nov. 11, 6:00 p.m.) before its final road date at Syracuse on Nov. 18. The Hurricanes then end the season at home against Boston College on Nov. 25.

Miami’s clash with Louisiana Tech is the Hurricanes’ second game this season against a team from the Bayou State. The Hurricanes opened the season at home on Aug. 31 with a 61-14 victory over McNeese State.

The Series: Miami and Louisiana Tech have met just once in football, that meeting having taken place at the Orange Bowl on September 29, 1979. Miami took a 6-0 decision in that contest on the strength of a pair of field goals by placekicker Danny Miller. Miller converted kicks from 44 and 22 yards out in the first half of the game to provide all the scoring.

The 1979 meeting between the Hurricanes and Bulldogs was just the third game of then-Miami head coach Howard Schnellenberger’s reign at UM that resulted in a national championship in 1983. That 1979 Miami team ended the season with a 5-6 record. Current UM offensive line coach Art Kehoe started at guard for the Hurricanes in UM’s only previous meeting with Louisiana Tech.

OVER THE AIRWAVES

Television
Fox Sports Net Florida – (Tape Delay – Mon., Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m.): Frank Forte (play-by-play) and John Congemi (analysis).

Radio
Hurricane Radio Network (WAXY 790 AM): Marc Vandermeer (play-by-play), Joe Zagacki (analysis) and Don Bailey, Jr. (analysis).

En Espanol (WACC 830 AM): Jerry del Castillo (play-by-play), Joe Martinez (analysis) and Pepe Campos (studio).

Internet
Internet audio broadcasts of Hurricane games are available by accessing hurricanesports.com and clicking on “internet audio broadcasts” on the athletics home page.

Covering the Canes
Miami players, excluding quarterbacks, are available up to the start of Thursday’s workout. QB’s are available until the start of Wednesday’s practice. Interviews with UM players and coaches must be arranged at least 24 hours in advance. The best time to interview players and coaches is Monday afternoon. Practices are open to the media for the first 30 and last 15 minutes only. Head Coach Butch Davis will address the media following each practice.

BIG EAST Conference Call
Each Monday – 11:20 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

BIG EAST Weekly Feed
Each Wednesday – 3:00 to 3:30 p.m. Coordinates – Galaxy 4R, C-Band, Transponder 24, 99 degrees West.

Coach’s Press Conference
Every Tuesday – 12:30 p.m. Team Meeting Room, Hecht Center. Coach Davis conducts weekly press conference. Out-of-town media can call the Miami SID office to hear a recording after 2:00 p.m.

GETTING UP WITH THE COACH
During the week, Head Coach Butch Davis will be available to the media following each practice.

WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE
Every Tuesday (during game week) at 12:30 p.m. in the football team meeting room of the Hecht Athletic Center, Davis will meet the press to review the upcoming opponent and field questions. Out of town media can listen to a tape of the press conference by contacting the UM Sports Information Office.

WEEKLY TELEVISION SHOW
The Butch Davis Show is taped Thursday afternoon during the season. Join Coach Davis, host Frank Forte and select players as many of the tapings are open to the public. Contact UM Sports Information for time and place.

HURRICANE HOTLINE
Every Thursday from 6-8 p.m. Coach Davis, Athletic Director Paul Dee and select players attend Hurricane Hotline at Braman Honda.

RECAP WITH BUTCH DAVIS
Every Sunday at 11:30 a.m. in the UM Sports Information Office, Coach Davis will share his thoughts on the previous day’s contest.

HEAD COACH BUTCH DAVIS: Butch Davis (Arkansas `74) is in his sixth season at Miami. Davis has compiled a 45-20 overall record and a 29-9 mark in BIG EAST games. His record includes a 23-9 record at the Orange Bowl, while going 18-11 on the road. Additionally, Davis’ UM teams are 4-0 in neutral-site games.

Davis is the 18th head coach in UM history. Prior to his appointment in January 1995, Davis served as an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys from 1989-94 where he helped guide the Cowboys to a pair of Super Bowl championships. Davis also served as an assistant coach at UM from 1984-88 (where he was part of Miami’s 1987 National Championship team) and at Oklahoma State from 1979-83.

UM FACES SECOND LOUISIANA SCHOOL ON 2000 SCHEDULE: The Louisiana Tech game will mark the second time this season that Miami has faced a Louisiana school. UM defeated McNeese State (Lake Charles, LA), 61-14, in the season opener at the Orange Bowl on August 31. Since the start of the Miami football program, the Hurricanes have forged a 17-14-1 record against schools in Louisiana. Prior to this season’s two meetings, UM played a Louisiana school just twice since 1979 (Louisiana Tech, 1979 and Louisiana State, 1988). Additionally, UM is 12-6 against Louisiana schools at the Orange Bowl.

HURRICANES RECORD BEST START UNDER BUTCH DAVIS: After defeating Temple, 45-17, the Hurricanes are now 5-1 on the 2000 season. The record is the best start under Head Coach Butch Davis (1995-2000). The last time a UM team went 5-1 was the 1994 season. In Davis’ previous top start (1996), a 4-1 UM team fell to East Carolina in game six. The 1994 Hurricanes went 10-1 before falling to Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.

UM STANDS TALL IN THE BIG EAST: In its 10th season of competition in the BIG EAST, Miami has forged a league-best 48-10 (.828) conference mark. UM’s four BIG EAST titles are also a league best, ahead of Syracuse (3), Virginia Tech (3) and West Virginia (1).

THE BIG EAST VS. THE NATION: The BIG EAST has posted the best non-league start in the nation this season. The mark is also the best beginning in BIG EAST history.