2003 Spring Football Notes
March 14, 2003
WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2003
Miami looks to reload for another run at a BIG EAST title and national contention in 2003 as 15 starters return to action from the 2002 squad that went 12-1 and sat atop the national rankings for all but one week of the season. As for personnel, the Hurricanes will be mainly concerned with finding three new offensive starters (quarterback, left guard and center), four new defensive starters (all in the defensive line) and both specialists. In addition to the four starters on the defensive front, UM loses two top reserves in the D-line from 2002. But a load of established veterans return, including the team’s leading receiver (tight end Kellen Winslow), leading blocker (right tackle Vernon Carey), leading tackler (middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma), leading defensive backs (safeties Sean Taylor and Mo Sikes), leading kickoff return man (Jason Geathers) and leading punt returner (Roscoe Parrish). Six starters return on offense, but the focal point of the off-season will feature a battle for the starting job at quarterback among junior Derrick Crudup, junior transfer Brock Berlin, redshirt freshman Marc Guillon and some fresh faces from the high school ranks. Defensively, UM returns its entire secondary and starting linebacker corps led by the top two tacklers from 2002 in Vilma and D.J. Williams.
MIAMI'S RETURNING STARTING EXPERIENCEOffense StartsPlayer, Position 2002 CareerKevin Beard, WR 10 16Carlos Joseph, LT 13 13Chris Myers, RG 13 13Vernon Carey, RT 13 13Quadtrine Hill, FB 13 13Kellen Winslow, TE 12 12Roscoe Parrish, WR 3 3Eric Winston, TE 1 1Joe McGrath, RG 1 1Offensive Totals 79 85
Defense StartsPlayer, Position 2002 CareerJonathan Vilma, MLB 12 26D.J. Williams, WLB 12 26Kelly Jennings, CB 12 12Antrel Rolle, CB 12 12Maurice Sikes, SS 12 12Sean Taylor, FS 12 12Roger McIntosh, SLB 5 5Alfonso Marshall, CB 3 5Glenn Sharpe, CB 3 3Greg Threat, CB 3 3Vince Wilfork, DT 1 1Defensive Totals 87 117
Special Teams StartsPlayer, Position 2002 CareerChris Harvey, DS 13 29Jason Geathers, KOR 11 11Jarrett Payton, KOR 8 8Roscoe Parrish, PR 3 3Special Teams Totals 35 51
MIAMI FOOTBALL: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
The 2003 season will be Miami’s 78th season of competition on the football field. In 77 seasons of play, Miami has posted winning records in 51 seasons. Miami has played for a national championship eight times in post-season bowl games, winning five. Since 1980, Miami has posted at least seven victories a year in 22 of 23 seasons including 19 seasons of at least nine wins and have won at least 10 games in a season a staggering 13 times since 1983. Miami has an all-time record of 504-283-19 for a winning percentage of .637. The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl was Miami’s 806th game of major college football. During the 2002 season, Miami became the 51st school in history to have 500 or more football victories. Miami has an all-time home record of 343-158-14 (.6796), including a 299-136-7 (.684) in games played at the Orange Bowl Stadium, the Hurricanes’ home field since 1937. Since joining the BIG EAST Conference in 1991, Miami has posted a league-best 66-10 (.868) league record including a 35-4 mark in the Orange Bowl and 32-6 on the road. During that period, Miami has won seven BIG EAST championships.
COKER EARNS NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR HONOR
Miami head footballl coach Larry Coker was named the 2002 National Coach of the Year selected by American Football Monthly magazine, beating out Ohio State’s Jim Tressel, Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz, Southern California’s Pete Carroll and Notre Dame’s Tyrone Willingham. In addition to this award, Coker was a finalist for two national Coach of the Year honors in 2002, the Football Writers Association’s Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award (with Ferentz, Tressel and Willingham) and the AFCA Coach of the Year honor (with Tressel, Ferentz, Willingham, and Alabama’s Dennis Franchione). Coker has a 24-1 (.960) record at Miami, including a 14-0 mark in BIG EAST play, along with a 12-0 mark at the Orange Bowl and a 12-1 record away from the Orange Bowl.
COKER’S CORNER
Head Coach Larry Coker’s two-year start ranks as the third-best ever by a head coach in the history of college football in terms of winning percentage. In terms of total victories through two seasons as a head coach, Coker’s 24 victories ranks third all-time and is the most in 109 years.
Division 1A Best Career Starts By Percentage - 2 Seasons1. Barry Switzer, Oklahoma 1973-74 21-0-1 .9772. Walter Camp, Yale 1888-89 28-1-0 .9663. Larry Coker, Miami 2001-02 24-1-0 .9604. Francis Schmidt, Tulsa 1919-20 18-0-2 .9505. John Bateman, Rutgers 1960-61 17-1-0 .944
Division 1A Best Career Starts By Wins – 2 Seasons1. Walter Camp, Yale 1888-89 28-1-0 .9662. George Woodruff, Penn 1892-93 27-4-0 .8713. Larry Coker, Miami 2001-02 24-1-0 .9604. Barry Switzer, Oklahoma 1973-74 21-0-1 .9775. Dick Crum, Miami (Ohio) 1974-75 21-1-1 .935
*Coker’s 24-0 start was the best of any first-time head coach in modern college football history (post-1900) and is the best since a 28-0 start by Walter Camp of Pennsylvania (1888-89). Coker led Miami to an undefeated season in his first year as a collegiate head coach with the 2001 Hurricanes.
*The 2003 season will be Coker’s ninth 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).
*Coker was named Miami’s 19th head football coach on February 3, 2001 and was named National Coach of the Year for 2001 by the AFCA (an honor shared with Maryland’s Ralph Friedgen) and was the recipient of the 2001 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.
COKER REPEATS AS BIG EAST COACH OF THE YEAR
Head coach Larry Coker’s coaching peers in the BIG EAST Conference paid him the ultimate compliment by selecting him as the 2002 BIG EAST Coach of the Year. It marked Coker’s second consecutive BIG EAST Coach of the Year honor as selected by the conference’s head coaches. Coker, who is 24-1 as a head coach, is 14-0 in BIG EAST play over two seasons.
HURRICANES POST 4TH 12-WIN SEASON
Miami posted its fourth 12-victory season in 2002 and achieved that milestone for the second consecutive season, the only time in school history that UM has won a dozen games in successive years. Additionally, Miami’s 2002 season marked the 10th time that the Hurricanes have won at least 11 games, all coming since 1983, and the 13th season of at least 10 wins since 1983.
Miami’s 10-, 11- and 12-Win SeasonsYear Record BIG EAST AP Rank2002 12-1 7-0 (1st) 2nd2001 12-0 7-0 (1st) 1st2000 11-1 7-0 (1st) 2nd1994 10-2 7-0 (1st) 6th1992 11-1 4-0 (1st) 3rd1991 12-0 2-0 (1st) 1st1990 10-2 3rd1989 11-1 1st1988 11-1 2nd1987 12-0 1st1986 11-1 2nd1985 10-2 9th1983 11-1 1st
2003 SCHEDULE ANOTHER TOUGH ONEThe 2003 Miami Hurricanes will face one of the toughest schedules in the nation, including games with seven teams that played in bowl games in the 2002 season and six games with teams that ended the season ranked in the top 25 nationally. All dates are tentative and subject to change.
The Hurricanes, one of college football’s top television ratings draws, also have two games penciled in for national telecasts. The first one is a Thursday night clash on ESPN with West Virginia on October 2 at the Orange Bowl. The second is on Saturday, November 1, as the Hurricanes take on Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on ESPN. Seven home games are on tap, including contests with Florida, East Carolina and Tennessee.
Miami is scheduled to open the season on the road in Shreveport, La., on Saturday, Aug. 30, against Louisiana Tech before beginning the home schedule with the 52nd renewal of its series with the University of Florida in the Orange Bowl on Saturday, Sept. 6. The Hurricanes host the Pirates of East Carolina in another non-conference home game on Saturday, Sept. 13. Miami opens its BIG EAST schedule on Sept. 20 at Boston College. After a week off, the Mountaineers of West Virginia will be the opponent in Miami’s BIG EAST home opener on Thursday, Oct. 2.
Miami’s annual showdown with Florida State takes place Saturday, Oct. 11, in Tallahassee as the Hurricanes and Seminoles square off for the 47th time. Miami hosts Temple on Oct. 18 and takes Oct. 25 off before hitting the road for another major BIG EAST clash on Nov. 1 at Virginia Tech. That battle with the Hokies kicks off a tough stretch run for the Hurricanes that features games on five consecutive Saturdays.
After the game at Virginia Tech, Miami returns home to the Orange Bowl to take on Tennessee on Saturday, Nov. 8. The game will be only the third meeting ever between the two perennial powers and is Tennessee’s first trip to South Florida since the 1998 Orange Bowl. It is the first time UT has played in the Orange Bowl stadium since the 1968 Orange Bowl Classic (a 26-24 loss to Oklahoma).
Miami finishes the 2003 regular season slate with three BIG EAST matchups. The stretch begins with a matchup with Syracuse on Nov. 15 at the Orange Bowl. Miami then closes the 2003 home slate on Nov. 22 against Rutgers at the Orange Bowl. The final game of the regular season figures to be a crucial one as the Hurricanes will travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Pittsburgh Panthers at Heinz Field on Saturday, Nov. 29.
The seven bowl teams on Miami’s schedule are: Florida (Outback Bowl), Boston College (Motor City Bowl winner), West Virginia (Continental Tire Bowl), Florida State (Sugar Bowl), Virginia Tech (Gator Bowl), Tennessee (Peach Bowl), and Pittsburgh (Insight Bowl winner).
Miami completed a 12-1 season in 2002 and advanced to its second consecutive Bowl Championship Series Championship Game. The Hurricanes won their seventh BIG EAST Conference title in 2002, running their winning streak against conference opponents to a league-record 24 games.
TIME TO START ANOTHER WIN STREAK?
The loss to Ohio State in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl ended Miami’s historic winning streak at 34 games, the longest winning streak in college football since Toledo won 35 straight from 1969-71, and the most impressive major college football win streak since Oklahoma’s astounding 47-game streak from 1953-57. The 34-game win streak, including bowl games, set a new Miami school record, surpassing the 29-game streak set from 1990-92. The streak also is tied for the sixth longest win streak in college football history (Pennsylvania, 1894-96). Miami has won 39 of its last 40 games overall.
NCAA All-Time Win Streaks
1. Oklahoma 47 1953-572. Washington 39 1908-143. Yale 37 1890-93 Yale 37 1887-895. Toledo 35 1969-716. Miami 34 2000-02 Pennsylvania 34 1894-968. Oklahoma 31 1948-50 Pittsburgh 31 1914-18 Pennsylvania 31 1896-9811. Texas 30 1968-7012. Miami 29 1990-93 Michigan 29 1901-03
MIAMI DURING THE WINNING STREAKDuring Miami’s 34-game winning streak the Hurricanes…*Outscored their opponents 1,431 to 576, an average of 42.1 to 16.9 or a winning margin of 25.2 points per game*Complied a 19-0 record at the Orange Bowl*Compiled a 13-0 record on the road*Compiled a 2-0 record in bowl games*Compiled a 21-0 record in BIG EAST games*Compiled a 13-0 record against non-conference opponents*Compiled an 12-0 record against ranked opponents*Compiled a 6-0 record against top 10 ranked opponents*Won 1 National Championship*Won 3 BIG EAST Championships*Won 2 bowl games by a combined score of 74-34 (average of 37 to 17)*Defeated top 10 teams ranked No. 1, No. 2, No. 4, No. 6, No. 7 and No. 9*Defeated teams from the Pac 10, Big 12, SEC, Big Ten, ACC, WAC and MEAC.*Defeated teams from 13 states – Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.
REGULAR SEASON VICTORIES STREAK REMAINS ACTIVE
In the regular season, UM has won 32 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.
HOME WIN STREAK A NATIONAL-BEST 22 GAMES
Miami will enter the 2003 home opener against Florida (Sept. 6) riding a 22-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 22-game streak Miami has outscored its opponents 1,008-273 (45.8-12.4 per game – 33.4 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 636-142 (45.4-10.1 per game – 35.3 UM margin of victory) in 14 home contests. Against the seven ranked teams defeated at the Orange Bowl during the streak, Miami has outscored the opposition 304-145 (43.4-20.7 per game – 22.7 UM margin of victory).* The 22-game home win streak is currently the longest in the nation. UM’s streak is also its longest since setting the NCAA record with its 58-game streak from 1985-94. South Florida and Texas share the nation’s second-longest active home winning streak at 19.* 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 been high during the streak with the Hurricanes surpassing 30 points 18 times, 40 points 14 times, 50 points nine 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 had another six games where the opponent scored seven points or less. The most points allowed by UM were 45 by Virginia Tech on Dec. 7, 2002. Opponents have achieved double-digit scoring just 11 times during the 22-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.* Prior 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 14 home games since defeating Pittsburgh, 35-7, on Nov. 11, 2000, the Hurricanes have outscored home opponents 654-160 (46.7-11.4 per game – 35.3 UM margin of victory).* Including the home loss to Penn State in 1999, Miami has won 26 of 27 home contests since a 26-14 loss to Florida State on Oct. 10, 1998.
UM STANDS TALL IN THE BIG EAST
Through 12 seasons of competition in the BIG EAST, Miami has forged a league-best 66-10 (.868) overall conference record. The Hurricanes’ 2002 BIG EAST Conference championship is Miami’s seventh, also a league-best, ahead of Syracuse (3), Virginia Tech (3) and West Virginia (1).
All-time BIG EAST Standings (1991-present)Team Overall Pct. Home AwayMIAMI 66-10 .868 34-4 32-6Virginia Tech 53-23 .697 30-8 23-15Syracuse 56-26 .683 32-10 24-16West Virginia 46-36-1 .560 24-17-1 22-19Boston College 38-40-2 .488 22-17-1 16-23-1Pittsburgh 30-49 .380 18-24 12-25Rutgers 15-65-1 .191 12-29 3-36-1Temple 14-68 .171 9-31 5-37
HURRICANES WIN ANOTHER BIG EAST TITLE
The 2002 BIG EAST football championship won by the Hurricanes was Miami’s sixth outright conference title, the fourth since full round-robin play began in 1993. In 12 seasons of BIG EAST competition, Miami has now won or shared seven BIG EAST titles, including 6 outright crowns (1991, 1992, 1994, 2000, 2001 and 2002).
MIAMI EXTENDS BIG EAST WIN STREAK TO 24
Miami extended its BIG EAST-record win streak to 24 games with its win over Virginia Tech. Additionally, UM has also won 27 of its last 28 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).
MIAMI NOW 5-3 IN NATIONAL TITLE GAMES
The 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl for the national championship was Miami’s eighth bowl game in which Miami entered play with a national championship within its grasp. The Hurricanes won national titles in 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991 and 2001. Miami is 5-3 in such contests with victories in the 1984 Orange Bowl (31-30 v. Nebraska), 1988 Orange Bowl (20-14 v. Oklahoma), 1990 Sugar Bowl (33-25 v. Alabama) , 1992 Orange Bowl (22-0 v. Nebraska) and the 2002 Rose Bowl (37-14 v. Nebraska). Miami’s bowl losses for national titles were at the 1986 Fiesta Bowl (10-14 v. Penn State), the 1993 Sugar Bowl (13-34 v. Alabama), and the 2003 Fiesta Bowl (24-31 v. Ohio State).
HURRICANES ARE 2-1 IN BCS BOWLS
Miami’s appearance in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl was the Hurricanes’ third in a Bowl Championship Series bowl game since the advent of the BCS in 1998. Miami is 2-1 in BCS bowl games with victories in the 2001 Nokia Sugar Bowl (37-20 v. Florida) and the 2002 AT&T Rose Bowl (37-14 v. Nebraska) and the loss to Ohio State (24-31) in the 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
ROAD WIN STREAK ENDS AT 17 GAMES
Miami has won a national-best 17 straight games away from the Orange Bowl before the Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State, including the 2002 Rose Bowl and 2001 Sugar Bowl. That streak started against West Virginia in Morgantown, 47-10, on Sept. 23, 2000.*Regular season games only, Miami has a current 15-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.
AMONG THE BEST SINCE 1983
Since 1983, Miami has constructed the nation’s second-best record (by winning percentage) of all NCAA Division 1-A football schools. Miami will meet three schools on the list in 2003 (Florida State, Tennessee and Florida). The Hurricanes played those three schools in 2002 (Florida State, Tennessee and Florida) and two others (Nebraska and Penn State) were opponents in 2001.
Nation's Best Division 1-A Records (Since 1983) School W L T Pct.1. Nebraska 207 39 1 .8402. MIAMI 200 40 0 .8333. Florida State 198 41 6 .8204. Tennessee 183 55 7 .7615. Michigan 182 56 5 .7596. Florida 183 57 4 .7587. Penn State 174 66 3 .7228. Texas A&M 170 69 3 .7099. Notre Dame 164 74 2 .68810. Colorado 153 81 4 .651
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 20 seasons beginning with 1983 is the best among all NCAA Division 1A football institutions. Miami has a record of 84-19-0 (.815) in road games at the opponent’s home. During that span, Miami has gone unbeaten in road games in nine seasons (1985, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2001 and 2002).*Of interest is the fact that Miami played three of the 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) and will face that same trio again in 2003.
Nation's Best Road Records (Since 1983)
School W L T Pct.1. MIAMI 84 19 0 .8152. Nebraska 70 21 1 .7663. Florida State 69 27 1 .7164. Michigan 63 25 3 .7095. Tennessee 58 24 2 .7026. Florida 51 23 1 .6877. Penn State 61 28 2 .681
MIAMI’S RECORD ACCORDING TO AP RANK
UM is 210-41-2 all-time in games while holding an AP national ranking. Since 1983, Miami is 145-21 as a top 10 team and 117-13 as a top five team. The Hurricanes are 42-6 as the nation’s No.1-ranked team. Miami has won 32 of its last 34 games while ranked No. 1.
MIAMI VS. AP-RANKED TEAMS
Miami is 73-99-1 vs. AP-ranked teams dating back to its first game against a ranked opponent against No. 18 Alabama in 1941. UM is 35-53 vs. AP top-10 teams since playing No. 6 Alabama in 1947. The Hurricanes are 19-32 against AP top-5 teams since playing No. 3 Maryland in 1953, and Miami is 9-7 against No. 1-ranked teams. Before the loss to Ohio State, Miami had won 12 consecutive games against ranked opponents beginning with a 27-24 victory over No. 1 Florida State on Oct. 7, 2000. That streak included five straight wins on the road or at neutral sites against ranked opponents and seven victories at the Orange Bowl against ranked foes.
VS. RANKED/UNRANKED OPPONENTS SINCE 1990
Since 1990, Miami has registered a 34-23 mark against Associated Press ranked teams and a 93-6 record against unranked opponents.
4 HURRICANES NAMED FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICANS
Four Hurricanes – quarterback Ken Dorsey, defensive end Jerome McDougle, tailback Willis McGahee and center Brett Romberg – were named First Team All-Americans by at least one service, while McGahee and Romberg have earned Consensus First-Team All-America status. While McGahee and Romberg were named First-Team honorees by every major service (thus earning the consensus tag), Dorsey and McDougle were named First-Team All-Americans by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). Additionally, McDougle (AP) and tight end Kellen Winslow (AP, CNNSI.com, Collegefootballnews.com) were second-team selections. Also, four Hurricanes (Dorsey – AP, guard Sherko Haji-Rasouli – AP, receiver Andre Johnson – AP, defensive tackle William Joseph – AP) received Third-Team All-America honors. Johnson (CNNSI.com), safety Maurice Sikes (CNNSI.com) and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork (CNNSI.com) were Honorable Mention All-America honorees.
HURRICANES DOMINATED 2002 COACHES’ ALL-BIG EAST TEAM
Thirteen Miami starters earned First-Team All-BIG EAST honors and a total of 16 Hurricanes were mentioned overall on the 2002 All-BIG EAST Team selected by the conference’s eight head coaches. Leading the way were Co-Offensive Players of the Year quarterback Ken Dorsey and tailback Willis McGahee. First Team selectees were: Dorsey, McGahee, receiver Andre Johnson, tight end Kellen Winslow, center Brett Romberg, offensive guard Sherko Haji-Rasouli, placekicker Todd Sievers, defensive end Jerome McDougle, defensive tackle William Joseph, linebacker Jonathan Vilma, cornerback Antrel Rolle, safety Sean Taylor and safety Maurice Sikes all earned a spot on the First Team. Second Team selections were offensive tackle Carlos Joseph, defensive end Jamaal Green and linebacker D.J. Williams. Dorsey, McGahee and Vilma were unanimous selections. Dorsey repeated as Offensive Player of the Year, also winning the award in 2001.
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: A MIAMI TRADITION
Miami football has a tradition of achieving a high graduation rate among its football student-athletes. Miami has received recognition by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) as one of an elite group of schools to have exceeded a 70 percent graduation rate among its football student-athletes in eight of the past 11 years.
The Hurricanes’ have exceeded the national graduation rate for AFCA member schools for 15 consecutive years. From 1992-97, Miami was one of only eight schools in the nation to graduate at least 70 percent of its football student-athletes and that trend continues to the present day. Thirteen of 18 Miami football student-athletes who entered UM in 1996 have graduated, a rate of 72.2 percent – exceeding the national average of 2001 (59 percent).
Since the AFCA began its national survey of graduation rates for football playing institutions, Miami has graduated 71.29 percent of its football student-athletes – far above the national average. Ten members of Miami’s 2001 National Championship team earned spots on the BIG EAST All-Academic Team – the most any team can qualify for the honor. The 2001 season marked the fourth straight year that Miami placed the league maximum on the All-Academic Team.
Two Hurricanes defensive starters – senior tackle Matt Walters and middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma – were named to the 2002 Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team.
2002 HOME ATTENDANCE SET U.M. RECORD
The attendance for the six Hurricanes home games of the 2002 season was a combined 417,233 (Florida A&M 68,548; Boston College 73,622; Connecticut 52,131; Florida State 81,927; Pittsburgh 64,897, Virginia Tech 76,108) for an average of 69,539 fans per game. The total attendance shattered home attendance marks for both total attendance and per-game average.
The Miami record for home attendance was 390,944 set in 1960 when UM played 8 home games. The 2002 totals surpassed that in six games. The record for home attendance average was 62,096 set in 1990 when Miami attracted 372,577 fans in 6 home games, a mark exceeded by an average of 7,443 this season.
HURRICANES AN ATTRACTION – WHEREVER THEY PLAY
The fifth-largest crowd in Tennessee history, 107,745, attended the Miami game on Nov. 9, 2002, marking the second-largest crowd ever to watch the Hurricanes play. Additionally, it was the fourth crowd to surpass 100,000 for a Miami game. The all-time largest crowd to see UM play was in 2001 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.
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.
NFL Draft 1984-2002
Team 1 2 3 TotalMIAMI 32 18 13 63Florida State 23 15 16 54Tennessee 24 17 13 50Florida 25 11 11 47Notre Dame 14 19 13 46Ohio State 22 9 13 44Nebraska 14 13 16 43Texas A&M 12 10 21 43Penn State 13 10 16 39Southern California 17 13 8 38
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 rounds of the draft over the last 16 years, leading the country with 63 top-three round picks since 1987. With that, many of the Hurricanes’ games in 2002 were 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.
Top Ten 2002 Games (by the NFL Draft, since 1987)# 2002 Game Total 1st 2nd 3rd1. Miami/Florida State 117 55 33 292. Miami/Tennessee 117 56 35 263. Miami/Florida 110 57 29 244. Florida/Tennessee 101 49 28 245. Florida State/Florida 101 48 26 276. Florida State/Notre Dame 100 37 34 297. Miami/Syracuse 88 41 28 198. Nebraska/Texas A&M 86 26 23 379. Florida State/Clemson 84 33 28 23 Florida State/N. Carolina 84 35 23 26 Notre Dame/Southern Cal 84 31 32 21other 2002 Miami games Miami/Pittsburgh 83 42 22 19 Miami/West Virginia 82 35 27 20 Miami/Virginia Tech 78 36 25 17 Miami/Boston College 77 40 21 16 Miami/Temple 71 34 20 17 Miami/Rutgers 65 32 19 14 Miami/Florida A&M 64 32 18 14
