Post-Game Notes: Miami vs. Virginia

Nov. 7, 2009

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OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION: Miami’s 52 points are the most scored by the Hurricanes since knocking off Charleston Southern, 52-7, in its 2008 season opener at Land Shark Stadium (Aug. 28, 2008) and the most points allowed by Virginia this season. The Hurricanes bested its previous season high of 48 points in the win over Florida A&M (Oct. 10). Miami’s 515 total yards of offense is the most by the Hurricanes since totaling 563 yards in a 51-10 win over Florida A&M on Sept. 9, 2006. It marks Miami’s fifth game of the season with 400-plus offensive yards.

UM’s 268 rushing yards is the most since running for 314 yards versus NC State on Nov. 3, 2007, in a 19-16 loss. Six different Hurricanes scored in a game for the second time this season – the most since seven Miami players scored in that 2008 win at Duke. Miami posted three rushing TDs (Berry (2), Cooper), three receiving TDs (Graham, Hankerson, Thompkins) and one punt return for a TD (Collier).

RUSHING INTO THE RECORD BOOKS: With a career-high 152 yards on the ground, junior Graig Cooper moved into eighth place in career rushing yards with 2,001 so far in his career. This afternoon marked Cooper’s first 100-yard rushing game of the season and the third of the year for the Hurricanes (Javarris James 150 yards vs. Oklahoma; Damien Berry 162 yards vs. Florida A&M). Cooper’s 70-yard run is the longest since Frank Gore had a 77-yard run versus Syracuse on Nov. 17, 2001 – a 59-0 UM win en route to the national title. Cooper’s 152 yards is the second most by a Hurricane versus the Cavaliers. Frank Gore ran for 195 yards versus Virginia in 2004. Cooper’s 152 yards this afternoon marks a career high, breaking his previous best of 131 yards set at Virginia last year.Miami is now 3-0 this season when a Hurricane rushes for more than 100 yards. AND… HE… GOES… ALL THE WAY: Thearon Collier recorded his second punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter to put the Hurricanes back in the lead, 17-10. After shaking off a few defenders and a few key blocks by his teammates, Collier ran the punt back for a 60-yard score. He previously returned a punt 61 yards for a TD in Miami’s 48-16 win over Florida A&M on Oct. 10. Collier is the first Hurricane to notch multiple punt returns for TD in a season since 2004 when Devin Hester recorded three and Roscoe Parrish had two. With those two punt returns for TDs, Collier is now tied for fourth place in school history alongside Parrish, Phillip Buchanon, Andy Sixkiller and Gordon Malloy. BERRY FINDS PAYDIRT, AGAIN AND AGAIN: With a two-yard rushing touchdown to extend Miami’s lead to 31-17 in the third quarter, Damien Berry has now scored a TD in a team-best five-straight games. He added his team-high sixth touchdown in the third quarter with a one-yard scamper into the endzone for his first multi-TD game of his career, putting UM up 38-17. Berry previously notched a three-yard score at Wake Forest, a 23-yard TD run versus Clemson, a 35-yard TD run against FAMU and a three-yard score versus UCF. MR. CONSISTENCY: With a five-yard reception in the first quarter, Leonard Hankerson is the only Hurricane to have a catch in all nine games this season. Hankerson leads Miami with 27 receptions for 517 yards and four touchdowns. With his fourth touchdown in the first quarter – a 35-yard reception to knot the score at 10-all – Hankerson now has four TD receptions, good to tie for second most on the squad. Five Hurricanes have at least four TDs this season – Hankerson, Travis Benjamin, Jimmy Graham (courtesy of his second quarter TD grab), Javarris James and Damien Berry with five. BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO: Jared Campbell broke up a team-high three passes versus the Cavaliers to more double his total for the season (5). He is now second on the team behind Brandon Harris, whose 11 pass break ups ties for second most in the nation. THE SERIES: With their second-straight win over the Cavaliers, the Hurricanes now lead the all-time series 5-2 and improve to 7-2 overall for the first time since 2005. Since 2000, Miami has won at least seven of its first nine games six times. The Hurricanes have never lost to the Cavaliers when scoring at least 20 points. Conversely, Miami is 0-2 versus Virginia when failing to reach the 20-point mark. With the win, Miami also improves to 4-1 at Land Shark Stadium this season – matching its home win total from 2008. UM is 11-3 overall in its “new” home. The win moves the Hurricanes to 4-2 in the ACC. UM is now 75-21 in the month of November since 1984. ON D: The Hurricanes kept the Cavaliers to a season-low 149 yards of total offense, including a season-low 75 passing yards. Miami held Virginia without a touchdown pass for the fifth time this season. The Cavaliers managed just four first downs in the first half (and 10 for the game) and were limited to 2-for-12 on third-down conversions. Miami’s Stephen Wesley posted his second sack of the season for a loss of 12 yards. In the fourth quarter, Marcus Robinson added the team’s second sack of the game and his fourth of the season (second best on the squad) for a loss of 15 yards. SPREADING THE LOVE: Thirteen different Hurricanes have caught a pass today, including TD receptions from Leonard Hankerson, Jimmy Graham and Kendal Thompkins. BETTER WITH TIME: The Hurricanes get stronger as the game progresses, outscoring their opponents 233-149 from the second quarter on. Miami owns the 72-43 advantage in the second quarter, 88-64 in the third and 73-41 in the fourth. MOVING UP THE CHARTS: With his 77th consecutive point after touchdown for Miami’s 52nd point of the game, Matt Bosher is now one PAT shy of tying for third place in all-time consecutive PATs in the Miami record book. He went 7-for-7 today – and is 37-for-37 on the season – to extend his streak to 77-straight PATs. Bosher moved up to eighth place in Miami history in points scored kicking with 160 points, passing Chris Dennis (1974-77) who had 156 points. QUICK HIT: The Hurricanes strike fast as they have posted 17 scoring drives – including a pair today – under two minutes this season. At Wake Forest, all four scoring plays were under two minutes.

THERE’S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: Kendal Thompkins notched his first career touchdown reception on a 15-yard pass from AJ Highsmith on his first career touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to put the Hurricanes ahead 52-17. TODAY’S CAPTAINS: Today’s captains for Miami are Randy Phillips, Chavez Grant and Jason Fox.