The most 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 most 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, PA|State College]].
The highlight of Schnellenberger's first season was a 26-10 upset win over #19 [[Penn State]] in [[State College, PA|State College]].Also in 1979 Miami lost to Division 1-AA Florida A&M 16-13 in Tallahassee.
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.
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.
Since 1983, no school has won more national championships, won a higher percentage of its games, or produced more first round NFL draft picks than Miami.[1] The program also holds the NCAA record for the longest home winning streak (58 games), which spanned from 1985 until 1994. In addition, two Hurricanes have won the prestigious Heisman Trophy: quarterback Vinny Testaverde in 1986 and quarterback Gino Torretta in 1992.
The team currently plays its home games at the historic Orange Bowl, located off-campus in the City of Miami, but will be moving north to the newer Dolphin Stadium, located in Miami Gardens, starting with the 2008 season[2]. The current head coach is Randy Shannon, who replaced former head coach Larry Coker on December 8, 2006. Shannon was previously the team's defensive coordinator from 2001-2006. At the time of his hiring, Shannon was just the sixth African-American head coach in Division I-A college football.[3]
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.
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. Continued good attendance and a pair of 6-4 records ushered 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 the pros and the integration of college football in the South.
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.
It wasn't until December of 1966 that UM 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 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 while twice earning All-America status. Nicknamed "The Matador", he 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.
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.
Ted Hendricks, nicknamed "The Mad Stork" became one of the most feared pass rushers in college football. He became the school's first and only three-time All-American (1966-1968), and 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 1970's
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.
Realizing that quality players were the key to success at Miami, 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]
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 most 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.Also in 1979 Miami lost to Division 1-AA Florida A&M 16-13 in Tallahassee.
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.
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 which had limited experience.
After summer workouts and brutal two-a-day's in the fall, coach Schnellenberger picked 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 inexperienced Hurricanes en route to a 28-3 win. Despite the loss, Kosar set a school record for a completions in a game with 25.
After the loss in Gainesville, Miami proceeded to win 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 in the world of college football as the greatest team to suit up in over two decades. The Hurricanes were picked as 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]
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 Thanksgiving night, 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, with Bernie Kosar deciding to make himself eligible for the NFL Supplemental Draft, 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 completed an undefeated regular season, with the exclamation point being a victory over top ranked Oklahoma in a rare 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 11-0 and ranked #1, the Hurricanes were invited to the Fiesta Bowl to play #2 Penn State. Miami was a heavy favorite and many pundits predicted a blowout for the Hurricanes. Some of the players, so 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.
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 finished out the string, winning their last seven games including a 23-3 win over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl to finish the season 11-1 and #2 in the final polls.
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. That candidate 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. He employed a one-back offensive set that was heavily criticized in his first several months in Coral Gables.
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 #1 ranked Notre Dame in front of a then-record crowd at the Orange Bowl. However, because Notre Dame had entered the game ranked #1 and already agreed to terms with the Orange Bowl committee, it was Notre Dame who would play in the Orange Bowl against #1 Colorado, while #2 Miami had to settle for Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
Ironically, with its win over Colorado, the Fighting Irish paved 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]
The 1990 Hurricanes had high expectations heaped upon them by fans and the national media. As clear favorites to repeat as champions Miami was ranked #1 in the preseason rankings. 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 earning them a trip to 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.
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 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.
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 BowlBCS 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]
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, 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.
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 record. On November 24, 2006, the day after finishing the regular season at 6-6, Larry Coker was fired as the team's head coach, but coached through the postseason. He won his final game, a 21-20 victory over Nevada on December 31, 2006, in the MPC Computers Bowl.
Randy Shannon Era (2007-current)
Move to Dolphin Stadium
Starting with the 2008 season, Miami will play its home games at Dolphin Stadium. 2007 will mark UM's final season of football at the the Orange Bowl. The move to Dolphin Stadium was approved by the university's Board of Trustees, on the recommendation of UM President Donna Shalala, on August 21, 2007.[11]
Due to the deteriorating condition of the Orange Bowl there had been much speculation in recent years over the venue's continued viability as Miami football's home stadium. With an on-campus stadium not practical due to substantial opposition from neighboring home owners in Coral Gables, the university was left with two options: move north to state-of-the-art Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, which serves as home to the NFL's Miami Dolphins, or renovate the decaying Orange Bowl, adding more restrooms and a video replay screen and making assorted repairs to the stadium infrastructure.
Opponents of the move to Dolphin Stadium cited the Orange Bowl's immense history, its closer proximity to the university, the home field advantage provided by its accoustics, and the Hurricanes status as the facility's sole major tenant. Proponents of the move cited the extra $2 to $5 million in annual revenue the university would earn at Dolphin Stadium, the presence of some of the world's largest high definition video replay screens, the stadium's modern amenities and vast parking area, and the appeal to recruits of playing their home games in a state-of-the-art NFL stadium.
The new venue will retain Hurricane traditions. Players will continue to enter the field through a smoke-filled tunnel, Miami and ACC logos will be prevalent on the field of play and throughout the stadium, the Ring of Honor will cover the stadium facade on gameday, and 'Touchdown Tommy' (a small cannon) will still be fired when UM scores.
Miami owns the record for the longest home winning streak in NCAA history, winning 58 straight games at the Orange Bowl. The record streak began with a 38-0 shutout victory over Cincinnati on October 12, 1985 and ended with a 38-20 loss to Washington on September 24, 1994.
Miami also won 29 straight games from October 27, 1990 to January 1, 1993, good for thirteenth on the all-time list. That streak was snapped when the top-ranked Hurricanes were upset by second-ranked Alabama, 34-13 in the 1993 Sugar Bowl.
In addition to its own lengthy winning streaks, Miami has snapped opponents' winning streaks, halting four streaks of 20 games or more in its history. The only other school to snap four winning streaks of 20 or more games is Princeton.[12]
The Hurricanes ended top-ranked Notre Dame's 23-game winning streak with a 27-10 win on November 25, 1989. In the 1984 Orange Bowl, Miami ended top-ranked Nebraska's 22-game winning streak and won its first national championship with a 31-30 victory. The Canes halted top-ranked Oklahoma's 20-game streak and won their second national championship when they defeated the Sooners, 20-14, in the 1988 Orange Bowl. UCLA became the fourth victim when Miami defeated the third-ranked Bruins 49-45 on December 5, 1998, snapping their 20-game winning streak.
Rivalries
Miami's traditional rivals are Florida and Florida State. Since 2002, the Florida Cup has been awarded to the team that finishes with the best head-to-head record in years where Miami, Florida, and Florida State all face each other. Three Florida Cups have been awarded, and Miami has won all three.
Miami's rivalry with Florida dates all the way back to 1938, when the Hurricanes defeated the Gators, 19-7, in the first meeting between the geographic rivals. The Seminole War Canoe was carved in 1950 out of a cypress struck by lightning and was given to the winner of the annual meeting. The canoe is meant to symbolize the fighting spirit of the Seminole people that is often on display during games between the Hurricanes and Gators.
Miami holds the edge in the all-time series with a 28-25 record against Florida. The two schools met every year from 1944 until 1987, but have not played regularly since then. Florida canceled the annual rivalry after the SEC announced the addition of an extra conference game. Nevertheless, the rivalry remains incredibly intense, with many Hurricane fans still considering Florida a more "hated" rival than Florida State. Miami has won the last six meetings between the schools dating back to 1986, including victories in the 2001Sugar Bowl and the 2004Peach Bowl. The next matchup is scheduled for the 2008 season.
Florida State
The Miami-Florida State rivalry dates to 1951, when the Hurricanes defeated the Seminoles 35-13 in their inaugural meeting. The schools have played uninterrupted since 1966, with Florida State holding the all-time advantage, 29-22.
During the 1980s and 90s, the series emerged as one of the premier rivalries in college football. Between 1983 and 2002, the Hurricanes and Seminoles combined to win 7 national championships and play in a whopping 14 national championship games. The rivalry has been popular not only because of its profound national championship implications and the competitiveness of the games, but also because of the immense talent typically present on the field when the two teams meet. The 1988 meeting starred an unbelievable 57 future NFL pros on the combined rosters.
The rivalry is a television ratings bonanza, accounting for the two highest rated college football telecasts in ESPN history. The 2006 game between Miami and FSU was the most-viewed college football game, regular season or bowl, in the history of ESPN, averaging 6,330,000 million households in viewership (6.9 rating). It was also the second-highest rated game in ESPN history, behind only the 1994 game between Miami and FSU, which notched a 7.7 rating.[13]
One of the Hurricanes' most recognizable traditions is its dramatic entrance scene. The team enters the field through a large cloud of white smoke billowing from its entrance tunnel, amid a tape of a hurricane blasting over the sound system. The smoke comes from a series of pipes welded together by school transportation director Bob Nalette in the 1950s and comprised simply of fire extinguisher exhaust.
Following Miami's rise to prominence in the 1980s, many college and NFL teams copied this practice.
Ring of Honor
In 1997, the university established the 'Ring of Honor' as a way to honor outstanding players who have passed through the Hurricane football program. The inaugural class of included Jim Dooley, Ted Hendricks, George Mira, and Vinny Testaverde. These four players are the only ones in the history of the program to have their numbers retired by the university.
Prior to the start of the fourth quarter of every home game, Miami players, coaches, and fans hold up four fingers in recognition of their belief that a game is won or lost in the fourth quarter. It also serves as a reminder of Miami's dominance in the final quarter. Since 1985, the 'Canes have gone 192-5 in regular-season games in which they held a lead entering the fourth quarter. The five losses in this span occurred against Florida State and Georgia Tech (2006), Clemson (2004), East Carolina (1999) and West Virginia (1997), with no such losses from 1985-1996.[14]
Miami has had great success in producing players who go on to play in the National Football League. The Hurricanes hold the record for most players selected in the first round in a single draft (6, 2004); most first-round draft picks in a two-year period (11, 2003-2004); most first-round draft picks in a three-year period (15, 2002-2004); and most first-round picks in a four-year period (19, 2001-2004). [15] For the past 13 years, Miami has had at least one player selected in the first round of the NFL draft. The Hurricanes also hold a record streak of 66 consecutive regular season weeks where a Miami Hurricane has scored a touchdown in an NFL game.
The role of Miami alumni in the NFL has been the subject of numerous national sports media articles. FHM magazine, in its September 2006 issue, carried a five-page article, titled: "University of Miami Hit Squad: The Hurricanes are taking over the NFL. Deal with It." The article prominently featured up-and-coming Miami alumni in the NFL, including Vernon Carey, Bryant McKinnie, Antrel Rolle, Jonathan Vilma, D.J. Williams, and others.
Miami head coaches have also had great success in obtaining head coaching positions in the professional ranks. Out of Miami's last five head coaches, four (Howard Schnellenberger, Jimmy Johnson, Dennis Erickson, Butch Davis) have gone directly on to coach at the professional level.
As of the 2006 season, the University of Miami has more of its alumni on active NFL rosters than any other college or university in the nation.
Controversies and Scandals
The University of Miami has also experienced some degree of controversies, scandals and incidents which at times have led to NCAA sanctions, suspensions, and negative publicity for the university.
1980s: Luther Campbell's "pay for play"
A long-time booster of Hurricanes Football, 2 Live Crew member and local philanthropist Luther Campbell was said to have been behind what was referred to as a "pay-for-play" system, which involved cash rewards for things such as touchdowns as well as big hits. His ties to the program were at one point so close that former Hurricanes coach Dennis Erickson used to occasionally call upon Campbell as an intermediary when he was having a problem with his players.
1980s-1990s: Extra benefits, Pell Grant scandal, and NCAA sanctions
In 1994, Tony Russell, a former University of Miami academic advisor, pleaded guilty to helping more than 80 student athletes, 57 of whom were football players, falsify Pell Grant applications in exchange for kickbacks from the players themselves. The scandal dated all the way back to 1989 and secured more than $220,000 in federal grant money. In late 1995, the NCAA concluded that, in addition to the fraudulent Pell Grants facilitated by Mr. Russell, the university had also provided or allowed over $400,000 worth of other, improper payments to Miami football players. The NCAA also found that the university had failed to wholly implement its drug testing program, and permitted three football student-athletes to compete without being subject to the required disciplinary measures specified in the policy. Finally, the NCAA concluded, the university had lost institutional control over the football program.[16] Miami lost seven scholarships as a result of a self-imposed sanction in 1995, and another 24 scholarships were disallowed by the NCAA over the next two years, but Miami avoided the so-called "death penalty." As a result of the scandal, Sports Illustrated in the summer of 1995 argued in a controversial cover story that Miami should shut down its football program.[17]
In 2004, an informal hip hop music group called the 7th Floor Crew, allegedly comprised of several UM football players and named for the 7th floor of UM's Mahoney Residential College[1], recorded a lewd rap song. The song ultimately fell into the hands of national media in 2005, including ESPN and Sports Illustrated.
Sung to the beat of Aaliyah's "If Your Girl Only Knew", the song's lyrics are filled with lewd sexual references. Following ESPN's coverage of the song and the role of several UM football players in creating it, the university issued a statement condemning its lyrical content.
On October 14, 2006, Miami and the Florida International Golden Panthers brawled after a PAT. The brawl engulfed the entire field of play. This was the first meeting between Miami and FIU.
The next day, 13 players were handed one-game suspensions by the school and conference. As a result, they were forced to sit out Miami's next game, against Duke. In addition, Coker had suspended James Bryant, Brandon Meriweather and Anthony Reddick indefinitely earlier in the day, but only Reddick was actually handed an indefinite suspension on Monday.
This punishment was viewed as far too lenient by some. For example, ESPN Radio'sMike Greenberg and Mike Golic thought that they should be suspended even longer than one game, and even suggested that Coker should be fired. They also condemned Lamar Thomas, a former Miami player calling the game for Comcast's Sports Southeast, for making light of, and encouraging, the fight. Thomas was fired the following Monday from CSS. However, others at ESPN Radio like Dan Le Batard and Jon "Boog" Sciambi acknowledged that the emotions took over and mistakes were made, and that the suspensions were sufficient.[18]
Tragedies
Despite Miami's on-field success, the program has been plagued in recent years by tragedy away from the gridiron.
Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro Jerome Brown died on June 25, 1992, at the age of 27, following an automobile accident in Florida, in which both he and his nephew were killed when Brown lost control of his vehicle at high speed.
On April 13, 1996, linebacker Marlin Barnes and a female companion were bludgeoned to death in Barnes's on-campus apartment by the woman's jealous ex-lover. The assailant is currently on Florida's death row on two counts of first-degree murder.
In 2002, a car accident claimed the life of linebacker Chris Campbell.
In 2003, former safety Al Blades was killed in a car accident.
On November 7, 2006, defensive lineman Bryan Pata was murdered in the parking lot of his apartment complex several hours after practice had ended. At present, the case remains unsolved. [19]
