Miami Notes From Florida Game
Sept. 8, 2002
GAME NOTES – UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI FOOTBALL
#1 MIAMI AT #6 FLORIDA
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2002
POINTS RECORD
Tonight’s scoring total by Miami is the most ever scored by the Hurricanes against the Gators and the most allowed by either team in the series since Florida scored a 45-16 win at Miami in 1971. Miami’s previous high against Florida was 37 points in the 37-20 victory over the Gators in the 2001 Nokia Sugar Bowl.
YARDAGE RECORD
Miami gained 508 yards total offense tonight, the most ever by the Hurricanes against Florida. The previous high was 454 in the 2001 Nokia Sugar Bowl victory two seasons ago. Miami rushed for 306 yards and passed for 202 yards this evening.
CAPTAINS
Miami captains for tonight’s game were senior DT Matt Walters, senior C Brett Romberg, senior QB Ken Dorsey and junior LB Jonathan Vilma.
FOR STARTERS
The Hurricanes defense began the night with six defensive backs on the field. Redshirt freshman cornerback Kelly Jennings made his first start in a Miami uniform. Joining Jennings in the secondary was Mo Sikes, Sean Taylor, Antrel Rolle and Alfonso Marshall. The “dime” package left UM with two linebackers, MLB Jonathan Vilma and WLB D.J. Williams. Also, senior Cornelius Green started at defensive end tonight. The start was Green’s first since the 2000 season when he started seven games at the position.
MIAMI NOW AGAINST SUNSHINE STATE OPPONENTS
With tonight’s outcome, Miami has won 18 of its last 26 games against teams from the state of Florida since the 1985 season. Last season, UM defeated Florida State in Tallahassee 49-27 on Oct. 13, 2001. In 2000, UM defeated FSU (27-24) in Miami and Florida (37-20) in the Nokia Sugar Bowl. Miami has opened the 2002 season with victories over Florida A&M (63-17) and Florida (tonight).
ON THE ROAD VS. TOP 10 OPPONENTS SINCE 1980
Tonight’s game marked Miami’s 53rd contest with an opponent ranked in the Associated Press Top 10 at game time. Tonight’s outcome gives the Hurricanes a record of 33-20 in those games.
MIAMI IN ROAD OPENERS
The Miami Hurricanes open their 2002 road schedule tonight against the Gators. With the outcome, Miami’s record in road openers is now 38-37-2, including 15-8 since 1980.
ROAD WIN STREAK AT 11 GAMES
Miami’s road games winning streak climbed to 12 tonight. UM has won 12 straight games (including 2001 Sugar Bowl and the 2002 Rose Bowl) and 10 regular season games away from the Orange Bowl, dating back to a 47-10 win at West Virginia on Sept. 23, 2000. The current regular season road win streak is the longest at UM since winning 14-straight from 1990-93. Including the bowls, UM last won 14 straight from 1990-92. The longest road winning streak in UM history is 20 games, stretching from a 28-17 win at Purdue on Sept. 15, 1984, to a 31-30 loss at Notre Dame on Oct. 15, 1988.
NATION’S LONGEST WIN STREAK AT 24
Miami’s winning streak is now 24 games – the second-longest win streak in UM history. The current victory string ranks second all-time in games including bowl games behind a 29-game streak accomplished from a 45-10 win over Texas Tech on Oct. 27, 1990, to a 34-13 loss to Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 1993. Miami has won 20 consecutive regular season games dating to a 47-10 victory at West Virginia on Sept. 23, 2000. The longest win streak in regular season games is 36, accomplished from a 48-20 win at Rice on Sept. 14, 1985, to a 31-30 loss at Notre Dame on Oct. 15, 1988.
ROAD WARRIORS
Tonight’s outcome continues Miami’s road dominance since 1983 as Miami has constructed the nation’s best record in road games (not including neutral sites) over that span. The Hurricanes’ road record in the 19 seasons beginning with 1983 is the best among all NCAA Division 1A football institutions. Miami has a record of 78-19-0 (.804) in road games at the opponent’s home stadium. During that span, Miami has gone unbeaten in road games in eight seasons (1985, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996 and 2001). Of interest is the fact that Miami played three of the top seven best road teams during the 2001 season (Nebraska, Florida State and Penn State) and will take on three in 2002 (Florida State, Tennessee and Florida).
MIAMI’S RECORD AS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NO. 1
With tonight’s game, the Hurricanes have played in 38 games all-time while holding the AP’s No. 1 ranking and have forged a 33-5 record in those contests. In regular season games, UM has been ranked No. 1 by the AP in 34 games and has recorded a 31-3 mark.
MIAMI’S RECORD ACCORDING TO AP RANK
With tonight’s outcome UM is 200-40-2 all-time in games while holding an AP national ranking.Since 1983, Miami is 135-20 as a top 10 team and 107-12 as a top 5 team. The Hurricanes are 33-5 as the nation’s No.1-ranked team. Miami has won 23 of its last 24 while ranked No. 1.
MIAMI VS. AP-RANKED TEAMS
Tonight’s outcome makes Miami 70-98-1 vs. AP-ranked teams since its first game against a ranked opponent against No. 18 Alabama in 1941. Miami is 34-52 vs. AP top-10 teams since playing No. 6 Alabama in 1947, and is19-31 against AP top-5 teams since playing No. 3 Maryland in 1953. UM is 9-7 against No. 1-ranked teams.
HURRICANES’ WIN STREAK VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
Miami has won nine consecutive games against ranked opponents beginning with a 27-24 victory over No. 1 Florida State on Oct. 7, 2000. That streak includes five straight wins on the road or at neutral sites against ranked opponents and four victories at the Orange Bowl against ranked foes.
MIAMI VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
Streak: Won 9Streak on the Road/Neutral: Won 5Streak at Home: Won 4
VS. RANKED/UNRANKED OPPONENTS
With tonight’s outcome, Miami has registered a 31-22 mark against Associated Press ranked teams and an 86-6 (.935) record against unranked opponents since 1990.
MIAMI VS. FIRST-YEAR COACHES
First-year Florida head coach Ron Zook is the first first-year head coach UM has faced since Rich Rodriguez of West Virginia on Oct. 25 of the 2001 season. UM’s last faced a rookie when the Canes took on former UM assistant and current head coach Greg Schiano of Rutgers on Sept. 8 of the 2001 season. UM now has a seven-game win streak against rookie head coaches and is 8-1 since 1995. Overall, Miami has won 30 of its last 31 games vs. teams under the helm of a first-year coach. Miami had its 23-game win streak vs. first-year coaches snapped against Walt Harris and Pittsburgh in 1997.
KEN DORSEY NOTES
DORSEY IN THE BIG EAST RECORD BOOK
Senior quarterback Ken Dorsey threw four touchdown passes tonight, running his career total to 65. Dorsey’s four TD passes marked the fourth time in his career that the California native has had at least a quartet of scoring tosses in a game. Dorsey’s 65 career TD passes moves him into second place on the BIG EAST career list ahead of Boston College’s Glen Foley (61 from 1991-93). Syracuse’s Donovan McNabb (1995-98) holds the conference record with 77 touchdown passes. Dorsey’s 6,508 passing yards land him at No. 8 on the career list. He recently passed former Miami signalcaller Gino Torretta (1991-92, 6,155) into seventh in BIG EAST history.
DORSEY VS. TOP OPPONENTS
With his performance tonight, UM quarterback Ken Dorsey has led Miami to a record of 10-1 against ranked opponents with Dorsey as a starter including 5-0 against teams ranked in the top 10.
DORSEY’S CAREER TOUCHDOWNS
Senior quarterback Ken Dorsey extended his Miami record for touchdowns in a career, adding four to make his total 65. In his Miami career, Ken Dorsey has connected with 19 different players for a school-record 65 passing touchdowns as Jason Geathers joined the list tonight. Split end Andre Johnson lead all current players with 12 Dorsey touchdowns. Johnson’s catch tied him as Dorsey’s top touchdown target with former Hurricane and current Indianapolis Colt Reggie Wayne (12 from 1999-2000).
Dorsey’s Favorite Touchdown Targets(current players – regular season games only)
TD Player12 Andre Johnson5 Ethenic Sands2 Kevin Beard2 Jason Geathers1 D.J. Williams1 Kellen Winslow, Jr.
DORSEY: A WINNER
By any measure, Ken Dorsey is setting a new standard for quarterback success at Quarterback U. He continues to build the best winning percentage ever established by a Miami starting quarterback, in addition to owning the all-time mark in winning starts.
Winning Percentage of UM quarterbacks since 1979:
Player GS W L Pct.Ken Dorsey (99-present) 29 28 1 .967Steve Walsh (87-88) 24 23 1 .958Gino Torretta (89-92) 28 26 2 .929
DORSEY AS A STARTER
Ken Dorsey has been the Hurricanes starter since the final three games of the 1999 season and, in those 29 starts, has passed for 300 yards three times, including a regular season best of 344 in the 2001 season opener at Penn State (eclipsed only by his career-best 362 yards against Nebraska in the 2002 Rose Bowl game). He has also thrown for at least 200 yards 20 times and has had multiple touchdowns in 21 games.
BACKFIELD NOTES
One week after reserve tailback Jason Geathers rushed for 199 yards in the season opener, starter Willis McGahee rushed for 204 yards tonight. That total ranks fourth on the UM single-game rushing list.
TOP SINGLE-GAME RUSHING YARDS
1. Edgerrin James vs. UCLA, 1998 39 attempts, 299 yards2. Edgerrin James vs. Boston College, 1997 33 attempts, 271 yards3. Lorenzo Roan vs. East Carolina, 1980 33 attempts, 249 yards4. Willis McGahee vs. Florida, 2002 24 attempts, 204 yards
GETTING TO GROSSMAN
Miami’s defense had a benchmark performance tonight against the high-powered Gator offense. The unit sacked UF quarterback Rex Grossman two times this evening while holding him to 19 completions in 45 attempts and intercepting him twice.
SIKES PICKS TWICE
Junior strong safety Mo Sikes recorded two interceptions tonight, including a 97-yard return for a score. That return is the third-longest in UM history. Prior to tonight, Sikes had one theft last season before he became a starter this year.
PLACEKICKER TODD SIEVERS
Sievers put Miami in the lead, 3-0, in the first quarter with a 53-yard field goal. That boot is the longest of his Miami career and the fourth-longest in Miami history.
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