Miami vs. FIU Game Notes

Sept. 15, 2007

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University of Miami vs. Florida International University
Post-Game Notes

LEGGETT MAKES THE LIST… With Lance Leggett’s career-long 80-yard touchdown reception from Kyle Wright in the third quarter, the senior moved into a tie for 10th place on the Miami’s all-time list. He now has 11 career receiving touchdowns, tied with six other UM players.

It also marked Miami’s longest touchdown pass since a 92-yarder from Kyle Wright to Sinorice Moss at Temple on Oct. 15, 2005.

Darnell Jenkins’ 108 receiving yards on four catches also marks a career high, eclipsing his previous best of 68 vs. Louisville in 2004.

JUST FOR KICKS… Francesco Zampogna’s three field goals versus FIU are the most since Jon Peattie cleared three at Georgia Tech on Oct. 28, 2006.PICKING UP THE YARDS… Miami’s season-high 428 yards of total offense are the most by the Hurricanes since a 563-yard performance in a 51-10 win over Florida A&M on Sept. 9, 2006. With 224 passing yards, Kyle Wright eclipsed the 200-yard mark for the 10th time in his career and also rushed for a career-high 44 yards. With 204 total rushing yards, the Hurricanes have rushed for over 200 yards in both of their homes games in 2007. UM rushed for 260 yards versus Marshall.PASSING DEFENSE… FIU’s 105 passing yards are the fewest allowed by Miami since the ‘Canes held both FIU and Virginia Tech to 86 last year.IN THE SUNSHINE STATE… Since 2000, the Hurricanes have won 15 of the last 17 games against teams from the state of Florida, including an 9-1 record at home. Since 1985, Miami has won 28 of its last 38 games (.737) versus Sunshine State opponents.

START IT UP… Juniors Carlos Armour and Bruce Johnson both made their first starts of the season at left and right cornerback, respectively. Vegas Franklin also made his first start of the season at right defensive tackle. Making their first career starts on Saturday was Joe Joseph at left defensive tackle and freshman wide receiver Leonard Hankerson.

Senior cornerback Glenn Sharpe made his first appearance of the season in the first quarter on Saturday, returning from a preseason injury. With 5:02 remaining in the second quarter, junior Randy Phillips made his first appearance at safety.

Freshman running back Shawnbrey McNeal made his first collegiate appearance in the second half for the ‘Canes.

CAREER FIRST… Freshman Graig Cooper recorded the first touchdown of his career with a 3-yard run to put the Hurricanes on the board with 4:43 remaining in the first quarter. Miami has scored in the first quarter in four-straight games and is 192-19 all time when scoring first.HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE?… Although Miami is considered the home team this afternoon and has called the Orange Bowl home since 1937, FIU is playing its home games at the Orange Bowl in 2007 while construction is underway on a campus stadium.WELCOME BACK… This is the second-straight year Miami has faced a team whose head coach is a former Hurricane. First year FIU head coach Mario Cristobal previously played for and served as an assistant coach for Miami, and on Sept. 9, 2006, former Hurricane Rubin Carter returned to the Orange Bowl as the head coach of Florida A&M.AT THE HALF… Miami’s 22 rushes for 108 yards in the first half were the most first-half rushing yards by the Hurricanes since collecting 111 yards on 28 carries in the first half at Maryland on Nov. 11, 2006. It marked the third time in the last two seasons the ‘Canes have rushed for 100-or-more yards in the opening half. Versus FAMU on Sept. 9, 2006, they had 19 carries for 109 yards in the first half.HALFTIME SHUTOUT… At home this season, Miami’s defense has held both opponents scoreless in the opening half. Today marks the third halftime shutout since leading Duke, 17-0, at the break on Oct. 21, 2006.TAKE YOUR PICK… Kenny Phillips grabbed his first interception of 2007 and the sixth of his career, picking off a pass in the opening drive of the game. Chavez Grant also nabbed his first interception of the season with a pick in the final 30 seconds of the second quarter. It was his second career interception – his first coming in the final minute to secure Miami’s win in the MPC Computers Bowl on Dec. 31, 2006.THE LONG HAUL… Miami’s 89-yard scoring drive in the second quarter that ended with a Francesco Zampogna field goal marked the longest scoring drive of the season for the Hurricanes and the longest since Miami’s scored a touchdown on a 93-yard drive versus Florida A&M on Sept. 9, 2006.TAKE TWO… This afternoon marks the second meeting between the cross-town rivals. Miami won the teams’ inaugural meeting on Oct. 14, 2006, 35-0. The Hurricane defense kept the Golden Panthers scoreless through the first six quarters of competition between the programs, with FIU managing its first points versus Miami with a 24-yard field goal at the 10:45 mark of the 3rd quarter.TEAM CAPTAINS… Miami’s captains for today’s game are Calais Campbell and Derrick Morse.

FIU Game Notes
FIU at Miami
September 15, 2007 – Orange Bowl Stadium – Miami, Fla.

TEAM CAPTAINS
Team captains today for FIU were senior offensive lineman Roland Clarke and redshirt freshman running back Trenard Turner.

FIRST PICKS
Freshman cornerback Anthony Gaitor’s interception in the first quarter was the first of his career and the first of the season for the Golden Panthers. It was the first interception recorded by FIU since Game 10 of the 2006 season, when Jeremiah Weatherspoon had a pick against Louisiana-Lafayette on Nov. 18. Michael Dominguez picked off a Kyle Wright pass in the fourth quarter for FIU’s second of the season. It was the third turnover Dominguez has grabbed this season after recovering a pair of fumbles against Penn State in the opener.

LONG RUNS
A’mod Ned’s 22-yard run in the second quarter was the longest by a Golden Panther this season, until a 24-yard run by Wayne Younger in the game’s final drive, and his 87 yards rushing are the most by an FIU player this season. It was the most he’s had since an 88-yard performance against Maryland on Sept. 23, 2006.

FIU’s 159 yards rushing as a team is the most since a 187-yard performance against Bowling Green on Sept. 16, 2006. That game saw Ned rush for a career-high 169 yards, which marked the last time a Golden Panther ran for over 100 yards. A week after setting a school quarterback rushing record, Wayne Younger topped the mark again with 66 yards this afternoon.

CLARKE GETS FIRST CAREER START…ON OFFENSE
FIU senior guard Roland Clarke played all of last season at defensive tackle and started the season in the same position. But with an inexperienced reserve corps on the offensive line, Clarke was asked to switch sides of the ball. He did so last week against Maryland and made his first career start on offense today.

TAKING ADVANTAGE
Chris Abed’s 24-yard field goal marked the first time the Golden Panthers have scored points off a turnover this season. The scoring drive was set up by Scott Bryant’s forced fumble on Miami’s opening drive of the second half. FIU capitalized off Michael Dominguez’s pick in the fourth quarter, which set up a 65-yard touchdown pass from Wayne Younger to Trenard Turner.

LONG BALL
Wayne Younger had a career-long 65-yard touchdown pass to Trenard Turner in the fourth quarter. It was the longest touchdown pass for the Golden Panthers since an 89-yard reception by Samuel Smith from Josh Padrick to tie the game at 7-7 in the second quarter at Maryland on Sept. 23, 2006. It was the longest pass play for FIU since a 68-yard bomb from Padrick to Jeremy Dickens set up a field goal at Alabama on Oct. 28, 2006.

Kyle Wright’s 80-yard touchdown pass to Lance Leggett in the third quarter was the longest pass play ever given up by FIU. The previous long play came on Oct. 1, 2005, when Florida A&M’s Albert Chester hooked up with Roosevelt Kiser for a 77-yard touchdown pass.