Clemson Visits the Orange Bowl for Homecoming Showdown

Nov. 1, 2004

Miami vs. Clemson Live Game Coverage
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Miami Hurricanes (No. 11 AP / No. 10 ESPN/USA TODAY)vs. CLEMSON TIGERS

When: 7:45 p.m. EDT Saturday, November 6, 2004

Where: Orange Bowl (natural grass) in Miami, Fla.National TV: ESPN will televise the game live with Ron Franklin (play by play), Mike Gottfried (analysis) and Erin Andrews (field reporter).

Tape Delay: CSS will televise the game on tape delay at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Local Radio: The Hurricanes Radio Network (WQAM 560 AM and ESPN 760 AM West Palm Beach) will carry the game live with Joe Zagacki (play by play), Don Bailey Jr. (analysis) and Brian London (sideline reporter). Josh Darrow is the studio host.

National Radio: College Football Radio Network will broadcast the game, with Mike Grace (play by play), Bud Ratliff (analysis) and Nic Taylor (sideline reporter).

Radio En Espanol: WSUA 1260 AM will broadcast the game in Spanish with Roly Martin (play by play) and Joe Martinez (analysis).

Websites: Miami (www.hurricanesports.com) and Clemson (www.clemsontigers.com)

This week’s game:
Coming off their first loss of the season, the Miami Hurricanes will attempt to get back to their winning ways when they host the Clemson Tigers on Saturday night at the Orange Bowl for the school’s annual Homecoming. Kickoff for the nationally televised game on ESPN is 7:45 p.m. The Hurricanes lost their first game of the year last Saturday, snapping a 10-game winning streak that dated back to last season, when North Carolina’s Connor Barth kicked a 42-yard field goal on the final play of the game to give the Tar Heels a shocking 31-28 victory over Miami in Chapel Hill, N.C. The loss dropped the Hurricanes out of the top five in the polls for the first time this season. Miami now ranks No. 11 in the AP poll and No. 10 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll.
More important for the Hurricanes is the race for the Atlantic Coast Conference championship and an automatic berth in a BCS bowl game. Miami is 3-1 and tied for the ACC lead with Virginia and Virginia Tech, and the remainder of the season will see those teams all facing each other with the conference championship on the line. Miami plays Virginia on November 13 in Charlottesville, Va., and will host Virginia Tech in the season finale on December 4. Meanwhile, state-rivals Virginia and Virginia Tech will meet in an ACC clash for thre first time ever on November 27 in Blacksburg, Va.
“I still think we can have a good football team,” said Miami head coach Larry Coker. “We’re a resilient bunch. We’re a tough bunch. We know there’s a lot of season left, and we have some tough football games left. We still have a lot to play for.”
Against North Carolina , the Hurricanes were able to score four touchdowns and gain 415 yards. But the Tar Heels won their first-ever game over a top five team on their homecoming with an offensive attack that generated 545 yards and 30 first downs. North Carolina controlled the clock for 36:44. Hurricanes quarterback Brock Berlin continues to play well, and he now has 13 touchdown passes and only two interceptions in his last four games. However, the Miami defense has struggled in the last three games, allowing 1,492 total yards and 100 points in victories over Louisville and North Carolina State and the loss to North Carolina. The last time the Hurricanes lost their first game of the season, in 2003 (31-7 at Virginia Tech), they followed that with another loss (10-6 to Tennessee). However, those are the only back-to-back losses for the Hurricanes since 1997. The game vs. Clemson is the Hurricanes’ first Saturday game at the Orange Bowl since September 18, when they hosted Louisiana Tech in Game Two.

THE OPPONENT:
Clemson enters the contest with a three-game winning streak and is 4-4 this season. The Tigers started off 1-4 but have defeated Utah State, Maryland and North Carolina State at home in the last three weeks to even their record. Junior quarterback Charlie Whitehurst leads the Clemson attack, averaging 192.6 yards per game passing, and his favorite target is Airese Currie, who leads the ACC with 47 receptions. Clemson ranks 10th in the conference in total offense and eighth in total defense.

THE SERIES:
The two teams have met only five times, with every game having been played between 1945 and 1956. Miami has won four of the five games and has outscored the Tigers 95-28. Two of the meetings were in bowl games.

A HURRICANES VICTORY OVER THE TIGERS WOULD:
Give them a 7-1 record for the season and keep them in at least a tie for first place int he ACC with a 4-1 mark. It would also give the Hurricanes a 5-1 mark in the all-time series with Clemson.