Single Loss Hurts And Helps Hurricanes
Jan. 1, 2001
By EDDIE PELLS
AP Sports Writer
NEW ORLEANS – Before the leaves had changed color or the BowlChampionship Series computers had been switched on, No. 2 Miami had alreadysuffered its worst moment of the season.
It was an unprepared effort that resulted in a 34-29 loss to Washingtonon Sept. 9.
As the Hurricanes get ready to play No. 7 Florida for a possible shareof the national title Tuesday in the Sugar Bowl, they look back on their onlyloss with mixed emotions.
“I was hurt, embarrassed and shocked that we lost,” said defensivelineman Jamaal Green, who didn’t even make the trip because he was serving atwo-game suspension.
“We know if we had beaten them, we’d be No. 1 right now. But it was agreat learning experience. We learned how to deal with adversity. It probably gaveus motivation for the rest of the season.”
As the somber, cross-country flight home from Seattle droned on, coachButch Davis forced the Hurricanes to watch the game film, and absorb the mistakes,frame by frame.
Playing in his first road game, quarterback Ken Dorsey wasn’t ready forthe loudness of the crowd. He was a stumbling, fumbling mess who couldn’t callaudibles or hit receivers with any regularity in the din of Husky Stadium.
The rest of the team followed his lead, and when halftime came, Miamitrailed 21-3. A second-half rally produced points, but not a victory. TheHurricanes had their loss and a lesson, and they haven’t faltered since.
“It’s sad to say, but I think that loss predicted what would happenwith the rest of our season,” center Brett Romberg said. “We weren’t on our highhorse anymore, we weren’t fat cats or anything like that. It brought us backto the level where we needed to be.”
Now, Miami is a team on the verge of a title. If the Hurricanes win andNo.3 Florida State beats No. 1 Oklahoma on Wednesday in the Orange Bowl, asplit national title is a possibility.
The BCS computer has the Sooners and Seminoles ranked Nos. 1 and 2, andthe winner will automatically be crowned the champion of the coaches’ poll.
The Associated Press writers’ poll has no such agreement, however, andan informal survey of some voters shows many would vote the Hurricaneschampions if they win convincingly and the Seminoles struggle to a victory.
“I would vote for Miami on the strength of having beaten the No. 1 and2 teams in the nation at the time they met,” said Chuck Cooperstein of WBAPRadio in Arlington, Texas.
Four weeks after the Washington loss, the Hurricanes defeated then-No. 1Florida State. They also beat Virginia Tech when the Hokies were rankedsecond.
“If we had won the Washington game, we might have lost the FloridaState game because maybe we wouldn’t have worked so hard,” tight end JeremyShockey said. “But the loss does frustrate me.”
Before the national-title debate begins, the Hurricanes must beatFlorida – a young, athletic team that won the Southeastern Conference and returns tothe Sugar Bowl for the first time since winning the national title on Jan. 2,1997.
The Gators are six-point underdogs, and find themselves in the awkwardposition of playing a supporting role in the title debate.
“I don’t think of ourselves as spoilers,” defensive lineman ClintMitchell said. “I see them as Miami and I see us as Florida. We haven’t played in 13years and we don’t really like each other.”
The dislike overflowed last Wednesday, when a handful of players fromboth teams scuffled on Bourbon Street. No players have been disciplined andGators coach Steve Spurrier went as far as to say “our players have been very wellbehaved this week.”
Undoubtedly, Spurrier will have a few new “ball plays” to show off inwhat has always been his favorite bowl game.
Does he have the players to pull them off?
In their only game against a team of Miami’s caliber, the Gators wereclearly outplayed, a 30-7 loss to Florida State.
“I think we can play with both those schools,” Spurrier said. “The gameagainst Florida State was a bad game. We played poorly, we coached poorlyand the referees stuck us with 15 penalties.”
The Hurricanes aren’t losing sight of what’s up for grabs this week.Davis has been preaching a simple message: Despite the loss to Washington, hisplayers have earned the rare chance to be called champions.
“He just told us that you can’t let things pass through your fingers,”Shockey said. “He’s like, `It would be a shame if Florida State did beatOklahoma and we lost against Florida.’ We’d leave here and never know what achance we had.”
