UM Announces 2009 Football Schedule
Feb. 12, 2009
Greensboro, N.C. – The Atlantic Coast Conference released the 2009 football schedule today and the University of Miami football team will again play one of the toughest schedules nationally in head coach Randy Shannon’s third season. The Hurricanes will play six homes games at Dolphin Stadium including a matchup with BCS National Championship Game participant Oklahoma. Miami opens its season with a nationally televised game at instate rival Florida State on Labor Day night. Game times have yet to be announced.
Eight of Miami’s 12 opponents played in postseason games in 2008. The Hurricanes, annually one of college football’s top television ratings draws, have two games already scheduled for national telecast – a Labor Day Monday night meeting with instate rival Florida State on Sept. 7 to open the season and a Thursday night home meeting with Georgia Tech on Sept. 17.
For the first time since joining the ACC in 2004, UM opens the season with three consecutive games against ACC opponents. Besides the season opener against Florida State and week two matchup with Georgia Tech, Miami will travel to defending ACC champion Virginia Tech on Sept. 26.
The eight postseason teams from 2008 on Miami’s 2009 schedule are: Florida State (Champs Sports Bowl), Georgia Tech (Chick-Fil-A Bowl), Virginia Tech (Orange Bowl), Oklahoma (BCS National Championship Game), Clemson (Gator Bowl), Wake Forest (Eagle Bank Bowl), North Carolina (Meineke Car Care Bowl) and USF (St. Petesburg Bowl).
Miami will open the season on the road for the first time since 2005 when it faces Florida State. The Hurricanes will play the Seminoles for the fourth time in the last five seasons on a Monday night in a nationally televised game on ESPN. Last season, Florida State edged Miami, 41-39, at Dolphin Stadium. In the all-time series, Miami holds a 30-22 lead. The Seminoles were 9-4 in 2008 with a 41-13 win over Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl.
Georgia Tech will serve as Miami’s home opener when the Hurricanes and the Yellow Jackets meet in a nationally televised Thursday night game at Dolphin Stadium in week two. The Yellow Jackets have a 10-4 lead in the series, the biggest of any ACC school over Miami, and has won four straight. Georgia Tech was 9-4 in 2008, losing to LSU in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.
The Hurricanes continue their ACC slate at the start of the season by traveling to the defending ACC champion Virginia Tech in week three. Miami defeated the Hokies in last season’s meeting in Miami, 16-10. Virginia Tech finished ranked as high as No. 14 in the Associated Press poll and defeated Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl, 20-7, to finish 10-4.
Miami’s first nonconference matchup will come against BCS National Championship Game participant and reigning Big 12 champion Oklahoma in week four at home in Dolphin Stadium. The teams met in Norman, Okla., in 2007 with the Sooners winning, 51-13. The series is tied, 3-3. Oklahoma finished 12-2 in 2008 falling to Florida in the BCS title game.
The Hurricanes will host Florida A&M on Saturday, Oct. 10 in the eighth meeting between the schools. Miami has won all seven previous meetings. The two teams last met in 2006, a 51-10 victory for Miami. Last season, the Rattlers finished 9-3 and second in the MEAC conference. Florida A&M is the only Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team on the UM schedule in 2009.
UM’s third nonconference game will take the Hurricanes to Orlando, Fla., for their second ever meeting with Central Florida on Oct. 17. Miami defeated UCF, 20-14, in Miami last season. The Knights finished the 2008 campaign, 4-8.
Conference play picks back up on Oct. 24 when the Hurricanes host Clemson for the first time since 2004. The Tigers and Hurricanes last met in 2005 with the Hurricanes winning a three-overtime thriller, 36-30, to improve to 5-2 in the series.
UM then has a meeting at Wake Forest in week nine. The Hurricanes knocked off the Demon Deacons, 16-10, last season in Miami. Wake Forest went 8-5 in 2008 and defeated Navy in the EagleBank Bowl. Miami has won all three meetings in ACC action when the teams have played. UM holds a 6-3 lead in the series.
Virginia travels to Miami to kick off the last month of the season on Nov. 7. Last year, quarterback rallied the Hurricanes with two late touchdown tosses – one in overtime as UM won 24-17 in Charlottesville. This will only be the sixth game between the two schools, and Miami holds a 4-2 lead in the series. This will be the sixth straight year the two schools have met.
Miami then hits the road for an ACC Coastal Division meeting at North Carolina in Chapel Hill. UNC has won the last two meetings against the Hurricanes. The Tar Heels used a late TD in the fourth quarter to win 28-24 in Miami. North Carolina capped of an 8-5 season in 2008 with a trip to the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
The Hurricanes’ closes out their home schedule against Duke on Nov. 21. Miami has a 5-1 lead in the series and has won four straight games since joining the ACC and five in a row altogether. The Blue Devils finished 4-8 in 2008.
Miami will finish the regular season at USF on Saturday, Nov. 28 marking their first game in Tampa, Fla., against the Bulls. The teams met in 2005 with the Hurricanes winning the only meeting in the series, 27-7.
Miami finished the 2008 season, 7-6, after an appearance in the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco, Calif. The ACC Conference Championship Game will be played on Dec. 5 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. in a nationally televised game on ABC.
Season tickets can be purchased by calling 305-284-CANE in Miami-Dade County or 1-800-GO-CANES elsewhere.
Day/Date Opponent (2008 Record) TV ’08 Polls 2008 Bowl Game
Mon., Sept. 7 at Florida State* (9-4) ESPN 21/23 Champs Sports Bowl (W, 42-13)
Thurs., Sept. 17 Georgia Tech* (9-4) ESPN 22/22 Chick Fil-A vs. LSU (L, 3-38)
Sat., Sept. 26 at Virginia Tech* (10-4) TBD 15/14 Orange vs. Cincinnati (W, 20-7)
Sat., Oct. 3 Oklahoma (12-2) TBD 5/5 BCS National Title Game vs. Florida (L, 24-14
Sat., Sept. 10 Florida A&M (9-3) TBD
Sat., Oct. 17 at UCF (4-8) TBD
Sat., Oct. 24 Clemson* (7-6) TBD Gator vs. Nebraska (L, 21-26)
Sat., Oct. 31 at Wake Forest* (8-5) TBD EagleBank vs. Navy (W, 29-19)
Sat., Nov. 7 Virginia* (5-7) TBD
Sat., Nov. 14 at North Carolina* (8-5) TBD Meineke Car Care vs. WVU (L, 30-31)
Sat. Nov. 21 Duke* (4-8) TBD
Sat., Nov. 28 at USF (8-5) TBD Magic Jack St. Petersburg vs. Memphis (W, 41-14)
Home games in Bold. ACC games designated by *. Dates are tentative and subject to change. Game times are not yet available.
