Hurricanes Travel To Clemson On Saturday

Sept. 12, 2005

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(#13 AP/#13 Coaches) MIAMI HURRICANES (0-1)
at (#20 AP/#23 Coaches) CLEMSON TIGERS (2-0)

When: 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, September 17, 2005

Where: Clemson Memorial Stadium (natural grass; 81,473) in Clemson, S.C.

REGIONAL TV: ABC will televise the game live with Brad Nessler (play by play), BobGriese (analysis) and Lynn Swann (field reporter).

Local Radio:The Hurricanes Radio Network (WPOW 96.5) will carry the gamelive with Joe Zagacki (play by play), Don Bailey Jr. (analysis) and Brian London (sideline reporter). Josh Darrow is the studio host.

National Radio: Westwood One will carry the game live with John Castleberry (play by play) and Foge Fazio (analysis). Also, XM Satellite Radio will carry the game live.
Radio En Espanol: The game will be broadcast in Spanish on WWFE 1260 AM with Joe Pujala (playby play) and Joe Martinez (analysis).

Tape Delay Telecast: On CSS at 12:00 noon and 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 21, with Fred Cunningham (play by play) and Lamar Thomas and Don Munson (analysis).Websites: Miami (www.hurricanesports.com) and Clemson (www.clemsontigers.com)

THIS WEEK’S GAME:

The Miami Hurricanes are looking for their first victory of the season, and they have to travel to one of the toughest places to play in all of America when they face the Clemson Tigers in Death Valley. Kickoff for the regionally televised game is 3:30 p.m. ET at Clemson Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C.

The Hurricanes lost their first game of the season 10-7 at Florida State on Sept. 5, dropping their season opener for the first time since 1995 and breaking a streak of nine straight wins on opening day.

The Clemson game marks the first time that Miami has opened with two ranked opponents since1988, when UM defeated both Florida State and Michigan. The Hurricanes are currently ranked 13th in both the AP and USA Today coaches polls, moving up one spot last weekend when they did not play. They have won 20 of their last 25 games against ranked teams dating back to the 2000 season.

The rivalry between Miami and Clemson is a short one, since the teams have faced each other only six times, with Miami holding a 4-2 lead in the series. However, the Hurricanes have not forgotten last season’s game, when they lost 24-17 at home in overtime after holding a 17-3 halftime lead. Clemson is 2-0 this season, having defeated both Texas A&M and Maryland. The Tigers are led by quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, a four-year player who will be making his 32nd career start. In two games, Whitehurst has passed for 363 yards and two touchdowns.

It will be the second game at quarterback for UM sophomore Kyle Wright, who passed for 232 yards and one touchdown in his starting debut against Florida State. He will be joined in the backfield by junior Tyrone Moss, who rushed for 102 yards in the opener. Wright’s favorite target is tight end Greg Olsen, who caught eight passes for 137 yards, marking the finest outing by a Miami tight end in two decades. Defensively, the Hurricanes rank third in the country after holding Florida State to only 170 yards. UM also ranks first in defensive passing efficiency, 13th in scoring defense and second in pass defense.

MIAMI-CLEMSON SERIES HIGHLIGHTS

This is the first time since the 1951-52 seasons that Miami and Clemson have played each other in back-to-back years. More than a half-century ago, after losing 15-14 to the hands of the Tigers in the Orange Bowl Classic on Jan. 1, 1951, the Hurricanes rebounded with a 14-0 shutout in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 2, 1952.
This is Miami’s first trip to Death Valley. The previous five meetings between the teams all took place in the state of Florida (four games at the Orange Bowl, one game in Jacksonville).
Two Hurricane trends were bucked in last season’s 24-17 Clemson win in overtime in the Orange Bowl. First, Miami lost for the first time in five years after entering the fourth quarter with a lead, surrendering a 17-10 advantage to the Tigers to force overtime. It was Miami’s third loss since 1984 when holding a lead heading into the fourth quarter, a span of 180 games. Second, Miami lost for just the 16th time since 1983 after scoring first, a span of 193 games.
In the last 20 years, both schools have produced a bevy of NFL talent, combining for 112 total of first-, second- and third-round draft picks since 1984 (78 for Miami, 34 for Clemson).