No. 1 Miami Blanks Temple, 38-0
Nov 3, 2001
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Dorsey sets record with 50th career touchdown pass.
By MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer
MIAMI (AP) – Ken Dorsey raised his right index finger high above his head and held it there as he jogged into the end zone to celebrate with his Miami teammates.
Dorsey is well on his way to becoming No. 1 at “Quarterback U,” where Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar, Vinny Testaverde, Steve Walsh, Craig Erickson and Gino Torretta preceded him.
Dorsey threw two touchdown passes, giving him 50 for his career and breaking Miami’s all-time record, as the top-ranked Hurricanes beat Temple 38-0 Saturday.
The junior quarterback entered the game tied with Testaverde and Walsh, but moved past them with a first-quarter touchdown pass to Kevin Beard.
“It was amazing how much easier the game was after that,” Dorsey said. “You try not to think about those things, but it’s tough, especially when you’re going for records of guys that are friends of mine.
“I’m just glad that I got it now and we can move on. It’s important now that we go on next week and play well.”
The Hurricanes (7-0, 4-0 Big East) moved a step closer to playing for the national championship as well. They extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 17 games, but have their toughest stretch of the season remaining.
VIDEO FROM  |
| Miami’s Ken Dorsey connects with Kevin Beard for the 15-yard TD. 56k | 100k | 300k The Hurricanes Frank Gore makes a nice cutback and scores. Miami’s Phillip Buchanon takes the punt 52 yards into the end zone. The Miami fumble goes nearly 30 yards, but is recovered by the ‘Canes. |
Miami plays Boston College, No. 19 Syracuse, No. 11 Washington and No. 12 Virginia Tech to close out the season. If the Hurricanes win all four games, they probably will earn a spot in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 3.
“Everybody who wanted a playoff system has it, and right now it’s single elimination,” Dorsey said. “We’ve got four more games left to get to where we want to be.”
Miami is third in the Bowl Championship Series standings, behind Nebraska and Oklahoma, but expects to move past the Sooners with a stronger strength of schedule – which should continually improve with the final four games.
Playing overmatched Temple (2-6, 1-4) won’t help Miami’s BCS ranking, but the Hurricanes got their desired result – an impressive victory. Miami has outscored the Owls 448-98 in the last 10 meetings.
“They are a great football team that has a lot of great players and made it really tough on us,” Temple coach Bobby Wallace said.
Running back Makonne Fenton had 61 yards rushing for the Owls, who had three turnovers a season-low 152 total yards.
“We’re not as talented as they are in certain areas,” Wallace said.
The ‘Canes overcame another slow start and a strange first half – scoring a season-low 14 points, punting twice and turning the ball over on downs once. They also fumbled twice, but recovered both of them and scored two plays later each time.
The weirdness continued when Dorsey got sacked – the first Miami has given up this season. The Hurricanes had been the only Division I team in the nation to not allow a sack.
But on first-and-10 at the Temple 24, cornerback Jairo Almonte blitzed from the right side and tackled Dorsey for a 19-yard loss.
“We’re going to fire all those offensive lineman and get some new ones,” Miami coach Larry Coker said jokingly.
The Hurricanes’ last sack came against Florida in the Sugar Bowl when defensive end Alex Brown slipped past tackle Joaquin Gonzalez and knocked Dorsey to the Superdome turf.
The last time Miami allowed a regular-season sack was Oct. 21, 2000 against Temple. The Hurricanes had gone 845 regular-season plays since without giving up one.
“Frankly, I’m glad to get it out of the way,” Dorsey said. “Now they can just relax and go out and have fun.”
Dorsey didn’t seem fazed, though. He overcame a second-and-29 to give Miami a 14-0 lead in the second quarter.
Clinton Portis, who ran 20 times for 117 yards and reached the 2,000-yard plateau, capped the drive with a 7-yard scoring run.
Dorsey threw another TD pass, Frank Gore had a 13-yard scoring run and Phillip Buchanon returned his second punt of the season for a touchdown to give Miami a 21-point third quarter.
Miami took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on Dorsey’s record-setting pass. Beard caught the ball in the flat, spun out of Terrance Leftwich’s tackle and high stepped into the end zone.
Dorsey finished 16-of-24 for 175 yards and sat out the fourth quarter. Safety Ed Reed also had a record day. Reed tied Bennie Blades’ school record for interceptions at 19. Reed has seven picks this season.
“Some nice milestones happened today,” Coker said.
