Coker Keeping No. 1 Miami Focused On Finale
Nov 25, 2001
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By MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) – Dozens of long-stem roses made their way toMiami’s sideline early in the fourth quarter against Washington. Some playersheld them, others tucked them into jerseys or helmets.
The flowers didn’t last long, though. Coach Larry Coker made sure of it.
“I got rid of those in a hurry,” Coker said Sunday, a day after top-rankedMiami dismantled the Huskies 65-7 at the Orange Bowl.
Although Coker admits it is difficult not to think about the Rose Bowl,especially with the Hurricanes (10-0) having been so dominant the last twoweeks, he also knows his team has a tough game Saturday at No. 14 VirginiaTech, where Miami hasn’t won since 1992.
The ‘Canes overwhelmed Syracuse 59-0, then did the same against Washingtonon Saturday night – setting an NCAA record for largest margin of victory inconsecutive games against ranked opponents.
“We’re playing better now than we ever have,” Coker said. “It just seemslike the bigger the challenge, our players really step up. I don’t have ananswer for it. I was certainly not predicting it, and I am a little surprisedby it.
“The only thing we can control is how well we play, and we’ve playedextremely well the last two weeks.”
Miami is one win from securing a spot in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 3 and a shotat a fifth national championship.
“Our quest is still alive,” running back Clinton Portis said.
Coker said he never has been this close to a championship, not as a highschool coach in Oklahoma, not as an assistant coach at Tulsa, Oklahoma State,Ohio State or Miami.
The closest he got was last season, when Miami finished third in the BowlChampionship Series standings and faced Florida in the Sugar Bowl instead ofOklahoma in the Orange.
The Hurricanes could get a rematch with the Gators. That likely would happenif Miami beats the Hokies, and Florida wins against Tennessee and in theSoutheastern Conference title game.
But Coker doesn’t want to look ahead. And he expects the same from hisplayers. That’s why he made sure the roses were removed from the sidelineSaturday night, although dozens of petals still made their way into the lockerroom.
“We’re not going anywhere if we don’t beat Virginia Tech,” Coker said.”It doesn’t matter to me who we play (in the Rose Bowl) and it doesn’t matterto our team who we play. The important thing is that we get there. The onlything that matters to us right now is Virginia Tech.”
The Hokies (8-2) have beaten Miami three consecutive times at Lane Stadium,winning 43-10 in 1999, 27-25 in 1997 and 13-7 in 1995. The Hurricanes won the1992 meeting there 43-23.
“Nobody that we’ll talk to in our meetings has ever beaten Virginia Tech inBlacksburg. Enough said,” Coker said.
But Coker also realizes that if the Hurricanes play as they did againstSyracuse and Washington, they should have little trouble breaking the losingstreak at Virginia Tech.
Miami overwhelmed the Huskies. It had 211 yards rushing and 202 yardspassing on offense and six interceptions, four sacks, a fumble recovery and asafety on defense.
“We had a short field all night,” quarterback Ken Dorsey said. “Anytimeyour defense is playing that well, you are going to be on the winning end of alot of those games.”
The game against Syracuse was equally lopsided.
“If it carries over to the next game, we have a great chance to win,”Coker said. But it doesn’t just carry over. You have to make it carry over.When you get to feeling too good about yourself, strange things can happen asFlorida found out with Auburn.
“You have to make things happen.”
