Canes Take 49-7 Lead at Syracuse

Nov. 25, 2002

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Miami Hurricanes (10-0, 5-0 BIG EAST) (#1 AP/#1 ESPN/USA Today)vs. SYRACUSE ORANGEMEN (4-7, 2-4 BIG EAST)

When: Saturday, November 30, 2002, at 1 p.m. EST.
Where: Carrier Dome (49,550/Artificial Turf) in Syracuse, New York.
TV: ABC will televise the game live with the telecast team of Brent Musburger (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analysis) and Jack Arute (sideline).
Fox Sports Net Florida (Tape Delay, Sunday, Dec. 1, 5 p.m. Eastern Time) will produce coverage of all Miami Hurricanes football games this season with Frank Forte (play-by-play) and Dave Heffernan (analysis) describing the action.
Local Radio: The Hurricanes Radio Network (WQAM 560 AM) will carry the game live with Joe Zagacki (play-by-play), former Hurricane offensive lineman Don Bailey, Jr. (analysis), and Brian London (sideline reports) describing the action. Josh Darrow is the studio host.
National Radio: The Sports USA Radio Network will carry the game live with Larry Kahn (play-by-play), Gino Torretta (analysis), and Troy West (sideline reports) describing the action.
En Espanol: Radio Unica (WNMA 1210 AM) will broadcast the game in Spanish with Roly Martin (play-by-play) and Jose Martinez (analysis) describing the action.
Student Station WVUM (WVUM 90.5 FM) will broadcast the game in with Kyle Berger (play-by-play) and Jeremy Marks-Peltz (analysis).
Websites: Miami (www.hurricanesports.com), Syracuse (www.suathletics.com).

MIAMI HEAD COACH LARRY COKER
Second-year head coach Larry Coker has a 22-0 (1.000) record at Miami. His 22-0 record includes an 12-0 mark in BIG EAST play, along with a 11-0 mark at the Orange Bowl and a 11-0 record on the road. Coker’s start at Miami is the best of any first-time head coach in the “modern era” of college football (post-1950) for wins without a tie or loss. Oklahoma’s Barry Switzer started out 21-0-1 in 1973-74, but suffered a tie in his second game as head coach. Coker’s unbeaten/untied start is the best by a first-time Division I-A head coach since Walter Camp of Yale led the Bulldogs to 28 consecutive victories before a loss in the 1888-89 seasons.

Coker led Miami to an undefeated season in his first year as a collegiate head coach with the 2001 Hurricanes. Coker was named Miami’s 19th head football coach on February 3, 2001. Coker was named National Coach of the Year for 2001 by the American Football Coaches Association (an honor shared with Maryland’s Ralph Friedgen) and was recipient of the 2001 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. The 2002 season marks Coker’s eighth overall at Miami, after serving as the Hurricanes’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 1995-2000. Prior to 1995, Coker was an assistant coach at Ohio State (1993-94), Oklahoma (1990-92), Oklahoma State (1983-89) and Tulsa (1979-82).

MIAMI-SYRACUSE SERIES HIGHLIGHTS

Miami and Syracuse have met 20 times since 1960 with the Hurricanes holding the 13-7 series lead. The record includes an 8-2 mark in BIG EAST play since in 1992.Miami is riding a three-game win streak in the series and has won those games by a combined score of 130-13 (43.4 – 4.3), a 39.1-point margin of victory. Additionally, the Hurricanes have won the last two meetings with the Orangemen by an 85-0 margin, 26-0 at the Carrier Dome in 2000 and 59-0 at the Orange Bowl in 2001. The two SU victories in the BIG EAST series occurred in 1997 (33-13 in Miami) and 1998 (66-13 at Syracuse).The overall series record is broken down into a 6-2 all-time mark on the road at Syracuse (4-1 at the Carrier Dome, 2-1 at Archibald Stadium) and a 7-3 record at the Orange Bowl. Additionally, Syracuse holds a 2-0 advantage in neutral site games with a 15-14 win in the 1961 Liberty Bowl and a 25-15 victory at Buffalo’s Rich Stadium in 1979.Miami and Syracuse was the first BIG EAST rivalry. Prior to round-robin conference play that began in 1993, Miami and Syracuse finished 1-2 in each of the 1991 and 1992 BIG EAST standings, respectively. The Hurricanes were crowned conference champion in both of those seasons by being the higher ranked team in the final regular season USA Today/CNN Top 25 Coaches’ Poll. Additionally, Miami played for the national championship in 1991 and 1992, winning the 1991 title.In 1995, Miami was not eligible for the conference title, but defeated Syracuse, 34-25, in the Orange Bowl to deny the Orangemen at least a share of the title with Virginia Tech. SU finished the league schedule at 5-2 to the Hokies 6-1 record.In 1996, Miami, Syracuse and Virginia Tech, shared the league title with 6-1 records apiece. Then-16th ranked Orangemen had a shot to win the championship out-right, but were upset by the 23rd-ranked Hurricanes, 38-31, at the Carrier Dome in the regular season finale.The 1998 season saw Syracuse capture the league championship with a 66-13 win over Miami at the Carrier Dome, yet finish behind the Hurricanes in the final seasons polls. UM’s worse conference defeat was in large due to a stellar performance from senior Donovan McNabb in his final regular season game and placed the Hurricanes in a tie for second. UM rebounded to defeat UCLA, 49-45, at the Orange Bowl the routed N.C. State, 46-23, in the Micron PC Bowl. Florida downed Syracuse, 31-10, in the Orange Bowl Classic. The Hurricanes finished ranked No. 20/21 in the polls, while the Orangemen were No. 25/24.

MIAMI/SYRACUSE: TEAMMATES TO RIVALS
Syracuse has 13 players on its roster from the state of Florida. Miami has two players on its roster from the state of New York (tight end Brandon Sebald/Accord and linebacker Leon Williams/Brooklyn).

A combined 16 players from the Miami and Syracuse rosters attended high school together. Four of the five mutual high schools are located in Florida, including two in Dade County. Miami Carol City leads the way with five players each from UM and SU.

Miami Carol City (5)
Sinorice Moss (UM), Ethenic Sands (UM), Glenn Sharpe (UM), Jermaine Ponder (UM), Terrell Lemon (SU).

Miami Coral Gables (3)
Frank Gore (UM), Alex Pou (UM), Jon Vilma (UM), Rashard Williams (SU)

Tampa Hillsborough (3)
Andrew Williams (UM), Cedric Edmonds (SU), Chris Davis (SU)

Tallahassee Lincoln (3)
Greg Threat (UM), Chris Buda (SU), Justin Woody (SU)

Camden (NJ) Woodrow Wilson (2)
Jamaal Green (UM), Scott O’Neill (SU)

NATION’S LONGEST WIN STREAK NOW AT 31 GAMES
With the victory over Pittsburgh, Miami extended its national leading win streak to 32 games, the longest winning streak in college football since Toledo won 35 straight from 1969-71. The current 32-game win streak, including bowl games, continues Miami’s school record and surpassed the 29-game streak set from 1990-92. The streak also is the 7th longest win streak in college football history.

In the regular season, UM has won 30 consecutive regular season games dating back to a 47-10 victory at West Virginia on Sept. 23, 2000. The longest win streak in the regular season for Miami is 36 games, accomplished from a 48-20 win at Rice on Sept. 14, 1985, to a 31-30 loss at Notre Dame on Oct. 15, 1988.

ORANGE BOWL WIN STREAK AT A NATIONAL-BEST 21 GAMES
Miami’s 28-21 win over Pittsburgh extended the Hurricanes’ Orange Bowl win streak to 20 games, dating back to a 28-20 win over West Virginia on Oct. 30, 1999.

The 21-game home win streak is currently the longest in the nation following Nebraska’s recent home loss to Texas on Nov. 2. UM’s streak is also its longest since setting the NCAA record with its 58-game streak from 1985-94. South Florida holds the nation’s second-longest active home winning streak at 19.

MORE ON THE HURRICANES’ 21-GAME ORANGE BOWL WIN STREAK
Miami will enter the Virginia Tech game on December 7 riding a 21-game home win streak at the Orange Bowl that dates back to a 28-20 win over West Virginia on Oct. 30, 1999. Miami’s last loss at home was to No. 2 Penn State, 27-23, at Sept. 18, 1999. During the 21-game streak Miami has outscored its opponents 952-238 (45.3-11.3 per game – 34.0 UM margin of victory). In non-conference games during the streak, Miami has outscored eight opponents 372-141 (46.5-17.6 per game – 28.9 UM margin of victory). Against the BIG EAST, Miami has outscored the league 580-97 (44.6-7.5 per game – 37.1 UM margin of victory) in 13 home contests. Against the six ranked teams defeated at the Orange Bowl during the streak, Miami outscored the opposition 248-100 (41.3-16.7 per game – 24.6 UM margin of victory).

During the streak Miami’s lowest point total is 27 points in a 27-24 thrilling win over No. 1 Florida State on Oct. 7, 2000. Scoring has also been high during the streak with the Hurricanes surpassing 30 points 17 times, 40 points 13 times, 50 points eight times and 60 points four times. The most points UM has scored during the streak is 65 points in a 65-7 win over No. 12 Washington on Nov. 24, 2001.The UM defense has posted five shutouts during the 21-game streak and another six games where the opponent scored seven or less points. The most points allowed by UM were 31 vs. Louisiana Tech on Oct. 28, 2000. Opponents have achieved double-digit scoring just 10 times during the 21-game streak. FAMU totaled 17 points in the 2002 season opener at the Orange Bowl, marking the first time in a nine-game home span the opponent scored more than seven points.Prio to Pittsburgh’s first quarter touchdown on Nov. 21, the last touchdown recorded by a BIG EAST opponent at the Orange Bowl was in the first quarter vs. Boston College on Nov. 25, 2000 – 23 straight quarters over six league games.Over the last 13 home games since defeating Pittsburgh, 35-7, on Nov. 11, 2000, the Hurricanes have outscored home opponents 598-115 (46.0-8.8 per game – 37.2 UM margin of victory).Including the home loss to Penn State in 1999, Miami has won 25 of 26 home contests since a 26-14 loss to FSU on Oct. 10, 1998.

CURRENT ROAD WIN STREAK AT 16 GAMES
Miami has won a national-best 16 straight games away from the Orange Bowl, including the 2002 Rose Bowl and 2001 Sugar Bowl, since defeating West Virginia in Morgantown, 47-10, on Sept. 23, 2000.

Regular season only, Miami has a current 14-game road win streak since that win over the Mountaineers. The regular season win streak is the longest at UM since the Hurricanes won 14 straight road contests from 1990-93.Including 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.

ROAD WARRIORS
Since 1983, Miami has constructed the nation’s best record in road games (not including neutral sites). 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 83-19-0 (.814) in road games at the opponent’s home. 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 took on three more in 2002 (Florida State, Tennessee and Florida).

MIAMI EXTENDS BIG EAST WIN STREAK TO 22 GAMES WITH WIN OVER PITTSBURGH
Miami extended its BIG EAST-record win streak to 22 games with its 28-21 win over Pittsburgh. Additionally, UM has also won 25 of its last 26 BIG EAST games, including a 1999 loss to Virginia Tech. The streak began with a 55-0 defeat over Rutgers on Nov. 20, 1999. Miami has also recorded conference win streaks of 12 games (1991-93), 10 games (1995-96) and seven games (1994).

UM STANDS TALL IN THE BIG EAST
In its 12th season of competition in the BIG EAST, Miami has forged a league-best 64-10 (.865) overall conference record. The Hurricanes’ seven BIG EAST titles are also a league-best, ahead of Syracuse (3), Virginia Tech (3) and West Virginia (1).

THE CONSENSUS NO. 1
Miami regained its status as the consensus No. 1-ranked team on Nov. 10 after defeating Tennessee, 26-3, on Nov. 9, along with an Oklahoma 30-26 loss at Texas A&M. Miami had held the consensus top spot for 16 straight weeks until Oklahoma was voted No. 1 by the Associated Press on Sunday, Nov. 3. Miami has held the No. 1 ranking in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll for the last 20 weeks dating back to the 2001 season.

UM finished off the 2001 season as consensus No. 1 the last six weeks and was at the same spot each of the first 12 polls this season. In 2001, UM was the consensus No. 1 in 12 of 17 total polls.

HAVING THE NO. 1 RANKING
The Hurricanes enter the Syracuse game ranked No. 1 for the 15th straight poll this season in the USA Today/ESPN rankings. Coupled with the 2001 season, Miami has been ranked at the top spot in the either the Associated Press or USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll for the past 30 weekly polls.

Miami ended the 2001 season having been ranked No. 1 by the AP for the last 9 weeks and 14 of 17 polls during the season. UM was No. 1 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ Poll for the last six weeks and 13 out of 17 polls.Since the AP poll began in 1936, the weekly rankings have been published 877 times. Miami has been ranked No. 1 63 times.

RECORD TOP-RANKED STREAK
On Nov. 4, Miami fell from atop the Associated Press weekly poll after a stay of 21 consecutive week dating to Oct. 14, 2001. The 21 straight weeks is the longest of any team in college football history to remain atop the AP rankings.

MIAMI AS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NO. 1
The Hurricanes have played in 45 games all-time while holding the Associated Press’ No. 1 ranking and have forged a 40-5 record in those contests. Miami has won 16 straight as the nation’s top-ranked team. Prior to the Alabama loss (34-13) in the 1993 Sugar Bowl, UM had won 12 straight games when it held the top spot in the polls dating back to the 1991 season.

In the regular season, UM has been ranked No. 1 by the AP in 41 games and has recorded a 38-3 mark. UM last lost a regular season game while holding the No. 1 ranking in the 1990 season opener at BYU, 28-21 on Sept. 8.

Miami’s record according to AP Rank
UM is 208-40-2 all-time in games while holding an AP national ranking. Since 1983, Miami is 143-20 as a top 10 team and 115-12 as a top five team. The Hurricanes are 40-5 as the nation’s No.1-ranked team. Miami has won 30 of its last 31 while ranked No. 1.

Miami vs. AP-ranked teams
Miami is 72-98-1 vs. AP-ranked teams since its first game against a ranked opponent against No. 18 Alabama in 1941, is 35-52 vs. AP top-10 teams since playing No. 6 Alabama in 1947, is 19-31 against AP top-5 teams since playing No. 3 Maryland in 1953, and is 9-7 against No. 1-ranked teams.

Miami has won 11 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 six victories at the Orange Bowl against ranked foes.

Miami vs. Ranked Opponents
Streak: Won 11
Streak on the Road/Neutral: Won 5
Streak at Home: Won 6

VS. RANKED/UNRANKED OPPONENTS
Since 1990, Miami has registered a 33-22 mark against Associated Press ranked teams and a 92-6 record against unranked opponents.

HURRICANES IN NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
Since the 1980 season Miami has been nearly unbeatable as it heads into the final two months of the season totaling an 83-9 record in games played in November and December. In the month of November, UM is 75-9 since 1980, along with a perfect 8-0 record in December. The Hurricanes are currently riding an 11-game win streak in November with their last loss coming at Virginia Tech in 1999. Miami has not lost in a December game since 1977, going 8-0 since.

2002 scoring OFFENSE AMONG THE BEST ALL-TIME
The 2002 squad has amassed 398 points through the first 10 games of the season, marking the third-most points scored by a UM team after 10 games played. The 2001 Hurricanes sit atop the list with 435 points after 10 games, followed by 2000 (417) and 2002 (398). The Hurricanes current 398 points after 10 games is already more than the single-season totals accumulated during the schools’ first 57 seasons of football, or up until 1983.

PLAYING IN FRONT OF LARGE CROWDS
The fifth-largest crowd in Tennessee history, 107,745, attended the Miami game on Nov. 9 marking the second-largest crowd ever to watch the Hurricanes play. Additionally, it was the fourth crowd to surpass the 100,000 attendance plateau for a Miami game. The all-time largest crowd to see UM play was last season at Penn State, where the attendance hit 109,313. Games at Michigan in 1988 (105,834) and in 1984 (105,403) are now third and fourth, respectively.

2002 attendance hits record mark
The attendance for the first five home games of the season was a combined 341,125 (Florida A&M 68,548; Boston College 73,622; Connecticut 52,131; Florida State 81,927; Pittsburgh 64,897).

UNDEFEATED IN THREE CONSECUTIVE ROAD GAMES
The Hurricanes just completed an undefeated stretch of three straight games on the road, the ninth time in school history Miami has played three straight away from home. The 3-0 mark is just the second time UM has done so in these nine occurences along with 1985. This season Miami defeated West Virginia, 40-23, on Oct. 26, Rutgers, 42-17, on Nov. 2 and Tennessee, 26-3, on Nov. 9. UM played three straight road games in 2000 (2-1), 1999 (1-2), 1985 (3-0), 1979 (1-2), 1978 (2-1), 1976 (0-3), 1936 (2-0-1) and 1931 (0-3).

McGAHEE A SEMI-FINALIST FOR DOAK WALKER AWARD
Miami sophomore tailback Willis McGahee is one of eight semifinalists for the 2002 Doak Walker Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top college running back. The other seven semifinalists announced Thursday are: West Virginia’s Avon Cobourne, Colorado’s Chris Brown, Quentin Griffin of Oklahoma, Larry Johnson of Penn State, Kentucky’s Artose Pinner, Cecil Sapp of Colorado State and Michael Turner of Northern Illinois. Three finalists will be named December 2nd and the winner will be announced Dec. 12 on ESPN’s Home Depot college football awards show. The award will be presented in Dallas on Jan. 28.

VILMA, D.J. WILLIAMS MAKE SHORT LIST FOR BUTKUS AWARD
Jon Vilma and D.J. Williams were listed among the 11 semifinalists for the 2002 Butkus Award, presented by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando (DACO), Inc. to the top linebacker. Miami is the only school in the nation to place two players among the 11 semifinalists. Traditionally, 10 semifinalists are named, but there was a tie for 10th place in the voting.

On Thursday, November 14, 2002, DACO will announce the three finalists for this year’s Butkus Award at a national teleconference. The three Butkus Award finalists and their coaches will participate in the announcement. The 2001 Butkus Award winner will be announced at the Butkus Award Presentation Ceremony on Friday, December 13, 2002, by the award’s namesake Dick Butkus.

KEN DORSEY AMONG FIVE CANDIDATES FOR JOHNNY UNITAS GOLDEN ARM AWARD
Ken Dorsey was selected as one of five finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, awarded to college football’s top senior quarterback. Dorsey is listed with Byron Leftwich (Marshall), Carson Palmer (Southern California), Dave Ragone (Louisville) and Seneca Wallace (Iowa State). Past Miami winners of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award were Gino Torretta (1992) and Craig Erickson (1990). A winner will be announced Dec. 4.

JEROME McDOUGLE, ANDREW WILLIAMS AMONG SEMIFINALISTS FOR TED HENDRICKS AWARD
Jerome McDougle and Andrew Williams were selected as two of 10 semifinalists for the inaugural Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year award. The Hurricane duo is listed along with Nathaniel Adibi (Virginia Tech), Terrell Suggs (Arizona State), Michael Haynes (Penn State), Alonzo Jackson (Florida State), Kindal Moorehead (Alabama), Cory Redding (Texas), DeWayne White (Louisville) and Jimmy Wilkerson (Oklahoma).

THREE HURRICANES AMONG 12 SEMIFINALISTS FOR ROTARY LOMBARDI AWARD
The Rotary Lombardi Award semifinalists included Miami defensive tackle William Joseph and defensive end Jerome McDougle along with center Brett Romberg, plus Georgia’s Boss Bailey (LB) and Jon Stinchcomb (OT), center Jeff Faine of Notre Dame, defensive tackle Tommie Harris of Oklahoma, linebackers E.J. Henderson of Maryland and Bradie James of LSU, defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy of Penn State and defensive ends Cory Redding of Texas and Terrell Suggs of Arizona State.

QUICK STRIKE OFFENSE
The average drive time on UM’s 52 offensive touchdowns in 2002 is 1:40. Overall, 31 of the 52 touchdowns were scored under two minutes of drive time. Additionally, 15 touchdowns have come in under a minute.

EXPLOSIVE OFFENSE
Miami’s offense is one that can strike quickly. In 10 games the Hurricanes have recorded 167 plays of 10 or more yards, or 24.5% of its total offensive plays for the season. The Hurricanes strike for 10 or more yards once every 4.1 plays from scrimmage.

IF MIAMI SCORES FIRST
When Miami scores first it is nearly a lock to win. Beginning with the 1983 season, the Hurricanes have gone 161-14 (.920) when scoring first.

OPENING DRIVES
Charting Miami’s opening possessions of the first and second half of each game of the 2002 season.

THE HURRICANES WHEN SCORING 30 OR 31 POINTS
Miami has won 108 consecutive games when scoring 30 or more points since a 31-30 loss at Notre Dame in 1988.

Miami has won 129 consecutive games when scoring 31 or more points since falling 39-37 to UCLA in the 1985 Fiesta Bowl.Excluding bowl games, Miami has won 140 consecutive regular season games when scoring 31 or more since a 34-31 loss to Mississippi State in 1980.

4TH QUARTER DOMINANCE
Over the last 16 seasons, Miami has been almost unbeatable when leading after three quarters. Since 1985, Miami has won 159 of 161 regular season games in which it entered the fourth quarter with a lead. The two losses in this span occurred at East Carolina (1999) and West Virginia (1997). Prior to those two losses, UM last lost when leading after three quarters in 1984 against Maryland (42-40) after leading 34-21 heading into the fourth quarter.

MIAMI KEEPS HOLD ON “STATE CHAMPIONSHIP”
There have been 28 seasons between 1958 and 2002 where Miami, Florida State and Florida all played each other in the same year. Of those 28 seasons, UM has won seven “state” championships (62-80-81-86-87-00-02), including the last four in 2002, 2000, 1987 and 1986. Florida leads the three schools with 14 “state” titles (58-59-60-63-69-71-72-73-74-75-76-82-83-85), while FSU has three “state” titles (64-78-79). Miami and Florida State play annually, as do the Seminoles with Florida. The annual Miami/Florida series was discontinued after 1987, with three meetings in 2000, 2002 and upcoming in 2003 at the Orange Bowl.

MIAMI AGAINST SUNSHINE STATE OPPONENTS
Miami holds a 3-0 record vs. teams from the state of Florida in 2002, including a 28-27 win over Florida State on Oct. 5, a 41-16 win over Florida on Sept. 7 and a 63-17 win over Florida A&M in the season opener on Aug. 31. The Hurricanes have also won 19 of their last 27 games against Sunshine State opponent since the 1985 season. Miami is currently riding a six-game win streak over state teams since the 2000 season.

DORSEY HOLDS 3 BIG EAST PASSING RECORDS
Ken Dorsey now holds three BIG EAST career passing records: yards (8,624), completions (612) and touchdown passes (80).Ken Dorsey in the BIG EAST record book:TD Passes – 1st (80) (old record: 77 by Donovan McNabb of Syracuse, 1995-98)Passing yards – 1st with 8,624 (old record: 8,389 by McNabb)Pass completions – 1st with 612 (old: 571 by Marc Bulger of West Virginia, 1996-99)Total offense – 2nd with 8,583 (record: 9,950 by McNabb, 1995-98)Pass attempts – 2nd, 1,065 (record: 1,138 by Henry Burris of Temple, 1993-96)

DORSEY’S SCHOOL RECORDS RECAP
Ken Dorsey extended his school passing records against Pittsburgh with his 14-of-26 performance for 163 yards and one touchdown. Dorsey holds seven UM records (touchdown passes, passing yards, pass completions, total offense, pass attempts, most 200-yard passing games, and consecutive passes thrown without an interception).Ken Dorsey in the UM record book:TD Passes – 1st (80)Passing yards – 1st with 8,624 (old record: 7,690 by Torretta, 1989-92)Pass completions – 1st with 612 (old record: 555 by Torretta, 1989-92)Total offense -1st, 8,583 (old record: 7,722 by Torretta, 1989-92)Pass attempts – 1st, 1,065 (old record: 991 by Torretta, 1989-92)200-yard passing games – 28Consecutive Passes Without An Interception – 193 (1999-2000)

DORSEY AS A STARTER
Ken Dorsey has been the Hurricanes starter since the final three games of the 1999 season and, in those 37 starts, has passed for 400 yards one time, including a career-high 422 yards at West Virginia. He has passed for 300 yards seven times and 200 yards 28 times. Dorsey has had multiple touchdowns in 29 games. His statistics as a starter read: 602-of-1,036 for 8,539 yards with 79 touchdown passes, one touchdown rush, and 24 interceptions thrown.

DORSEY’S CAREER TOUCHDOWNS
Split end Andre Johnson leads all current players with 17 Dorsey touchdowns. The Dorsey to Johnson is the second-most prolific scoring tandem in school history behind Vinny Testaverde/Michael Irvin (19) and just ahead of Gino Torretta/Lamar Thomas (16). Overall, Dorsey has connected with 19 different players in his career.

DORSEY: AT HIS BEST IN BIG GAMES
Several of quarterback Ken Dorsey’s greatest performances have been turned in against some of the nation’s top-ranked teams. Miami is 11-1 against ranked opponents with Dorsey as a starter including 6-0 against teams ranked in the top 10.

DORSEY: A WINNER
By any measure, Ken Dorsey has set a new standard for quarterback success at “Quarterback U”. He enters the Syracuse game with the best winning percentage ever established by a Miami starting quarterback, in addition to taking over the all-time mark in winning starts as the starter earlier this season.

DORSEY’S BIGGEST DAY
Ken Dorsey set a new personal single-game best for passing yardage against West Virginia on Oct. 26, as well as a new mark for a West Virginia opponent at Mountaineer Field by passing for 422 yards (old record: 366, Alex Van Pelt of Pittsburgh, 1989). The yardage total is the most by a Miami quarterback since Craig Erickson passed for 424 vs. San Diego State in 1989. The total ranks eighth on the UM single-game passing yards list.

the first 400+-yard outing also was Dorsey’s third 300+-yard passing outing of the season and his second consecutive after a 362-yard effort against Florida State on October 12. The passing yardage is the most by a WVU foe since 1994 (433, John Ryan of Pittsburgh, 1994).

DORSEY IS ONLY QB TO WIN 3 TIMES IN THE UM/FSU SERIES
Ken Dorsey made his third consecutive start against Florida State on Oct. 12, while his FSU counterpart Chris Rix got his second start. Dorsey was just the fifth quarterback from either school to get a third start in the series, joining UM’s Ryan Clement (1995-97), Gino Torretta (1989, 1991-92) and Kary Baker (1972-74) and FSU’s Chris Weinke (1998-2000). Dorsey also became the first starting quarterback in the series to have a 3-0 record. Torretta and Weinke each went 2-1 in their three starts, while Baker went 1-2 and Clement 0-3. Rix was the 28th quarterback in the series to be getting a second start, and the 15th Seminole. In the series, UM quarterbacks went 17-14 in their first starts, 7-4 in their second and 2-2 in the third. FSU quarterbacks have gone 13-17 in first starts, 8-7 in second starts and 0-1 in third starts.

McGAHEE SETS SINGLE-SEASON TOUCHDOWNS LIST
Willis McGahee scored two rushing TDs against Pittsburgh to give him 19 for the season, breaking the UM school record held by Edgerrin James in 1998. McGahee also tied the total touchdowns record for a season, which is 19 by Edgerrin James in 1998 (17 rushing, 2 receiving).

McGAHEE MOVES UP SINGLE-SEASON RUSHING YARDS LIST
Willis McGahee gained 159 yards rushing on 19 carries against Pittsburgh and scored two rushing TDs. McGahee has rushed for 1,347 yards this season, a total that ranks second in Miami history for single-season rushing yardage. He is just the seventh running back at Miami to break 1,000 yards in a single season.

McGAHEE ON SINGLE-SEASON ALL-PURPOSE YARDS LIST
Willis McGahee compiled 170 all-purpose yards (159 rushing + 11 receiving) against Pittsburgh to move into second place on the Miami single-season top 10 list for all-purpose yards. McGahee now has 1,676 all-purpose yards in 2002. The UM single-season record for all-purpose yards is held by running back Ottis Anderson, who gained 1,708 yards (1266 rush, 47 receiving, 395 return yards) in 1978.

McGAHEE OVER THE CENTURY MARK AGAIN
Willis McGahee rushed for 159 yards on 19 carries against Pittsburgh with one touchdown. It was McGahee’s eighth 100+-yard performance of the season, tying the record held by both Ottis Anderson in 1978 and Clinton Portis in 2001.

McGAHEE IS A BIG PLAY BACK
Willis McGahee has established him as one of the nation’s top big play running backs. McGahee is averaging 7.26 yards every time he touches the football (231 touches for 1,676 total yards). He has carried 209 times for 1,347 yards (6.4 avg) and recorded 22 catches for 329 yards (15.0 avg). Against Pittsburgh, McGahee rushed for 159 yards on 19 carries and caught four passes for 11 yards, for a combined total of 170 yards for the game.

He has recorded 51 plays of 10 or more yards, including 13 of 20 or more yards and 10 of 30 or more yards. Of the 231 times he touched the football 76 (32.9%) have gone for first downs or touchdowns. McGahee has accounted for 35.7% of Miami’s 206 first downs this season.

BACKFIELD NOTES
Miami posted 152 rushing yards on 23 attempts against Pittsburgh, including 159 by Willis McGahee…McGahee is the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week for his performance, his fourth conference POW honor this season, the most Offensive POW honors by a Hurricane during a single season…Jason Geathers carried just once for two yards against the Panthers.

McGahee leads the team with 114 points scored this season as well as the BIG EAST…McGahee is the conference’s leading all-purpose producer and No. 2 rusher behind WVU’s Avon Cobourne…McGahee is No. 8 in total offense in the conference.Nationally, McGahee ranks No. 7 in rushing, No. 5 in all-purpose yardage and No. 3 in scoring. As a team, Miami is 36th nationally in rushing.McGahee tied a school record vs. Temple with four rushing touchdowns equaling the total set by Melvin Bratton vs. Boston College on Nov. 23, 1984…Geathers started off the season with a 199-yard rushing effort vs. FAMU, the fifth-highest single game effort in UM history…McGahee’s 204 yards at Florida was the fourth-most in a single game.

JOHNSON ON THE CAREER TD PASSES LIST
Andre Johnson’s 30-yard scoring pass from Ken Dorsey in the third quarter of the Pittsburgh game was the 18th touchdown catch of his career, a total that ranks him fifth in UM history. Santana Moss (1997-2000) holds the school record with 26.

RECEIVER NOTES
Four receivers accounted for 133 yards receiving on 9 catches against Pittsburgh…tight end Kellen Winslow led the way with 43 yards on four catches…split end Andre Johnson had three catches for 72 yards and one touchdown, including a 39-yard scoring catch in the third period…Roscoe Parrish had one catch for 19 yards while Kevin Beard had a catch for a one-yard loss…Beard suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on Thursday night.

Kellen Winslow and Andre Johnson rank 2nd and 3rd in the BIG EAST with 4.10 and 4.0 catches per game, respectively…Johnson ranks 1st in receiving yards with 73.8, Winslow is 6th (51.5 ypg)…Johnson is 3rd in total receiving yards (664), while Winslow is tied with Syracuse wide receiver David Tyree for 6th (472).

OFFENSIVE LINE NOTES
The offensive line has allowed a BIG EAST-low eight sacks this season…UM allowed just one sack against Pittsburgh…Dorsey has not been sacked in five games this season, including Tennessee, Rutgers, FSU, UConn, and FAMU…Florida and Boston College had one sack each, while Temple recorded two…Temple had one sack each on Dorsey and Derrick Crudup..in run blocking against Pittsburgh, the line assisted Willis McGahee in getting his eighth 100-yard game of the season with 159 yards on 19 carries.

Vernon Carey (RT) and Carlos Joseph (LT) and Chris Myers (RG) each made their 10th consecutive starts after the career first in the season opener against FAMU…Brett Romberg made his 34th career start at center against Pitt, while senior Sherko Haji-Rasouli (LT) made his 17th career start…Romberg is the anchor of Miami’s offensive line and a leading candidate for the Dave Rimington Award, presented annually to the finest center in college football…Romberg joined fellow Canadian Haji-Rasouli on the Outland Trophy preseason Watch List for college football’s top interior lineman…Romberg made the semi-finalists list for the Lombardi Award, as well.

DEFENSIVE LINE NOTES
The defensive line recorded three of Miami’s six sacks against Pittsburgh, one sack shy of the season high of seven set three times this year…Miami had seven sacks against FAMU, Connecticut and Tennessee…William Joseph had two sacks against Pittsburgh and Jerome McDougle added one more…McDougle led the line with six tackles (four solos) against the Panthers…Jamaal Green and William Joseph had five stops each against Pitt followed by Matt Walters (3) and Andrew Williams (3)…seven of the 13 tackles for loss against Pittsburgh were made be defensive linemen.

William Joseph, a Playboy magazine All-American and one of the top defensive players in college football this season, led with three tackles for losses of 17 yards against Pittsburgh…Jerome McDougle, a first-team All-American by several preseason publications, joins Joseph among the semifinalists for the Lombardi Award.McDougle is one of four finalists for the inaugural Ted Hendricks Award for outstanding defensive end.

LINEBACKER NOTES
D.J. Williams earned co-BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week honors for his 16-tackle (7 solos) performance against Pittsburgh…Williams made four stops for losses of 16 yards and two quarterback sacks for 14 yards…Jon Vilma had 12 tackles against Pittsburgh…Other linebacker tackles totals against Pittsburgh: Leon Williams (3) and Roger McIntosh (1).

Vilma and D.J. Williams are first and second on the team in tackles with 99 and 88, respectively. The pair is also first and second in solo tackles with 60 and 44, respectively.Both Jon Vilma and D.J. Williams wereamong 11 semi-finalists for the Butkus Award, presented annually to college football’s top linebacker. Neither was among the four finalists announced last week.

DEFENSIVE BACK NOTES
The secondary held Pittsburgh to 150 passing yards…over the last five games, the unit has held its opponents to 483 combined passing yards, including a low of 60 by West Virginia and 77 by Tennessee…Maurice Sikes and Antrel Rolle led the secondary with seven tackles apiece against the Panthers…Sikes made one tackle for a loss, recovered a fumble and broke up two passes against Pitt…Sean Taylor had five tackles vs. Pitt.

The Hurricanes lead the nation in pass defense for the fifth straight week allowing just 111.1 yards per game through the air…no opponent has eclipsed the 200-yard passing mark this season, while four were held under 100 yards.The secondary has given up just six passing touchdowns all season, two by Pittsburgh and one vs. FAMU, Temple, UConn, and FSU…Florida, Boston College, West Virginia, and Rutgers were held without a passing touchdown.

PLACEKICKERS/TODD SIEVERS
On the 2002 season, 30 of Todd Sievers’ 67 kickoffs have gone for touchbacks…against Pittsburgh, two of his five kickoffs went for touchbacks…in the Pitt game, Sievers scored four points, all on extra points….the four points gives him 288 for his career, keeping him in fourth place on the all-time UM list…he also has 44 career field goals, which ties him for fourth among Hurricane kickers.

Sievers earned BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Week this season after his 11-point effort vs. Florida…it was the third weekly honor of his career.Sievers, a native of Ankeny, Iowa, lettered in his true freshman season in 1998, becoming the first player from the state of Iowa to letter at Miami since fullback Tom Smith (Waterloo) in 1971-72…Smith and Sievers are the only two players from Iowa ever to letter at Miami…Joe Carlstrom, a defensive tackle from Iowa City, played in limited action on the 1951 team after serving in the armed forces, but did not letter.Mark Gent kicked off for the first time in his collegiate career and saw further action in the season-opener vs. FAMU…Gent also had kicks in the second half vs. UConn.

PUNTERS/FREDDIE CAPSHAW
Freddie Capshaw averaged 46.2 yards on five punts against Pittsburgh, his best outing of the season…Capshaw produced a 48-yarder on one punt that was downed on the 1-yard line, and had a long of 50…so far this season, Capshaw has punted 43 times for 1,720 yards and a 40.0 average…seven of his punts have been fair caught, 12 have been placed inside the 20, three were blocked and three were touchbacks…Capshaw missed the Florida A&M game to injury and saw his first action of the season at Florida, where he punted six times for 253 yards and a 42.2 average with three landing inside the 20…In Capshaw’s absence against FAMU, true freshman Jon Peattie handled the role with three punts for 133 yards and a 44.3 average.

Capshaw, a senior from Rock Springs, Wyoming, has established himself among Miami’s best ever…he led the BIG EAST Conference in 2000 and 2001…twice an All-BIG EAST selection, Capshaw has earned BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Week four times during his career…in 2001, he was one of three Ray Guy Award finalists as he averaged 41.8 yards per punt in his junior season.

TAYLOR IS BIG EAST SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Starting free safety Sean Taylor excelled in the kicking game against Pittsburgh, earning BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Week honors…Taylor opened the scoring against Pittsburgh by taking a handoff from Roscoe Parrish on a punt return reverse and taking it 78 yards for a touchdown…that return is the longest by UM this season and the longest by a Hurricane since Daryl Jones took one 87 yards against Boston College in 2000…Taylor’s 78-yard return is the ninth-longest punt runback in Miami history…Taylor also deflected a Pittsburgh punt in the second quarter that set the Hurricanes up at their own 45.

THE RETURN MEN
Miami fielded three punt returns and four kickoff returns against Pittsburgh…the punts were returned for 124 yards, including Sean Taylor’s 78-yard scoring runback…Roscoe Parrish returned two punts for 46 yards, including a 48-yarder in the fourth quarter…Parrish started as the punt return man against Pitt, taking over from Ethenic Sands…Jason Geathers returned four kickoffs for 97 yards against the Panthers, averaging 24.3 yards per return including a 31-yarder.

For the season, Roscoe Parrish is averaging 13.7 yards per punt return, ahead of Ethenic Sands (9.9 ypp)…Parrish and Sands rank third and fifth in BIG EAST punt returns…Jason Geathers leads the team with 22 kickoff returns for 495 yards (22.5 avg.)…Geathers’ 495 kickoff return yards ranks third on the UM single-season list…He needs 34 yards to break the UM single-season record of 528 held by Tremain Mack in 1996 (14 for 528).

NEW JERSEY AND CANADA BOAST STREAKS IN THE UM LINEUP
Other then the state of Florida, New Jersey boasts the second-longest streak of having a player in the UM lineup with 60 games. Canada is third among the streaks with 59 straight games with a UM starter from the Great White North. The New Jersey streak began with Matt Sweeney (96-99) at the end of the 1997 through 1998 and now resides with linebacker Howard Clark and defensive end Jamaal Green. From Canada, center Brett Romberg and guard Sherko Haji-Rasouli continue a streak that began with Richard Mercier (95-99) in 1998.

MIAMI REMAINS NO.1 IN THE NFL DRAFT
During the last 20 years, National Football League teams have turned to the University of Miami more than any other college or university when it comes to premium picks in the annual draft. The following chart illustrates college programs that have produced the most players selected in the first three rounds from 1983 to 2002.

HURRICANE ROSTER HAS NFL GENES
Six Hurricanes on the 2002 roster have relations to players that have been in the NFL.

MIAMI GAMES USUALLY PACKED WITH NFL TALENT
The Miami program has been the best in sending players to the NFL by way of the first three round of the draft over the last 16 years leading the country 63 top-three round picks since 1987. With that, many of the Hurricanes games in 2002 are among the highest in sending a combined amount to the NFL Draft’s first three rounds. The Miami/FSU and Miami/Tennessee games highlight this list. In each of these games, a combined 117 players have been drafted into the first three rounds of the draft.