ESPN's College Game Day Will Be Live From Hurricanes-Gators Game

Sept. 4, 2002

ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY UPDATE

College GameDay Presented by Discover® Card with host Chris Fowler and analysts Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit will originate live from Gainesville, Fla. – site of No. 1 Miami at No. 6 Florida – Saturday at 10:30 a.m. ET. GameDay’s Tony Barnhart will cover pre-game festivities in Gainesville with Shelley Smith reporting from South Bend, Ind., for the Purdue at No. 24 Notre Dame game.

Saturday’s highlights:

LIVE INTERVIEW WITH MIAMI’S LARRY COKER: Leading up to the game against the Gators, Miami’s coach Larry Coker will appear live for a GameDay interview from the team hotel.

THE GATOR FLOP: The 1971 Miami-Florida game defined the football rivalry between both schools. Coming into the game, Florida’s John Reaves needed 345 yards to break Jim Plunkett’s record for NCAA career passing yards. Leading 45-8 with 80 seconds left, Reaves was 14 yards short of the record. To get the ball back, Florida defenders dropped to the ground (except DB John Clifford), allowing a quick score by Miami. A botched Miami on-side kick later, Florida recovered the ball and Reaves broke the record. Reaves was carried off the field as the Gators celebrated in the Orange Bowl by jumping into the pool used by the Dolphins’ mascot. In turn, the coaches – Miami’s Fran Curci and Doug Dickey of Florida – refused to shake hands, adding to the legend of one of college football’s most fierce rivalries, reports Curry Kirkpatrick.

A RIVALRY RENEWED: In the first regular-season meeting between Miami and Florida in 15 years, famous alumni from both schools will address the depth of the rivalry between the two programs including intense comments by Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Ray Lewis, Michael Barrow, Jesse Palmer, Jeremy Shockey and Jevon Kearse.

HOME ALONE WITH KEN DORSEY: In spite of all the many exciting attractions in the city of Miami, Ken Dorsey spends much of his off-the-field time in his home. GameDay’s Kirk Herbstreit visited the 2001 Heisman trophy runner-up and found out the California-born senior quarterback has varied interests off the gridiron.

WHO IS RON ZOOK?: In his words, Florida first year coach Ron Zook will introduce himself to the GameDay audience and discuss how he plans to replace the legendary Steve Spurrier as he deals with his father’s battle with cancer.

GAMEDAY QUESTION OF THE WEEK – Features responses from current and former players, coaches and administrators on a key, issue-driven question. This week’s question: What has changed in your personal and professional life since 9/11?

TYRONE WILLINGHAM’S HOME OPENER: After a convincing win over 2001 ACC Champion Maryland last week, Shelley Smith will report live from South Bend on how Notre Dame’s first year coach Tyrone Willingham is preparing for his home debut. Smith’s coverage will feature a week in the life of Willingham as he attends to the various demands at Notre Dame, including the school’s pep rally.

COACHING IN COLLEGE AND THE PROS: As Virginia’s Al Groh (former New York Jets coach) hosts Lou Holtz (also former Jets coach) and the South Carolina Gamecocks Saturday, GameDay’s Tony Barnhart will review the differences between coaching college and professional football. This feature will include comments by Dennis Green, Bill Walsh, Barry Switzer and Jimmy Johnson.

REPLACING DAVID CARR AND JOEY HARRINGTON: Leading into their game Saturday, Fresno State and Oregon share one thing in common – their quarterbacks were picked among the top-three players drafted in the 2002 NFL Draft. Fresno’s Carr was the No. 1 pick, Oregon’s Harrington No. 3. Shelley Smith will report on how both programs are adjusting to football without their talented signal callers from last season.

ALABAMA SENIORS – PLAYING FOR PRIDE: The Crimson Tide seniors won the SEC Championship as freshmen. Due to NCAA sanctions, the team will not play in a bowl game this season. Today, with another promise of a championship season gone, the Alabama seniors are playing for one thing – The Pride of the Tide, reports Rece Davis.