ACC Coastal Leaders Hit Road, Face Virginia

GAME INFORMATION
Date / Time: Sat., Nov. 10, 2012 / 12 p.m. ET
Site: Charlottesville, Va. / Scott Stadium (61,500)
TV: ABC
   Play-by-Play: Tom Hart; Analyst: John Congemi
Local Radio: 560 WQAM
   Play-by-Play: Joe Zagacki; Analyst: Don Bailey Jr.; Sideline: Josh Darrow
Spanish Radio: Caracol 1260 AM
   Play-by-Play: Roly Martin; Analysts: Pepe Campos and Joe Martinez
Satellite Radio: Sirius 136/XM 192 (UVA broadcast)
Live Stats: HurricaneSports.com
Twitter Updates: @HurricaneSports / @LosHuracanes
Series: Miami leads, 5-4
   Miami: Tied, 2-2
   Charlottesville: Tied, 2-2
   Neutral Site: Miami leads, 1-0
   First Meeting: 1996 – W, 31-21
   Last Meeting: 2011 – L, 21-28
   Streak: Virginia, 2 wins

STORY LINES

• ACC Coastal Division-leading Miami (5-4, 4-2 ACC) will look to become bowl eligible when it travels to Charlottesville, Va., to face the Virginia Cavaliers (3-6, 1-4 ACC). Saturday’s game will kick at noon ET on ABC.
• Saturday marks the 10th series meeting between the schools, with Miami holding a slim 5-4 advantage. Virginia has won the last two meetings and four of the last six.
• Miami is converting 85.7 percent of their red zone opportunities (30 of 35). Dating back to the third quarter of its 44-37 win Sept. 29 vs. NC State, Miami has converted 14 consecutive red zone trips in ACC play, including 9 TDs.
• Through 9 games, Miami has forced 18 turnovers (8 INT, 10 fumbles), three more than the Hurricanes forced in 2011.
• Senior RB Mike James and freshman RB Duke Johnson have combined for 1,032 of Miami’s 1,171 rushing yards on 204 carries. Johnson (8) and James (7) have accounted for 15 of Miami’s 29 touchdowns this season.
• Trail no more: In Miami’s 30-12 win Nov. 1 vs. Virginia Tech, the Hurricanes did not trail during the game for the first time this season. Miami trailed at some point in each of its first 8 games.
• 17 of Miami’s 38 scoring drives this season have needed less than two minutes, including seven that have needed less than 60 seconds. Of Miami’s 17 two-minute scoring drives, 13 have come in ACC play.
• In each of its 5 wins this season, Miami has scored at least 30 points, including 3 wins when scoring 40+ points – all in ACC play. The Hurricanes have won 7 straight games when scoring 30+ points and are 16-1 in their last 17 games.
• The University of Miami recorded a department-wide school-record Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 93 percent, according to the rates released Oct. 25 by the NCAA.
• As a department, Miami’s 93 percent GSR ranks fourth among ACC schools and is eighth overall among FBS schools. Overall, the University of Miami athletic department has improved from 77 to 93 percent from 2005 to 2012. UM has exceeded the NCAA average GSR in each of the last eight years.

NATIONAL TELEVISION COVERAGE

• Saturday’s ACC Coastal Division game at Virginia will be televised nationally at noon ET on ABC. Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Jon Congemi (analyst) will call the action.

QUICK HITS

• A ‘U’ of firsts: In September 1955, the first college football game to be televised in color was Miami vs. Georgia Tech, a 14-6 Hurricanes loss. In November 1968, the first college football game to be televised on primetime television was Miami at Alabama, also a 14-6 UM loss.
• Freshman S Deon Bush and redshirt freshman LB Eddie Johnson are tied for ACC lead with 3 forced fumbles.
• Notable Miami ACC statistical rankings: 2nd in kickoff returns (26.2), 6th in scoring offense (27.2), 6th in total offense (407.6), 10th in scoring defense (30.1), 6th in passing offense (277.4), 6th in passing defense (244.2), 6th in punting (36.6), 6th in 3rd down conversions (38.8), t6th in opponent 4th down conversions (45.5), 7th in rushing offense (130.1), 8th in pass defense efficiency (130.0), 9th in pass efficiency (124.3), 9th in 1st downs (19.9), 9th in opponent 3rd down conversions (43.2), 9th in 4th down conversions (46.7), 10th in punt return average (6.6), 12th in total defense (490.4), 12th in rushing defense (246.2), 12th in opponent first downs (26.1), 12th in time of possession (25:37)
• Notable Miami NCAA statistical rankings: 16th in kickoff returns (26.21), 32nd in turnover margin (0.56), 34th in passing offense (277.44), t35th in sacks allowed (1.44), 58th in total offense (407.56), 67th in scoring offense (27.22), 67th in net punting (36.64), 82nd in scoring defense (30.11), 94th in rushing offense (130.11), 69th in pass defense (244.22), 83rd in passing efficiency (124.25).
• Freshman RB Duke Johnson NCAA rankings: 9th in kick returns (31.39), 21st in all-purpose yards (146.67).
• Duke Johnson ACC rankings: 1st in kick returns, 3rd in all-purpose yards, 7th in rushing (61.7).
• Junior QB Stephen Morris NCAA rankings: 38th in total offense (272.56), 78th in passing efficiency (123.26).
• Stephen Morris ranks 5th among ACC quarterbacks in passing yards per game (264.9), 5th in total offense and 9th in pass efficiency.
• Senior P Dalton Botts ranks 5th in the ACC in punting (41.1), while senior PK Jake Wieclaw ranks 5th among ACC kickers in scoring (7.4).
• Miami has 15 different players that have at least one reception in 9 games.
• 21 freshmen have seen action for the Miami Hurricanes, including 16 true freshmen.
• 7 freshmen have started at least one game for the Miami Hurricanes – true freshman RT Ereck Flowers, true freshman RB Duke Johnson, true freshman WR Malcolm Lewis, true freshman S Deon Bush, redshirt freshman LB Eddie Johnson, redshirt freshman DL Corey King and true freshman DL Earl Moore.
• In the first 21 games of the Al Golden era, Miami has used 19 different defensive starting lineups, including a different lineup in all 9 games this season.

VIRGINIA SERIES HISTORY

• Saturday will mark the 10th series meeting between the schools, with Miami holding a slim 5-4 advantage.
• Virginia has won the last two meetings – 28-21 in 2011 (Miami Gardens) and 24-19 in 2010 (Charlottesville) – and four of the last six.
• Miami’s last series victory came in 2009 as the 16th-ranked Hurricanes shut down the Cavaliers 52-17 at Sun Life Stadium. After holding a 24-17 halftime lead, the Hurricanes reeled off 28 second-half points – shutting out the Cavaliers in the second half – to take the 35-point home victory.
• In their last trip to Charlottesville, the Hurricanes trailed the Cavaliers 24-0 with less than 12 minutes to play. Then-freshman QB Stephen Morris accounted for all three Miami fourth-quarter scores – two touchdown passes and a rushing score. However, that would be as close as the Canes would get as the Cavaliers ran out the clock to preserve the 24-19 win over Miami.

MAKING MOST OF RED ZONE CHANCES

• Through 9 games, the Miami Hurricanes are converting 85.7 percent of their red zone opportunities (30 of 35) – fourth-best percentage in the ACC. Dating back to the third quarter of its 44-37 win Sept. 29 vs. NC State, Miami has converted 14 consecutive red zone trips in ACC play, including 9 TDs.

A WIN BY MIAMI WOULD…

• Make the Hurricanes bowl eligible for the fifth consecutive season and for the eighth time since joining the ACC prior to the 2004 season.
• Snap the Hurricanes’ two-game series losing streak to Virginia.
• Extend the Hurricanes’ ACC road winning streak to three games.
• Be its fifth ACC win – solidifying its seventh winning record in conference play since joining the ACC.
• Improve Al Golden‘s Miami record to 12-10 overall and 8-7 in ACC play.

HEALTHY GREEN PAYING DIVIDENDS

• After his first three injury-plagued seasons in Coral Gables, redshirt junior DE Shayon Green is finally healthy and making huge contributions along the defensive line.
• In 9 starts at defense end, Green leads all Hurricanes defenders with 57 total tackles, including 33 solo stops.
• Prior to this season, the Tifton, Ga., native and 2011 Training Room Comeback Player of the Year had 7 total tackles in six career games.

A CHARLOTTESVILLE HOMECOMING

• This weekend’s game in Charlottesville will serve as a homecoming of sorts for head coach Al Golden. For five seasons from 2001-05, Golden served as the Virginia Cavaliers’ defensive coordinator. Golden was named the youngest defensive coordinator in Division I-A by then-head coach Al Groh in January 2001. From 2001-04, the Cavaliers’ defense improved under his tutelage, ranking 108th in total defense in his first year to ranking 18th in total defense in 2004. In the same time period, Virginia’s scoring defense went from 74th in the nation (27.6 ppg) to 17th (17.7 ppg) utilizing Golden’s 3-4 scheme.
• In 2004, he oversaw a defense that featured the nation’s best group of linebackers, according to Athlon, Sporting News and ESPN The Magazine. Under his guidance, Ahmad Brooks blossomed into a finalist for the Butkus Award. In 2003, Brooks and Kai Parham earned Freshman All-America honors.
• Prior to that, Golden was a graduate assistant from 1994-96 before graduating with his master’s degree in sports psychology in 1996.
• In addition to Golden, Miami defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio also spent two seasons at Virginia – 2004 (tight ends/special teams) and 2005 (inside linebackers/special teams).

MAKING TURNOVERS HAPPEN

• Miami’s defense forced three turnovers in the Hurricanes’ 30-12 win Nov. 1 against Virginia Tech, the third time this season forcing 3+ turnovers (UM 3-0 in those contests).
• Through 9 games, Miami has forced 18 turnovers (8 INT, 10 fumbles), three more than the Hurricanes forced during the 2011 season (12 games).

30-SOMETHING

• In each of its 5 wins this season, Miami has scored at least 30 points, including 3 wins when scoring 40+ points – all in ACC play.
• The Hurricanes have won 7 straight games when scoring 30+ points and are 16-1 in their last 17 games.
• Miami’s last loss when scoring 30+ in a game? Oct. 8, 2011 – a 38-35 loss at Virginia Tech.

FRESHMAN FUMBLE (EN)FORCERS

• Freshman S Deon Bush and redshirt freshman LB Eddie Johnson both have 3 forced fumbles each – tied for the lead among ACC defenders. Bush and Johnson have combined for 6 of Miami’s 11 forced fumbles this season.

TIME OF POSSESSION BATTLE

• Before leading in time of possession in its 18-14 loss Oct. 13 against North Carolina (30:18-29:42), Miami had trailed in time of possession in seven consecutive games. That streak dated back to the 2011 season finale against Boston College.
• Miami has trailed the time of possession battle in 8 of 9 games this season and is averaging 25:37 (12th in ACC), while Virginia leads the ACC in time of possession, averaging 32:34.
• Miami has led in time of possession in only 10 of 36 quarters this season.

#ROOKIECANES NO MORE

• Through 9 games, 21 freshmen – including 16 true freshmen – have seen game action for the Hurricanes.
• Of those 21 freshmen, seven have started at least one game – S Deon Bush, RT Ereck Flowers, RB Duke Johnson, WR Malcolm Lewis, DT Earl Moore, DL Corey King and LB Eddie Johnson.