Miami Preparing For Thursday's Battle With Virginia Tech
Nov. 10, 2008
Miami-Virginia Tech Game Notes 
VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES AT MIAMI HURRICANES
Date: Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008
Location: Dolphin Stadium – Prescription AthleticTurf (Natural Grass), (74,916) in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (ET)
TV: The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN with Chris Fowler (play by play), Craig James (color analyst), Jesse Palmer (color analyst) and Erin Andrews (sideline reporter).
Tape Delay Telecast: On CSS, Tuesday Nov. 18 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
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). Fans can also listen online at www.wqam.com.
Radio En Espanol: The game will broadcast in Spanish on 1450 ESPN Deportes (1450 AM) with Joe Pujala (play by play) and Joe Martinez (analysis).
Websites: Miami (www.hurricanesports.com) and Virginia Tech (www.hokiesports.com)
THE GAME
Miami plays its final home game of the 2008 campaign when the Hurricanes host Virginia Tech in a key ACC Coastal Division matchup. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Dolphin Stadium and will be televised on ESPN.
The Hurricanes are coming off a 24-17 overtime win at Virginia to run their winning streak to four games. True freshman quarterback Jacory Harris threw two touchdown passes – one in the final minute of regulation and one in overtime to propel the Hurricanes to the come-from-behind win. Harris completed 12-of-21 passes for 160 yards. He earned ACC Rookie of the Week for the third time this season.
Miami will recognize five former UM greats that have been selected to the school’s Ring of Honor at halftime. Running back Edgerrin James, quarterbacks Jim Kelly and Gino Toretta, center Jim Otto and defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy are the members if the 2008 class.
The game will feature two of the top kickers in the country in Lou Groza Award semifinalists – Matt Bosher of Miami and Dustin Keys of Virginai Tech. Bosher has made nine of his last 10 field goals and is 13-of-15 on the season. He is a perfect 31-of-31 in PATs. Keys is 19-of-22 in field goal attempts and 21-of-22 in PATs this season.
Defensively, senior linebacker Glenn Cook leads the team with 55 total tackles which includes a team-best seven tackles for loss. Safety Anthony Reddick and linebacker Darryl Sharpton each have 50 tackles while linebacker Sean Spence has 47 tackles on the season. The Hurricanes have not allowed a score in the second half of both of their last two games against Virginia and Wake Forest.
In five ACC games, UM has been tough to stop offensively. The Hurricanes lead the ACC in scoring offense with 30.4 points per game in ACC games. The Hurricanes are 38th nationally in overall scoring offense (29.8 points per game).
Miami is 15-2 all-time when it scores 20 or more points against Virginia and Virginia Tech. The Hurricanes own an 11-2 mark against Virginia Tech when they score 20 or more points. UM is 4-0 all-time against UVa when it scores 20 or more.
THE OPPONENT
Virginia Tech (6-3, 3-2 ACC Coastal) is coming off a Thursday night home win against Maryland, 23-13 and will play on a second straight Thursday night againtst the Hurricanes. Redshirt freshman tailback Darren Evans ran for a school record 253 yards on 32 carries to lead the Hokies to the win over the Terrapins.
Tech’s ground game has been one of the best in the ACC this season. The Hokies have rushed for 1,553 yards this season led by Evans who has a team-best 772 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and nine touchdowns. Virginia Tech is averaging just 120.8 yards through the air.
The Hokies entered last week ranked in the top 30 in total defense. Linebacker Purnell Sturdivant has a team-high 64 tackles. Virginia Tech has 22 sacks as a team. Defensive end Orion Martin leads the team with 11.5 tackles for loss while defensive end Jason Worilds has 10.0 tackles for loss.
THE COACHES
Randy Shannon is 11-10 overall and is in his second season at Miami. Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer is 173-88-2 in his 22nd season with the Hokies.
THE SERIES
This will be the 26th game between the two schools, with Miami holding a 16-9 lead in the series. Virginia Tech has won the last two meetings over the Hurricanes – a 24-10 last time in Miami and a 44-14 victory in Blacksburg last season.
FIVE FORMER HURRICANES TO BE INDUCTED INTO UM’S RING OF HONOR
Former Hurricanes Edgerrin James, Jim Kelly, Cortez Kennedy, Jim Otto and Gino Torretta are set to be inducted into the UM Ring of Honor during halftime of Thursday night’s game against the Hokies. James, Kelly, Kennedy, Otto and Torretta will join current members Ottis Anderson (1975-78), Don Bosseler (1953-56), Jim Dooley (1949-51), Ted Hendricks (1966-68), Bernie Kosar (1982-84), George Mira (1961-63), Burgess Owens (1970-72) and Vinny Testaverde (1982-86) in the Ring of Honor.
COOP AND JJ
So much of Miami’s success offensively comes from the running back tandem of sophomore Graig Cooper and junior Javarris James. In the rushing duo’s time together at UM, the Hurricanes have a 6-2 record when the two combine to get at least 25 carries and a 2-6 record when they both play and are under the 25-carry mark. In 2007, reaching this mark was extremely important to the team’s success as all five of UM’s victories came when the two combined to reach the 25-carry mark. This year, James has missed the better part of five games with a high ankle sprain, but now that he is back and in a normal rotation with Cooper, the pair combined for 33 carries and 186 yards in a come-from-behind-victory at UVa two weeks ago. It was the first time this season that the two have combined for 25 or more carries.
COASTAL DIVISION UPDATE
Thursday’s contest is shaping up to be one of the more important ACC contests this year as Miami and Virginia Tech come into game with identical records of 6-3 overall and 3-2 in ACC play. The winner of the game will move into sole possession of first place in the division with North Carolina (currently leading the division at 7-2, 3-2) slated to play Maryland in College Park at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.
GATORS, HEELS AND `NOLES
The Hurricanes three losses this season have come against teams with a combined record of 22-5. Six points are the difference between Miami’s current 6-3 record and a possible 8-1 start for the Hurricanes. After a 26-3 loss at No. 5 Florida, UM dropped a pair of close battles with UNC (28-24) and FSU (41-39) to open ACC play but have since won their last four contests against UCF (20-14), Duke (49-31), Wake Forest (16-10) and Virginia (24-17). In the latest AP poll, Florida (8-1) is ranked No. 3, North Carolina (7-2) is No. 17 and Florida State (7-2) is No. 20.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Heading into Thursday’s game against Virginia Tech, the University of Miami leads all Division I teams nationally in number of different players that have score a touchdown this season. Seventeen Hurricanes – including eight true freshmen – have already reached the end zone through Miami’s first nine games. Graig Cooper (6), Travis Benjamin (4), Aldarius Johnson (3), Jacory Harris (2), Kayne Farquharson (2), Robert Marve (2), Shawnbrey McNeal (2), Laron Byrd (2), Javarris James (1), Jason Fox (1), Davon Johnson (1), Chris Zellner (1), Derron Thomas (1), Thearon Collier (1), Leonard Hankerson (1), Sean Spence (1) and Glenn Cook (1) have all reached paydirt at least once this season.
MIAMI VERSUS THE COMMONWEALTH STATE
Miami is 28-11 all-time versus the state of Virginia. Despite losing four of their last five games versus Virginia teams, the Hurricanes still own a .718 winning percentage against the state.
In the series against ACC teams Virginia and Virginia Tech, Miami seems to be at its best when it scores 20 or more points. UM is a combined 15-2 against Virginia Tech (11-2) and Virginia (4-0) when it scores 20 or more points in a game. The Hurricanes are 5-9 when it fails to score at least 20 points against the Cavaliers (0-2) and Hokies (5-7).
