2017 Canes Ready to Write Their Chapter in Orange Bowl History
By David Villavicencio
HurricaneSports.com
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Kenny Calhoun’s pass breakup to secure a win over Nebraska and the University of Miami’s first national championship.
Beating No. 1 Oklahoma in the 1988 Orange Bowl to clinch the 1987 national title and give Miami its first-ever undefeated season.
Shutting out Nebraska in the 1992 Orange Bowl to give Miami its fourth national championship in program history.
For the Miami Hurricanes, Orange Bowl memories are unforgettable. The 2017 Canes (10-2, 7-1 ACC) will be the 10th Miami team to participate in the Orange Bowl and they will look to add more incredible moments to the program’s history at one of the premier bowl games in college football.
“It’s something that goes together with the University of Miami,” offensive lineman Kc McDermott said of playing in the Orange Bowl. “Honestly, it’s been too long since a team from the University of Miami has been here. We are finally getting back to where we should be as a program. The standard was set a long time ago and we are just trying to match it. A bowl victory here would solidify that standard for years to come. We want to make sure all the young guys understand that and carrying on the tradition of going to big bowl games and winning them.”
No. 10 Miami will face a talented Wisconsin team (12-1, 9-0 Big Ten) that is ranked No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Badgers won the last matchup between the two teams at the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla., but Miami will look to win its seventh Orange Bowl title this Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium.
“Wisconsin has dominated their division this whole year up until the Ohio State game, and they still played Ohio State very closely, so they’re a very admirable opponent,” quarterback Malik Rosier said. “I highly respect them and their coaching staff. Everyone on the team is coached very well. They’re blue-collar kids. So just winning this type of game speaks numbers. It’s going to help us in the bowl selection, it’s going to help us in many different ways. Just to come out with a win, win everything, especially sending these seniors off in the right way, they deserve it. They’ve grinded with us. They’ve stayed with us through a coaching change. So just to send those guys off the right way is big.”
Miami is competing in the Orange Bowl for the first time since the 2003 season when the Hurricanes beat Florida State, 16-14, on January 1, 2004. UM is competing in a “New Year’s Six” game for the first time in program history; the NY6 games began with the College Football Playoff in 2014. Rosier is one of many Hurricanes that understand the importance of playing in the Orange Bowl.
“I was raised a UM fan, so I know how iconic it is for us to be back in the Orange Bowl,” Rosier said. “The fact that we are here playing in front of our home fans in our home stadium is special. I’m really excited to play in this game.”
“I feel like it’s going to be amazing,” Rosier said. “I think it pumps the guys up to know our fans will be there and we don’t want to disappoint our fans, especially after they’ve supported us all year. The last game at home against the No. 6 team in the nation is big. I feel like the crowd is going to come out and electrify the moment.”
Running back Travis Homer sees Saturday’s game as an opportunity. Homer knows a little something about opportunities, as the sophomore stepped in as Miami’s primary running back when Mark Walton was lost for the season due to injury and turned in an outstanding season. After earning All-ACC Second Team honors, Homer will look to help his team earn an Orange Bowl victory.
“It’s great to be part of the legacy and try to walk in the steps of the greats that came before us,” Homer said. “I think this is a great opportunity for the team to see what we can do. If we are good in the running game then we have a good chance of coming out with a victory. When we have had success in the run game, it’s helped us open up the passing game for Malik. Being able to run the ball successfully will be very important for us.”
A victory on Saturday would serve as an exclamation point to an outstanding Hurricanes season. With a 44-28 win over Virginia on Nov. 18, Miami clinched its first 10-win season since 2003. With that win over the Cavaliers, UM closed out a perfect home slate for the first time since 2002. Miami’s 7-1 record in ACC play was its best in history; its previous best ACC mark was 6-2 in 2005. The Hurricanes opened the season with ten straight victories for the first time since the 2002 season. Despite all of those excellent accomplishments, the Hurricanes know they have unfinished business in 2017.
“It means the world to us that we are finishing up at home and that we did enough this season to get to such a prestigious bowl game,” wide receiver Braxton Berrios said. “But the goal is not just getting there; the goal is to win it. We are going to do everything we need to do. I know I’m going to put everything I have on the line for it because it means a lot to us, it means a lot to this program and it means a lot to this community.”
