MIAMI RETURNS HOME TO HOST GEORGIA TECH
Oct. 9, 2007
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GAME 7
MIAMI HURRICANES
vs. GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS
When:
Saturday, October 13, 2007, at noon ET
Where:
Orange Bowl (natural grass, 72,319) in Miami
TV:
The game will be televised nationally on ESPN, with Dave Pasch (play by play), Andre Ware (analyst) and Erin Andrews (field reporter).
Tape Delay Telecast:
On CSS at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 16, with announcers Jason Solodkin and Dorsey Levins.
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 nationally by Touchdown Radio, with Frank Frangie (play by play), Gino Torretta (analyst) and Mike Dempsey (sideline). It will also be on on XM Radio.
Radio En Espanol:
The game will broadcast in Spanish on WWWK 105.5 FM and WPIK 102.5 FM with Joe Pujala (play by play) and Joe Martinez (analysis).
Student Radio:
WVUM 90.5 FM will broadcast the game live with Justin Sheinis and Alex Margulies.
Websites:
Miami (www.hurricanesports.com) and Georgia Tech (www.ramblinwreck.com)
THIS WEEK’S GAME
The Miami Hurricanes return to the Orange Bowl, where they are undefeated in 2007, and attempt to get back on a winning track when they face the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at noon Saturday. The game will be nationally televisled on ESPN.
The Hurricanes have won their last five games at home dating back to last season. They did not allow a point in the first half at the Orange Bowl in the first four home games of this season.
The Hurricanares are coming off a tough 33-27 road loss at North Carolina last Saturday. They trailed 27-0 at halftime, then rallied for 27 second-half points before falling short 33-27. Kyle Wright passed for 302 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw four interceptions for the first time in his career. “You cannot put yourself in a hole 27 down,” said head coach Randy Shannon. “One good thing was we had a chance. They did not shut it down. We showed some chatacter. But we can be a lot better.”
Miami is 4-2 this season, with victories over Marshall, FIU, then-16th-ranked Texas A&M and Duke, but it lost to Oklahoma and North Carolina. Through the halfway point of the regular season, Miami ranks 79th in total offense, 59th in rushing and 79th in passing. Defensively, Miami is 23rd overall, 29th against the run and 31st against the pass. In his last three games, Wright has completed 57 of 82 passes (69.5 percent) for 807 yards, with six touchdowns and six interceptions. The Hurricanes have gained more than 400 yards on offense in each of their last four games, their first such streak since 2002.
The game features two of the NCAA’s top defensive lines. Georgia Tech ranks second in sacks and Miami is ninth. The game also features Miami offensive coordinator Patrick Nix facing his former team. Nix was the Yellow Jackets’ offensive coordimator the last three years and coached at Tech for five seasons before coming to Miami in January.
THE OPPONENT
Georgia Tech is 3-3 this season, having lost to Maryland 28-26 last Saturday. The Yellow Jackets opened the season with wins over Notre Dame and Samford, but they have lost three of their last four games to Boston College, Virginia and Maryland, with only a victory over Clemson in the last month. Georgia Tech is led by quarterback Taylor Bennett and running back Tashard Choice, who is averaging 106 rushing yards per game. For the season, the Yellow Jackets rank 72nd in total offense, 23rd in rushing and 103rd in passing. Defensively, Georgia Tech is 16th overall, sixth vs. the run and 71st vs. the pass. Winners of the ACC Coastal Division in 2006, the Yellow Jackets have appeared in 10 consecutive bowl games, including last year’s Gator Bowl. They finished 9-5 in 2006.
THE SERIES
This will be the 13th game between the two schools, and Georgia tech leads the series 8-4 after winning the last two games. This is only the third meeting in the Orange Bowl.
THE COACHES
Randy Shannon is 4-2 in his first season at Miami. Georgia Tech’s Chan Gailey is 3-3 this season and 40-30 in six years at Georgia Tech and 64-41 in nine seasons as a college coach.
A HURRICANES VICTORY OVER THE YELLOW JACKETS WOULD
Give Miami their fifth straight home victory this season and a 5-2 record for the season. It would also give them a 2-1 mark in the ACC.
OFFENSE ON A ROLL
The Hurricanes have gained more than 400 yards on offense in each of their last four games.The last time they had more than three-straight 400-yard games was 2002, when they had five straight 400-yard games.
DEFENSE FOURTH IN THE ACC
Miami is allowing only 308.6 yards per game, which ranks fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Clemson leads at 289.3 yards per game, followed by Georgia Tech (302.3) and Florida State (302.6). The Hurricanes enter this week ranked 23rd nationally in total defense. UM’s rushing defense is 29th nationally, yielding 111.3 yards per game, and Miami’s pass defense ranks 31st, allowing 197.3 yards per game.
FIRST HALF CRUISIN
Miami has not allowed a point in the first half at home in the Orange Bowl, as the Hurricanes have outscored opponents 64-0 in their four home games. Boston College was the last team to score in the first half against the Hurricanes in the Orange Bowl in last season’s home finale (Nov. 23, 2006). Miami has now won four straight at home dating back to last season.
HURRICANES AT HOME IN THE ACC
Miami is 8-5 at home in the ACC since joining the league in 2004. UM has won two straight games in conference play dating back to last season. On the road, Miami has outscored ACC teams 301-176. Miami has allowed only 20 or more points once in an ACC home game. ACC teams are averaging 13.5 points per game against UM in the OB.
Date, Result
Sept. 10, 2004, Miami 16, Florida State 10 (OT)
Nov. 6, 2004, Clemson 24, Miami 17 (OT)
Nov. 20, 2004, Miami 52, Wake Forest 7
Dec. 4. 2004, Virginia Tech 16, Miami 10
Oct. 8, 2005, Miami 52, Duke 7
Oct. 29, 2005, Miami 34, North Carolina 16
Nov. 19, 2005, Georgia Tech 14, Miami 10
Nov. 26, 2005, Miami 25, Virginia 17
Sept. 4, 2006, Florida State 13, Miami 10
Oct. 7, 2006, Miami 27, North Carolina 7
Nov. 4, 2006, Virginia Tech 17, Miami 7
Nov. 23, 2006, Miami 17, Boston College 14
Sept. 29, 2007, Miami 24, Duke 14
