No. 1 Hurricanes Hope This Pa. Trip As Good As The First
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Sept. 26, 2001
By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Miami’s first visit to Pennsylvania this month was afast-and-furious success, a romp over a Penn State team that couldn’t handlethe Hurricanes’ size and speed.
Next up on the top-ranked Hurricanes’ to-do list as they pursue a nationalchampionship: another trip north to play Pittsburgh, which has beaten themonly once in a quarter-century.
Neither team has played since Sept. 8 because of the terrorist attacks, anuncommonly long layoff that has made both teams eager to get on the fieldagain.
“I don’t know if we could have waited until Saturday to play,” Miamiquarterback Ken Dorsey said. “We were talking about that, how lucky we areto have a Thursday night game. Sometimes there can be too big of a break.”
Miami (2-0, 1-0 in Big East) wants to regain the groove it had in romps overPenn State (33-7) and Rutgers (61-0), when Dorsey threw for 659 yards andfive touchdowns and wasn’t sacked. He is the first Miami quarterback sinceBernie Kosar to start the season with consecutive 300-yard games.
Pitt (1-1, 0-0) wants to prove it isn’t nearly as bad as it looked in a35-26 loss Sept. 8 to Division I-A newcomer South Florida, one of thebiggest upsets in school history and probably the biggest in collegefootball this season.
Miami coach Larry Coker suspects Pitt was “embarrassed” by the loss – a wordeven Pitt coach Walt Harris has declined to use – but didn’t extend muchsympathy. The Panthers didn’t show much interest until falling behind 28-7,then couldn’t stop a late South Florida drive after closing to two points.
Pitt is making a big fuss over the Thursday night game, bringing backretired stars such as Dan Marino, Tony Dorsett and Mike Ditka. An Americanflag large enough to cover the playing field at Heinz Field will be unveiledduring a pregame ceremony.
The Hurricanes, however, are dropping hints that the real show begins afterthe kickoff.
“We feel a Thursday night game is very much like a Monday night game in theNFL,” Coker said. “It’s a way to showcase your program, your talents, andwe’re certainly looking forward to that.”
Talent is something Miami has in abundance, Penn State coach Joe Paternosaid the Hurricanes might be the most skilled team to ever play in BeaverStadium. Pitt doesn’t need convincing, the Panthers’ only victory in 12games against Miami since 1976 came in 1997, when the Hurricanes finished5-6.
“They have the confidence,” Pitt receiver R.J. English said. “They have thatattitude.”
Pitt expects to have All-American receiver Antonio Bryant back. Bryant hasbeen sidelined with a sprained ankle since the opening minutes of Pitt’sfirst game, but he ran with the starting offense and returned punts inpractice this week.
“I think I can play,” said Bryant, a Miami native who was not recruited bythe Hurricanes. “Even if I’m not 100 percent, I think I can help.”
The Miami game understandably is big for Bryant, who has only six catchesfor 51 yards against them in two career meetings. He was held to fourcatches for 31 yards last season, by far the worst game for collegefootball’s receiver of the year.
“It makes no difference to us (whether he plays),” Miami linebacker JonathanVilma said. “If he’s there, he’s going to be there. But if he’s not? Sorry.”
It will be an emotional night for two Pitt players as the Panthers play forthe first time since the terrorist attacks Sept. 11.
Offensive lineman Rob Petitti’s father, a stockbroker, escaped from one ofthe World Trade Center towers minutes before it collapsed. The hijackedUnited Flight 93 crashed in Somerset County, Pa., near the home oflinebacker Seth Hughes, whose parents gathered debris from the plane intheir backyard.
“We know we’ve got a big challenge,” Harris said. “We were off a long time,and our guys had to deal with that experience. But I think our guys havecome back with a renewed focus.”
