No. 20 Miami Set for Home Opener Versus No. 14 Georgia Tech
GAME 2 INFORMATION
Date: Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009
Location: Land Shark Stadium (Natural Grass), (74,916) in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Monday’s Press Conference Quotes 
TELEVISION – ESPN
Chris Fowler (play-by-play)
Craig James (color)
Jesse Palmer (color)
Erin Andrews (sideline reporter)
Tape Delay Telecast – CSS
Mon., Sept. 21 at 7 p.m.; Thurs. Sept. 24 at Noon
LOCAL RADIO – 560 WQAM, 1450 ESPN Deportes
560 WQAM
Joe Zagacki (play-by-play)
Don Bailey Jr. (color analyst)
Fans can also listen online at www.wqam.com.
1450 ESPN Deportes In Espanol
Joe Pujala (play-by-play)
Joe Martinez (color analyst)
90.5 FM WVUM
Fans can also listen online at www.wqam.com.
NATIONAL RADIO – ACC ISP Network
Satellite: 219 (Sirius), 191 (XM)
Bill Rosinski (play-by-play); John Bunting (color analyst)
WEBSITES
Miami (www.hurricanesports.com)
Georgia Tech (www.ramblinwreck.com)
CORAL GABLES, Fla. –The University of Miami opens its 2009 home schedule at Land Shark Stadium on a national stage Thursday night, squaring off against Atlantic Coast Conference opponent Georgia Tech on ESPN. The Hurricanes are coming off a thrilling 38-34 win at No. 18 Florida State in Tallahassee on Labor Day while the Yellow Jackets enter the contest after early season wins over Jacksonville State and Clemson.
Both teams enter the contest ranked in the Top 25, as Miami entered both polls following its win over FSU while Georgia Tech has climbed a few spots after a No. 15 ranking in both preseason polls.
The Hurricanes came out of the gate in 2009 with an impressive victory over the Seminoles in Tallahassee, edging out FSU on a national stage and in front of 81,077 fans in attendance at Doak Campbell Stadium.
Quarterback Jacory Harris, running back Graig Cooper and wide receiver Travis Benjamin were three of the biggest stars in Miami’s win over FSU. Harris etched his name into the UM record books, tossing for the 10th-most passing yards in a single game in school history with 386 yards through the air against the `Noles. Cooper finished the game with 232 all-purpose yards, with the majority of those (177) coming on kick returns. Benjamin had one of the best receiving performances in recent UM history, catching four passes for 128 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively for the `Canes, cornerback Brandon Harris led the charge with a game- and career-high nine tackles (three solo), in addition to breaking up two passes against the `Noles. Clinging to a four-point lead with FSU on the Miami two-yard line with nine seconds remaining, he defended a Christian Ponder pass to help seal the win for the Hurricanes. Veterans Colin McCarthy (eight tackles) and Randy Phillips (six tackles, INT) also had big performances in the opener.
THE MIAMI-FSU SERIES
Georgia Tech leads the all-time series between the two schools, 10-4. Miami’s only win over Georgia Tech in ACC play came in the team’s first year in the league when the `Canes beat the Yellow Jackets, 27-3, on Oct. 2, 2004 in Atlanta.
A `CANES WIN OVER THE YELLOW JACKETS WOULD…
Give Miami its second win over a ranked opponent this season, improve its record to 2-0 in league play and give Randy Shannon his third straight victory in a home opener.
FRESHMEN SEE FIRST ACTION
After playing 21 true freshmen in the season-opener last season, Miami played just five true freshman in the 2009 opener in Tallahassee. Ray-Ray Armstrong, Mike James, Brandon McGee, Olivier Vernon and Brandon Washington all saw action against the `Noles, with Vernon seeing the most significant time at the defensive end position.
COOP DOES IT ALL
A year after Travis Benjamin collected 274 all-purpose yards against FSU, Graig Cooper nearly matched the impressive feat in tallying 232 yards against the `Noles in Tallahassee in the season opener.
The junior collected 177 kick return yards – the fourth-highest single game total in school history.
He averaged 35.4 yards per return – including a 63-yard return in the third quarter.
In addition to his return yardage, Cooper added 31 rushing yards and 24 receiving yards.
Cooper scored the eventual game-winning touchdown against FSU in the opener on a 3-yard run to put the `Canes up 38-34 with 1:53 to play. Earlier in that fourth quarter, Cooper scored his first receiving touchdown of the season, catching a 24-yard touchdown pass from Jacory Harris.
TORRETTA TO BE HONORED THURSDAY
Former Hurricane great Gino Torretta will be honored at Thursday night’s game after it was announced on April 30 that he will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Archie Manning – the chairman of The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame – announced that Torretta would join 15 fellow First Team All-America players and two legendary coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2009.
He will be inducted in the Hall of Fame on Dec. 8 in New York City and officially enshrined at the Hall in South Bend, Ind., during ceremonies in the summer of 2010. Joining Torretta in the class is an impressive group of college football names, including Notre Dame wide receiver Tim Brown, Ohio State linebacker Chris Spielman and legendary coaches John Robinson and Dick McPherson.
With the announcement, he became just the fourth Hurricane player to be selected for induction in the Hall, joining Bennie Blades (2006), Don Bosseler (1990) and Ted Hendricks (1987) in prestigious company.
JACORY HAS RECORD GAME AGAINST FSU
Sophomore quarterback Jacory Harris, making just his third career start, had one of the top passing performances in school history in Miami’s season-opening 38-34 win at No. 18 Florida State.
Harris etched his name into the Hurricanes’ record books in tossing for the 10th-most passing yards in a single game in school history with 386 yards through the air against the `Noles.
It was the most passing yards ever by a Miami quarterback ever against FSU and was the most by a `Cane since Ken Dorsey tossed for 422 yards against West Virginia in 2002.
Harris, who earned ACC Offensive Back of the Week honors for his performance, finished the contest 21-of-34 with two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown.
`CANES AT LAND SHARK
Miami is 7-2 all-time in Land Shark Stadium, going 3-0 in bowl games and 4-2 last season.
The `Canes won the 1996 Carquest Bowl over Virginia, the 1998 Micron PC Bowl over NC State and the 2003 Orange Bowl over Florida State before beating Charleston Southern, UCF, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech in the team’s inaugural season at its home stadium.
