Nov. 4, 2004

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of Miami head coach Larry Coker’s 11th-ranked Hurricanes put in a full week of hard work coming off their first loss of the season last Saturday and now appear relaxed and ready for a Clemson team that is playing its best football of the season coming into Saturday night’s game.

The ACC contest is set to kickoff at 7:45 p.m. on ESPN and marks Clemson’s first visit to the Orange Bowl since capturing the 1981 national championship with a victory over Nebraska in the 1982 Orange Bowl Classic. It will also mark the Tigers’ first tangle with Miami since 1956.

“We have put the work in, and now we just have to finish up the week,” Coker said following Thursday’s practice. “We have to get relaxed, rested and ready to go on Saturday, but we have had a good week and worked pretty hard.”

The Hurricanes’ attitude on the practice field has taken a little bit of a turn after suffering their first loss of the season last Saturday at North Carolina.

“Yeah, I think our attitude is a little different than last week,” Coker said. “Anytime you get beat, your attitude is a little different. But I think we have moved past that now and have another opportunity, and that is the beauty of what we are doing. The other thing is, the only way to improve your attitude is to win, and we have a chance to do that.”

There is no place that Miami would rather bounce back from a loss than in the friendly confines of the Orange Bowl.

“It is great to be home,” Coker said. “We’ve had so many weeks on the road, it really is great to be back home.”

Miami will hold a light walk-through on Friday before heading to the team hotel.