Hurricanes To Wrap Up Regular Season On Saturday Against Virginia
Nov. 21, 2005
(#10 Coaches/#10 Harris/#10 AP) MIAMI HURRICANES (8-2, 5-2 ACC)vs. VIRGINIA CAVALIERS (6-4, 3-4 ACC)
When: 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, November 26, 2005
Where: Orange Bowl (natural grass; 72,319) in Miami, Fla.
Television: The game will be televised on ABC with Brent Musberger (play by play),Gary Danielson (analysis) and Jack Arute (field reporter).
Local Radio: The Hurricanes Radio Network (WQAM 560 AM) will carry the game live with Joe Zagacki(play by play), Don Bailey Jr. (analysis) and Brian London (sideline reporter).
National Radio: The game will be broadcast live by Westwood One Radio with Brad Sham (play byplay) and Dan Sileo (analyst). It will also be live on XM Satellite Radio.
Radio En Espanol: The game will broadcast in Spanish on WWFE 670 AM with Bobby Salamanca(play by play) and Joe Martinez (analysis).
Tape Delay Telecast: On CSS at 12:00 noon and 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 30, with FrankForte (play by play) and Lamar Thomas (analyst).
Websites: Miami (www.hurricanesports.com) and Virginia (www.virginiasports.com)
THIS WEEK’S GAME:
The Miami Hurricanes will close out the regular season when they host the Virginia Cavaliers at 3:30p.m. Saturday in the Orange Bowl. The game will be televised by ABC.
The Hurricanes are 8-2 and still have hopes – albeit slim — of winning the ACC Coastal Division andadvancing to the ACC championship game and a berth in a BCS bowl game. That would happen witha victory over Virginia coupled with a Virginia Tech loss to North Carolina. If Miami and Virginia Techboth win, the Hurricanes are already bowl eligible for the eighth consecutive season.
With victories over Virginia and in a bowl game, the Hurricanes would finish the season 10-2, winning10 games or more for the fifth time in the last six years and for the 14th time in the last 23 seasons.They will also continue their streak of being invited to a bowl game to eight consecutive seasons.Miami is ranked No. 10 in all three polls and is now ranked ninth in the latest BCS standings.The Hurricanes have lost their two games this year by a combined total of seven points to two teamsthat have 7-3 records right now.
Virginia is 6-4 this season and is also bowl eligible. This will be only the third meeting ever betweenMiami and Virginia, and Miami has won both games. In 1996, the Hurricanes won 31-21 in the CarquestBowl, and last season, Miami won 31-21 in Charlottesville, Va. in the only regular-season meetingbetween the two teams.
The Hurricanes are coming off a disappointing 14-10 loss to Georgia Tech last Saturday night inthe Orange Bowl. Miami held the Yellow Jackets to 279 yards on offense and just two touchdowns.But the UM offense gained just 237 yards and scored its fewest points since the season opener.Kyle Wright led the Hurricanes 62 yards on their final possession, but threw an interception at the3-yard line, ending the game and thwarting the team’s hopes of playing for the national championship.Through 10 games, Miami is ranked No. 1 in the country in total defense, allowing 236.6 yards pergame. The Hurricanes are tied for No. 2 in scoring defense, allowing only 11.4 points per game, behindAlabama (10.73 points per game). Miami also ranks No. 1 in pass defense (133.4 yards per game), No.1 in pass efficiency defense (77.0) and No. 15 in run defense (103.2 yards per game). Those numbersput this year’s Miami defense on par with any of the great UM defense of past years, and statisticallybetter than some of the national championship defenses.
The UM offense ranks 62nd overall, 50th in passing, 63rd in rushing and 42nd in scoring. Wright has17 touchdown passes in his first season as the UM quarterback, with only 10 interceptions. He ranks31st among NCAA quarterbacks in passing efficiency.
“When the championship is on the line, the University of Miami needs to win that game,” said headcoach Larry Coker. “We didn’t do it last year (against Virginia Tech), and we didn’t this year. We weregetting to be a really good football team, maybe as good as anybody. But we weren’t (against GeorgiaTech). The players are hurting right now, and they should be. But there’s no doubt in my mind we’llregroup and play our best on Saturday.”
This will be the last appearance in the Orange Bowl for 18 seniors: OT Rashad Butler, DE ThomasCarroll, WR Tanard Davis, PK Mark Gent, DT Orien Harris, FB Quadtrine Hill, CB Kelly Jennings, CBMarcus Maxey, LB Rocky McIntosh, G Tyler McMeans, WR Sinorice Moss, DE Javon Nanton, TE BuckOrtega, G Tony Tella, S Greg Threat, LB Leon Williams, OT Eric Winston and RB Jean Volcy.
