History
The Beginning (1926-1936)
Before competition even took place on a freshman level, plans for a 50,000-seat on-campus stadium were proposed in
1926 by the school's first president, Bowman Foster
Ashe. Work began on a temporary, 8,000-seat structure on campus, but one day later, on September 17, 1926, a hurricane leveled much of South Florida, killing more
than 130 people, damaging over 10,000 homes and shelving plans for the stadium. From 1926 to 1937 the University of Miami played
in a stadium near Tamiami Park and also at Moore Park until Burdine Stadium (later named the Miami Orange Bowl) was built.
Due to the storm, classes started late and it wasn't until October 23 that Miami played
its first game, a 7-0 win over Rollins in front of 304 spectators. The season included
two wins over the University of Havana, with a Thanksgiving Day game in Miami and a
Christmas Day meeting in Cuba.
The first varsity competition came in 1927 when coach Howard Buck guided the Hurricanes to a
3-6-1 record with a 39-3 win over Rollins in the first game. But a 4-4-1 record the next
year and lopsided losses prompted a group of local businessmen to offer financial backing to bring in a well-known coach.
J. Burton Rix, who had coached at Texas and SMU, arrived in time for the 1929 season and Miami's first
varsity road games. The team traveled via the city's private car, The Spirit of Miami on the Eastern Seaboard Railroad. But the
stock market crash doomed the off-campus financing and extended the financial woes of the area caused by the hurricane. Rix quit
after one season and was replaced by Ernest Brett, who inherited an ambitious schedule in 1930.
Included in the season was a hectic road trip with three games in eight days, beginning with an indoor contest against
Temple in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was Miami's first intersectional game and UM players presented their opponents with coconuts
prior to the contest; in return Temple handed Miami a 34-0 defeat. The following Tuesday, UM
lost to Howard in Dothan,
Alabama, then salvaged a 6-0 win over Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette
on Saturday.
Also that season, the Hurricanes played one of the nation's first night games. The October
31 game vs. Bowden College in Miami took place under high watt, unprotected bulbs that could be heard exploding when it
rained, causing the field to grow darker as the game progressed.
Several seasons later UM entered the bowl business, upsetting Manhattan in the Palm
Festival on January 1, 1933, at Moore Park in Miami. The next
year UM went 5-0-2 but lost in the Palm Festival to a Duquesne team coached by
Frank Layden (one of the four Horsemen of Notre Dame).
UM played Bucknell on New Year's Day following the 1934 season in the Wooden Bowl, which seated 4,000. The stadium was built by the American Legion in conjunction
with the post-depression WPA and was purchased by Earnest Seiler recreation director for the city of Miami.
The following two years under Irl Tubbs (1935-36), UM posted winning records but bowed out
as hosts of the New Year's Day games in Miami.
The Jack Harding Era (1937-1942, 1945-1947)
When Tubbs resigned to take the job at Iowa, Jack
Harding came in to serve as both head coach and athletic director.
In nine seasons as head coach (with a two-year break for service in World War II),
Harding moved the Hurricanes from the ranks of the small time into major college status. In 1937
they moved into the Roddy Burdine Municipal Stadium (later known as the Orange Bowl). In 1938, they
won the first meeting against Florida and that same year captured the Southern
Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship for the first time.
Eddie Dunn, a fabulous running back out of Pittsburgh, starred for the
Hurricanes in the late 1930s and took over as head coach for two years (1943-1944) during the war. When Harding returned just
prior to the 1945 season, it appeared that UM would suffer through another miserable season after
going 1-7-1 in 1944.
But enrollment began to swell as hundreds returned from the service, and although Harding didn't even know the names of all of
his players prior to the first game, by mid-season many were household names in South Florida. The Hurricanes forged a 9-1-1
record that included one of the most memorable Orange Bowl games in history.
On January 1, 1946, UM and Holy
Cross had battled to a 6-6 tie with just a few seconds remaining. Crusader quarterback Gene DeFilippo threw a desperation
pass that went in and out of the arms of an open receiver and wound up in the hands of the Hurricanes' Al Hudson. A former Miami
Edison High track star, Hudson juggled the ball and sprinted 89 yards for the winning score as time ran out.
Harding resigned as coach in 1948 and brought in his running mate from Pittsburgh, Andy Gustafson, who led the Hurricanes into
the first glory years of UM football.
The Andy Gustafson Era (1948-1963)
In 16 seasons, Gustafson's teams went to four bowls and appeared on national television nine times. He developed the "Miami
Drive Series", a form of the belly option generally considered the forerunner of the wishbone, and coached Al Carapella as UM's
first major college All-American (1950). His 1950 squad went 9-1-1, defeated Purdue one week after the Boilermakers had broken Notre Dame's unbeaten streak at 39 games, and
earned an Orange Bowl bid against Clemson.
Also in 1950, UM broke a Southern tradition by playing against African-American players in a 14-6
defeat of Iowa in the Orange Bowl. In
the late 1950s, UM won a battle with the city to open seating to African-Americans in the entire Orange Bowl, and on January 31, 1961, the UM trustees voted unanimously to open the door to all students.
While NCAA probation kept UM out of possible bowls for three
years (1954-56), it did not diminish interest in the program. A No. 9 ranking by both UP and INS in 1954 marked UM's first Top 10 ranking at the end of the season. In 1956, on the
strength of an 8-1-1 mark, the Hurricanes finished sixth in all three wire service polls. Standouts like All-American fullback
Don Bosseler, and future 'Canes Head Coach and All-American quarterback Fran Curci, helped usher UM out of the 1950s and into the
new decade. But the major concerns facing the University and the community heading into the 1960s were the expected arrival of a
professional football team and the integration of college football in the South.
The early 1960s at Miami became known as the The Age of MIRAcles as Key West native
George Mira led Miami to a pair of bowl games, the 1961
Liberty Bowl vs. Syracuse, and the now-defunct
Gotham Bowl in 1962 vs. Nebraska, while twice earning All-America status. Along with Mira, the 'Canes of this era included 2-time
All-American offensive end Bill Miller, versatile running backs Jim Vollenweider and Nick Ryder, All-American tackle and future
Oakland Raider, Dan Conners, and Ben Rizzo, a
"tough as a truck" terror at defensive end and former "walk-on" voted team Captain in 1962.
Mira, nicknamed "The Matador", set nearly every passing record in the school's history, finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting as a senior and tied a national completion record (368) despite UM's 3-7 record
during a disappointing senior season, Gustafson's last as Hurricane Coach.
The Charlie Tate Era (1964-1970)
The death of Jack Harding in March of 1963 prompted
Gustafson to step down as football coach and take over athletic director duties after the 1963 season. After a national search,
UM tabbed Georgia Tech assistant and former Miami prep coach
Charlie Tate as head man in early 1964. And after two years
at .500 under Tate, another star emerged to lead UM to back-to-back bowl games.
While many ground-breaking strides were made by the University of Miami in the '50's and early 60's with respect to
desegregation, it wasn't until December of 1966 that Miami signed an African-American athlete, Ray
Bellamy, a 6-5, 210-pound wide receiver from Palmetto, Florida, who chose Miami over
Florida State, Florida
A&M and a number of major colleges in the Midwest. Miami became the first major college in the Deep South with an
African-American football player on scholarship, and Bellamy became a standout both on and off the football field. Tom Sullivan,
a tailback from Jacksonville, became the second African-American signee in 1968
and was followed one year later by future pro stars Burgess Owens and Chuck Foreman.
The most pivitol recruit during the Charlie Tate area was Ted Hendricks, nicknamed "The
Mad Stork", who was signed by the Hurricanes and quickly became one of the most feared pass rushers in college football. As the
school's first and only three-time All-American (1966-1968), the late George Gallet, UM's sports publicist for more than four
decades, rated Hendricks the greatest player in the University's history.
Following a Liberty Bowl berth in 1966 and a
1967 trip to the Bluebonnet Bowl, Tate's program fell on
hard times. Lackluster seasons in 1968 and 1969 prompted his
resignation as coach and athletic director two games into the 1970 season. Tate cited the pressures
of winning, harassment of his family and the creeping tide of pro football as major problems.
That year the AFL and NFL
merged, Don Shula arrived as head coach of the Dolphins, and Dolphins hysteria gripped South
Florida.
Walt Kichefski, a long-time Hurricane football legend as an assistant coach, took over
on an interim basis. UM struggled through a 3-8 season. The bad times were eased some when Miami pulled a stunning 14-13 upset of
Florida in Gainesville.
The 1970s
Miami spent the next two seasons under "The Little General", former Hurricane All-America quarterback Fran Curci. His teams suffered through a pair of losing campaigns, the second of which was topped off by one
of the school's most infamous gridiron incidents. After three games in 1972, the Hurricanes were
winless and playing at home against Tulane when a fifth down play gave Miami a 24-21
win.
After that season, Curci left the University and, less than 24 hours later, he was replaced by Pete Elliott, a man who had led both California and
Illinois to the Rose Bowl.
But Elliott continued UM's merry-go-round of coaches, staying two years and compiling a combined mark of 11-11. Both seasons
started off with big wins over ranked foes, but each time disaster struck in the form of losses to lesser opponents. Besides
declining attendance, another factor haunting the program was the loss of area blue-chip players to recruiters around the
country.
When Ernie McCoy retired as athletic director in 1975, Elliott resigned as head coach to replace McCoy. Offensive coordinator
Carl Selmer immediately signed a five-year contract, becoming UM's fifth head coach in six years.
Selmer lasted two seasons, compiling dismal 2-8 and 3-8 records against some of the nation's stiffest competition. Attendance
continued to drop despite a 1975 home schedule that featured Oklahoma, Colorado, Houston, Navy, Notre Dame and Florida.
Near the end of the 1976 season, Dr. John L. Green, UM executive vice president who oversaw
athletics, decided to make a coaching change. When the news leaked out to the local media, Green decided to contact Selmer in
Houston where UM was preparing for the season finale. Selmer was located at The Summit,
where the team was watching a pro hockey game and was told he had been terminated. It marked the only time a UM football coach
has been fired.
The Lou Saban Era (1977-1978)
On December 27, 1976, journeyman Lou Saban began his two-year tenure as head coach, and in that span laid the foundation for the program's rise
to national prominence in the 1980s.
Despite several major setbacks before he even coached his first game (including coronary by-pass surgery), Saban was in Miami
for the final week of pre-season practice. His team performed well in the opener, a 10-0 loss at Ohio State. But UM lost the last six games of the year for a 3-8 record.
Searching for quality players, Saban and his coaching staff went on a recruiting blitz of the East Coast, Midwest and the
state of Florida in the winter of 1977-78. UM signed the maximum 30 players that year, including
19 from Florida, in what was perhaps the school's first great recruiting class. A total of six first-team Class AAAA all-state
Floridians were in that group, and 11 players went on to professional football.
In 1978, Miami closed out Saban's UM career with a win over rival Florida and fashioned a 6-5 record, only the second winning season in over a decade.
Out of the turmoil of the mid-1970s emerged the most prolific running back in the school's history, Ottis Anderson. The West Palm Beach native led UM in
rushing three years (1976-1978). He still stands as the career rushing leader and was the first back at Miami to rush for more
than 1,000 yards in a season.[4]
The Howard Schnellenberger Era (1979-1983)
In 1979, soon after Lou Saban left for Army, Miami hired Howard Schnellenberger
as their new head coach. Schnellenberger had been the head coach of the Baltimore
Colts and had also served as an assistant coach under both Bear Bryant and
Don Shula.
After taking the job, Schnellenberger spoke in front of countless alumni groups and rotary clubs to extol his vision of a
National Championship within the next five years, a claim that no one took seriously at the time.
The integral step in Schnellenberger's rebuilding project was the implementation of a pro-style passing offense that would
give the Hurricanes an edge over schools that were unaccustomed to defending it. The new offense received a boost a year before
Schnellenberger's arrival when Lou Saban recruited blue chip QB Jim Kelly out of Pennsylvania. Miami offered Kelly the chance to be a
QB, while other schools like Penn State wanted him to play linebacker.
The highlight of Schnellenberger's first season was a 26-10 upset win over #19 Penn State in State College. One low
point was a loss to Division 1-AA Florida A&M in Tallahassee 16-13. The Hurricanes made great progress in the next three
years. In 1980, Miami finished the regular season 8-3 while earning its first bowl appearance since
1966. The team was rewarded with a bid to play in the Peach
Bowl against Virginia Tech. The Hurricanes
defeated the Hokies 20-10 to finish the season at 9-3.
In 1981 the Hurricanes took another step forward by finishing the season with a 9-2 record and a
#8 ranking in the AP poll. The season was highlighted by a 17-14 win over then #1 Penn State on Halloween night in the Orange
Bowl. But due to probation the team was forbidden from participating in a bowl game after the 1981 regular season.
Despite a setback in 1982, and an injury to Heisman
Trophy candidate Jim Kelly, the groundwork had been laid for a national championship
run.
1983 National Championship
-
Miami entered the 1983 season with a number of question marks. The most glaring of those
question marks was the quarterback position. With the departure of star QB Jim Kelly to the
USFL, coach Schnellenberger had to choose between 3 young signal callers,
each of whom had limited experience.
After summer workouts and two-a-day's in the fall, coach Schnellenberger chose 20 year old redshirt freshman Bernie Kosar as his quarterback.
The Hurricanes began the season in Gainesville against archrival
Florida. The Gators took advantage of the Hurricane's inexperience enroute to a
28-3 win. Despite the loss, Kosar set a school record for a completions in a game with 25.
Miami followed the loss in Gainesville, with wins in its next 10 games,
including victories over Notre Dame and Florida State. The win over the Seminoles in Tallahassee in the regular season finale propelled the Hurricanes into the Orange Bowl. Trailing 16-14 late in the 4th quarter, Kosar led the Hurricanes into field goal range
where Jeff Davis hit the game winning kick as time expired. The Hurricanes finished the regular season 10-1 and ranked #5 in the
AP poll.
Due to existing bowl commitments at the time, Miami was able to match up with #1 Nebraska in the 1984 Orange Bowl. The
Cornhuskers were regarded by many as the greatest college team to suit up in over two decades. The Hurricanes were a double digit
underdog leading up to the game.
Early on January 2, 1984, #2 Texas was upset by Georgia, 10-9, #4
Illinois was blown out by UCLA, 45-9 and #3 Auburn barely beat
Michigan 9-7, setting the table for Miami to take the National Championship
should they upset the Cornhuskers later that night.
In front of a decidedly pro-Miami crowd, the Hurricanes jumped out to an early 17-0 lead. With the use of a trick play known
as the fumblerooski, Nebraska scored
in the 2nd quarter to make it 17-7 and by the 3rd quarter they had tied the game at 17. Kosar responded by leading the Hurricanes
down the field on two scoring drives to build a 31-17 lead.
Nebraska responded in the 4th quarter with reserve HB Jeff Smith, in
for injured Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier,
scoring two touchdowns, including one in the last minute to make it 31-30. Nebraska coach Tom Osborne then
made a fateful decision: rather than win the national title by having the game end in a 31-31 tie, he elected to go for a 2-point
conversion. Miami DB Ken Calhoun deflected the attempted pass, giving Miami its first national championship.
"It's unlikely that any team in the history of college football ever got higher for a game than Miami did for Nebraska," wrote
John Underwood of Sports Illustrated. "And if you missed Monday night's game, you
missed an emergence ... Down went Nebraska's 22-game winning streak, and up went the burgee of a team that may well be the next
great name in the game."[5]
The Jimmy Johnson Era (1984-1988)
In the aftermath of Miami's national championship, Schnellenberger elected to take a head coaching job with the
Washington Federals of the USFL. Miami Athletic Director Sam Jankovich
scrambled to find a replacement for coach Schnellenberger on short notice. A national search was conducted and after 10 days of
interviewing potential candidates, Miami hired Oklahoma State head coach
Jimmy Johnson.
The hiring of coach Johnson was met with a chorus of "Jimmy Who?" by local alumni, fans and media, as well as
Schnellenberger's assistants who partially resented Johnson for being selected over someone from within the program.
In Johnson's first game at the helm, the Hurricanes faced off against preseason #1 Auburn in the Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium in the
Meadowlands. The game had several interesting subplots. Not only was it coach Johnson's debut but Auburn felt that they deserved at least a share of the 1983
national championship. The Hurricanes, ranked #10, defeated the Tigers, 20-18.
Following its big win over Auburn, Miami defeated Florida, 32-20, in heartstopping fashion in Tampa. The
Hurricanes jumped to #1 in both polls following the win over the Gators.
After dropping a game at Michigan, Miami regrouped to win 6 of their
next 7 games before playing in two of the most improbable games in college football history in consecutive contests. The
Hurricanes jumped out to a 31-0 halftime lead in their November 10 game against
Maryland before allowing the Terrapins to score 42 points in the second half
in the largest comeback in the history of college football. Two weeks later, on November 23, the night after Thanksgiving, Miami was a victim again as Doug
Flutie's hail mary pass to Gerard Phelan helped Boston College beat the Hurricanes, 47-45.
The Hurricanes finished the season 8-5 after losing their third straight game, 39-37, to UCLA in the Fiesta Bowl.
The next year, Bernie Kosar made himself eligible for the NFL Supplemental Draft and the keys to the offense were handed over to Junior Vinny Testaverde. The tall, athletic quarterback from Elmont,
NY began his career on a sour note, losing the 1985 season opener to rival Florida in the Orange Bowl.
From there, Miami would win ten straight games, including a road win over #2 Oklahoma and a convincing 58-7 win over Notre
Dame.
On the strength of a 10-1 season and a #2 national ranking, Miami received an invitation to play Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl. Although Oklahoma upset #1 Penn State in the
Orange Bowl, the Hurricanes couldn't lay claim to the national championship after
being thumped by Tennessee, 35-7.
In 1986, Miami capped an undefeated regular season with a victory over top ranked
Oklahoma in a rare regular-season clash between #1 and #2. Quarterback Vinny Testaverde's performance against the Sooners set the stage for his Heisman Trophy winning season.
After finishing the regular season #1, the Hurricanes were invited to the Fiesta Bowl to
play #2 Penn State. Many pundits predicted a blowout for the
heavily-favored Hurricanes. Some of the players, confident in their ability to dominate, arrived in Arizona wearing combat fatigues. Unfortunately for the renegade Hurricanes, the Nittany Lions harassed
Testaverde all night, forcing 7 turnovers en route to a shocking 14-10 upset.
1987 National Championship
-
In the wake of the devastating loss to Penn State, the Hurricanes
lost several key players to the NFL including quarterback Vinny Testaverde, running back Alonzo Highsmith and defensive
tackle Jerome Brown. The 1987 seasons was, therefore, seen as
somewhat of a rebuilding year.
The highlight of the regular season came in October against archrival Florida State in Tallahassee. The
Hurricanes rallied from a 19-3 deficit to defeat the Seminoles, 26-25. Quarterback Steve Walsh found Michael Irvin for a 73 yard
touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter to give the Hurricanes the lead. Safety Bubba
McDowell deflected a two point converstion attempt to preserve the victory.
Miami rolled through the rest of the schedule on their way to another undefeated regular season. At 11-0, the Hurricanes were
ranked #2 headed into their Orange Bowl matchup with #1 Oklahoma on New Years Day. The Hurricanes bottled up OU's wishbone attack, holding the Sooners
to just 179 yards on the ground (OU came in averaging 428.8). Elation for Miami was frustration for OU - the Sooners only three
losses over the last three seasons had come to the Hurricanes. [6]
Miami attempted to defend their national championship in 1988 but a loss to Notre Dame in October, a game which came to be known as the Catholics vs. Convicts, derailed the effort. The Hurricanes then ran the table, winning their
last seven games and topping Nebraska 23-3 in the Orange Bowl to finish the season 11-1 and #2 in the final polls.
Not long after the 1988 season, the Dallas Cowboys were
bought by Arkansas oil prospector Jerry Jones. Jones'
first order of business was removing Tom Landry as head coach and hiring Jimmy Johnson, his former teammate at Arkansas.
The Dennis Erickson Era (1989-1994)
Sam Jankovich was once again tasked with finding a new head coach. The students,
players and local community lobbied heavily for offensive coordinator Gary Stevens to get the job. But Jankovich, having
remembered the formula from the hiring of Jimmy Johnson, preferred a candidate with head
coaching experience. The choice was Washington State head coach
Dennis Erickson.
Erickson had garnered the reputation as an offensive guru in his stints as head coach at Idaho, Wyoming and Washington State. His one-back offensive set was heavily criticized in his first several
months in Coral Gables.
1989 National Championship
-
Steve Walsh, who had threatened to leave if Stevens wasn't promoted,
entered the NFL supplemental draft soon after Erickson's hiring.
Craig Erickson became Miami's new starting QB.
The Hurricanes rolled through their first 4 games but suffered a setback when Craig
Erickson broke a finger on his throwing hand in a late September victory over Michigan State. Freshman Gino Torretta was
forced into action in the absence of the injured Erickson. Torretta performed well but his inexperience was evident in a late
October loss to bitter rival Florida State.
Despite the midseason loss to the Seminoles, Miami would stay in the national championship picture with a dominating 27-10
victory over Notre Dame in front of a then-record crowd at the
Orange Bowl. However, it was Notre Dame who was chosen to play in the Orange
Bowl against #1 Colorado, while #2 Miami had to settle for
Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
Ironically, Notre Dame's win over Colorado helped pave the way for Miami
to win its third National Championship following its victory over Alabama,
33-25. After the game, Alabama coach Bill
Curry said "We never had control of the game. Miami's got to be No. 1." [7]
1991 National Championship
-
The 1990 Hurricanes had high expectations heaped upon them by fans and the national media. Miami
was ranked #1 in the preseason and was a clear favorite to repeat as champions. But a season opening loss to BYU and Heisman trophy winner
Ty Detmer put a damper on Miami's hopes of repeating.
The highlight of the 1990 season was a 46-3 pounding of Texas in the Cotton Bowl. The Hurricanes
performance on New Years Day 1991 set the stage for their run to another national championship the
following season.
With Gino Torretta now as the full-time starter in 1991,
Miami rolled through its first 8 games leading up to a high-noon showdown against #1 Florida State in Tallahassee. The
Seminoles jumped out to a 16-7 lead, but Miami scored 10 points in the 4th quarter to take the lead, 17-16. Florida State attempted one last desperation drive and with time running out, Seminole
kicker Gerry Thomas missed a 34-yard field goal to the right in a moment that would come to be known as Wide Right I.
Miami finished out the season 11-0 and earned a berth in the Orange Bowl to face
Big 8 champion Nebraska. The
Hurricanes dominated the Cornhuskers en route to a 22-0 victory that clinched at least a share of the national championship.
The AP poll had the Hurricanes at #1 since their win over Florida
State. But the coaches poll had a tie between the Hurricanes and Washington. The Huskies beat Michigan
convincingly in the Rose Bowl, 34-14, setting the stage for a close vote the following
morning. The AP poll kept Miami at #1 giving them their 4th national championship. But the coaches poll tilted in Washington's
favor giving them a split.[8] The 1992 season was a year of ups and downs. The aftermath of Hurricane
Andrew was a year-long distraction for the Hurricanes, with Dennis Erickson even
taking several players into his home because their own homes had been destroyed. Then, after nearly losing to unheralded
Arizona, Miami barely defeated Florida State when a game-tying field goal attempt went wide to the right yet again.
Miami's luck ran out against the hard-nosed defense of Alabama, who
dominated the 'Canes in the Sugar Bowl to win the national title by a score of 34-13.
With mainstays like Torretta, Micheal Barrow and Jessie Armstead all gone the following year, Miami needed to rely on a new cast of characters. A
quarterback controversy between Frank Costa and Ryan Collins lasted the entire season. Despite the transition year, Miami still
managed to go 9-2, and was invited to the Fiesta Bowl. However, a hungry Arizona team pounced on a listless and apathetic Hurricanes squad 29-0.
In 1994, with the promise that the team would improve itself after the embarrassment in January,
Miami raced to a 10-1 record and saw the emergence of new stars such as Warren Sapp and
Ray Lewis. The one regular season loss was 38-20 to Washington at the Orange Bowl, ending the home
win streak at an NCAA-record 58 games. Miami, however, would end the season ranked #3 and would get a chance for a piece of the
national title against Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.
Miami started strong, but the powerful Nebraska offensive line
eventually wore down the Hurricanes defense. The Huskers were able to score 15 points in the 4th quarter (via two up-the-middle
runs by Huskers FB Cory Schlesinger and a two-point conversion pass) to win the
National championship, 24-17.
The Butch Davis Era (1995-2000)
Shortly after the 1994 season, Dennis Erickson resigned
in order to accept the job as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. Several early
candidates to replace Erickson, including Sonny Lubick, withdrew from consideration.
Eventually Miami settled on former Hurricanes Assistant and Dallas Cowboys Defensive
Coordinator Butch Davis.
The Hurricanes finished Davis' first season bowl-eligible with a record of 8-3. However, on December 20, 1995 the NCAA announced that Miami would be subject to severe sanctions for numerous
infractions within the athletic department. Among the sanctions was a one-year ban from postseason participation and a
scholarship reduction of 31 over a three year period beginning in 1996.
The imposition of scholarship reductions led to a long and sometimes painful rebuilding period for the Hurricanes.
The low point for Miami came in 1997 when they posted a 5-6 record, the first losing season
since Howard Schnellenberger's first year in 1979. The 1997 season
saw the Hurricanes suffer one of the program's most humiliating losses, a 47-0 beating at the hands of in-state rival
Florida State.
The Hurricanes began to reassert themselves in 1998. In late September, Miami was forced to postpone their game with UCLA due
to Hurricane Georges. The game was rescheduled for December 5 and for the #2-ranked Bruins, a trip to the National Championship game was at stake. The
Hurricanes put up over 600 yards of total offense and the result was a stunning 49-45 victory for the Hurricanes.
The following season carried high hopes and expectations for the Hurricanes. They opened the year with a 23-12 win over
Ohio State in East
Rutherford. Early success, however, was tempered by tough losses to Penn State and Florida State
during a three game losing streak. The Hurricanes rebounded to win their last 4 games including a 28-13 win over Georgia Tech in the Gator Bowl.
In 2000, Miami was shut out of the BCS
National Championship Game. Despite beating Florida State head-to-head and
being ranked higher in both human polls, it was the Seminoles that were chosen to challenge the Oklahoma Sooners for the national championship. The Seminoles were also chosen over
Washington, who also had one loss and who had handed Miami's only loss early
in the season. Washington had been ranked third or fourth in the human polls, behind Miami. The Hurricanes were left with a
bitter sense of disappointment, believing they had been deprived of a national championship.
The Larry Coker Era (2001-2006)
On January 29, 2001, Butch
Davis abrupty left Miami to take a head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns.
Rumors circulated that Barry Alvarez, the head coach at Wisconsin, was the leading candidate because of his ties to Miami president Donna Shalala. After a few days, Alvarez turned down the job. In the meantime, several Miami players
lobbied athletic director Paul Dee on behalf of offensive coordinator Larry Coker. After
unsuccessfully trying to lure Miami Dolphins coach Dave
Wannstedt, Dee promoted Coker to the position of head coach.
2001 National Championship
-
Miami head coach Larry Coker raises the 2001 National Championship Trophy, Miami's fifth in a span of 19 years.
The Hurricanes began the season with a 33-7, primetime win over Penn
State in Beaver Stadium. Miami followed up the victory with blowout wins over
Rutgers, Pittsburgh, and
Troy State. After building up a 4-0 record, the Hurricanes defeated Florida State in Doak
Campbell Stadium, 49-27, ending the Seminoles' 54-game home unbeaten streak and 37-game home winning streak. The 'Canes
then defeated West Virginia, 45-3, and Temple, 38-0, before heading to Chestnut Hill to
take on Boston College.
In the final minute of the fourth quarter, with Miami clinging to a 12-7 lead, BC quarterback Brian St. Pierre led the Eagles
from their own 30-yard line all the way down to the Hurricanes' 9. With BC on the verge of a momentous upset, St. Pierre
attempted to pass to receiver Ryan Read at the Miami 2-yard line. However, the ball deflected off the leg of Miami cornerback
Mike Rumph, landing in the hands of defensive end Matt Walters. Walters ran ten yards with
the ball before teammate Ed Reed grabbed the ball out of his hands at around the Miami 20-yard
line and raced the remaining 80-yards for a touchdown, icing an 18-7 victory for the Hurricanes.
After surviving the scare from Boston College, Miami demolished #14
Syracuse, 59-0, and #12 Washington, 65-7, in consecutive weeks. The combined 124-7 score was a record for the
largest margin of victory over consecutive ranked opponents. The final hurdle to the Rose
Bowl BCS National Championship Game was at Virginia Tech. Miami jumped on the Hokies, leading 20-3 at halftime. Virginia Tech added a couple of late touchdowns, attempting two-point conversions on each.
The first conversion was successful, pulling them to 26-18, but receiver Ernest Wilford dropped a pass from quarterback Grant
Noel in the endzone for the second conversion. Ed Reed's late interception in the 4th quarter sealed the win for the Hurricanes.
Miami's 26-24 victory earned the top-ranked Hurricanes an invitation to the Rose Bowl
to take on BCS #2 Nebraska for the national championship.
In the Rose Bowl, the Hurricanes took a 34-0 halftime lead and cruised to a 37-14
rout of the Huskers to capture their fifth national championship and put the finishing touches on a perfect 12-0 season. The
Miami defense shut down Heisman winner Eric Crouch
and the Huskers offense, holding Nebraska 200-yards below its season
average. Ken Dorsey and Andre Johnson were named
Rose Bowl co-MVPs.[9]
Six Hurricane players earned All-American status and six players were finalists for national awards, including
Maxwell Award winner, Ken Dorsey, and Outland Trophy winner, Bryant McKinnie. Dorsey was also a
Heisman Trophy finalist, finishing third.
The 2001 Miami Hurricanes are considered by some in the media as
one of the greatest teams in college football history. [10]
2003 Fiesta Bowl
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Miami started the 2002 season as the defending national champion and the #1 ranked team in the
country. Behind a high-powered offense led by senior Ken Dorsey and new starting running back
Willis McGahee coupled with a stout defense the Hurricanes completed their regular season
schedule undefeated. The season was highlighted by a 41-16 win over rival Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, the first
regular season meeting between the rivals since 1987.
The Hurricanes' toughest test was an October clash against rival Florida
State at the Orange Bowl. Miami overcame a 13-point second half deficit to
defeat the Seminoles, 28-27. The game was clinched when Florida State
kicker Xavier Beitia missed a 43-yard field goal, wide left, as time expired.
Miami would finish 12-0 and clinch a berth in the Fiesta Bowl BCS National Championship Game after a 56-45 victory over Virginia Tech. Both Ken Dorsey and Willis McGahee were named as finalists for the Heisman
Trophy.
Miami, in the midst of a 34-game winning streak, was installed as a 13-point favorite in the Fiesta Bowl match up against #2 Ohio State. A
Willis McGahee touchdown run brought the Hurricanes within 3 points by the beginning of
the fourth quarter. On third down a catch by Chris Gamble was ruled incomplete due to his
being out of bounds. Miami was able to fight back and force overtime on a 40-yard field goal by Todd Sievers on the final play of
the fourth quarter. Miami scored a touchdown on its first possession in overtime and appeared to have won the game, 24-17, after
stopping Ohio State's offense on a fourth-and-3 from the Miami 5. Miami players and coaches rushed the field and stadium
fireworks were setoff in celebration of Miami's sixth national championship.
However, the national championship would not last long, as Big12 official Terry Porter (seconds after signaling that the pass
was incomplete) threw a penalty flag and made a pass interference call on Miami cornerback Glenn Sharpe. The call gave
Ohio State a first down and new life, and they scored a touchdown to tie it
at 24-24 after the first overtime. The Buckeyes scored a touchdown on their possession in the second overtime to take a 31-24
lead. Miami then drove to the Ohio State 2 but were held to one yard on
their next three plays. Facing a fourth-and-goal from the Ohio State goal line, Miami called a pass play. The Hurricane offensive
line was unable to pick up the blitz. Dorsey’s heaved a desperation pass into the end zone toward Andre Johnson. The ball fell helplessly to the turf. The loss was Larry Coker's first in 25 games as
Miami's head coach.
2004 to 2006: The slow decline
Miami suffered through some offensive struggles in 2003 behind new quarterback Brock Berlin. A blowout loss at Virginia Tech in
early November ended Miami's 39-game regular season winning streak and a loss the following week to Tennessee ended Miami's national championship aspirations. The Hurricanes rebounded to win
the Big East Conference championship and finish the season 11-2 with an Orange Bowl
(game) victory over Florida State.
Miami joined the ACC in 2004 and despite 3
conference losses, the Hurricanes ended the season with a Peach Bowl victory over rival
Florida.
The 2005 Season ushered in the long-awaited debut of Kyle Wright
as Miami's starting quarterback, although the much-ballyhooed Wright would struggle with consistency during the season with much
of Miami's success that year fueled by their defense. After suffering a heartbreaking loss to archrival Florida State after
placekick holder Bryan Monroe bobbled the snap for what would have been a game-tying field goal attempt, Miami would rattle off
eight straight wins, including a road win over 3rd-ranked Virginia Tech, only to stumble two weeks later against underdog Georgia
Tech. The 2nd conference loss of the season bounced Miami out of a place in the inaugural ACC Championship game and left them
with another invite to the Peach Bowl, where they faced LSU and suffered the worst bowl
loss in school history, 40-3.
The 2006 season was one of the most difficult in Miami history. It was punctuated by an ugly
on-field brawl against Florida
International, the shooting death of defensive tackle Bryan Pata, and a four game
late-season losing streak. Only a Thanksgiving night victory over
Boston College, in Miami's last game of the regular season, saved the Hurricanes
from a losing regular season reco | 
