No. 1 Miami Opens Home, Big East Schedule Saturday
Sept. 3, 2001
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Game #2
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Orange Bowl Stadium
September 8, 2001 – 4 p.m.
Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) — No. 1-ranked Miami returns to the Orange Bowl for its 2001 home and BIG EAST Conference opener against former defensive coordinator Greg Schiano and his Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-0, 0-0 BIG EAST).
Schiano served as the defensive coordinator at UM in 1999 and 2000 under Butch Davis. He guided his Scarlet Knights to a 31-15 win at Buffalo in the season-opener on Aug. 30.
Miami (1-0, 0-0 BIG EAST) is fresh off a season-opening 33-7 road victory at Penn State last weekend. UM’s offensive leaders Ken Dorsey and Clinton Portis both set career highs in the game with Dorsey passing for 344 yards and Portis rushing for 164. Kicker Todd Sievers also set a new best with four field goals.
With the win over Penn State, the Hurricanes moved into the top spot in the Associated Press poll with 37 first-place votes and 1,737 points. UM remained No. 2 in the USA Today/ESPN poll, 16 points behind Florida with 1,423 points.
UM enters its home and conference opener riding an 11-game win streak dating back to week two of the 2000 season. The streak marks the second-longest nationally, behind Oklahoma (15). Additionally, UM has won 10 straight BIG EAST games dating back to 1999.
The Rutgers game also marks just the third time since the formation of BIG EAST football in 1991 that the Hurricanes open up league play at home.
About Rutgers Series: Miami and Rutgers meet for the ninth time with the Hurricanes winning all eight previous meetings. UM has scored 51 or more points in the last four meetings with Rutgers, including a series-high 64 on the road in 2000. Overall, Miami has outscored Rutgers 367-87 in those eight meetings an average of 46-11 per game. Miami is 4-0 against Rutgers at the Orange Bowl, including a 55-0 shutout in 1999. UM won last season’s meeting 64-6 in New Brunswick, to establish a new school record for scoring in a BIG EAST game.
OVER THE AIRWAVES:
Television
Fox Sports Net Florida (tape delay): Frank Forte (play-by-play) and John Congemi (analysis).
Radio
Hurricane Radio Network (WQAM 560 AM): Marc Vandermeer (play-by-play), Joe Zagacki (analysis) and Don Bailey (analysis). Josh Darrow will serve as studio host.
En Espanol (WACC 830 AM): Jerry del Castillo (play-by-play), Joe Martinez (analysis) and Pepe Campos (studio).
UM Student Radio (WVUM 90.5 FM): Jesse Agler (Director), Kyle Berger and Greg Barkau.
Internet
Internet audio broadcasts of Hurricane games are available by accessing hurricanesports.com and clicking on “internet audio broadcasts” on the athletics home page.
HEAD COACH LARRY COKER –
Is one game into his first season as a collegiate head coach with the Hurricanes and has a 1-0 record. Prior to becoming Miami’s 19th head coach, Coker served under Butch Davis as UM’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach since 1995. Coker’s hiring marked the first time in 25 years that the University of Miami elevated a current assistant to head coach.
While the Offensive Coordinator, UM went 51-20 overall and 33-9 in BIG EAST play. At the Orange Bowl, UM was 27-9 with Coker and 19-11 on the road. Additionally, the Hurricanes won all four bowl games since 1995.
Prior to his arrival in 1995, Coker spent the previous two seasons at Ohio State (1993-94) coaching the defensive backfield. The Buckeyes participated in two bowl games during his tenure and were Big Ten Co-Champions in 1993. From 1990-92, Coker was offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, assisting the Sooners to two bowl game victories.
Before heading to Norman, OK, Coker spent seven seasons as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State in Stillwater. In his seven seasons with the Cowboys, he coached 1988 Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders while the team went on to win four bowl games. Coker first made the jump to division I with Tulsa from 1979-82, as the offensive backfield coach. Tulsa went on to win three Missouri Valley Conference championships during his four seasons.
HURRICANE COACHING DEBUTS –
Head Coach Larry Coker became the 13th UM head football coach to win his debut game following the Hurricanes’ 33-7 triumph at Penn State on Sept. 1. Overall, UM’s 19 head football coaches are 13-6 (.684) in debut games.
The Hurricanes’ last five head coaches
| Coach | 1st Game | 1st Season |
| Larry Coker, 2001 | def. Penn State 33-7 | 1-0 |
| Butch Davis, 1995 | lost at UCLA 31-8 | 8-3 |
| Dennis Erickson, 1989 | def. Wisconsin 51-3 | 11-1 |
| Jimmy Johnson, 1984 | def. #1 Auburn 20-18 | 8-5 |
| Howard Schnellenburger, 1979 | def. Louisville 24-12 | 5-6 |
MIAMI BACK AT NO. 1 –
It has been 3,199 days and 457 weeks since the Hurricanes last held the No. 1 ranking in the nation. The last poll to have UM at No. 1 was on Nov. 30, 1992. The Hurricanes entered the 1992 National Championship Sugar Bowl against Alabama at No. 1 on Jan. 1, 1993.
In that 11-1 1992 season, UM had been ranked No. 1 by the Associated Press all but three weeks of the season and in the final six regular season games.
The Hurricanes have played in 26 games all-time while holding the AP’s No. 1 ranking and have forged a 21-5 record in those contests. Prior to the Alabama loss (34-13) in the 1993 Sugar Bowl, UM had won 11 straight games when it held the top spot in the polls dating back to the 1991 season.
In the regular season, UM has been ranked No. 1 by the AP in 23 games and have recorded a 20-3 mark. UM last lost a regular season game while holding the No. 1 ranking in the 1990 season opener at BYU, 28-21 on Sept. 8.
UM’s highest regular season rank since the last time it held the No. 1 position was No. 2, from Nov. 11 of 2000 through this past weekend.
