Football Hosts USF for Senior Day

GAME INFORMATION
Date / Time: Sat., Nov. 17, 2012 / 3 p.m. ET
Site: Miami Gardens, Fla. / Sun Life Stadium (74,916)
TV: RSN (Sun Sports in South Florida)
   Play-by-Play: Rich Waltz; Analyst: Keith Jones; Sideline: Jenn Hildreth
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
Student Radio: 90.5 FM WVUM
   Talent: Chris Wittyngham, AJ Ricketts, Nick Greenberg
Satellite Radio: Sirius 136/XM 195
Live Stats: HurricaneSports.com
Twitter Updates: @HurricaneSports / @LosHuracanes
Series: Miami leads, 3-1
   Miami: Miami leads, 2-1
   Tampa:Miami leads, 1-0
   First Meeting: 2005 – W, 27-7
   Last Meeting: 2011 – W, 6-3
   Streak: Miami, 1 win

STORY LINES

• ACC Coastal Division-leading Miami (5-5) will step out of conference one final time in 2012 as the Hurricanes host the USF Bulls (3-6) at Sun Life Stadium. Saturday’s game will kick at 3 p.m. A win Saturday will make the Hurricanes bowl-eligible heading into their Nov. 24 game at Duke.
• Saturday will mark the 5th series meeting between the schools, with Miami holding a 3-1 advantage.
• Saturday is Miami’s 2012 home finale and will also be Senior Day for its 17 seniors playing in their final home game. Miami’s 2012 senior class includes: P Dalton Botts, LB Ramon Buchanan, P Cameron Dean, DL Chris Dunckel, RB Mike James, WR Davon Johnson, OL Ben Jones, LS Paul Kelly, OL Jeremy Lewis, OL Eduardo Lopez, DB Brandon McGee, WR Shawn O’Dare, DL Darius Smith, DB Andrew Swasey, S Vaughn Telemaque, WR Kendal Thompkins and PK Jake Wieclaw.
• Through 10 games, the Miami Hurricanes are converting 87.2 percent of their red zone opportunities (34 of 39) – fourth-best percentage in the ACC. Miami has converted 16 straight red zone changes.
• 11 of Miami’s 16 longest plays this season have come from the “Duke” of all trades, freshman RB Duke Johnson. Johnson has Miami’s six longest kickoff returns – 95 (TD), 95 (TD), 81, 77, 59 and 46.
• Through 10 games, Miami has forced 19 turnovers (9 INT, 10 fumbles), three more than the Hurricanes forced in 2011.
• 19 of Miami’s 45 scoring drives this season have needed less than two minutes, including 8 that needed 60 seconds or fewer.
• Through the first 10 weeks, Miami has tallied nine ACC Player of the Week honors led by Duke Johnson’s three Rookie of the Week accolades. Six of Miami’s nine ACC weekly honors have been freshmen.
• 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.

TELEVISION COVERAGE

• Miami’s home finale vs. USF will be televised live at 3 p.m. ET on Sun Sports in South Florida and FOX Sports Florida in other portions of the state as well as Watch ESPN.
• Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Keith Jones (analyst) and Jenn Hildreth (sideline) will call the regional 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 RB Duke Johnson NCAA rankings: 3rd in kickoff returns (35.41), 9th in all-purpose yards (168.80) and t85th in rushing (70.50).
• Duke Johnson ACC rankings: 4th in rushing, 1st in kick return average, 3rd in all-purpose.
• Senior PK Jake Wieclaw NCAA rankings: t26th in field goals (1.40) and t66th in scoring (7.50).
• Junior QB Stephen Morris NCAA rankings: 42nd in total offense (266.30) and 70th in pass efficiency (126.32).
• Stephen Morris ranks 6th in the ACC in passing yards and total offense, while ranking 7th in pass efficiency.
• Freshman S Deon Bush and redshirt freshman LB Eddie Johnson are tied for ACC lead with 3 forced fumbles.
• Notable Miami NCAA statistical rankings: 8th in KO returns (28.05), 25th in sacks allowed (1.30), 37th in TO margin (0.50), 41st in passing offense (268.40), 57th in total offense (408.80), 64th in scoring offense (28.50).
• Notable Miami ACC statistical rankings: 1st in kickoff returns (28.0), 3rd in sacks against, 6th in total offense, 6th in scoring offense, 6th in rushing offense (140.4), 8th in pass offense (268.4), 9th in pass defense (258.6), 11th in scoring defense (31.2), 12th in total defense (489.6), 12th in rushing defense (231.0).
• Miami has 15 different players that have at least one reception in 10 games.
• 21 freshmen have seen action for the Miami Hurricanes, including 16 true freshmen.
• In the first 22 games of the Al Golden era, Miami has used 20 different defensive starting lineups, including a different lineup in all 10 games this season.

USF SERIES HISTORY

• Saturday will mark the 5th series meeting between the schools, with Miami holding a 3-1 advantage.
• Miami won the last series meeting 6-3 in 2011 at USF. Last season’s meeting was an offensive struggle as the teams mustered a combined 3 field goals. Jake Wieclaw provided the game’s first points with a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter; USF tied the game at 3-3 in the second quarter on Maikon Bonani’s 42-yard kick. Wieclaw later provided the game-winner on a 36-yard field goal as time expired to give Miami a 6-3 win.
• Last season’s meeting resulted in Miami’s sixth win of the 2011 season, making the Hurricanes bowl-eligible.
• On Senior Day in 2010, USF overcome a 17-10 fourth-quarter deficit to knock off the Hurricanes 23-20 in overtime. USF took a 10-0 lead before the Canes reeled off 17 straight points on TD runs by Lamar Miller and Storm Johnson and a Matt Bosher field goal. The Bulls tied the game at 17-17 on a Bobby Eveld 1-yard run. In overtime, Bosher’s 28-yard kick gave Miami a 20-17 lead; USF’s Demetris Murray scored the game-winner on a 1-yard run.

MAKING MOST OF RED ZONE CHANCES

• Dating back to the third quarter of its 44-37 win Sept. 29 vs. NC State, Miami has converted 18 consecutive red zone trips in ACC play, including 13 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.
• Give Hurricanes a 4-2 home record – their fourth winning home mark in five seasons at Sun Life Stadium.
• Improve Hurricanes’ 2012 nonconference record to 2-2.
• Improve Al Golden’s Miami record to 12-11 overall and 5-3 in nonconference play.

SENIOR DAY

• Saturday is Miami’s 2012 home finale and will also be Senior Day for its 17 seniors playing in their final home game. Miami’s 2012 senior class includes: P Dalton Botts, LB Ramon Buchanan, P Cameron Dean, DL Chris Dunckel, RB Mike James, WR Davon Johnson, OL Ben Jones, LS Paul Kelly, OL Jeremy Lewis, OL Eduardo Lopez, DB Brandon McGee, WR Shawn O’Dare, DL Darius Smith, DB Andrew Swasey, S Vaughn Telemaque, WR Kendal Thompkins and PK Jake Wieclaw.

TO THE FRESHMEN GO THE AWARDS

• Through the first 10 weeks of the 2012 season, the Miami Hurricanes earned 9 ACC Player of the Week awards. Six of those 9 honors went to Miami freshmen – Duke Johnson, Eddie Johnson and Gabe Terry.

THE DUKE OF ALL TRADES

• With each play, freshman RB Duke Johnson is becoming one of the best freshmen in Miami Hurricanes football history. Johnson accumulated a school-record 368 all-purpose yards – fourth-most in ACC history – in Miami’s 41-40 road loss Nov. 10 at Virginia. Included in his 368 all-purpose yards were a 95-yard kickoff return for a TD and a career-high 150 rushing yards.
• The three-time ACC Rookie of the Week also threw his career-first TD pass – an 8-yard halfback pass to Allen Hurns for Miami’s first points of the game. On his very next touch, he raced 95 yards for a touchdown on the ensuing Virginia kickoff.
• Johnson is only the third FBS player since 2000 with a TD pass and kickoff return for a TD in the same game, joining Charles Pauley (San Jose State) in 2002 and Eric Page (Toledo) in 2010.
• With his all-purpose total of 1,688 this season, Johnson now ranks third on Miami’s single-season all-purpose yards list, passing Edgerrin James, Graig Cooper, Chuck Forman, Santana Moss and Lamar Miller. He trails only Ottis Anderson (1,703) and Willis McGahee (2,108).

ANOTHER PAUL HORNUNG AWARD HONOR

• Freshman RB Duke Johnson – along with Western Kentucky’s Antonio Andrews and Northwestern’s Venric Mark – earned Paul Hornung Award Weekly Honor Roll selection after combining for nearly 1,000 yards last weekend. It was Johnson’s third selection this season.
• The Paul Hornung Award is awarded annually to the most versatile player in major college football.
• Fans can vote for the Paul Hornung Award finalists at www.votepaulhornung.com, powered by Texas Roadhouse. All players on the preseason watch list, as well as players selected on the Weekly Honor Roll and those identified by the Paul Hornung Award Committee are eligible for the fan voting. The fan selections will count as an additional vote in the selection process.

ON THE RIGHT PATH

• Senior PK Jake Wieclaw is 14-of-19 on field goals this season and has made six consecutive tries. Wieclaw, who started the season 7-of-7, missed five of his next six tries before his current streak.
• Wieclaw has made every PAT on his UM career, a perfect 72-of-72 on point-after attempts
• The senior is 25-of-33 on field goal attempts as a Miami Hurricane.

DUKE OF THE BIG PLAY

• 11 of Miami’s 16 longest plays this season have come from the “Duke” of all trades, freshman RB Duke Johnson. Johnson has Miami’s six longest kickoff returns – 95 (TD), 95 (TD), 81, 77, 59 and 46.
• Johnson also owns Miami’s six longest rushing plays – 65, 56 (TD), 54 (TD), 52, 32 and 28 (TD).
• He has a team-best 21 plays of 25+ yards, including six for touchdowns.

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 10 starts at defense end, Green leads all Hurricanes defenders with 60 total tackles, including 35 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.

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 10 games, Miami has forced 19 turnovers (9 INT, 10 fumbles), four 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.
• Miami’s 41-40 road loss Nov. 10 at Virginia snapped the Hurricanes’ 7-game winning streak when scoring 30+ points; Miami is now 16-2 in its last 18 games when scoring 30 or more.
• The loss also snapped Miami’s impressive 95-game winning streak when scoring 40+ points in a game. Prior to falling at UVA, Miami’s last loss when scoring 40+ points was Nov. 23, 1984 – otherwise known as the “Hail Flutie” game, a 47-45 loss to Boston College.

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 9 of 10 games this season and is averaging 25:26 (12th in ACC).
• Miami has led in time of possession in only 11 of 40 quarters this season.

#ROOKIECANES NO MORE

• Through 10 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.

MIAMI’S THUNDER AND LIGHTNING

• Senior RB Mike James and freshman RB Duke Johnson have combined for 1,234 of Miami’s 1,404 rushing yards on 232 carries. The lightning-quick Johnson, who has already collected three ACC Rookie of the Week honors this season, has amassed 705 yards and 6 rushing TDs on 110 carries, while the bruising James has 529 yards and 5 touchdowns on 122 carries.
• Johnson (9) and James (7) have accounted for almost half of Miami’s 34 total touchdowns this season.