Miami Hurricanes football
Encyclopedia
The Miami Hurricanes
football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference
of the NCAA
's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami
. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships
(1983
, 1987
, 1989
, 1991
, 2001
). Miami is ranked fourth on the list of All-time Associated Press National Poll Championships, behind Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Alabama. Two Hurricanes have won the Heisman Trophy
and six have been inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame
. Miami also holds a number of NFL Draft
records, including most first round selections in a single draft and most consecutive drafts with at least one first round selection.
The team is coached by Al Golden and plays its home games at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida
.
, a 7–0 win over Rollins College
before 304 fans. Under the guidance of head coach Howard Buck, the freshman team posted a perfect 8–0 record in its inaugural season. Two of the wins were against the University of Havana
, one on Thanksgiving Day in Miami and one at Havana on Christmas Day. Miami's last home game at of the season featured a first: the first Hurricane football game played on New Year's Day against Howard
at Miami's University Stadium. Around this time, the team adopted the official nickname "Hurricanes," though the exact timing and origin of the name is unclear; some reports suggest it was in reference to the devastating power of the 1926 hurricane
that postponed the program's first game by a month, and others that it was suggested by a player in response to rumors that university officials wanted to name the team after local flora
or fauna
.
Varsity competition began in 1927, with Miami beating Rollins 39–3 in its first game and going on to a 3–6–1 record. The team improved to 4–4–1 in 1928
, but it was not enough for Buck to keep his job, and he was replaced prior to the 1929 season
with J. Burton Rix
, previously head coach at Southern Methodist. Rix's arrival was funded by a group of local businessmen. That off-season, the program, which competed as an independent during its first two years of existence, joined the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
(SIAA). 1929 saw Miami play its first varsity road game (a 14–0 loss at Southwest Louisiana), and Rix led the team to its first winning season, going 3–2. His tenure, however, was short-lived; off-campus financing for the program dried up in the wake of the 1929 stock market crash
, and he resigned after one season.
Ernest Brett
replaced Rix, and in 1930
, Miami played Temple
in its first game outside the South
, losing 34–0 to the Owls in Atlantic City, New Jersey
.
On October 31, 1930, the Hurricanes played in one of the nation's first night games vs. Bowden College in Miami. Brett only lasted one year, and Tom McCann
became the program's fourth head coach in 1931.
Under McCann, the football program experienced its most successful seasons to that point. After a difficult first year, Miami put together a winning record in 1932
and served as host to the inaugural Palm Festival (later to be known as the Orange Bowl
), defeating Manhattan College
7–0 at Moore Park in Miami. A 5–1–2 campaign and another Palm Festival berth followed in 1933
, and in 1934
, the program played in its first official bowl game
, losing to Bucknell
in the first Orange Bowl, 26–0.
In 1935, a group of Miami football supporters sought to hire Red Grange
as coach. However, the move was vetoed by President Bowman Foster Ashe
, in part because of the $7,500 salary that Grange had requested. Instead Irl Tubbs
took over as head coach in 1935, and though Miami compiled an 11–5–2 record in his two seasons, it did not play in a bowl in either year.
resigned following the 1936 season
to become head coach at Iowa
, Jack Harding
was hired to serve as both head football coach and athletic director
at Miami.
In 1937, the Hurricanes moved into the brand new Burdine Municipal Stadium
(renamed the Orange Bowl in 1959), located west of downtown Miami. The following year, Miami played archrival Florida for the first time, defeating the Gators 19–7 at Florida Field, and won the program's first Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
title with an 8–2 record. The Hurricanes, though, left the SIAA just three years later, becoming an independent once again.
Harding led the Hurricanes to eight- and seven- win campaigns in 1941 and 1942, respectively, before he was called away by World War II
service. Eddie Dunn
, a former star running back at Miami under Harding, stepped into the void and served as head coach during Harding's two-year war service. Though the Hurricanes won five games in Dunn's first season, they faltered in the second, winning just one game against seven losses and a tie.
Fortunes changed with Harding's return in 1945, as the Hurricanes went 9–1–1 and returned to the Orange Bowl for the first time since 1934, defeating Holy Cross
13–6 in a memorable game. With the score tied 6–6 and only seconds remaining, Holy Cross quarterback Gene DeFilippo was intercepted by Miami's Al Hudson at the 11-yard line. Hudson dashed 89 yards the other way for the game-winning touchdown as time expired.
Harding's Hurricanes won eight games in 1946, but after the team slipped to 2–7–1 in 1947, he resigned as head coach, but continued as Athletic Director. He hired Andy Gustafson
as the new head coach, closing out a nine-year tenure in which Miami went 54–29–3 and won at least 8 games in four different seasons.
's major innovations at Miami was the "drive series" offense, an option-oriented attack
from the Split-T
formation that relied on zone blocking
and featured either a fullback
fake or carry on every play. Under Gustafson's tutelage, Miami produced its first All-American
, Al Carapella, in 1950 and went 9–1–1 in 1951
, including a 35–13 win in its first-ever game against rival Florida State
and a 15–14 loss to Clemson
in the Orange Bowl. The following season
, Miami won eight games and went to a bowl game in consecutive years for the first time in school history, shutting out Clemson 14–0 in a rematch at the Gator Bowl
.
In the middle of the 1954 season
, the NCAA
imposed two one-year penalties against Miami for providing transportation and tryouts to prospective players. As a result, Gustafson's 1954 squad was ineligible to play in a bowl game
, and the 8–1 Hurricanes, whose lone loss came 14–13 at No. 14 Auburn
, finished the season ranked ninth in the Coaches' Poll, the first top ten poll finish in school history. Two years later, an 8–1–1 Miami team, led by team captain and All-American Don Bosseler
, was under consideration to play in the Sugar Bowl
, but the program's bowl-ban was not due to expire until ten days after the game, rendering it ineligible to participate. The team finished the season ranked sixth in both the AP
and Coaches' Polls.
In the later years of Gustafson's tenure, two-time All-America quarterback George Mira
guided the Hurricanes to berths in the 1961
Liberty Bowl
and the 1962
Gotham Bowl
, where they lost both games. In 1963
, the team struggled to a 3–7 record. Nevertheless, Mira, who set many of the school's passing records during his four years at Miami, graced the cover of Sports Illustrated
and finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy
voting as a senior. Following the season, Gustafson decided to step down as head coach and Charlie Tate
, an assistant at Georgia Tech
, was hired to replace him. Gustafson has the Hurricane record for most years as head coach (16) and most wins as well (93).
's first seasons at Miami were uneventful, with the team posting a 4–5–1 record in 1964 and a reverse 5–4–1 record in 1965
. 1966
brought the arrival of defensive end
Ted Hendricks
, the only three-time All-American
in school history, and the Hurricanes won eight games
, earning a trip to the Liberty Bowl
, where they defeated No. 9 Virginia Tech
, 14–7. In December 1966, the program was integrated
when African-American wide receiver
Ray Bellamy signed a letter of intent to play football at the university. Miami returned to bowl play in 1967
, dropping the Bluebonnet Bowl
to Colorado
, 31–21.
The Hurricanes had a 5–5–0 season in 1968 and 4–6–0 in 1969, and Tate resigned as head coach two games into the 1970 season
, later citing burn out and fatigue from "fighting the money battle and other battles" as the basis for his decision.
, an assistant on Tate's staff, was elevated to interim head coach in the wake of Tate's resignation and coached the team to a 3–8 record in 1970. He was not retained the following season and Fran Curci
, a former All-American
quarterback under Andy Gustafson
, was chosen as the program's new head coach. Curci's 1971 team improved by a game, but rival Florida Gators defeated Miami in a game that came to be known as "the Florida Flop."" With Florida leading 45–8 late in the fourth quarter, the Gator defense allowed Miami to score so that Florida would get the ball back and quarterback John Reaves
would have the opportunity to gain the 15 yards he needed to break the NCAA
record for career passing yards.
1972
brought another memorable finish for Miami, when the inadvertent gift of a "fifth down" by officials enabled the Hurricanes to edge Tulane
in the waning moments of the game for a 24–21 win. Curci left the program at the conclusion of the season and was replaced by Pete Elliot. Elliot, in turn, lasted two seasons and stepped down in 1975 to become Miami's athletic director
.
Offensive coordinator
Carl Selmer
was named the program's fifth head coach in six years. Under Selmer, a trend that started earlier in the decade continued, with home attendance declining every year. After finishing 2–8 in 1975 and 3–8 in 1976, the university fired Selmer, citing concerns about dwindling attendance and the loss of local blue-chip recruits
to other schools.
, formerly head coach of the NFL's Buffalo Bills
, Denver Broncos
, and Boston Patriots
, was hired on December 27, 1976, as head coach.
Miami only won three games in 1977
, but Saban was able to put together a well-regarded recruiting class that included future Pro Football Hall of Fame
quarterback Jim Kelly
of East Brady, Pennsylvania
. Kelly had been recruited by Penn State
as a linebacker
and agreed to come to Miami after Saban promised him he would play quarterback. Among the other 30 signees in Saban's first recruiting class were 11 future NFL players.
The Hurricanes improved by three games in Saban's second season and Ottis Anderson
emerged as an NFL talent. Anderson became the first Miami running back to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and led the team in rushing for three straight seasons from 1977 through 1979. Anderson set numerous school rushing records and remains Miami's career rushing leader.
After just two seasons as head coach, Saban resigned in the wake of a controversy concerning football players throwing a Jewish man into Lake Osceola, an on campus lake. He left after the 1978 season to take the head coaching position at Army
. Saban's departure, the constant coaching upheaval Miami experienced during the decade, and assorted fiscal problems sparked the university's Board of Trustees to hold a vote on whether to drop the football program down to the Division I-AA level or eliminate it altogether. University executive vice president Dr. John Green was able to convince the board to give Division I-A football another shot and hired the pipe-smoking Howard Schnellenberger
, offensive coordinator
for the NFL's Miami Dolphins
, to succeed Saban.
announced to his staff and players his intention to win a national championship
within five years. His five-year plan had two main priorities: installing a pro-style
passing offense and upgrading the talent level on the roster through a new recruiting strategy aimed at retaining the best local talent. To help with the offense, Schnellenberger hired former Baltimore Colts
quarterback Earl Morrall
as a volunteer quarterbacks coach. On the recruiting front, he spoke of mining the "State of Miami," which entailed fencing off the fertile South Florida recruiting base from other programs and cherry-picking the rest of the nation for a few choice recruits. Schnellenberger also sought to exploit the freedom provided by Miami's independent schedule to gain "intersectional exposure" and make the program "national."
On the field, Miami went 5–6 in Schnellenberger's debut season, which was highlighted by a 26–10 upset win at No. 16 Penn State in which redshirt
freshman Jim Kelly
threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start as Miami's quarterback. Schnellenberger set a bowl berth as the goal of the 1980 campaign
and the team made good on its head coach's expectations, winning nine games and earning a trip to the Peach Bowl, where the Hurricanes defeated Virginia Tech
20–10. The bowl berth was Miami's first since 1967 and the team finished the season ranked eighteenth in both the AP
and Coaches' Polls.
Miami continued to improve in 1981
, going 9–2 and defeating then-No. 1 Penn State 17–14 in a late-October game at the Orange Bowl
. In the season's final game, the Hurricanes topped rival Notre Dame for the first time since 1960, 37–15, finishing the season eighth in the AP Poll. The following season
, the team finished with four losses following Kelly's shoulder injury. Entering the 1983 season
—the fifth of Schnellenberger's tenure—the program had to find a replacement for the recently-graduated Kelly. Ultimately, Schnellenberger chose Bernie Kosar
as the team's starting quarterback over fellow redshirt freshman Vinny Testaverde
.
The 1983 Miami Hurricanes
started the season unranked and lost 28–3 at Florida in their first game, though Kosar tied George Mira
's single-game school record of 25 pass completions. The Hurricanes rallied by winning their next 10 games, including a 20–0 early-season shutout of Notre Dame, and earned a berth to the 1984 Orange Bowl
to play the undefeated, top-ranked Nebraska
team that had both Mike Rozier
and Turner Gill
. The Orange Bowl-berth was Miami's first since 1951, but the program's first national championship remained a long shot, as the Hurricanes entered the game ranked fifth. Miami got much needed help early on New Year's Day when second-ranked Texas
, the nation's other undefeated team, lost in the Cotton Bowl Classic and fourth-ranked Illinois
lost in the Rose Bowl
.
Behind Kosar's passing, Miami jumped out to a 17–0 lead, but Nebraska battled back and cut Miami's lead to 31–24 in the fourth quarter. With 48 seconds remaining, Nebraska scored a touchdown to make it 31–30 and, being the number one-ranked team in the nation, needed only to kick the extra point to tie the game and put itself in position to win the national championship. Nebraska head coach Tom Osborne elected to go for the win and attempt a two-point conversion instead. On the ensuing play, Miami safety Ken Calhoun tipped away Gill's pass to receiver Jeff Smith in the end zone, saving the game and winning Miami the national championship when it leap-frogged No. 3 Auburn
to finish first in the final polls.
Although Schnellenberger had made good on his five-year plan to win a national championship, he left after the season to accept a head coaching position in the USFL. Two weeks later, athletic director Sam Jankovich
hired Jimmy Johnson
from Oklahoma State
to fill the vacancy.
One of Jimmy Johnson
's immediate priorities upon taking over as Miami head coach was to switch to a 4–3 defense. Johnson wanted to implement the change for his first season, but lacking the time, personnel, and staff, he decided to postpone the switch and kept Schnellenberger's 5–2 defensive package for the 1984 season.
The team struggled to an 8–5 record in Johnson's first season, losing a number of noteworthy games. In the next-to-last game of the regular season, the No. 6 Hurricanes squandered a 31–0 halftime lead against Maryland
and lost 42–40 in what was then the biggest comeback in NCAA football history. The following week, Miami lost 47–45 when Boston College
's Doug Flutie
connected with Gerard Phelan
for a 48-yard Hail Mary
touchdown on the final play in what has been called the Hail Flutie game. The Hurricanes ended the season on a three-game losing streak by dropping the 1985 Fiesta Bowl
to UCLA, 39–37, in a game that featured six lead changes.
During the off-season, Johnson made a number of coaching changes, facilitating the switch to the 4–3 defense, and junior Vinny Testaverde
succeeded early-graduate Bernie Kosar
at quarterback. The 1985 Hurricanes opened the season with a loss at Florida before winning their next four games, including a 38–0 win over Cincinnati
that began a then NCAA-record 58 game home winning streak, heading into a matchup at No. 3 Oklahoma
. Facing the nation's top-rated defense, Testaverde amassed 270 yards passing and threw touchdowns to Michael Irvin
and Brian Blades
, while also running for an additional score, in a 27–14 win over the Sooners. The Hurricanes ascended to number two in the rankings following a 58–7 victory over Notre Dame in the final game of the regular season, earning a trip to the Sugar Bowl
to play the No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers
. With No. 1 Penn State losing to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl
, Miami was in position to capture its second national championship
, but those hopes were dashed with a lopsided 35–7 loss to Tennessee.
Miami opened its 1986 season as the third-ranked team in the country and climbed to number two after winning its first three games, setting up a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown at the Orange Bowl against top-ranked and defending national champion Oklahoma
. After much pre-game trash-talk
between Oklahoma's Brian Bosworth
and Miami's Melvin Bratton
and Alonzo Highsmith
, Testaverde tossed four touchdown passes in a 28–16 win. Testaverde's performance led Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer
to remark that he had "never seen a better quarterback" in his 21 years with the Sooners, and at the conclusion of the regular season, Testaverde was awarded the Heisman Trophy
with the fifth largest margin of victory in the voting's history. The Hurricanes, having seized the number one ranking with the win over Oklahoma, finished the regular season at 11–0, outscoring their opponents 420–136, and accepted a bid to the 1987 Fiesta Bowl
to play No. 2 Penn State. There, the team's "outlaw" image grew when players arrived in Arizona clad in fatigues
and Jerome Brown staged a walkout of a pre-game steak fry attended by both teams. Before an estimated television audience of seventy million people, Penn State upset the heavily-favored Hurricanes 14–10 to win the national championship, forcing seven turnovers, including Pete Giftopoulus' game-sealing interception of Testaverde in the end zone in the game's final seconds.
Led by Michael Irvin
and new quarterback Steve Walsh, the 1987 Miami Hurricanes
won the school's second national championship and completed its first undefeated varsity season. The season was highlighted by one of the most memorable games in the history of the Miami – Florida State rivalry. Trailing No. 4 Florida State
19–3 in the third quarter at Doak Campbell Stadium, the Hurricanes rallied to take a 26–19 lead late in the fourth quarter on a 73-yard touchdown pass from Walsh to Irvin. Florida State responded with a touchdown in the final minute, but Seminoles head coach Bobby Bowden
opted to go for two points and the win rather than kick the extra-point for a tie, and Miami's Bubba McDowell broke up the conversion pass in the end zone to preserve the 26–25 victory. More than 60 players on the combined rosters for the game went on to play in the NFL. The 12–0 campaign was capped by a 20–14 win over the then-No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners
in an Orange Bowl
billed as "The Game of the Century." The win was Miami's third over Oklahoma in the last three seasons, accounting for Oklahoma's only losses during that time period.
The Hurricanes had a then-school record 12 players from the 1987 team selected in the following spring's NFL Draft
,, including Irvin and Bennie Blades
, but with Walsh returning in 1988
, the team gained the number one ranking with a season-opening 31–0 shutout of then-No. 1 Florida State at the Orange Bowl. The following week, Miami scored 17 points in the final 5 minutes and 23 seconds to top No. 4 Michigan
31–30 at Michigan Stadium
. Hopes of a repeat national championship were dashed, however, in the so-called "Catholics vs. Convicts
" game, with Miami dropping an emotional 31–30 loss to eventual-national champion Notre Dame
on a failed two-point conversion pass in the final minute.
Johnson left the program in February 1989 to become the head coach of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys
, ending his tenure at Miami with a 52–9 overall record and a 44–4 mark over his last four seasons.
Despite having the support of students, players, and even the Miami police and fire departments, offensive coordinator
Gary Stevens was bypassed for the head coaching job and athletic director Sam Jankovich
chose Dennis Erickson
of Washington State
to succeed Jimmy Johnson
instead.
In 1989
, Erickson became just the second Division I head coach to win a national championship
in his first season at a school. Erickson's 1989 team
, led by Craig Erickson
(no relation) at quarterback, rebounded from a mid-season loss at Florida State
and moved back into the national championship picture with a 27–10 win over then-top-ranked Notre Dame in the final regular-season game. Miami's 33–25 win over No. 7 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl
, combined with No. 1 Colorado
's loss to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl
, earned the program its third national championship.
Miami entered the following season
as the number one team in the country, but a 28–21 upset loss to Ty Detmer
and No. 16 BYU
in the opener derailed both the team's national championship chances and Craig Erickson's nascent Heisman campaign. Later in the year, the Hurricanes lost to Notre Dame 29–20 in a game dubbed the "Final Conflict", as Notre Dame had decided to discontinue the 27-game rivalry, feeling the intensity of the series had reached an unhealthy level. Miami ended the season with a 46–3 Cotton Bowl Classic victory over No. 3 Texas
in the 1991 Cotton Bowl Classic in which the team was penalized a bowl- and school-record 16 times for 202 yards, including nine unsportsmanlike conduct or personal foul penalties. On one play, Randal Hill
scored on a 48-yard touchdown reception and continued to sprint out of the end zone and up the Cotton Bowl
tunnel, where he then pretended to shoot at the Longhorns with imaginary pistols. The program was widely criticized for its conduct, with Will McDonough
of the Boston Globe likening the Cotton Bowl Classic display to a "wilding" and Bill Walsh calling it "the most disgusting thing [he'd] ever seen in college sports." After the season, the NCAA
responded with the so-called "Miami Rule", which made it a 15-yard penalty to engage in excessive celebration or flagrant taunting.
Also during the off-season, Miami ended its 48-year status as an independent and joined the Big East Conference
.
The 1991 Hurricanes
captured the program's fourth national championship in nine years behind quarterback Gino Torretta
and a linebacking corps that featured Jessie Armstead
and Micheal Barrow
. Miami's toughest test came in mid-November at then-No. 1 Florida State
in the initial Wide Right game; with the No. 2 Hurricanes leading 17–16 in the final minute of the game, Florida State kicker Gerry Thomas' potential game-winning field goal attempt sailed "wide right" of the uprights. Miami completed the second undefeated season in school history with a 22–0 shutout of No. 11 Nebraska
in the 1992 Orange Bowl
and finished first in the AP Poll
, splitting the national championship with Coaches' Poll champ Washington
.
Hurricane Andrew
devastated much of South Florida in August 1992, causing the program to relocate its preseason practice sessions north to Dodgertown in Vero Beach
. That season, Miami went 11–0
against the second-toughest schedule in the country, topping No. 3 Florida State
in Wide Right II
and No. 7 Penn State the following week in Beaver Stadium
. Meanwhile, Torretta became the second Hurricane to win the Heisman Trophy
, throwing for 19 touchdowns and 3,060 yards on the season and setting 11 school passing records during his career. Miami earned a trip to the 1993 Sugar Bowl
, where the top-ranked Hurricanes were denied a repeat national championship by No. 2 Alabama
, 34–13. The Sugar Bowl loss ended the program's 29-game winning streak, which dated to 1990.
The following two seasons yielded less success. In 1993
, Miami lost three games
in a season for the first time since 1984, failed to win the Big East for the first time since joining in 1991, and was shut out in the Fiesta Bowl
by Arizona
, leading some to wonder whether the program was in decline. In 1994
, Miami defeated Georgia Southern
in the season opener for its 58th consecutive home win, setting an NCAA record; the streak, which began in 1985, was snapped two weeks later when Washington
defeated the Hurricanes 38–20 at the Orange Bowl
. Led by All-American
defensive tackle Warren Sapp
and sophomore linebacker Ray Lewis, the team rebounded to earn a berth in the 1995 Orange Bowl
, where No. 1 Nebraska
outscored Miami 15–0 in the final quarter to win the game, 24–17, and the national championship.
With the threat of NCAA sanctions hovering over the program for a variety of infractions, Erickson stepped down after the 1994 season to become head coach of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks
. Erickson departed Miami with a 63–9 record over six seasons and the highest winning percentage (.875) and most national championships (2) of any coach in school history.
, including former UM defensive coordinator and 1994 Sports Illustrated Coach of the Year 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 with a record of 8–3, which may have drawn a bowl invitation. However, on December 20, 1995 the NCAA announced that Miami would be subject to severe sanctions for numerous infractions within the athletic department. The Hurricanes were forced to sit out postseason play for the 1995 season and docked 31 scholarships from 1996 to 1998. Miami had actually self-reported the violations in 1991. However, when the Department of Education got word that school officials helped athletes fraudulently obtain Pell Grant
s, it asked Miami to stop its own investigation while it conducted its own. Ultimately, 60 athletes were implicated, but all of them avoided criminal charges after being sent through a pretrial diversion program.
In 1994, Tony Russell, a former UM 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. Federal officials later said that Russell had engineered "perhaps the largest centralized fraud ... ever committed" in the history of the Pell Grant program.
In late 1995, the NCAA concluded that, in addition to the fraudulent Pell Grants facilitated by 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. Miami docked itself seven scholarships as part of a self-imposed sanction in 1995, and the NCAA took away another 24 scholarships over the next two years. As a result of the scandal, Sports Illustrated
' s Alexander Wolff
wrote a cover story that Miami should at least temporarily shut down its football program. Further, On June 21, 1996, Miami football players broke into the apartment of the captain of Miami's track team and struck him repeatedly. In response, Davis suspended three key players for the coming 1996 season. Davis also suspended two other players who were involved in separate violent incidents.
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 rebounded from a 66–13 "caning" at the hands of Syracuse and Donovan McNabb to put up over 600 yards of total offense against UCLA en route to 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 its only loss early in the season. Washington had been ranked third or fourth in the human polls, behind Miami. The Hurricanes went into the 2001 Nokia Sugar Bowl
as the Big East champions and defeated Florida
37–20.
left Miami to become head coach of the Cleveland Browns
. Dee promoted offensive coordinator Larry Coker
to be head coach.
Miami started the season with a 33–7, televised win over Penn State in Beaver Stadium
. Miami followed up the victory with 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 Hurricanes 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, Boston College 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 a 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, resulting in a 18–7 Miami victory.
After surviving the scare from Boston College, Miami shutout #14 Syracuse
, 59–0, and defeated #12 Washington
, 65–7 in the Orange Bowl. The combined 124–7 score set what the Orlando Sentinel described as an NCAA-record for the largest margin of victory over consecutive ranked opponents.
The final hurdle to the 2002 Rose Bowl
BCS National Championship Game
was at Virginia Tech
. Miami led Virginia Tech 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. 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 win over 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 vaunted Huskers offense, holding Nebraska 200 yards below its season average. Ken Dorsey
and Andre Johnson
were named Rose Bowl co-Most Valuable Players.
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 experts and historians as one of the greatest teams in college football history.
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 quarterback Ken Dorsey
, new starting running back Willis McGahee
, and a stout defense anchored by Jonathan Vilma, 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. Another signature win came four weeks later when Miami dominated the Tennessee Volunteers
, 26–3, before a crowd of 107,745 at Neyland Stadium
, considered one of the most hostile road venues in college football.
Miami would finish 12–0 and clinch a berth in the Fiesta Bowl
BCS National Championship Game after a wild 56–45 victory over Virginia Tech in which McGahee rushed for 205 yards and a school-record six touchdowns. Both Dorsey and McGahee were named as finalists for the Heisman Trophy, finishing 4th and 5th, respectively.
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
. The Hurricanes took an early 7–0 lead on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Dorsey to Roscoe Parrish
, but Ohio State seized control in the second quarter behind an aggressive pass rush, bolstered by constant blitzing
, and a stifling rush defense. The Buckeyes held a 14–7 lead at the half, and a field goal by Mike Nugent
extended Ohio State's advantage to 17–7 midway through the third quarter.
A touchdown run by McGahee brought the Hurricanes within 3 points, but just as the running back started to get on track, he suffered a knee injury early in the fourth quarter. 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 on a 7-yard pass from Dorsey to Kellen Winslow II
, and, on Ohio State's ensuing possession, the Hurricanes appeared to have won the game, 24–17, after Buckeyes quarterback Craig Krenzel
's fourth-and-3 pass from the Miami 5 fell incomplete in the end zone. Miami players and coaches rushed the field and stadium fireworks were set off to commemorate the program's apparent sixth national championship.
The celebration proved premature, however, as Big 12 official Terry Porter threw a belated flag and made a controversial pass interference
call against Miami cornerback Glenn Sharpe
. The penalty took the air out of Miami's sails and gave Ohio State new life, first-and-goal at the 1. The Buckeyes scored a touchdown to tie it at 24–24 at the end of the first overtime, and Maurice Clarett
's 5-yard touchdown run in the second overtime gave Ohio State a 31–24 lead.
Miami's ensuing possession saw Dorsey briefly knocked out of the game after a hit from linebacker Matt Wilhelm
. After backup quarterback Derrick Crudup completed an 8-yard pass on third down, Dorsey re-entered and converted the crucial fourth-and-3 with a 7-yard completion to Winslow. Miami then drove to the Ohio State 2 yard-line, but was held to one yard on its next three plays. Facing 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 and Dorsey's desperation pass into the end zone toward Andre Johnson fell incomplete, giving Ohio State the national championship.
The loss was Coker's first in 25 games as Miami's head coach and Dorsey's second in 40 career starts. The loss also continued the Hurricanes' futility in the Fiesta Bowl, dropping them to 0–4 in the game, with two of those losses being monumental upsets that deprived them of national championships.
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 2004 Orange Bowl
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 marked the 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 its defense. After a loss to Florida State after placekick holder Bryan Monroe bobbled the snap for what would have been a game-tying field goal attempt, Miami would win eight straight games, including a road win over 3rd-ranked Virginia Tech, only to stumble two weeks later against underdog Georgia Tech. Miami's second conference loss of the season cost it a place in the inaugural ACC Championship game and it competed instead in the Peach Bowl, where it lost to LSU
, 40–3.
2005 also saw the program embroiled in more controversy when it was reported several Miami football players had recorded a rap song in 2004 that contained lewd sexual references. The song, recorded by an informal group that called itself "7th Floor Crew" and set to the beat of Aaliyah
's "If Your Girl Only Knew
", received much criticism in outlets such as ESPN
and Sports Illustrated
. Following the negative publicity, the University issued a statement condemning its lyrical content.
The 2006 season included an on-field brawl
against Florida International
, the shooting death of Miami 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.
The day following the Boston College victory, university president Donna Shalala
terminated Coker. Coker coached through the postseason, where he won his final game, a 21–20 victory over Nevada
on December 31, 2006 in the MPC Computers Bowl
.
After a search that lasted two weeks, defensive coordinator
and Miami alumnus Randy Shannon
was officially introduced as the program's new head coach on December 8, 2006. Shannon reportedly agreed to a four-year deal worth over $4 million. As of November 2010, Shannon's .553 career winning record is the worst of any University of Miami coach in four decades.
Shannon's first year as UM head coach in 2007 was one of the worst in the Hurricanes' modern history, with the team registering a losing 5–7 record. Under Shannon, the team failed to reach a bowl game for the first time in a decade, and it was the first non-penalized full-scholarship team to miss a bowl game in more than 25 years.
Media draft experts considered the freshmen on the 2008 team to be one of the top recruiting classes in the nation. The 2008 regular season was highlighted by losses to rivals Florida
and Florida State
, as well as an upset victory over Virginia Tech
. The 26–3 loss to Florida was Miami's first in that series since 1985, snapping a 6-game winning streak against the Gators. Afterwards, the tension between the two teams was heightened when Shannon accused Florida coach Urban Meyer
of trying to run up the score with an unsuccessful deep pass into the end zone in the game's final minute. The visiting Hurricanes were 22½ point underdogs in the nationally televised game but only trailed 9–3 heading into the fourth quarter, leading some to wonder whether Meyer was trying to compensate for his team's unimpressive performance.before kicking a field goal
with :25 remaining." Miami was knocked out of ACC Championship
contention with a late-season loss to Georgia Tech
in which the Hurricanes surrendered the second-most rushing yards in school history (472). The Hurricanes finished the 2008 season at 7–6 after a 24–17 loss to California
in the Emerald Bowl
.
After the 2008 season, Shannon fired offensive coordinator Patrick Nix
, citing philosophical differences. Also, starting quarterback Robert Marve
left the team because he claimed not to be able to play for Coach Shannon. Shannon placed strict restrictions on Marve's potential transfer destinations and received much criticism in the media. However, the University of Miami claimed in a press release that the restrictions were set because of suspected tampering by Marve's family or others on behalf of the Marve family.
Shannon's staff suffered more upheaval when defensive coordinator Bill Young left to assume the same position at Oklahoma State, his alma mater, in late January 2009. North Carolina assistant John Lovett was hired to replace him.
Shannon hired former Philadelphia Eagles
offensive assistant Mark Whipple
as Miami's new offensive coordinator and assistant head coach. Several Miami offensive players from the 2008 season returned, including quarterback Jacory Harris
, both starting running backs, most of the offensive line and its top six receivers. Shannon has been able to recruit a number of Southern Florida's top high school football players by telling them that they would be able to play immediately. In fact, 21 true freshmen played during the 2008 season opener.
The 2009 season began on a poor note after two back up quarterbacks, Taylor Cook and Cannon Smith both transferred out during fall practice, leaving the young Hurricane team with only one serviceable backup in true freshman A.J. Highsmith. Sophomore Jacory Harris
directed the newly implemented offense. To make matters worse, starting defensive end Adewale Ojomo suffered a broken jaw in a locker room fight that led to a season ending injury, causing the already young Hurricane team to go into their season short handed.
Miami faced adifficult schedule to start the 2009 season with visits to #18 Florida State, a home game against #15 Georgia Tech, a visit to Lane Stadium
and the #7 Virginia Tech Hokies and a home visit from the defending Big 12 Conference
champions and BCS Champion runner-ups in #3 University of Oklahoma
. Some national media outlets and sites such as ESPN
predicted at best a 2–2 record for the Hurricanes with some even predicting an 0–4 start.
Miami opened up their 2009 season against their rival the Florida State Seminoles on Labor Day night for a national broadcast for ESPN. Billed as a "Battle of Rebuilding Programs," Quarterback Jacory Harris led a heroic comeback in Tallahassee to beat the then ranked Seminoles 38–34, overcoming a late interception and apparent injury to Harris in the 4th quarter. The next week, Miami welcomed the triple option
offense of the #14 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
in yet another ESPN prime-time game. Georgia Tech came in hot off of a big ACC win against Clemson University
the previous week and held a 4–0 record against the Hurricanes in the last 4 years, including the previous years pounding in Atlanta (referenced above). The 2009 contest would be a different story all together, as the Hurricanes handily beat the Jackets 33–17 at home and allowed only 95 rushing yards in the process. The next week, with the Hurricanes in the national spotlight for the first time in 5 years, the #9 Miami team visited the #11 Virginia Tech Hokies
. In pouring rain, Tech defeated the Hurricanes by a final score of 31–7. Beat up and embarrassed, Miami then played the Oklahoma Sooners
. Without Heisman Award winner Sam Bradford
, Oklahoma took an early 10–0 lead after two early Jacory Harris interceptions. Going into halftime, the Hurricanes trailed the Sooners 10–7 in a highly contested football game. Miami came out for the second with a huge hit on the kick off team by Corey Nelms that forced the Sooners to start inside their own 20. The following play, Sophomore Corner Brandon Harris
hit Oklahoma Quarterback Landry Jones
and forced a fumble that eventually led to a Hurricane touchdown. The momentum stayed with the Hurricanes as they rode to a 21–20 win over the #8 team in the land. Following the opening four weeks, Miami was 3–1 and was the talk of sports stations nationwide.
Following the gauntlet first third of the season, the Hurricanes won against Florida A&M at home and on the road against UCF, moving all the way up to #10 in the polls. The Canes then had to take on the always tough Clemson Tigers in Miami in what was a contest of speed and athleticism. Turnovers, missed opportunities and stand-out back CJ Spiller led the Tigers to a 40–37 overtime win against the Hurricanes, knocking them out of BCS contention and putting the ACC Championship Game
in serious jeopardy. A win against Wake Forest
on Halloween kept the Hurricanes in the conference race, which they followed up on with a 52–17 defeat of the University of Virginia
in Miami. The next week UNC
topped Miami 33–24 with an unimpressive performance by Jacory Harris and the offense. Miami finished up the 2009 regular season with back-to-back wins over Duke
and in-state rival USF
. Miami's final record was 9–3, finishing in 3rd place for the ACC Coastal Division behind Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.
The announcement of the 2009 bowl sections stirred some controversy. Instead of choosing the 3rd best team in the ACC (Miami), the Gator Bowl
chose the Florida State Seminoles to represent the ACC against the West Virginia University
instead of the Hurricanes because of the retirement of legendary FSU coach Bobby Bowden
. The Hurricanes were relegated to the Champs Sports Bowl
in Orlando to play against the 9–3 Wisconsin Badgers
. Though the Hurricanes were heavy favorites coming into the contest, the Badgers beat up on the Hurricanes consistently throughout the game. Though the Hurricanes started off fast with a big return to open the game by Sam Shields, the Canes just could not maintain any offense throughout the game and had no answer for the power offense of Wisconsin. Going into halftime, the Hurricanes trailed 17–7 and Graig Cooper blew out his knee on the poor turf just before halftime on a kick off return. Though Miami scored a late touchdown and recovered the onside kick
, they fell to Wisconsin 20–14 and finished the season at 9–4.
After the 2009 season, Shannon signed the #13 recruiting class in the nation according to ESPN. Shannon addressed many depth issues including offensive line, line backers and running backs, however the media claimed that the staff missed out on several of the more highly touted recruits on signing day, including a couple of "5 star" players. Coaching changes were made before and after signing day, including the departure of defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Clint Hurtt to the University of Louisville
and the loss of running backs coach Tommie Robinson to the Arizona Cardinals
. Shannon replaced them with former Hurricane and current University of Kentucky
defensive line coach Rick Petri as well as running back coach Mike Cassano from Florida International University
. Subsequently, Shannon has named wide-receiver coach Aubry Hill as the recruiting coordinator for the program. In May 2010, the university extended Shannon's employment contract as head coach through 2014.
The Hurricanes finished the 2010 regular season with a 7–5 record which included losses to rivals Florida State and Virginia Tech as well as the first ever loss to in-state opponent USF in the last game of the season. Shannon was fired by Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt within hours of the loss to USF. Interim head coach Jeff Stoutland
, who was offensive line coach under Shannon, led the team into its Sun Bowl matchup versus Notre Dame
; the Hurricanes lost the New Year's Eve game 33–17.
head coach Al Golden as their new head coach on December 13, 2010.
Golden posted a 6-6 record in his first year at Miami. It was only the third time since 1979 that the program had failed to register a winning record.
Former Miami Hurricanes players on the staff are noted with ~ after their name.
Miami plays its home games at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida
, located approximately 21 mi (33.8 km) north of the university's main Coral Gables
campus. The stadium also serves as home to the Miami Dolphins
of the NFL and, through 2011, Major League Baseball
's Florida Marlins
. Because the stadium is shared with the Marlins, the playing surface features a dirt infield on one side of the field until the end of the baseball season in October.
From 1937 through 2007, the team played its home games at the Orange Bowl
, located in the Little Havana
section of Miami. In the late 2000s, the City of Miami, the owner of the Orange Bowl, proposed to extensively renovate it. However, those plans fell by the wayside as the city focused on keeping the Marlins baseball team in town, forcing the university to threaten a move to Dolphin Stadium if a plan to renovate the stadium was not in place within 45 days. When the city could not deliver on a renovation plan, the University's Board of Trustees, on the recommendation of UM President Donna Shalala
, approved the shift to Dolphin Stadium on August 21, 2007.
At its inception, the program played at Tamiami Park and, later, Moore Park before moving to the then Burdine Stadium
in 1937.
The team practices on-campus at the Greentree Practice Fields, which were named the College Football Field of the Year by the SportsTurf Managers Association in 2007. The Hecht Athletic Center, also located on-campus, serves as the program's training facility and is home to the football offices.
The 2006
NFC
Champion Chicago Bears
used the football team's training facilities while preparing for Super Bowl XLI
. The other team, AFC
Champion Indianapolis Colts
used the Miami Dolphins Training Facility
at Nova Southeastern University
in Davie, Florida.
:
In addition, Jim Otto
, Jim Kelly
and Michael Irvin
were inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame without also being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
. From 2000 to 2003, Miami won 34 consecutive games, tying for sixth all-time. The streak started on September 23, 2000 with a 47–10 victory at West Virginia
and ended on January 3, 2003 with a 31–24 double overtime loss to Ohio State
in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl
. 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
.
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. The 58 game streak includes three Orange Bowl victories where Miami was the away team because of the Orange Bowl's tie to the Big 8 conference.
In addition to its own lengthy winning streaks, Miami has snapped 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
. 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 Hurricanes 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
. The Hurricanes ended top-ranked Notre Dame's 23-game winning streak with a 27–10 win on November 25, 1989. Miami also ended the 20-game winning streak of UCLA
when Miami defeated the third-ranked Bruins 49–45 on December 5, 1998.
. The schools have met six times in bowl play, with the Hurricanes winning four of the meetings.
and Florida
. 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. Four Florida Cups have been awarded, and Miami won the first three.
Miami also had heated rivalry with Notre Dame
through 1990.
); the series of games between UM and Florida becomes Miami's second-longest at 54 games.
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 14 bowl games with a national championship at stake. The 1988 game starred 57 future NFL pros on the combined rosters. Since 2004, the year Miami left the Big East Conference
to join the expanded 12-member Atlantic Coast Conference
, the universities have been conference foes, though they are placed in separate divisions consisting of six institutions. This alignment brings about the potential of the two teams meeting for a second time, should each win their respective divisions in any particular season, at the ACC Championship Game
. Played annually since 2005, the victor of the early December contest becomes the ACC champion, and subsequently the Conference's representative in the Bowl Championship Series
(BCS) that year. Under the current arrangement with the BCS, the intent has been to send the ACC champion to the FedEx Orange Bowl in Miami each year, although provisions exist that permit teams to be placed in one of the other four BCS bowls, dependent upon the rankings of the teams and the location of that season's BCS Championship Game.
The series has consistently drawn very high television ratings
with the 2006 Miami – Florida State game being the most-watched college football game—regular-season or postseason—in ESPN
history, and the 2009 and 1994 meetings being the second- and fifth-most watched regular season games, respectively.
dates back to 1938, making it the oldest rivalry among Florida's "Big Three" of Miami, Florida, and Florida State. 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 football game. 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. The canoe is now on permanent display at the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame on the Coral Gables campus.
Miami holds the edge in the all-time series with a 28–26 record against Florida. The two schools met every year from 1944 until 1987, but have not played regularly since then. Florida canceled the annual series after the 1987 season, when the requirement of the Southeastern Conference
for member schools to play eight conference games induced the University of Florida to fill out the non-conference portion of its schedule with teams that do not require a home-and-home arrangement.
From 1986 to 2003, Miami won all six of the games between the schools, including victories in the 2001 Sugar Bowl
and the 2004 Peach Bowl. Florida snapped its 23-year drought against Miami with a 26–3 win over the Hurricanes in 2008. The two schools are next scheduled to play in 2013 at Sun Life Stadium.
in 2012 before they begin a new series of games in 2016.
fraternity's Cannon Master and fired off during the games by the senior brothers of Sigma Chi. Touchdown Tommy is the third oldest tradition at the University of Miami, after the Iron Arrow Honor Society
and Sebastian the Ibis
.
Following Miami's rise to prominence in the 1980s, many high school, college and NFL teams over the last 25 years have copied this practice, and in 2001 ABC
made a parody of it for a Saturday college football commercial.
(which has since been torn down). 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 as well.
A second group of players consisting of Ottis Anderson
, Don Bosseler
, Bernie Kosar
, and Burgess Owens was inducted in 1999. After a nine-year hiatus, five new players were added in 2008: Pro Football Hall of Fame
rs Jim Kelly
and Jim Otto
, former Heisman Trophy
-winner Gino Torretta
, running back Edgerrin James
, and defensive lineman Cortez Kennedy
.
In 2009, College Football Hall of Fame
defensive back Bennie Blades
, running back and former Miami head coach Eddie Dunn
, and quarterback Steve Walsh were inducted.
. 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). From 1995 through 2008, Miami set an NFL Draft
record by having at least one player selected in the first round of 14 consecutive drafts. The Hurricanes once had a streak of 149 consecutive regular season weeks where a former Hurricane scored a touchdown in an NFL game; the streak started in Week 15 of the 2002 NFL regular season and ended in Week 11 of the 2011 season. During the streak, 33 different former Hurricanes scored touchdowns and a total of 661 touchdowns were scored. Setting a new record for most players from one school, eleven former Hurricanes were selected to the 2010 Pro Bowl
, which happened to take place at Miami's Sun Life Stadium.
Of the program's last five head coaches, three have gone directly on to head coaching positions in the NFL:
Howard Schnellenberger resigned as the Hurricanes head coach in order to become part owner and coach of Miami's first USFL franchise to be named "The Spirit of Miami." It did not materialize, and he took the head coaching position at the University of Louisville
.
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. These include a situation in 1978 where three players threw a man into a lake precipitating the resignation of coach Lou Saban
, the 1991 Cotton Bowl Classic unsportsman like conduct giving rise to the so-called "Miami Rule," the 1995 Pell Grant scandal, and the 2005 "7th Floor Crew" rap song, described above.
member Luther Campbell
was alleged to have been behind what was referred to as a "pay-for-play" system, which involved cash rewards for acts such as scoring touchdowns and big hits, although Campbell has never actually donated to the University of Miami or its athletics department.
brawled after a PAT
.
FIU cornerback Chris Smith wrestled Miami holder Matt Perelli to the ground after the kick and appeared to punch him in the chin. Another FIU cornerback, Marshall McDuffie, Jr., kicked Perelli in the head. Miami's Anthony Reddick
swung his helmet at FIU players and Miami's Brandon Meriweather
kicked an FIU player. FIU's A'Mod Ned, who was injured, came onto the field and swung at Miami players with his crutches. The fight lasted just over one minute before the coaches of both teams were able to separate the players. Florida Highway Patrol state troopers and City of Miami police arrived on the field as the fight was going on and remained a visual presence on the sidelines and in the stands to prevent further fighting. The game was delayed approximately 15 to 20 minutes as the officials attempted to sort out which players were ejected and what, if any, penalty yards needed to be enforced.
The next day, 31 players from both schools were punished — 18 from FIU, 13 from Miami — The Miami players were handed one-game suspensions, while the FIU players were suspended for the remainder of the season. Three Miami players were suspended indefinitely and the rest were also assigned community service work.
r, convicted felon
and Miami booster, Nevin Shapiro
, claimed he used investor funds to finance donations to the University of Miami's athletic program and gave an estimated $2 million in illegal benefits to at least 72 current or former football and basketball players and coaches from 2002–2010. A Yahoo! Sports
report alleged that Shapiro, through his donations, violated at least four major NCAA bylaws.
documentary film called The U
, for ESPN
's 30 for 30 film series. The film depicts the rise of the University of Miami's football tradition throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. According to the filmmaker, the university chose not to be involved in the project, and denied access to coach Randy Shannon, Paul Dee and Tad Foote
, the former president of the university. The film features the rise of the UM football program in the 1980s, but also includes details related to player crime and drug usage and privileges provided to players, including Luther Campbell
's "pay for play," in which the rap star reportedly paid UM players for major hits and plays. The film addresses the controversial and pioneering nature of the UM football program. The film was pre-screened on campus on December 10, 2009 with only two student athletes attending and televised two days later on ESPN
. The film became the network's most watched documentary program.
Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes, of Coral Gables, Florida, are the varsity sports teams of the University of Miami. They compete in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference . The university fields 15 athletic teams for 17 varsity sports...
football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
of the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
(1983
1983 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1983 Miami Hurricanes were the national champions of the 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season. The national championship was the first of five won by the University of Miami.-Offense:-Defense:-Special teams:-Coaching staff:-Schedule:...
, 1987
1987 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1987 Miami Hurricanes were the national champions of the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. The national championship was the second of five won by the University of Miami in football.-Pre-Season:...
, 1989
1989 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1989 Miami Hurricanes were the national champions of the 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season. The national championship was the third won by the University of Miami in football.-Offense:-Defense:-Special Teams:-Schedule:...
, 1991
1991 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1991 Miami Hurricanes were the national champions of the 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season, as determined by the AP Poll. 1991 was a split championship year, though, as the Washington Huskies finished #1 in the Coaches' Poll...
, 2001
2001 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 2001 Miami Hurricanes football team was the national champion of the 2001 college football season and is considered by many to be the greatest team in college football history.-Pre-season motivation:...
). Miami is ranked fourth on the list of All-time Associated Press National Poll Championships, behind Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Alabama. Two Hurricanes have won the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
and six have been inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
. Miami also holds a number of NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
records, including most first round selections in a single draft and most consecutive drafts with at least one first round selection.
The team is coached by Al Golden and plays its home games at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida
Miami Gardens, Florida
Miami Gardens is a Miami suburban city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city name comes from one of the major roadways through the area, Miami Gardens Drive. According to the 2010 U.S...
.
Beginnings (1926–36)
UM began with just a freshman football team in 1926. Its first game was played on October 23, 19261926 college football season
The 1926 college football season was the first to attempt recognition of a national champion. Stanford University, coached by Glenn "Pop" Warner, was the #1 team in the nation under the Dickinson System, and awarded the Rissman Trophy. Unbeaten Stanford faced unbeaten Alabama in the Rose Bowl...
, a 7–0 win over Rollins College
Rollins College
Rollins College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Winter Park, Florida , along the shores of Lake Virginia....
before 304 fans. Under the guidance of head coach Howard Buck, the freshman team posted a perfect 8–0 record in its inaugural season. Two of the wins were against the University of Havana
University of Havana
The University of Havana or UH is a university located in the Vedado district of Havana, Cuba. Founded in 1728, the University of Havana is the oldest university in Cuba, and one of the first to be founded in the Americas...
, one on Thanksgiving Day in Miami and one at Havana on Christmas Day. Miami's last home game at of the season featured a first: the first Hurricane football game played on New Year's Day against Howard
Samford University
Samford University, founded as Howard College is a private, coeducational, Alabama Baptist Convention-affiliated university located in Homewood, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, United States. It includes the , Cumberland School of Law, McWhorter School of Pharmacy, Brock School of Business, Ida V....
at Miami's University Stadium. Around this time, the team adopted the official nickname "Hurricanes," though the exact timing and origin of the name is unclear; some reports suggest it was in reference to the devastating power of the 1926 hurricane
1926 Miami Hurricane
The 1926 Miami hurricane was a Category 4 hurricane that devastated Miami in September 1926. The storm also caused significant damage in the Florida Panhandle, the U.S. state of Alabama, and the Bahamas...
that postponed the program's first game by a month, and others that it was suggested by a player in response to rumors that university officials wanted to name the team after local flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
or fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
.
Varsity competition began in 1927, with Miami beating Rollins 39–3 in its first game and going on to a 3–6–1 record. The team improved to 4–4–1 in 1928
1928 college football season
The 1928 college football season had the USC Trojans recognized as champions under the Dickinson System, but the Rose Bowl was contested between the #2 and #3 teams, California and Georgia Tech...
, but it was not enough for Buck to keep his job, and he was replaced prior to the 1929 season
1929 college football season
The 1929 college football season saw a number of unbeaten and untied teams. Purdue, Tulane, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh all finished the regular season with wins over all their opponents; Notre Dame was recognized as national champion under the Dickinson system...
with J. Burton Rix
J. Burton Rix
-References:...
, previously head coach at Southern Methodist. Rix's arrival was funded by a group of local businessmen. That off-season, the program, which competed as an independent during its first two years of existence, joined the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association was one of the first collegiate athletic conferences in the United States. Twenty-seven of the current Division I FBS football programs were members of this conference at some point, as were at least 19 other schools...
(SIAA). 1929 saw Miami play its first varsity road game (a 14–0 loss at Southwest Louisiana), and Rix led the team to its first winning season, going 3–2. His tenure, however, was short-lived; off-campus financing for the program dried up in the wake of the 1929 stock market crash
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...
, and he resigned after one season.
Ernest Brett
Ernest E. Brett
Ernest E. Brett was the head coach of the University of Miami football program in 1930.-Head coaching record:-External links:...
replaced Rix, and in 1930
1930 college football season
The 1930 college football season saw Notre Dame repeat as national champion under the Dickinson system, and a post-season Rose Bowl matchup between two unbeaten teams, Washington State and Alabama, ranked #2 and #3, respectively...
, Miami played Temple
Temple Owls football
The Temple Owls football team participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference...
in its first game outside the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, losing 34–0 to the Owls in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
.
On October 31, 1930, the Hurricanes played in one of the nation's first night games vs. Bowden College in Miami. Brett only lasted one year, and Tom McCann
Thomas McCann
Thomas "Tom" McCann was head coach of the University of Maine football program in 1917 and the University of Miami football program from 1931 to 1934.He also served in World War I and World War II and attained the rank of commander in the U.S...
became the program's fourth head coach in 1931.
Under McCann, the football program experienced its most successful seasons to that point. After a difficult first year, Miami put together a winning record in 1932
1932 college football season
The 1932 college football season saw the Michigan Wolverines win the Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy as national champion under the Dickinson system. Because the "Big Nine" conference didn't permit its teams to play in the postseason, however, the Wolverines were not able to accept a bid to the Rose...
and served as host to the inaugural Palm Festival (later to be known as the Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1, 2009...
), defeating Manhattan College
Manhattan College
Manhattan College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition in New York City, United States. Despite the college's name, it is no longer located in Manhattan but in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, roughly 10 miles north of Midtown. Manhattan College offers...
7–0 at Moore Park in Miami. A 5–1–2 campaign and another Palm Festival berth followed in 1933
1933 college football season
The 1933 college football season saw the Michigan Wolverines repeat as winners of the Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy as national champion under the Dickinson system. Thirteen members of the old Southern Conference split off in 1933 to form the Southeastern Conference . The ten Southern teams that...
, and in 1934
1934 college football season
The 1934 college football season saw the addition of not one, but two New Year's Day football games to rival the venerable Rose Bowl. On February 15, Warren V. Miller and Joseph M. Cousins had organized the New Orleans Mid-Winter Sports Association and by October, the group had enough funds to...
, the program played in its first official bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
, losing to Bucknell
Bucknell Bison
The Bucknell Bison are the athletic teams of Bucknell University. The program is a member of the Patriot League for Division I sports, Division I-AA in football.Bucknell won the first Orange Bowl...
in the first Orange Bowl, 26–0.
In 1935, a group of Miami football supporters sought to hire Red Grange
Red Grange
Harold Edward "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost", was a college and professional American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and for the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League...
as coach. However, the move was vetoed by President Bowman Foster Ashe
Bowman Foster Ashe
Bowman Foster Ashe was a U.S. educator who served as the first president of the University of Miami.Ashe attended Mount Union College and then transferred to the University of Pittsburgh were he earned a Bachelor of Science degree In 1910. After graduation, he took a job teaching English and...
, in part because of the $7,500 salary that Grange had requested. Instead Irl Tubbs
Irl Tubbs
Ira "Irl" Tubbs was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Wisconsin–Superior , the University of Miami , and the University of Iowa .-Playing and coaching career:Tubbs played college football at William Jewell College in...
took over as head coach in 1935, and though Miami compiled an 11–5–2 record in his two seasons, it did not play in a bowl in either year.
Jack Harding era (1937–47)
After Irl TubbsIrl Tubbs
Ira "Irl" Tubbs was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Wisconsin–Superior , the University of Miami , and the University of Iowa .-Playing and coaching career:Tubbs played college football at William Jewell College in...
resigned following the 1936 season
1936 college football season
The 1936 college football season was the first in which the Associated Press writers' poll selected a national champion. The first AP poll, taken of 35 writers, was released on October 20, 1936...
to become head coach at Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, Jack Harding
Jack Harding
Jack Harding was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach of football and baseball. He served as the head football coach at St...
was hired to serve as both head football coach and athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
at Miami.
In 1937, the Hurricanes moved into the brand new Burdine Municipal Stadium
Miami Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
(renamed the Orange Bowl in 1959), located west of downtown Miami. The following year, Miami played archrival Florida for the first time, defeating the Gators 19–7 at Florida Field, and won the program's first Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association was one of the first collegiate athletic conferences in the United States. Twenty-seven of the current Division I FBS football programs were members of this conference at some point, as were at least 19 other schools...
title with an 8–2 record. The Hurricanes, though, left the SIAA just three years later, becoming an independent once again.
Harding led the Hurricanes to eight- and seven- win campaigns in 1941 and 1942, respectively, before he was called away by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
service. Eddie Dunn
Eddie Dunn
Eddie Dunn was head coach of the University of Miami football program from 1943 to 1944 while head coach Jack Harding, was called to serve in World War II....
, a former star running back at Miami under Harding, stepped into the void and served as head coach during Harding's two-year war service. Though the Hurricanes won five games in Dunn's first season, they faltered in the second, winning just one game against seven losses and a tie.
Fortunes changed with Harding's return in 1945, as the Hurricanes went 9–1–1 and returned to the Orange Bowl for the first time since 1934, defeating Holy Cross
Holy Cross Crusaders football
The Holy Cross Crusaders football team is the collegiate football program of the College of the Holy Cross. The team is a member of the Patriot League, an NCAA Division I conference that participates in the second-level Football Championship Subdivision, more commonly known as FCS or the...
13–6 in a memorable game. With the score tied 6–6 and only seconds remaining, Holy Cross quarterback Gene DeFilippo was intercepted by Miami's Al Hudson at the 11-yard line. Hudson dashed 89 yards the other way for the game-winning touchdown as time expired.
Harding's Hurricanes won eight games in 1946, but after the team slipped to 2–7–1 in 1947, he resigned as head coach, but continued as Athletic Director. He hired Andy Gustafson
Andy Gustafson
-External links:...
as the new head coach, closing out a nine-year tenure in which Miami went 54–29–3 and won at least 8 games in four different seasons.
Andy Gustafson era (1948–63)
One of Andy GustafsonAndy Gustafson
-External links:...
's major innovations at Miami was the "drive series" offense, an option-oriented attack
Option offense
The option offense is a generic term that is used to describe a wide variety of offensive systems in American football. Option offenses are characterized as such due to the predominance of option running plays employed in these schemes. Option offenses have traditionally relied heavily upon running...
from the Split-T
Split-T
The split-T is an offensive formation in American football that was popular in the 1940s and 50s. Developed by Missouri Tigers head coach Don Faurot as a variation on the T formation, the split-T was first used in the 1941 season and allowed the Tigers to win all but their season-opening match...
formation that relied on zone blocking
Zone blocking
Zone blocking is a technique in American football that is a simple and effective scheme for creating lanes for running plays.In a zone blocking scheme, fleet-footedness and athletic ability trump size as desirable qualities in offensive linemen...
and featured either a fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
fake or carry on every play. Under Gustafson's tutelage, Miami produced its first All-American
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
, Al Carapella, in 1950 and went 9–1–1 in 1951
1951 college football season
The 1951 college football season finished with seven unbeaten major college teams, of which five were unbeaten and untied. Ultimately, the Tennessee Volunteers were voted the best team by the Associated Press, followed by the Michigan State Spartans, with the Vols having a plurality of first place...
, including a 35–13 win in its first-ever game against rival Florida State
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
and a 15–14 loss to Clemson
Clemson Tigers football
The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
in the Orange Bowl. The following season
1952 college football season
The 1952 college football season ended with the unbeaten Michigan State Spartans and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets each claiming the national championship according to different polls. Michigan State finished first according to two of the "wire service" polls which also both placed Georgia Tech...
, Miami won eight games and went to a bowl game in consecutive years for the first time in school history, shutting out Clemson 14–0 in a rematch at the Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
.
In the middle of the 1954 season
1954 college football season
The 1954 college football season saw three teams finish unbeaten and untied, with Ohio State Buckeyes and the UCLA Bruins sharing the national championship as the #1 picks of the AP Poll and the UPI Poll, respectively. Although the winners of the Big Ten and the Pacific conferences normally met in...
, the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
imposed two one-year penalties against Miami for providing transportation and tryouts to prospective players. As a result, Gustafson's 1954 squad was ineligible to play in a bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
, and the 8–1 Hurricanes, whose lone loss came 14–13 at No. 14 Auburn
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
, finished the season ranked ninth in the Coaches' Poll, the first top ten poll finish in school history. Two years later, an 8–1–1 Miami team, led by team captain and All-American Don Bosseler
Don Bosseler
Donald John Bosseler is a former American football fullback who played in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins from 1957 to 1964. He played college football at the University of Miami and was drafted in the first round of the 1957 NFL Draft...
, was under consideration to play in the Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
, but the program's bowl-ban was not due to expire until ten days after the game, rendering it ineligible to participate. The team finished the season ranked sixth in both the AP
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
and Coaches' Polls.
In the later years of Gustafson's tenure, two-time All-America quarterback George Mira
George Mira
George Ignacio Mira is a former professional American football player. A quarterback drafted in the second round of the 1964 NFL Draft from the University of Miami, Mira played in eight NFL seasons from 1964-1971 for three different teams...
guided the Hurricanes to berths in the 1961
1961 college football season
During the 20th century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA did recognize a national champion based upon the final results of "wire service" polls. The extent of that recognition came in the form of acknowledgment in...
Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in December of each year from 1959 to 2007 and in January in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty Bowl was sponsored by AXA Financial and was known as the AXA Liberty Bowl from 1997 to 2003...
and the 1962
1962 college football season
During the 20th Century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA did recognize a national champion based upon the final results of "wire service" polls. The extent of that recognition came in the form of acknowledgment in...
Gotham Bowl
Gotham Bowl
The Gotham Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game that was played in New York City, United States, in 1961 and 1962. The game was initially created as a fund raising attempt for the March of Dimes....
, where they lost both games. In 1963
1963 college football season
During the 20th Century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA Football Guide, however, did note an "unofficial national champion" based on the top ranked teams in the "wire service" polls...
, the team struggled to a 3–7 record. Nevertheless, Mira, who set many of the school's passing records during his four years at Miami, graced the cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
and finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
voting as a senior. Following the season, Gustafson decided to step down as head coach and Charlie Tate
Charlie Tate
Charles William "Charlie" Tate was an American college football player and coach. Tate served as the head coach of the University of Miami for six seasons during the 1960s and two games during the 1970 season....
, an assistant at Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, was hired to replace him. Gustafson has the Hurricane record for most years as head coach (16) and most wins as well (93).
Charlie Tate era (1964–69)
Charlie TateCharlie Tate
Charles William "Charlie" Tate was an American college football player and coach. Tate served as the head coach of the University of Miami for six seasons during the 1960s and two games during the 1970 season....
's first seasons at Miami were uneventful, with the team posting a 4–5–1 record in 1964 and a reverse 5–4–1 record in 1965
1965 college football season
During the 20th Century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA did recognize a national champion based upon the final results of "wire service" polls. The "writers' poll" by Associated Press was the most popular,...
. 1966
1966 college football season
The 1966 college football season was marked by controversy as the year of "The Tie", a November 19 game between the two top-ranked teams, Michigan State and Notre Dame. Neither team participated in a post-season bowl game. At the same time, 1966 was the first year that the professional football...
brought the arrival of defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Ted Hendricks
Ted Hendricks
Theodore Paul Hendricks is a Hall of Fame former American football linebacker who logged 15 seasons for the Baltimore Colts , the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders in the National Football League...
, the only three-time All-American
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
in school history, and the Hurricanes won eight games
1966 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1966 University of Miami Hurricanes football team had a 7-2-1 season.-Schedule & Results:-Team Players drafted into in the NFL:-External links:*...
, earning a trip to the Liberty Bowl
1966 Liberty Bowl
The 1966 Liberty Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Miami Hurricanes at Memphis Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee on December 10, 1966. The game was the final contest of the 1966 college football season for both teams, and ended...
, where they defeated No. 9 Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
, 14–7. In December 1966, the program was integrated
Racial integration
Racial integration, or simply integration includes desegregation . In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws on diverse traditions, rather than merely...
when African-American wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Ray Bellamy signed a letter of intent to play football at the university. Miami returned to bowl play in 1967
1967 college football season
The 1967 college football season was the last one in which college football's champion was crowned before the bowl games. During the 20th century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as Division I-A and now as Division I FBS...
, dropping the Bluebonnet Bowl
Bluebonnet Bowl
The Bluebonnet Bowl was an annual college football bowl game played in Houston, Texas. A civic group was appointed by the Houston Chamber of Commerce Athletics Committee in 1959 to organize the bowl game. It was held at Rice Stadium from 1959 through 1967, and again in 1985 and 1986. The game was...
to Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
, 31–21.
The Hurricanes had a 5–5–0 season in 1968 and 4–6–0 in 1969, and Tate resigned as head coach two games into the 1970 season
1970 college football season
The 1970 college football season was marked by tragedy, due to two airplane crashes. On October 2, one of the planes carrying the Wichita State football team crashed on the way to a game against Utah State, killing 31 people on board, including 14 players...
, later citing burn out and fatigue from "fighting the money battle and other battles" as the basis for his decision.
Kichefski, Curci, Elliot, and Selmer (1970–76)
Walt KichefskiWalt Kichefski
Walter Raymond Kichefski was a professional football player in the He played in the league from 1940–1942 and again in 1944. Walt played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and "Card-Pitt", a team that was the result of a temporary merger between the Chicago Cardinals and the Steelers...
, an assistant on Tate's staff, was elevated to interim head coach in the wake of Tate's resignation and coached the team to a 3–8 record in 1970. He was not retained the following season and Fran Curci
Fran Curci
Fran Curci is a former American football player and coach. He was an All-American quarterback at the University of Miami in 1959...
, a former All-American
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
quarterback under Andy Gustafson
Andy Gustafson
-External links:...
, was chosen as the program's new head coach. Curci's 1971 team improved by a game, but rival Florida Gators defeated Miami in a game that came to be known as "the Florida Flop."" With Florida leading 45–8 late in the fourth quarter, the Gator defense allowed Miami to score so that Florida would get the ball back and quarterback John Reaves
John Reaves
Thomas Johnson "John" Reaves is a former American college and professional football player who was a quarterback for eleven seasons in the National Football League and three seasons in the United States Football League...
would have the opportunity to gain the 15 yards he needed to break the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
record for career passing yards.
1972
1972 college football season
The 1972 college football season saw the USC Trojans, coached by John McKay, go undefeated and win the national championship as the unanimous choice of the fifty AP panelists...
brought another memorable finish for Miami, when the inadvertent gift of a "fifth down" by officials enabled the Hurricanes to edge Tulane
Tulane Green Wave football
The Tulane Green Wave football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents Tulane University in New Orleans. The team is a member of Conference USA and is led by interim head coach Mark Hutson, who took over on October 18, 2011, when fifth-year head coach Bob Toledo resigned...
in the waning moments of the game for a 24–21 win. Curci left the program at the conclusion of the season and was replaced by Pete Elliot. Elliot, in turn, lasted two seasons and stepped down in 1975 to become Miami's athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
.
Offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
Carl Selmer
Carl Selmer
-External links:...
was named the program's fifth head coach in six years. Under Selmer, a trend that started earlier in the decade continued, with home attendance declining every year. After finishing 2–8 in 1975 and 3–8 in 1976, the university fired Selmer, citing concerns about dwindling attendance and the loss of local blue-chip recruits
Blue chip (sports)
The term "blue chip" is commonly used to describe athletes who are being targeted to be drafted or signed by teams at the next level. It is most commonly used to describe high school players being recruited by college teams, but can also refer to collegiate players being scouted by professional...
to other schools.
Lou Saban era (1977–78)
After a national search, Lou SabanLou Saban
Louis Henry Saban was an American football player and coach. Saban played for Indiana University in college and as a pro for the Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference...
, formerly head coach of the NFL's Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Boston Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, was hired on December 27, 1976, as head coach.
Miami only won three games in 1977
1977 college football season
The 1977 college football season was one in which the top five teams all finished with records of 11-1-0. Notre Dame, which beat a #1 ranked Texas team in the Cotton Bowl Classic, became the national champion. The year 1977 was the last before NCAA's Division I was divided into I-A and I-AA...
, but Saban was able to put together a well-regarded recruiting class that included future Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
quarterback Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
of East Brady, Pennsylvania
East Brady, Pennsylvania
East Brady is a borough in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, United States and is part of the Pittsburgh DMA. The population was 1,038 at the 2000 census.-History:East Brady is named after Captain Samuel Brady, who fought with Native Americans at that location....
. Kelly had been recruited by Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
as a linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
and agreed to come to Miami after Saban promised him he would play quarterback. Among the other 30 signees in Saban's first recruiting class were 11 future NFL players.
The Hurricanes improved by three games in Saban's second season and Ottis Anderson
Ottis Anderson
Ottis Jerome "O.J." Anderson is a former American football running back. He was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1979, and the MVP of Super Bowl XXV in 1991 when playing with the New York Giants...
emerged as an NFL talent. Anderson became the first Miami running back to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and led the team in rushing for three straight seasons from 1977 through 1979. Anderson set numerous school rushing records and remains Miami's career rushing leader.
After just two seasons as head coach, Saban resigned in the wake of a controversy concerning football players throwing a Jewish man into Lake Osceola, an on campus lake. He left after the 1978 season to take the head coaching position at Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
. Saban's departure, the constant coaching upheaval Miami experienced during the decade, and assorted fiscal problems sparked the university's Board of Trustees to hold a vote on whether to drop the football program down to the Division I-AA level or eliminate it altogether. University executive vice president Dr. John Green was able to convince the board to give Division I-A football another shot and hired the pipe-smoking Howard Schnellenberger
Howard Schnellenberger
Howard Schnellenberger is an American football coach at both the professional and college level. He is currently in his final season as head coach of Florida Atlantic University, having announced his retirement on August 11, 2011, effective at the end of the 2011 season...
, offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
for the NFL's Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, to succeed Saban.
Howard Schnellenberger era (1979–83)
At the outset of his tenure, Howard SchnellenbergerHoward Schnellenberger
Howard Schnellenberger is an American football coach at both the professional and college level. He is currently in his final season as head coach of Florida Atlantic University, having announced his retirement on August 11, 2011, effective at the end of the 2011 season...
announced to his staff and players his intention to win a national championship
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
within five years. His five-year plan had two main priorities: installing a pro-style
Pro Style
A pro-style offense is a broad term in American football that means any offensive scheme that resembles those predominantly used at the professional level of play in the NFL, in contrast to those typically used at the collegiate or high school level. Pro-style offenses are only run by a few college...
passing offense and upgrading the talent level on the roster through a new recruiting strategy aimed at retaining the best local talent. To help with the offense, Schnellenberger hired former Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
quarterback Earl Morrall
Earl Morrall
Earl Edwin Morrall is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Morrall, who also occasionally punted, played 21 seasons in the National Football League as both a starter and reserve. In the latter capacity, he became known as the greatest backup quarterback in NFL...
as a volunteer quarterbacks coach. On the recruiting front, he spoke of mining the "State of Miami," which entailed fencing off the fertile South Florida recruiting base from other programs and cherry-picking the rest of the nation for a few choice recruits. Schnellenberger also sought to exploit the freedom provided by Miami's independent schedule to gain "intersectional exposure" and make the program "national."
On the field, Miami went 5–6 in Schnellenberger's debut season, which was highlighted by a 26–10 upset win at No. 16 Penn State in which redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
freshman Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start as Miami's quarterback. Schnellenberger set a bowl berth as the goal of the 1980 campaign
1980 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1980 Miami Hurricanes represented the University of Miami in the 1980 NCAA College Football season.-Schedule & Results:-Team Players drafted into in the NFL:-External links:*...
and the team made good on its head coach's expectations, winning nine games and earning a trip to the Peach Bowl, where the Hurricanes defeated Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
20–10. The bowl berth was Miami's first since 1967 and the team finished the season ranked eighteenth in both the AP
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
and Coaches' Polls.
Miami continued to improve in 1981
1981 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Clemson Tigers, unbeaten and untied, taking the national championship after a victory over traditional power Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. This was also the first year of the California Bowl, played in Fresno, California; this game fancied...
, going 9–2 and defeating then-No. 1 Penn State 17–14 in a late-October game at the Orange Bowl
Miami Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
. In the season's final game, the Hurricanes topped rival Notre Dame for the first time since 1960, 37–15, finishing the season eighth in the AP Poll. The following season
1982 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1982 Miami Hurricanes represented the University of Miami in the 1982 NCAA College Football season.-Regular season:Jim Kelly finished his career at Miami with 406 completions in 646 attempts for 5,233 yards and 32 TD's...
, the team finished with four losses following Kelly's shoulder injury. Entering the 1983 season
1983 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the University of Miami winning their first national championship over perennial power Nebraska in the Orange Bowl....
—the fifth of Schnellenberger's tenure—the program had to find a replacement for the recently-graduated Kelly. Ultimately, Schnellenberger chose Bernie Kosar
Bernie Kosar
Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Kosar, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Kosar played for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993 and then finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins.-Early life and high school career:A Hungarian-American...
as the team's starting quarterback over fellow redshirt freshman Vinny Testaverde
Vinny Testaverde
Vincent Frank Testaverde is a former NFL quarterback. Testaverde last played for the Carolina Panthers and had previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Testaverde holds the NFL record for having...
.
The 1983 Miami Hurricanes
1983 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1983 Miami Hurricanes were the national champions of the 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season. The national championship was the first of five won by the University of Miami.-Offense:-Defense:-Special teams:-Coaching staff:-Schedule:...
started the season unranked and lost 28–3 at Florida in their first game, though Kosar tied George Mira
George Mira
George Ignacio Mira is a former professional American football player. A quarterback drafted in the second round of the 1964 NFL Draft from the University of Miami, Mira played in eight NFL seasons from 1964-1971 for three different teams...
's single-game school record of 25 pass completions. The Hurricanes rallied by winning their next 10 games, including a 20–0 early-season shutout of Notre Dame, and earned a berth to the 1984 Orange Bowl
1984 Orange Bowl
The 1984 Orange Bowl was the 50th annual Orange Bowl Classic, played on January 2, 1984, between the unbeaten Nebraska Cornhuskers and the once-beaten Miami Hurricanes, for the national championship. After leading 31-17 in the fourth quarter, Miami held on for a 31-30 victory...
to play the undefeated, top-ranked Nebraska
1983 Nebraska Cornhuskers Football Team
The 1983 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln] in the 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska...
team that had both Mike Rozier
Mike Rozier
Michael Rozier is a former American collegiate and professional football running back who won the Heisman Trophy in 1983. He was born in Camden, New Jersey. Mike and his wife, Rochelle, an attorney, reside in South Jersey and together they have one son. Mike has two other children who reside in...
and Turner Gill
Turner Gill
Turner Hillery Gill is an American football coach who most recently served as the head coach at Kansas from 2010-2011, and was one of 11 African-American head coaches in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision at the time of his hiring.-College:Gill graduated from Arlington Heights High...
. The Orange Bowl-berth was Miami's first since 1951, but the program's first national championship remained a long shot, as the Hurricanes entered the game ranked fifth. Miami got much needed help early on New Year's Day when second-ranked Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
, the nation's other undefeated team, lost in the Cotton Bowl Classic and fourth-ranked Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
lost in the Rose Bowl
1984 Rose Bowl
The 1984 Rose Bowl game, played on January 2, was the 70th Rose Bowl game. The UCLA Bruins defeated the Illinois Fighting Illini by a score of 45-9. Rick Neuheisel, UCLA quarterback, was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game. He completed 22 of 32 passes for 298 yards and four touchdowns...
.
Behind Kosar's passing, Miami jumped out to a 17–0 lead, but Nebraska battled back and cut Miami's lead to 31–24 in the fourth quarter. With 48 seconds remaining, Nebraska scored a touchdown to make it 31–30 and, being the number one-ranked team in the nation, needed only to kick the extra point to tie the game and put itself in position to win the national championship. Nebraska head coach Tom Osborne elected to go for the win and attempt a two-point conversion instead. On the ensuing play, Miami safety Ken Calhoun tipped away Gill's pass to receiver Jeff Smith in the end zone, saving the game and winning Miami the national championship when it leap-frogged No. 3 Auburn
1983 Auburn Tigers football team
The 1983 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season. Coached by Pat Dye, the team finished the season with a 11–1 record and won their first SEC title since 1957....
to finish first in the final polls.
Although Schnellenberger had made good on his five-year plan to win a national championship, he left after the season to accept a head coaching position in the USFL. Two weeks later, athletic director Sam Jankovich
Sam Jankovich
Sam Jankovich, a Butte, Montana native is sports administrator that has held several positions including athletic director at the Washington State and the University of Miami...
hired Jimmy Johnson
Jimmy Johnson (American football coach)
James William "Jimmy" Johnson is an American former NCAA and National Football League head coach. As of 2010, he is currently an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday, the Fox network's NFL pregame show. He was the first football coach whose teams won both an NCAA Division 1A National Championship and a...
from Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State Cowboys football
The Oklahoma State Cowboys football program represents Oklahoma State University–Stillwater in college football. The team is a member of the Big 12 Conference and completes at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Cowboys are led by Mike Gundy, who is in his seventh year as...
to fill the vacancy.
Jimmy Johnson era (1984–88)
Jimmy Johnson (American football coach)
James William "Jimmy" Johnson is an American former NCAA and National Football League head coach. As of 2010, he is currently an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday, the Fox network's NFL pregame show. He was the first football coach whose teams won both an NCAA Division 1A National Championship and a...
's immediate priorities upon taking over as Miami head coach was to switch to a 4–3 defense. Johnson wanted to implement the change for his first season, but lacking the time, personnel, and staff, he decided to postpone the switch and kept Schnellenberger's 5–2 defensive package for the 1984 season.
The team struggled to an 8–5 record in Johnson's first season, losing a number of noteworthy games. In the next-to-last game of the regular season, the No. 6 Hurricanes squandered a 31–0 halftime lead against Maryland
1984 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 1984 Maryland Terrapins football team represented University of Maryland in the 1984 NCAA Division I-A college football season. The Terrapins won the ACC for the second consecutive season.-Regular season:...
and lost 42–40 in what was then the biggest comeback in NCAA football history. The following week, Miami lost 47–45 when Boston College
1984 Boston College Eagles football team
The 1984 Boston College Eagles football team represented the Boston College Eagles in the 1984 NCAA Division I-A football season.-Schedule:The Eagles finished the season with a 9-2-0 record. Doug Flutie gained national attention in 1984 when he quarterbacked the Eagles to victory in a high-scoring,...
's Doug Flutie
Doug Flutie
Douglas Richard "Doug" Flutie is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. Flutie played college football at Boston College, and played professionally in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, and United States Football League...
connected with Gerard Phelan
Gerard Phelan
Gerard Phelan is a former college football player, who lined up at wide receiver for Boston College.-Early years:Phelan played football for Archbishop John Carroll Catholic High School in Radnor, Pennsylvania, and graduated in 1981....
for a 48-yard Hail Mary
Hail Mary pass
A Hail Mary pass or Hail Mary route in American football refers to any very long forward pass made in desperation with only a small chance of success, especially at or near the end of a half....
touchdown on the final play in what has been called the Hail Flutie game. The Hurricanes ended the season on a three-game losing streak by dropping the 1985 Fiesta Bowl
1985 Fiesta Bowl
The 1985 Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, 1985, was the 14th edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game featured the UCLA Bruins, and the Miami Hurricanes. The game was the fourth highest scoring Fiesta Bowl of all time...
to UCLA, 39–37, in a game that featured six lead changes.
During the off-season, Johnson made a number of coaching changes, facilitating the switch to the 4–3 defense, and junior Vinny Testaverde
Vinny Testaverde
Vincent Frank Testaverde is a former NFL quarterback. Testaverde last played for the Carolina Panthers and had previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Testaverde holds the NFL record for having...
succeeded early-graduate Bernie Kosar
Bernie Kosar
Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Kosar, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Kosar played for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993 and then finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins.-Early life and high school career:A Hungarian-American...
at quarterback. The 1985 Hurricanes opened the season with a loss at Florida before winning their next four games, including a 38–0 win over Cincinnati
Cincinnati Bearcats football
The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as...
that began a then NCAA-record 58 game home winning streak, heading into a matchup at No. 3 Oklahoma
1985 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 1985 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 1985-1986. This year was Barry Switzer's 13th season as head coach. The Sooners ended this season with 11 wins and a sole loss coming to the Miami Hurricanes in Norman, in a game in...
. Facing the nation's top-rated defense, Testaverde amassed 270 yards passing and threw touchdowns to Michael Irvin
Michael Irvin
Michael Jerome Irvin is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his...
and Brian Blades
Brian Blades
Brian Keith Blades is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League.Blades graduated from Piper High School in Sunrise, Florida in 1983....
, while also running for an additional score, in a 27–14 win over the Sooners. The Hurricanes ascended to number two in the rankings following a 58–7 victory over Notre Dame in the final game of the regular season, earning a trip to the Sugar Bowl
1986 Sugar Bowl
The 1986 Sugar Bowl, featuring the 2nd ranked Miami Hurricanes and the 8th ranked Tennessee Volunteers, was played on January 1, 1986, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana....
to play the No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers
1985 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 1985 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Volunteers offense scored 325 points while the defense allowed 140 points. At season’s end, the Volunteers ranked fourth in both the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll...
. With No. 1 Penn State losing to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1, 2009...
, Miami was in position to capture its second national championship
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
, but those hopes were dashed with a lopsided 35–7 loss to Tennessee.
Miami opened its 1986 season as the third-ranked team in the country and climbed to number two after winning its first three games, setting up a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown at the Orange Bowl against top-ranked and defending national champion Oklahoma
1986 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 1986 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season.-Schedule:-Team players in the NFL:...
. After much pre-game trash-talk
Trash-talk
Trash-talk is a form of boast or insult commonly heard in competitive situations , primarily in the US. It is often used to intimidate the opposition, but can also be used in a humorous spirit...
between Oklahoma's Brian Bosworth
Brian Bosworth
Brian Keith "The Boz" Bosworth, is a former American football linebacker. He played college football for the University of Oklahoma...
and Miami's Melvin Bratton
Melvin Bratton
Melvin Bratton attended the University of Miami, where he played running back for the Miami Hurricanes and starred in the national championship game at the 1988 Orange Bowl against Oklahoma, where he blew out his knee...
and Alonzo Highsmith
Alonzo Highsmith
Alonzo Walter Highsmith is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League for the Houston Oilers, Dallas Cowboys, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
, Testaverde tossed four touchdown passes in a 28–16 win. Testaverde's performance led Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer
Barry Switzer
Barry Switzer is a former football coach, active in the college and professional ranks between 1962 and 1997. He has one of the highest winning percentages of any college football coach in history, and is one of only two head coaches to win both a college football national championship and a...
to remark that he had "never seen a better quarterback" in his 21 years with the Sooners, and at the conclusion of the regular season, Testaverde was awarded the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
with the fifth largest margin of victory in the voting's history. The Hurricanes, having seized the number one ranking with the win over Oklahoma, finished the regular season at 11–0, outscoring their opponents 420–136, and accepted a bid to the 1987 Fiesta Bowl
1987 Fiesta Bowl
The 1987 Sunkist Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game sponsored by Sunkist. It was part of the bowl season of the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. The game was the 16th edition of the Fiesta Bowl, played annually since 1971. The 1987 game was played on January 2, 1987, at the Sun...
to play No. 2 Penn State. There, the team's "outlaw" image grew when players arrived in Arizona clad in fatigues
Battledress
Battledress, or fatigues in the general sense, is the type of uniform used as combat uniforms, as opposed to 'display' dress or formal uniform worn at parades and functions. It may be either monochrome or in a camouflage pattern...
and Jerome Brown staged a walkout of a pre-game steak fry attended by both teams. Before an estimated television audience of seventy million people, Penn State upset the heavily-favored Hurricanes 14–10 to win the national championship, forcing seven turnovers, including Pete Giftopoulus' game-sealing interception of Testaverde in the end zone in the game's final seconds.
Led by Michael Irvin
Michael Irvin
Michael Jerome Irvin is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his...
and new quarterback Steve Walsh, the 1987 Miami Hurricanes
1987 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1987 Miami Hurricanes were the national champions of the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. The national championship was the second of five won by the University of Miami in football.-Pre-Season:...
won the school's second national championship and completed its first undefeated varsity season. The season was highlighted by one of the most memorable games in the history of the Miami – Florida State rivalry. Trailing No. 4 Florida State
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
19–3 in the third quarter at Doak Campbell Stadium, the Hurricanes rallied to take a 26–19 lead late in the fourth quarter on a 73-yard touchdown pass from Walsh to Irvin. Florida State responded with a touchdown in the final minute, but Seminoles head coach Bobby Bowden
Bobby Bowden
Robert Cleckler "Bobby" Bowden is a retired college football coach. He coached the Florida State Seminoles football team from the 1976 to 2009 seasons...
opted to go for two points and the win rather than kick the extra-point for a tie, and Miami's Bubba McDowell broke up the conversion pass in the end zone to preserve the 26–25 victory. More than 60 players on the combined rosters for the game went on to play in the NFL. The 12–0 campaign was capped by a 20–14 win over the then-No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
in an Orange Bowl
1988 Orange Bowl
The 1988 Orange Bowl was a postseason American college football bowl game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Oklahoma Sooners. It was the 54th edition of the Orange Bowl and took place at the Orange Bowl stadium in Miami, Florida on January 1, 1988. Miami was coached by Jimmy Johnson and Oklahoma...
billed as "The Game of the Century." The win was Miami's third over Oklahoma in the last three seasons, accounting for Oklahoma's only losses during that time period.
The Hurricanes had a then-school record 12 players from the 1987 team selected in the following spring's NFL Draft
1988 NFL Draft
The 1988 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 1988. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
,, including Irvin and Bennie Blades
Bennie Blades
Horatio Benedict "Bennie" Blades Sr. is a former American football cornerback and safety in the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami.-University of Miami:...
, but with Walsh returning in 1988
1988 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Notre Dame winning the national championship. The Fighting Irish won the title via a 34-21 defeat of previously unbeaten West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona....
, the team gained the number one ranking with a season-opening 31–0 shutout of then-No. 1 Florida State at the Orange Bowl. The following week, Miami scored 17 points in the final 5 minutes and 23 seconds to top No. 4 Michigan
1988 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1988 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1988 college football season. The team's head coach was Bo Schembechler. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium...
31–30 at Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
. Hopes of a repeat national championship were dashed, however, in the so-called "Catholics vs. Convicts
Catholics vs. Convicts
The 1988 Notre Dame vs. Miami football game, colloquially known as "Catholics vs. Convicts", was played on October 15, 1988. The two teams were undefeated when they met at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won the closely contested game by a final score of 31-30.The name "Catholics vs...
" game, with Miami dropping an emotional 31–30 loss to eventual-national champion Notre Dame
1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1988 college football season. The Irish, coached by Lou Holtz, ended the season with 12 wins and no losses, winning the national championship...
on a failed two-point conversion pass in the final minute.
Johnson left the program in February 1989 to become the head coach of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, ending his tenure at Miami with a 52–9 overall record and a 44–4 mark over his last four seasons.
Dennis Erickson era (1989–1994)
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
Gary Stevens was bypassed for the head coaching job and athletic director Sam Jankovich
Sam Jankovich
Sam Jankovich, a Butte, Montana native is sports administrator that has held several positions including athletic director at the Washington State and the University of Miami...
chose Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson is an American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at Arizona State University until November 28, 2011, a position he had held since the 2007 season. In 2008 the Arizona Board of Regents had approved a contract extension to keep Erickson at Arizona...
of Washington State
Washington State Cougars football
The Washington State Cougars football team is the intercollegiate football team of Washington State University. The team is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference...
to succeed Jimmy Johnson
Jimmy Johnson (American football coach)
James William "Jimmy" Johnson is an American former NCAA and National Football League head coach. As of 2010, he is currently an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday, the Fox network's NFL pregame show. He was the first football coach whose teams won both an NCAA Division 1A National Championship and a...
instead.
In 1989
1989 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Miami winning its third National Championship during the 80s, cementing its claim as the decade's top team, winning more titles than any other program....
, Erickson became just the second Division I head coach to win a national championship
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
in his first season at a school. Erickson's 1989 team
1989 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1989 Miami Hurricanes were the national champions of the 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season. The national championship was the third won by the University of Miami in football.-Offense:-Defense:-Special Teams:-Schedule:...
, led by Craig Erickson
Craig Erickson
Craig Neil Erickson is a former professional quarterback who was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 5th round of the 1991 NFL Draft and also by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 4th round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He is one of the few NFL players to be drafted twice, most famously Bo...
(no relation) at quarterback, rebounded from a mid-season loss at Florida State
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
and moved back into the national championship picture with a 27–10 win over then-top-ranked Notre Dame in the final regular-season game. Miami's 33–25 win over No. 7 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
, combined with No. 1 Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
's loss to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1, 2009...
, earned the program its third national championship.
Miami entered the following season
1990 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1990 Miami Hurricanes represented the University of Miami in the 1990 NCAA College Football season.-Schedule & Results:-Awards and honors:*Craig Erickson, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award*Russell Maryland, Outland Trophy...
as the number one team in the country, but a 28–21 upset loss to Ty Detmer
Ty Detmer
Ty Hubert Detmer is a former National Football League and NCAA quarterback. He starred at Brigham Young University, where he set many records and won the Heisman Trophy in 1990...
and No. 16 BYU
1990 BYU Cougars football team
The 1990 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University in the 1990 college football season. The Cougars offense scored 524 points while the defense allowed 350 points...
in the opener derailed both the team's national championship chances and Craig Erickson's nascent Heisman campaign. Later in the year, the Hurricanes lost to Notre Dame 29–20 in a game dubbed the "Final Conflict", as Notre Dame had decided to discontinue the 27-game rivalry, feeling the intensity of the series had reached an unhealthy level. Miami ended the season with a 46–3 Cotton Bowl Classic victory over No. 3 Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
in the 1991 Cotton Bowl Classic in which the team was penalized a bowl- and school-record 16 times for 202 yards, including nine unsportsmanlike conduct or personal foul penalties. On one play, Randal Hill
Randal Hill
Randal "Thrill" Hill is a former professional American football player in the NFL who was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 1991 NFL Draft, then later traded to the Cardinals. A 5'10", . wide receiver from the University of Miami, Hill played in 7 NFL seasons from 1991 to...
scored on a 48-yard touchdown reception and continued to sprint out of the end zone and up the Cotton Bowl
Cotton Bowl (stadium)
The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,...
tunnel, where he then pretended to shoot at the Longhorns with imaginary pistols. The program was widely criticized for its conduct, with Will McDonough
Will McDonough
William "Will" McDonough was an American sportswriter for the Boston Globe.-Biography:McDonough attended the English High School of Boston, where he starred in baseball as a pitcher and in football as a quarterback...
of the Boston Globe likening the Cotton Bowl Classic display to a "wilding" and Bill Walsh calling it "the most disgusting thing [he'd] ever seen in college sports." After the season, the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
responded with the so-called "Miami Rule", which made it a 15-yard penalty to engage in excessive celebration or flagrant taunting.
Also during the off-season, Miami ended its 48-year status as an independent and joined the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
.
The 1991 Hurricanes
1991 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1991 Miami Hurricanes were the national champions of the 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season, as determined by the AP Poll. 1991 was a split championship year, though, as the Washington Huskies finished #1 in the Coaches' Poll...
captured the program's fourth national championship in nine years behind quarterback Gino Torretta
Gino Torretta
Gino Louis Torretta is a Heisman Trophy winner who played quarterback for several teams in the National Football League from 1993 to 1997....
and a linebacking corps that featured Jessie Armstead
Jessie Armstead
Jessie Willard Armstead is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League who played for eleven seasons with the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins between 1993 and 2003. He played college football at the University of Miami.-High school career:Armstead attended...
and Micheal Barrow
Micheal Barrow
Micheal Christian Barrow is a former American football linebacker of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the second round of the 1993 NFL Draft...
. Miami's toughest test came in mid-November at then-No. 1 Florida State
1991 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 1991 Florida State Seminoles football team finished the 1991 college football season ranked #4 in both polls. They started the season ranked #1, but were dropped in the rankings after Wide Right I. The Seminoles offense scored 449 points while the defense allowed 188 points...
in the initial Wide Right game; with the No. 2 Hurricanes leading 17–16 in the final minute of the game, Florida State kicker Gerry Thomas' potential game-winning field goal attempt sailed "wide right" of the uprights. Miami completed the second undefeated season in school history with a 22–0 shutout of No. 11 Nebraska
1991 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1991 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:...
in the 1992 Orange Bowl
1992 Orange Bowl
The 1992 Orange Bowl was a 1991–1992 college football bowl game that was played on January 1, 1992, for the national championship. The 58th edition of the Orange Bowl featured the Miami Hurricanes, and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Miami came into the game with a 11–0 record and #1 AP ranking, whereas...
and finished first in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
, splitting the national championship with Coaches' Poll champ Washington
1991 Washington Huskies football team
The 1991 Washington Huskies football team represented the University of Washington in the 1991 college football season. Head coach Don James was assisted by coordinators Keith Gilbertson and Jim Lambright , both head coaches themselves within two years.The 1991 team was arguably the finest team in...
.
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
devastated much of South Florida in August 1992, causing the program to relocate its preseason practice sessions north to Dodgertown in Vero Beach
Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach is a city in Indian River County, Florida, USA. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 16,939. It is the county seat of Indian River County...
. That season, Miami went 11–0
1992 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1992 Miami Hurricanes represented the University of Miami in the 1992 NCAA College Football season.-Schedule:-Awards and honors:*Gino Torretta, Davey O'Brien Award*Gino Torretta, Heisman Trophy *Gino Torretta, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award...
against the second-toughest schedule in the country, topping No. 3 Florida State
1992 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 1992 Florida State Seminoles football team finished #2 in the AP and Coaches poll with an 11-1 record. The Seminoles offense scored 446 points while the defense allowed 186 points. Led by head coach Bobby Bowden, the Seminoles competed in the Orange Bowl....
in Wide Right II
Wide Right II
Wide Right II is a colloquial name for the 1992 college football game between the Miami Hurricanes and Florida State Seminoles. The game is notable in the Miami – Florida State rivalry and derives its name from the colloquial name Wide Right I, played during the immediately preceding season...
and No. 7 Penn State the following week in Beaver Stadium
Beaver Stadium
Beaver Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, United States, on the campus of The Pennsylvania State University. It is home to the Penn State Nittany Lions of the Big Ten Conference. The stadium is named for James A...
. Meanwhile, Torretta became the second Hurricane to win the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
, throwing for 19 touchdowns and 3,060 yards on the season and setting 11 school passing records during his career. Miami earned a trip to the 1993 Sugar Bowl
1993 Sugar Bowl
The 1993 Sugar Bowl took place on January 1, 1993, in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. It served as the final game and the National Championship of the 1992–93 college football season. The game featured two unbeaten teams in the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Miami Hurricanes...
, where the top-ranked Hurricanes were denied a repeat national championship by No. 2 Alabama
1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 1992 college football season. This was the team's third season under head coach Gene Stallings. They played their home games at both Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Legion Field in Birmingham,...
, 34–13. The Sugar Bowl loss ended the program's 29-game winning streak, which dated to 1990.
The following two seasons yielded less success. In 1993
1993 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Florida State crowned national champions, but not without controversy.Under the Bowl Coalition, undefeated Big 8 champ and #2 ranked Nebraska hosted ACC champ and #1 ranked Florida State in the Orange Bowl...
, Miami lost three games
1993 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1993 Miami Hurricanes represented the University of Miami in the 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season.-Schedule:-Team players drafted into in the NFL:-External links:...
in a season for the first time since 1984, failed to win the Big East for the first time since joining in 1991, and was shut out in the Fiesta Bowl
1994 Fiesta Bowl
The 1994 IBM OS/2 Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, 1994, was the 23rd edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game featured the Arizona Wildcats, and the Miami Hurricanes. The game featured the only shutout in Fiesta Bowl history, as Arizona shut-out Miami...
by Arizona
1993 Arizona Wildcats football team
The 1993 Arizona Wildcats football team represented University of Arizona during the 1993 NCAA college football season. The offense scored 294 points while the defense allowed 161 points...
, leading some to wonder whether the program was in decline. In 1994
1994 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season saw yet another controversial finish as both Nebraska and Penn State finished undefeated, and yet Penn State finished a distant second in the final AP and UPI polls. The controversial finish, however, could have been an even worse morass if not for some...
, Miami defeated Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern Eagles football
The Georgia Southern Eagles represent Georgia Southern University in football as part of the Southern Conference under head coach Jeff Monken. The Eagles have won an unprecedented six FCS national championships and eight Southern Conference championships and have produced two Walter Payton Award...
in the season opener for its 58th consecutive home win, setting an NCAA record; the streak, which began in 1985, was snapped two weeks later when Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
defeated the Hurricanes 38–20 at the Orange Bowl
Miami Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
. Led by All-American
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
defensive tackle Warren Sapp
Warren Sapp
Warren Carlos Sapp is a retired American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year professional career, and college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was then...
and sophomore linebacker Ray Lewis, the team rebounded to earn a berth in the 1995 Orange Bowl
1995 Orange Bowl
The 1995 Orange Bowl a 1994-1995 college football bowl game was played on January 1, 1995, for the national championship. This 61st edition to the Orange Bowl featured the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the Miami Hurricanes. Nebraska came into the game with a 12-0 and #1 AP ranking, whereas Miami came...
, where No. 1 Nebraska
1994 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1994 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska...
outscored Miami 15–0 in the final quarter to win the game, 24–17, and the national championship.
With the threat of NCAA sanctions hovering over the program for a variety of infractions, Erickson stepped down after the 1994 season to become head coach of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
. Erickson departed Miami with a 63–9 record over six seasons and the highest winning percentage (.875) and most national championships (2) of any coach in school history.
Butch Davis era (1995–2000)
Several early candidates to replace Dennis EricksonDennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson is an American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at Arizona State University until November 28, 2011, a position he had held since the 2007 season. In 2008 the Arizona Board of Regents had approved a contract extension to keep Erickson at Arizona...
, including former UM defensive coordinator and 1994 Sports Illustrated Coach of the Year Sonny Lubick
Sonny Lubick
Louis "Sonny" Lubick is a former head football coach at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. In his fourth decade as collegiate football coach, the 2007 season marked Lubick's 15th and final year at the helm of a Colorado State program that he built from virtually the ground up...
, withdrew from consideration. Eventually, Miami settled on former Hurricanes assistant and Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
defensive coordinator Butch Davis
Butch Davis
Paul Hilton "Butch" Davis, Jr. is an American football coach and former player in the United States. He was the head coach at the University of Miami from 1995 to 2000, the Cleveland Browns of the NFL from 2001 to 2004, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 2007 to 2011.-Early...
.
The Hurricanes finished Davis' first season with a record of 8–3, which may have drawn a bowl invitation. However, on December 20, 1995 the NCAA announced that Miami would be subject to severe sanctions for numerous infractions within the athletic department. The Hurricanes were forced to sit out postseason play for the 1995 season and docked 31 scholarships from 1996 to 1998. Miami had actually self-reported the violations in 1991. However, when the Department of Education got word that school officials helped athletes fraudulently obtain Pell Grant
Pell Grant
A Pell Grant is money the federal government provides for students who need it to pay for college. Federal Pell Grants are limited to students with financial need, who have not earned their first bachelor's degree or who are not enrolled in certain post-baccalaureate programs, through participating...
s, it asked Miami to stop its own investigation while it conducted its own. Ultimately, 60 athletes were implicated, but all of them avoided criminal charges after being sent through a pretrial diversion program.
In 1994, Tony Russell, a former UM 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. Federal officials later said that Russell had engineered "perhaps the largest centralized fraud ... ever committed" in the history of the Pell Grant program.
In late 1995, the NCAA concluded that, in addition to the fraudulent Pell Grants facilitated by 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. Miami docked itself seven scholarships as part of a self-imposed sanction in 1995, and the NCAA took away another 24 scholarships over the next two years. As a result of the scandal, Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
Alexander Wolff
Alexander Wolff is a writer for Sports Illustrated and former owner of the Vermont Frost Heaves of the Premier Basketball League .He has written several books about basketball, among them Big Game, Small World , a look at basketball around the world...
wrote a cover story that Miami should at least temporarily shut down its football program. Further, On June 21, 1996, Miami football players broke into the apartment of the captain of Miami's track team and struck him repeatedly. In response, Davis suspended three key players for the coming 1996 season. Davis also suspended two other players who were involved in separate violent incidents.
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
1997 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 1997 Florida State Seminoles football team represented the Florida State Seminoles in the college football season of 1997. The team was coached by Bobby Bowden and played their home games in Doak Campbell Stadium.-Schedule:...
.
The Hurricanes began to reassert themselves in 1998. In late September, Miami was forced to postpone their game with UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
due to Hurricane Georges
Hurricane Georges
Hurricane Georges was a very destructive, powerful and long-lived Cape Verde-type Category 4 hurricane. Georges was the seventh tropical storm, fourth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season...
. 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 rebounded from a 66–13 "caning" at the hands of Syracuse and Donovan McNabb to put up over 600 yards of total offense against UCLA en route to 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
1999 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1999 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1999-2000. The Buckeyes compiled a 6–6 record, failing to go to a bowl game for the first time since the 1988 season, John Cooper's first year as head coach.-Schedule:-2000 NFL...
in East Rutherford
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....
. Early success, however, was tempered by tough losses to Penn State and Florida State
1999 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 1999 Florida State Seminoles football team was the national champion of the 1999 college football season. The team finished with a perfect 12-0 record, and was the first in NCAA history to go "wire-to-wire," being ranked continuously as the nation's #1 team from the preseason through the bowl...
during a three game losing streak. The Hurricanes rebounded to win their last 4 games including a 28–13 win over Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
in the Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
.
In 2000, Miami was shut out of the BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
National Championship Game. Despite beating Florida State
2000 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 2000 Florida State Seminoles football team was the champion of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The team finished with a 11-2 record, and lost in the 2001 BCS National Title Game to the Oklahoma Sooners...
head-to-head and being ranked higher in both human polls, it was the Seminoles that were chosen to challenge the Oklahoma Sooners
2000 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 2000 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2000-2001. This season was Bob Stoops's second as head coach. The Sooners finished with a 13-0 record winning the Big 12 Conference and the national championship, the seventh national...
for the national championship. The Seminoles were also chosen over Washington
2000 Washington Huskies football team
The 2000 Washington Huskies football team represented the University of Washington in the 2000 NCAA Division I-A college football season. The Huskies won the 2001 Rose Bowl.-Regular season:...
, who also had one loss and who had handed Miami its only loss early in the season. Washington had been ranked third or fourth in the human polls, behind Miami. The Hurricanes went into the 2001 Nokia Sugar Bowl
2001 Sugar Bowl
The 2001 Sugar Bowl a 2000–2001 BCS game was played on January 2, 2001. This 67th edition to the Sugar Bowl featured the Florida Gators, and the , in an in-state rivalry game...
as the Big East champions and defeated Florida
2000 Florida Gators football team
September 30, 2000The Florida Gators came into Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi ranked third in the nation. The unranked Mississippi State Bulldogs ran for 351 yards, 172 yards and a touchdown for Dicenzo Miller, and 156 yards and a touchdown for Dontae Walker. Bulldogs quarterback...
37–20.
Larry Coker era (2001–2006)
On January 29, 2001, Butch DavisButch Davis
Paul Hilton "Butch" Davis, Jr. is an American football coach and former player in the United States. He was the head coach at the University of Miami from 1995 to 2000, the Cleveland Browns of the NFL from 2001 to 2004, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 2007 to 2011.-Early...
left Miami to become head coach of the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Dee promoted offensive coordinator Larry Coker
Larry Coker
Larry Edward Coker is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at the University of Texas at San Antonio, whose Roadrunners football team begins play in 2011. From 2001 to 2006, Coker served as the head coach at the University of Miami...
to be head coach.
Miami started the season with a 33–7, televised win over Penn State in Beaver Stadium
Beaver Stadium
Beaver Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, United States, on the campus of The Pennsylvania State University. It is home to the Penn State Nittany Lions of the Big Ten Conference. The stadium is named for James A...
. Miami followed up the victory with wins over Rutgers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights football
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play...
, Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
, and Troy State. After building up a 4–0 record, the Hurricanes defeated Florida State
2001 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 2001 Florida State Seminoles football team represented the Florida State University in the college football season of 2001. The team was coached by Bobby Bowden and played their home games in Doak Campbell Stadium.-Schedule:...
in Doak Campbell Stadium, 49–27, ending the Seminoles' 54-game home unbeaten streak and 37-game home winning streak. The Hurricanes then defeated West Virginia
2001 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
Under new Head Coach Rich Rodriguez the 2001 West Virginia Mountaineers football team suffered their worst season since 1978, finishing with a mark of 3–8. The season's lowest point was a home loss to Temple, the schools first loss to the Owls since 1984 and first home loss to the school since...
, 45–3, and Temple
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
, 38–0, before heading to Chestnut Hill to take on Boston College
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
. In the final minute of the fourth quarter, with Miami clinging to a 12–7 lead, Boston College quarterback Brian St. Pierre
Brian St. Pierre
Brian St. Pierre is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Boston College....
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 a pass to receiver Ryan Read at the Miami 2-yard line. However, the ball deflected off the leg of Miami cornerback Mike Rumph
Mike Rumph
Michael Jamaine Rumph is a retired American football free safety and cornerback.-High school:...
, landing in the hands of defensive end Matt Walters. Walters ran ten yards with the ball before teammate Ed Reed
Ed Reed
Edward Earl Reed Jr. is an American football free safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens 24th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
grabbed the ball out of his hands at around the Miami 20-yard line and raced the remaining 80-yards for a touchdown, resulting in a 18–7 Miami victory.
After surviving the scare from Boston College, Miami shutout #14 Syracuse
Syracuse Orange football
The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...
, 59–0, and defeated #12 Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
, 65–7 in the Orange Bowl. The combined 124–7 score set what the Orlando Sentinel described as an NCAA-record for the largest margin of victory over consecutive ranked opponents.
The final hurdle to the 2002 Rose Bowl
2002 Rose Bowl
The 2002 Rose Bowl, played on January 3, 2002, was a college football bowl game. It was the 88th Rose Bowl game and was the BCS National Championship Game of the 2001 college football season...
BCS National Championship Game
BCS National Championship Game
The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
was at Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
. Miami led Virginia Tech 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. 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
2001 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 2001 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Frank Solich and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:...
for the national championship.
In the Rose Bowl, the Hurricanes took a 34–0 halftime lead and cruised to a 37–14 win over 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
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner Eric Crouch
Eric Crouch
Eric Eugene Crouch is an American quarterback for the Omaha Nighthawks. He also is a TV sports analyst and recreational equipment vendor....
and the vaunted Huskers offense, holding Nebraska 200 yards below its season average. Ken Dorsey
Ken Dorsey
Kenneth Simon "Ken" Dorsey is a former football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami. A two-time Heisman Trophy finalist at Miami, Dorsey played for the Cleveland Browns from 2006–2008...
and Andre Johnson
Andre Johnson
Andre Lamont Johnson is an American football wide receiver currently playing for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Through the 2010–11 NFL season, Johnson currently ranks first all-time in NFL history in receiving yards per game for a career...
were named Rose Bowl co-Most Valuable Players.
Six Hurricane players earned All-American status and six players were finalists for national awards, including Maxwell Award
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
winner, Ken Dorsey
Ken Dorsey
Kenneth Simon "Ken" Dorsey is a former football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami. A two-time Heisman Trophy finalist at Miami, Dorsey played for the Cleveland Browns from 2006–2008...
, and Outland Trophy
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
winner, Bryant McKinnie
Bryant McKinnie
Bryant McKinnie is a American football offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
. Dorsey was also a Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
finalist, finishing third.
The 2001 Miami Hurricanes
2001 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 2001 Miami Hurricanes football team was the national champion of the 2001 college football season and is considered by many to be the greatest team in college football history.-Pre-season motivation:...
are considered by some experts and historians as one of the greatest teams in college football history.
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 quarterback Ken Dorsey
Ken Dorsey
Kenneth Simon "Ken" Dorsey is a former football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami. A two-time Heisman Trophy finalist at Miami, Dorsey played for the Cleveland Browns from 2006–2008...
, new starting running back Willis McGahee
Willis McGahee
Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, and a stout defense anchored by Jonathan Vilma, the Hurricanes completed their regular season schedule undefeated. The season was highlighted by a 41–16 win over rival Florida
2002 Florida Gators football team
The 2002 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2002 college football season...
at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field is the football stadium for the University of Florida and the home field of the university's Florida Gators football team. It is located on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. The stadium was originally built in 1930, and has been regularly...
, the first regular season meeting between the rivals since 1987.
The Hurricanes' toughest test was an October clash against rival Florida State
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
at the Orange Bowl
Miami Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
. Miami overcame a 13-point second half deficit to defeat the Seminoles, 28–27. The game was clinched when Florida State
2002 Florida State Seminoles football team
-Schedule:...
kicker Xavier Beitia
Xavier Beitia
Xavier Beitia is an American football placekicker who last played for the Georgia Force of the Arena Football League in 2007. He played college football at Florida State and signed with the New York Jets in 2004 and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2006...
missed a 43-yard field goal, wide left, as time expired. Another signature win came four weeks later when Miami dominated the Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
, 26–3, before a crowd of 107,745 at Neyland Stadium
Neyland Stadium
Neyland Stadium is a sports stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. It serves primarily as the home of the Tennessee Volunteers football team, but is also used to host large conventions and has been a site for several NFL exhibition games. The stadium's official capacity is 102,455...
, considered one of the most hostile road venues in college football.
Miami would finish 12–0 and clinch a berth in the Fiesta Bowl
2003 Fiesta Bowl
The 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl took place on January 3,2003 in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil Stadium. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Miami Hurricanes by a score of 31–24 in double overtime. It also served as the BCS National Championship Game for the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season...
BCS National Championship Game after a wild 56–45 victory over Virginia Tech in which McGahee rushed for 205 yards and a school-record six touchdowns. Both Dorsey and McGahee were named as finalists for the Heisman Trophy, finishing 4th and 5th, respectively.
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
2002 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was the national champion of the 2002 college football season. The team was the first in Division I-A history to finish its season at 14–0, and the second to win 14 games, following BYU's 14–1 season in 1996...
. The Hurricanes took an early 7–0 lead on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Dorsey to Roscoe Parrish
Roscoe Parrish
Roscoe Parrish is an American football wide receiver and punt returner who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bills in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, but Ohio State seized control in the second quarter behind an aggressive pass rush, bolstered by constant blitzing
Blitz (American football)
In American football or Canadian football, a blitz or red dog is when players on or behind the line of scrimmage during a play, are sent across the scrimmage line to the offensive side to try to tackle the quarterback or disrupt his pass attempt...
, and a stifling rush defense. The Buckeyes held a 14–7 lead at the half, and a field goal by Mike Nugent
Mike Nugent
Mike Nugent is an American football placekicker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
extended Ohio State's advantage to 17–7 midway through the third quarter.
A touchdown run by McGahee brought the Hurricanes within 3 points, but just as the running back started to get on track, he suffered a knee injury early in the fourth quarter. 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 on a 7-yard pass from Dorsey to Kellen Winslow II
Kellen Winslow II
Kellen Boswell Winslow, II is an American football tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns sixth overall in the 2004 NFL Draft...
, and, on Ohio State's ensuing possession, the Hurricanes appeared to have won the game, 24–17, after Buckeyes quarterback Craig Krenzel
Craig Krenzel
Craig Krenzel is a former college and professional American football quarterback. He is currently a radio commentator for WBNS 97.1 The FAN in Columbus, which broadcasts the Ohio State Buckeyes football games.-High school career:...
's fourth-and-3 pass from the Miami 5 fell incomplete in the end zone. Miami players and coaches rushed the field and stadium fireworks were set off to commemorate the program's apparent sixth national championship.
The celebration proved premature, however, as Big 12 official Terry Porter threw a belated flag and made a controversial pass interference
Pass interference
In American and Canadian gridiron football, pass interference is a penalty that occurs when a player interferes with an eligible receiver's ability to make a fair attempt to catch a forward pass. Pass interference may include tripping, pushing, pulling, or cutting in front of the receiver or...
call against Miami cornerback Glenn Sharpe
Glenn Sharpe
Glenn Sharpe is a free agent American football cornerback who last played for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
. The penalty took the air out of Miami's sails and gave Ohio State new life, first-and-goal at the 1. The Buckeyes scored a touchdown to tie it at 24–24 at the end of the first overtime, and Maurice Clarett
Maurice Clarett
Maurice Edward Clarett is an American football running back for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. During his freshman year at Ohio State University in 2002, he helped lead the Buckeyes to a national championship...
's 5-yard touchdown run in the second overtime gave Ohio State a 31–24 lead.
Miami's ensuing possession saw Dorsey briefly knocked out of the game after a hit from linebacker Matt Wilhelm
Matt Wilhelm
Matthew Wilhelm is an American football linebacker who's currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
. After backup quarterback Derrick Crudup completed an 8-yard pass on third down, Dorsey re-entered and converted the crucial fourth-and-3 with a 7-yard completion to Winslow. Miami then drove to the Ohio State 2 yard-line, but was held to one yard on its next three plays. Facing 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 and Dorsey's desperation pass into the end zone toward Andre Johnson fell incomplete, giving Ohio State the national championship.
The loss was Coker's first in 25 games as Miami's head coach and Dorsey's second in 40 career starts. The loss also continued the Hurricanes' futility in the Fiesta Bowl, dropping them to 0–4 in the game, with two of those losses being monumental upsets that deprived them of national championships.
Miami suffered through some offensive struggles in 2003 behind new quarterback Brock Berlin
Brock Berlin
Brock Berlin is a former American college and professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League . He played college football for the university of Florida and the University of Miami. Berlin was signed by the Miami Dolphins of the NFL as an undrafted free agent...
. 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
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
ended Miami's national championship aspirations. The Hurricanes rebounded to win the Big East Conference championship and finish the season 11–2 with an 2004 Orange Bowl
2004 Orange Bowl
The 2004 FedEx Orange Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the and the Florida State Seminoles on January 1, 2004, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Miami defeated FSU 16-14 in a stout defensive battle...
victory over Florida State
2003 Florida State Seminoles football team
-Schedule:...
.
Miami joined the ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
in 2004 and despite 3 conference losses, the Hurricanes ended the season with a Peach Bowl
Chick-fil-A Bowl
The Chick-fil-A Bowl, formerly called the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and before that simply called the Peach Bowl, is an annual college football bowl game played in Atlanta, Georgia since December 1968. The first three Peach Bowls were played at Grant Field on the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta....
victory over rival Florida
2004 Florida Gators football team
The 2004 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2004 college football season...
.
The 2005
2005 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 2005 Miami Hurricanes football team began the 2005 season ranked #8/9 after a 9-3 campaign in 2004 that ended with a 27-10 win over rival Florida in the 2005 Peach Bowl.-Season:...
season marked the debut of Kyle Wright
Kyle Wright
Kyle Wright is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
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 its defense. After a loss to Florida State after placekick holder Bryan Monroe bobbled the snap for what would have been a game-tying field goal attempt, Miami would win eight straight games, including a road win over 3rd-ranked Virginia Tech, only to stumble two weeks later against underdog Georgia Tech. Miami's second conference loss of the season cost it a place in the inaugural ACC Championship game and it competed instead in the Peach Bowl, where it lost to LSU
2005 LSU Tigers football team
The 2005 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the college football season of 2005–2006. Coached by Les Miles in his first season at LSU, the Tigers played their home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
, 40–3.
2005 also saw the program embroiled in more controversy when it was reported several Miami football players had recorded a rap song in 2004 that contained lewd sexual references. The song, recorded by an informal group that called itself "7th Floor Crew" and set to the beat of Aaliyah
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
's "If Your Girl Only Knew
If Your Girl Only Knew
"If Your Girl Only Knew" is a R&B/dance-pop song written by Missy Elliott and Timbaland for Aaliyah's second studio album, One in a Million . It also was produced by Timbaland, and released as the album's lead single during the third quarter of 1996 . The song was re-released in 1998 as a limited...
", received much criticism in outlets such as ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. Following the negative publicity, the University issued a statement condemning its lyrical content.
The 2006 season included an on-field brawl
Miami-FIU brawl
The Florida International University – University of Miami was a bench-clearing brawl that occurred on October 14, 2006 in a college football game between the University of Miami Hurricanes and the at the Orange Bowl stadium in Miami, Florida....
against Florida International
FIU Golden Panthers football
The FIU Golden Panthers football team represent Florida International University in Miami, Florida in the sport of college football. The FIU Panthers are a mid-major NCAA FBS college football team in the Sun Belt Conference led by Mario Cristobal and play at the on-campus FIU Stadium.-History:On...
, the shooting death of Miami defensive tackle Bryan Pata
Bryan Pata
Bryan Sidney Pata was an American football defensive lineman for the Miami Hurricanes and was majoring in criminology.-Career:...
, and a four game late-season losing streak. Only a Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
night victory over Boston College, in Miami's last game of the regular season, saved the Hurricanes from a losing regular season record.
The day following the Boston College victory, university president Donna Shalala
Donna Shalala
Donna Edna Shalala served for eight years as Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Bill Clinton and has been president of the University of Miami, a private university in Coral Gables, Florida, since 2001. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest...
terminated Coker. Coker coached through the postseason, where he won his final game, a 21–20 victory over Nevada
Nevada Wolf Pack football
The Nevada Wolf Pack Football program represents the University of Nevada, Reno in college football. The Wolf Pack competes in the Western Athletic Conference at the Football Bowl Subdivision level of the NCAA...
on December 31, 2006 in the MPC Computers Bowl
2006 MPC Computers Bowl
The 2006 MPC Computers Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game held on December 31, 2006 at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho. The game featured tie-ins between the Atlantic Coast Conference , which was represented by the Miami Hurricanes, and the Western Athletic Conference , represented by...
.
Randy Shannon era (2007–2010)
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
and Miami alumnus Randy Shannon
Randy Shannon
Randy Lennard Shannon is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Miami from 2007 to 2010. Shannon played football at Miami and then with the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL....
was officially introduced as the program's new head coach on December 8, 2006. Shannon reportedly agreed to a four-year deal worth over $4 million. As of November 2010, Shannon's .553 career winning record is the worst of any University of Miami coach in four decades.
Shannon's first year as UM head coach in 2007 was one of the worst in the Hurricanes' modern history, with the team registering a losing 5–7 record. Under Shannon, the team failed to reach a bowl game for the first time in a decade, and it was the first non-penalized full-scholarship team to miss a bowl game in more than 25 years.
Media draft experts considered the freshmen on the 2008 team to be one of the top recruiting classes in the nation. The 2008 regular season was highlighted by losses to rivals Florida
2008 Florida Gators football team
The 2008 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2008 college football season...
and Florida State
2008 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 2008 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University during the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season. It was Florida State's 17th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference .The previous...
, as well as an upset victory over Virginia Tech
2008 Virginia Tech Hokies football team
The 2008 Virginia Tech Hokies football team represents Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach is Frank Beamer. Prior to the season, the Hokies were expected to be in a rebuilding mode, recovering after the...
. The 26–3 loss to Florida was Miami's first in that series since 1985, snapping a 6-game winning streak against the Gators. Afterwards, the tension between the two teams was heightened when Shannon accused Florida coach Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...
of trying to run up the score with an unsuccessful deep pass into the end zone in the game's final minute. The visiting Hurricanes were 22½ point underdogs in the nationally televised game but only trailed 9–3 heading into the fourth quarter, leading some to wonder whether Meyer was trying to compensate for his team's unimpressive performance.before kicking a field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
with :25 remaining." Miami was knocked out of ACC Championship
2008 ACC Championship Game
The 2008 ACC Championship Game was a college football game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Boston College Eagles. The game, sponsored by Dr. Pepper, was the final regular-season contest of the 2008 college football season for the Atlantic Coast Conference...
contention with a late-season loss to Georgia Tech
2008 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
The 2008 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the college football season of 2008-2009. The team's coach is former Navy Midshipmen and Georgia Southern Eagles coach Paul Johnson...
in which the Hurricanes surrendered the second-most rushing yards in school history (472). The Hurricanes finished the 2008 season at 7–6 after a 24–17 loss to California
2008 California Golden Bears football team
The 2008 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the college football 2008-2009 season. They played their home games at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California and are coached by Jeff Tedford...
in the Emerald Bowl
2008 Emerald Bowl
The 2008 Emerald Bowl, part of the 2008-09 NCAA football bowl games season, was played on December 27, 2008 at AT&T Park, the home field of the Giants in San Francisco, California...
.
After the 2008 season, Shannon fired offensive coordinator Patrick Nix
Patrick Nix
Patrick Nix is a college football coach and former player in the United States.-Player:Patrick Nix began his career at Etowah High School in Attalla, Alabama. Nix was a standout quarterback at Auburn University, where he came in for an injured Stan White vs. Alabama to help lead the Tigers to a...
, citing philosophical differences. Also, starting quarterback Robert Marve
Robert Marve
Robert Edward Marve is a quarterback for the Purdue Boilermakers. He was previously a member of the Miami Hurricanes football team from 2007 to 2008.-Early years:...
left the team because he claimed not to be able to play for Coach Shannon. Shannon placed strict restrictions on Marve's potential transfer destinations and received much criticism in the media. However, the University of Miami claimed in a press release that the restrictions were set because of suspected tampering by Marve's family or others on behalf of the Marve family.
Shannon's staff suffered more upheaval when defensive coordinator Bill Young left to assume the same position at Oklahoma State, his alma mater, in late January 2009. North Carolina assistant John Lovett was hired to replace him.
Shannon hired former Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
offensive assistant Mark Whipple
Mark Whipple
Mark Whipple is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the quarterbacks coach for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League . Whipple served as the head football coach at University of New Haven , Brown University , and the University of Massachusetts Amherst...
as Miami's new offensive coordinator and assistant head coach. Several Miami offensive players from the 2008 season returned, including quarterback Jacory Harris
Jacory Harris
Jacory Sherrod Harris is an American football quarterback, in very loose terms, who played for the University of Miami Hurricanes....
, both starting running backs, most of the offensive line and its top six receivers. Shannon has been able to recruit a number of Southern Florida's top high school football players by telling them that they would be able to play immediately. In fact, 21 true freshmen played during the 2008 season opener.
The 2009 season began on a poor note after two back up quarterbacks, Taylor Cook and Cannon Smith both transferred out during fall practice, leaving the young Hurricane team with only one serviceable backup in true freshman A.J. Highsmith. Sophomore Jacory Harris
Jacory Harris
Jacory Sherrod Harris is an American football quarterback, in very loose terms, who played for the University of Miami Hurricanes....
directed the newly implemented offense. To make matters worse, starting defensive end Adewale Ojomo suffered a broken jaw in a locker room fight that led to a season ending injury, causing the already young Hurricane team to go into their season short handed.
Miami faced adifficult schedule to start the 2009 season with visits to #18 Florida State, a home game against #15 Georgia Tech, a visit to Lane Stadium
Lane Stadium
Lane Stadium/Worsham Field is a stadium located in Blacksburg, Virginia. It is the home field of the Virginia Tech Hokies. It was rated the number one home field advantage in all of college football in 2005 by Rivals.com...
and the #7 Virginia Tech Hokies and a home visit from the defending Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
champions and BCS Champion runner-ups in #3 University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
. Some national media outlets and sites such as ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
predicted at best a 2–2 record for the Hurricanes with some even predicting an 0–4 start.
Miami opened up their 2009 season against their rival the Florida State Seminoles on Labor Day night for a national broadcast for ESPN. Billed as a "Battle of Rebuilding Programs," Quarterback Jacory Harris led a heroic comeback in Tallahassee to beat the then ranked Seminoles 38–34, overcoming a late interception and apparent injury to Harris in the 4th quarter. The next week, Miami welcomed the triple option
Triple Option
The triple option is an American football scheme used to offer multiple ways to progress the football forward in the field of play. The triple option is based on the option run, but uses three players who may run with the ball instead of the two that are used in the standard option run.The triple...
offense of the #14 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Ramblin' Wreck, Engineers, Blacksmiths, and Golden Tornado. There are 8 men's and 7 women's teams that...
in yet another ESPN prime-time game. Georgia Tech came in hot off of a big ACC win against Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
the previous week and held a 4–0 record against the Hurricanes in the last 4 years, including the previous years pounding in Atlanta (referenced above). The 2009 contest would be a different story all together, as the Hurricanes handily beat the Jackets 33–17 at home and allowed only 95 rushing yards in the process. The next week, with the Hurricanes in the national spotlight for the first time in 5 years, the #9 Miami team visited the #11 Virginia Tech Hokies
Virginia Tech Hokies
The Virginia Tech Hokies are the athletic teams officially representing Virginia Tech in college sports. The Hokies participate in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Coast Conference in 19 varsity sports. Virginia Tech's men's sports are football, basketball, baseball, cross country, golf, soccer,...
. In pouring rain, Tech defeated the Hurricanes by a final score of 31–7. Beat up and embarrassed, Miami then played the Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners
The University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...
. Without Heisman Award winner Sam Bradford
Sam Bradford
Samuel Jacob "Sam" Bradford is an American football quarterback for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, and played college football at Oklahoma. In 2008, as a redshirt sophomore, Bradford became the second sophomore to win a...
, Oklahoma took an early 10–0 lead after two early Jacory Harris interceptions. Going into halftime, the Hurricanes trailed the Sooners 10–7 in a highly contested football game. Miami came out for the second with a huge hit on the kick off team by Corey Nelms that forced the Sooners to start inside their own 20. The following play, Sophomore Corner Brandon Harris
Brandon Harris
Brandon Harris is an American football cornerback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He played collegiate football at the University of Miami.-Early years:Harris attended Booker T. Washington High School...
hit Oklahoma Quarterback Landry Jones
Landry Jones
Landry Jones is an American football quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners.-Early years:Jones attended Artesia High School in his hometown where he led the football team to two consecutive Class 4A state championships, throwing for a combined 7,013 yards and 89 touchdowns. As a senior in 2007,...
and forced a fumble that eventually led to a Hurricane touchdown. The momentum stayed with the Hurricanes as they rode to a 21–20 win over the #8 team in the land. Following the opening four weeks, Miami was 3–1 and was the talk of sports stations nationwide.
Following the gauntlet first third of the season, the Hurricanes won against Florida A&M at home and on the road against UCF, moving all the way up to #10 in the polls. The Canes then had to take on the always tough Clemson Tigers in Miami in what was a contest of speed and athleticism. Turnovers, missed opportunities and stand-out back CJ Spiller led the Tigers to a 40–37 overtime win against the Hurricanes, knocking them out of BCS contention and putting the ACC Championship Game
ACC Championship Game
The Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game is an American college football game held on the first Saturday in December by the Atlantic Coast Conference each year to determine its football champion. The game pits the champion of the Coastal Division against the champion of the Atlantic Division in a game...
in serious jeopardy. A win against Wake Forest
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
on Halloween kept the Hurricanes in the conference race, which they followed up on with a 52–17 defeat of the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
in Miami. The next week UNC
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
topped Miami 33–24 with an unimpressive performance by Jacory Harris and the offense. Miami finished up the 2009 regular season with back-to-back wins over Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
and in-state rival USF
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
. Miami's final record was 9–3, finishing in 3rd place for the ACC Coastal Division behind Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.
The announcement of the 2009 bowl sections stirred some controversy. Instead of choosing the 3rd best team in the ACC (Miami), the Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
chose the Florida State Seminoles to represent the ACC against the West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
instead of the Hurricanes because of the retirement of legendary FSU coach Bobby Bowden
Bobby Bowden
Robert Cleckler "Bobby" Bowden is a retired college football coach. He coached the Florida State Seminoles football team from the 1976 to 2009 seasons...
. The Hurricanes were relegated to the Champs Sports Bowl
Champs Sports Bowl
The Champs Sports Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at the Citrus Bowl. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Capital One Bowl and Florida Classic...
in Orlando to play against the 9–3 Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin Badgers
The Wisconsin Badgers are the collegiate athletic teams from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This NCAA Division I athletic program has teams in football, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country, tennis, swimming, wrestling, track and field, rowing, golf, and softball...
. Though the Hurricanes were heavy favorites coming into the contest, the Badgers beat up on the Hurricanes consistently throughout the game. Though the Hurricanes started off fast with a big return to open the game by Sam Shields, the Canes just could not maintain any offense throughout the game and had no answer for the power offense of Wisconsin. Going into halftime, the Hurricanes trailed 17–7 and Graig Cooper blew out his knee on the poor turf just before halftime on a kick off return. Though Miami scored a late touchdown and recovered the onside kick
Onside kick
In American and Canadian football, an onside kick is a type of kick used at a kickoff or other free kick, or scrimmage kick or other kick during play, in which the ball is kicked favorably for the kicking team to avoid giving away the ball...
, they fell to Wisconsin 20–14 and finished the season at 9–4.
After the 2009 season, Shannon signed the #13 recruiting class in the nation according to ESPN. Shannon addressed many depth issues including offensive line, line backers and running backs, however the media claimed that the staff missed out on several of the more highly touted recruits on signing day, including a couple of "5 star" players. Coaching changes were made before and after signing day, including the departure of defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Clint Hurtt to the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
and the loss of running backs coach Tommie Robinson to the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Shannon replaced them with former Hurricane and current University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
defensive line coach Rick Petri as well as running back coach Mike Cassano from Florida International University
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
. Subsequently, Shannon has named wide-receiver coach Aubry Hill as the recruiting coordinator for the program. In May 2010, the university extended Shannon's employment contract as head coach through 2014.
The Hurricanes finished the 2010 regular season with a 7–5 record which included losses to rivals Florida State and Virginia Tech as well as the first ever loss to in-state opponent USF in the last game of the season. Shannon was fired by Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt within hours of the loss to USF. Interim head coach Jeff Stoutland
Jeff Stoutland
Jeff Stoutland is the offensive line coach for the University of Alabama. He served as the interim head football coach for the University of Miami in 2010.-Playing career:...
, who was offensive line coach under Shannon, led the team into its Sun Bowl matchup versus Notre Dame
2010 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2010 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2010 college football season. The team's head football coach was Brian Kelly. The Irish played their home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana...
; the Hurricanes lost the New Year's Eve game 33–17.
Al Golden era (2011 to present)
Following Shannon's firing, Miami hired former Temple UniversityTemple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
head coach Al Golden as their new head coach on December 13, 2010.
Golden posted a 6-6 record in his first year at Miami. It was only the third time since 1979 that the program had failed to register a winning record.
Current coaching staff
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Al Golden | Head Coach |
| Jedd Fisch | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach |
| Mark D'Onofrio Mark D'Onofrio Mark D'Onofrio is the Defensive Coordinator at the University of Miami and a former linebacker in the National Football League.-Biography:D'Onofrio was born Mark Emil D'Onofrio on March 17, 1969 in North Bergen, New Jersey. He is married with two children.... |
Defensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach |
| Micheal Barrow Micheal Barrow Micheal Christian Barrow is a former American football linebacker of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the second round of the 1993 NFL Draft... ~ |
Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers Coach |
| Brennan Carroll Brennan Carroll Brennan Carroll is an American football coach at the University of Miami. His nickname is BC.-Coaching career:In 2002, Carroll joined the USC Trojans football team staff as a graduate assistant, under his father, Pete Carroll, who was then head coach. During his first season he worked with... |
National Recruiting Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach |
| Terry Richardson | Florida Recruiting Coordinator/Running Backs Coach |
| Jethro Franklin Jethro Franklin Jethro Franklin is the defensive line coach for the University of Miami Hurricanes football team.-Playing career:... |
Defensive Line Coach/Senior Defensive Assistant Coach |
| Art Kehoe~ | Offensive Line Coach |
| George McDonald | Wide Receivers Coach |
| Paul Williams | Defensive Backs Coach |
| Andreu Swasey | Strength & Conditioning Coach |
Former Miami Hurricanes players on the staff are noted with ~ after their name.
Facilities
Miami plays its home games at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida
Miami Gardens, Florida
Miami Gardens is a Miami suburban city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city name comes from one of the major roadways through the area, Miami Gardens Drive. According to the 2010 U.S...
, located approximately 21 mi (33.8 km) north of the university's main Coral Gables
Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is home to the University of Miami....
campus. The stadium also serves as home to the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL and, through 2011, Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
. Because the stadium is shared with the Marlins, the playing surface features a dirt infield on one side of the field until the end of the baseball season in October.
From 1937 through 2007, the team played its home games at the Orange Bowl
Miami Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
, located in the Little Havana
Little Havana
Little Havana is a neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. Home to many Cuban immigrant residents, Little Havana is named after Havana, the capital and largest city in Cuba. The approximate boundaries are the Miami River , SW 16th Street , SR 9/West 27th Avenue and I-95...
section of Miami. In the late 2000s, the City of Miami, the owner of the Orange Bowl, proposed to extensively renovate it. However, those plans fell by the wayside as the city focused on keeping the Marlins baseball team in town, forcing the university to threaten a move to Dolphin Stadium if a plan to renovate the stadium was not in place within 45 days. When the city could not deliver on a renovation plan, the University's Board of Trustees, on the recommendation of UM President Donna Shalala
Donna Shalala
Donna Edna Shalala served for eight years as Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Bill Clinton and has been president of the University of Miami, a private university in Coral Gables, Florida, since 2001. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest...
, approved the shift to Dolphin Stadium on August 21, 2007.
At its inception, the program played at Tamiami Park and, later, Moore Park before moving to the then Burdine Stadium
Miami Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
in 1937.
The team practices on-campus at the Greentree Practice Fields, which were named the College Football Field of the Year by the SportsTurf Managers Association in 2007. The Hecht Athletic Center, also located on-campus, serves as the program's training facility and is home to the football offices.
The 2006
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
NFC
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
Champion Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
used the football team's training facilities while preparing for Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
. The other team, AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
Champion Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
used the Miami Dolphins Training Facility
Miami Dolphins Training Facility
The Miami Dolphins Training Facility is located on the Nova Southeastern University main campus in Davie, Florida. It is the headquarters location for the Miami Dolphins, as well as a location for frequent special events.-Architecture and features:...
at Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University, commonly referred to as NSU or Nova, is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian, research university located in Broward County, Florida, with its main campus in the town of Davie...
in Davie, Florida.
Head coaching records
During Miami's 86 seasons of playing football, 57 were winning seasons; 24 were losing seasons, and 5 seasons finished with a .500 record. In four seasons, Miami was unbeaten and untied.| Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926–28† | Howard Buck | 3 | 15–10–2 | .593 |
| 1929 | J. Burton Rix J. Burton Rix -References:... |
1 | 3–2–0 | .600 |
| 1930 | Ernest Brett Ernest E. Brett Ernest E. Brett was the head coach of the University of Miami football program in 1930.-Head coaching record:-External links:... |
1 | 3–4–1 | .438 |
| 1931–34 | Tom McCann Thomas McCann Thomas "Tom" McCann was head coach of the University of Maine football program in 1917 and the University of Miami football program from 1931 to 1934.He also served in World War I and World War II and attained the rank of commander in the U.S... |
4 | 18–15–4 | .541 |
| 1935–36 | Irl Tubbs Irl Tubbs Ira "Irl" Tubbs was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Wisconsin–Superior , the University of Miami , and the University of Iowa .-Playing and coaching career:Tubbs played college football at William Jewell College in... |
2 | 11–5–2 | .667 |
| 1937–42, 1945–47 |
Jack Harding Jack Harding Jack Harding was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach of football and baseball. He served as the head football coach at St... |
9 | 54–32–3 | .624 |
| 1943–44 | Eddie Dunn Eddie Dunn Eddie Dunn was head coach of the University of Miami football program from 1943 to 1944 while head coach Jack Harding, was called to serve in World War II.... |
2 | 6–8–1 | .433 |
| 1948–63 | Andy Gustafson Andy Gustafson -External links:... |
16 | 93–65–3 | .697 |
| 1964–70 | Charlie Tate Charlie Tate Charles William "Charlie" Tate was an American college football player and coach. Tate served as the head coach of the University of Miami for six seasons during the 1960s and two games during the 1970 season.... |
6 | 34–27–3 | .555 |
| 1970 | Walt Kichefski Walt Kichefski Walter Raymond Kichefski was a professional football player in the He played in the league from 1940–1942 and again in 1944. Walt played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and "Card-Pitt", a team that was the result of a temporary merger between the Chicago Cardinals and the Steelers... |
1 | 2–7–0 | .222 |
| 1971–72 | Fran Curci Fran Curci Fran Curci is a former American football player and coach. He was an All-American quarterback at the University of Miami in 1959... |
2 | 9–13–0 | .409 |
| 1973–74 | Pete Elliot | 2 | 11–11–0 | .500 |
| 1975–76 | Carl Selmer Carl Selmer -External links:... |
2 | 5–16–0 | .238 |
| 1977–78 | Lou Saban Lou Saban Louis Henry Saban was an American football player and coach. Saban played for Indiana University in college and as a pro for the Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference... |
2 | 9–13–0 | .409 |
| 1979–83 | Howard Schnellenberger Howard Schnellenberger Howard Schnellenberger is an American football coach at both the professional and college level. He is currently in his final season as head coach of Florida Atlantic University, having announced his retirement on August 11, 2011, effective at the end of the 2011 season... |
5 | 41–16–0 | .719 |
| 1984–88 | Jimmy Johnson Jimmy Johnson (American football coach) James William "Jimmy" Johnson is an American former NCAA and National Football League head coach. As of 2010, he is currently an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday, the Fox network's NFL pregame show. He was the first football coach whose teams won both an NCAA Division 1A National Championship and a... |
5 | 52–9–0 | .852 |
| 1989–94 | Dennis Erickson Dennis Erickson Dennis Erickson is an American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at Arizona State University until November 28, 2011, a position he had held since the 2007 season. In 2008 the Arizona Board of Regents had approved a contract extension to keep Erickson at Arizona... |
6 | 63–9–0 | .875 |
| 1995–2000 | Butch Davis Butch Davis Paul Hilton "Butch" Davis, Jr. is an American football coach and former player in the United States. He was the head coach at the University of Miami from 1995 to 2000, the Cleveland Browns of the NFL from 2001 to 2004, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 2007 to 2011.-Early... |
6 | 51–20–0 | .718 |
| 2001–06 | Larry Coker Larry Coker Larry Edward Coker is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at the University of Texas at San Antonio, whose Roadrunners football team begins play in 2011. From 2001 to 2006, Coker served as the head coach at the University of Miami... |
6 | 60–15–0 | .800 |
| 2007–10 | Randy Shannon Randy Shannon Randy Lennard Shannon is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Miami from 2007 to 2010. Shannon played football at Miami and then with the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL.... |
4 | 28–22–0 | .560 |
| 2010 | Jeff Stoutland Jeff Stoutland Jeff Stoutland is the offensive line coach for the University of Alabama. He served as the interim head football coach for the University of Miami in 2010.-Playing career:... (interim) |
0 | 0–1–0 | .000 |
| 2011 | Al Golden | 1 | 6-6-0 | .500 |
| 1926–2011 | 22 coaches | 86 | 574–326–19 | .635 |
| † – Includes 1926's freshmen-only team | ||||
National championships
| Year | Coach | Selector | Record | Bowl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 1983 Miami Hurricanes football team The 1983 Miami Hurricanes were the national champions of the 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season. The national championship was the first of five won by the University of Miami.-Offense:-Defense:-Special teams:-Coaching staff:-Schedule:... |
Howard Schnellenberger Howard Schnellenberger Howard Schnellenberger is an American football coach at both the professional and college level. He is currently in his final season as head coach of Florida Atlantic University, having announced his retirement on August 11, 2011, effective at the end of the 2011 season... |
AP AP National Championship Trophy The AP National Championship Trophy is the trophy awarded annually by the Associated Press to the team who finishes the season at the number one spot in the AP Poll.... , Coaches |
11–1 | Won Orange 1984 Orange Bowl The 1984 Orange Bowl was the 50th annual Orange Bowl Classic, played on January 2, 1984, between the unbeaten Nebraska Cornhuskers and the once-beaten Miami Hurricanes, for the national championship. After leading 31-17 in the fourth quarter, Miami held on for a 31-30 victory... |
| 1987 1987 Miami Hurricanes football team The 1987 Miami Hurricanes were the national champions of the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. The national championship was the second of five won by the University of Miami in football.-Pre-Season:... |
Jimmy Johnson Jimmy Johnson (American football coach) James William "Jimmy" Johnson is an American former NCAA and National Football League head coach. As of 2010, he is currently an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday, the Fox network's NFL pregame show. He was the first football coach whose teams won both an NCAA Division 1A National Championship and a... |
AP AP National Championship Trophy The AP National Championship Trophy is the trophy awarded annually by the Associated Press to the team who finishes the season at the number one spot in the AP Poll.... , Coaches AFCA National Championship Trophy The AFCA National Championship Trophy is the trophy awarded by the American Football Coaches Association to the winner of college football's BCS National Championship Game, which determines the national champion for purposes of the Coaches Poll... |
12–0 | Won Orange 1988 Orange Bowl The 1988 Orange Bowl was a postseason American college football bowl game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Oklahoma Sooners. It was the 54th edition of the Orange Bowl and took place at the Orange Bowl stadium in Miami, Florida on January 1, 1988. Miami was coached by Jimmy Johnson and Oklahoma... |
| 1989 1989 Miami Hurricanes football team The 1989 Miami Hurricanes were the national champions of the 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season. The national championship was the third won by the University of Miami in football.-Offense:-Defense:-Special Teams:-Schedule:... |
Dennis Erickson Dennis Erickson Dennis Erickson is an American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at Arizona State University until November 28, 2011, a position he had held since the 2007 season. In 2008 the Arizona Board of Regents had approved a contract extension to keep Erickson at Arizona... |
AP AP National Championship Trophy The AP National Championship Trophy is the trophy awarded annually by the Associated Press to the team who finishes the season at the number one spot in the AP Poll.... , Coaches AFCA National Championship Trophy The AFCA National Championship Trophy is the trophy awarded by the American Football Coaches Association to the winner of college football's BCS National Championship Game, which determines the national champion for purposes of the Coaches Poll... |
11–1 | Won Sugar 1990 Sugar Bowl The 1990 USF&G Sugar Bowl, part of the 1989 season, took place on January 1, 1990, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference , and the Miami Hurricanes, competing as a football independent... |
| 1991 1991 Miami Hurricanes football team The 1991 Miami Hurricanes were the national champions of the 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season, as determined by the AP Poll. 1991 was a split championship year, though, as the Washington Huskies finished #1 in the Coaches' Poll... |
Dennis Erickson Dennis Erickson Dennis Erickson is an American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at Arizona State University until November 28, 2011, a position he had held since the 2007 season. In 2008 the Arizona Board of Regents had approved a contract extension to keep Erickson at Arizona... |
AP AP National Championship Trophy The AP National Championship Trophy is the trophy awarded annually by the Associated Press to the team who finishes the season at the number one spot in the AP Poll.... † |
12–0 | Won Orange 1992 Orange Bowl The 1992 Orange Bowl was a 1991–1992 college football bowl game that was played on January 1, 1992, for the national championship. The 58th edition of the Orange Bowl featured the Miami Hurricanes, and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Miami came into the game with a 11–0 record and #1 AP ranking, whereas... |
| 2001 2001 Miami Hurricanes football team The 2001 Miami Hurricanes football team was the national champion of the 2001 college football season and is considered by many to be the greatest team in college football history.-Pre-season motivation:... |
Larry Coker Larry Coker Larry Edward Coker is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at the University of Texas at San Antonio, whose Roadrunners football team begins play in 2011. From 2001 to 2006, Coker served as the head coach at the University of Miami... |
BCS BCS National Championship Game The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision... , AP AP National Championship Trophy The AP National Championship Trophy is the trophy awarded annually by the Associated Press to the team who finishes the season at the number one spot in the AP Poll.... , Coaches AFCA National Championship Trophy The AFCA National Championship Trophy is the trophy awarded by the American Football Coaches Association to the winner of college football's BCS National Championship Game, which determines the national champion for purposes of the Coaches Poll... |
12–0 | Won Rose 2002 Rose Bowl The 2002 Rose Bowl, played on January 3, 2002, was a college football bowl game. It was the 88th Rose Bowl game and was the BCS National Championship Game of the 2001 college football season... |
| Total national championships – 5 | ||||
| † Washington won the 1991 Coaches Poll AFCA National Championship Trophy The AFCA National Championship Trophy is the trophy awarded by the American Football Coaches Association to the winner of college football's BCS National Championship Game, which determines the national champion for purposes of the Coaches Poll... , Miami won the AP poll; and the two teams were unable to meet for a decisive national title game because the bowl procedures for that time automatically placed the Pac-10 and Big 10 champions in the Rose Bowl Rose Bowl Game The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2... , so Miami could not play opposite the Huskies (who instead played and soundly defeated Michigan) and instead went to the Orange Bowl where they defeated Nebraska. |
||||
Conference championships
Conference Affiliations- 1927–1928: IndependentNCAA Division I-A independent schoolsNCAA Football Bowl Subdivision independent schools are four-year institutions whose football programs are not part of an NCAA-affiliated conference. This means that FBS independents are not required to schedule each other for competition like conference schools do...
- 1929–1941: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationThe Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association was one of the first collegiate athletic conferences in the United States. Twenty-seven of the current Division I FBS football programs were members of this conference at some point, as were at least 19 other schools...
- 1942–1990: IndependentNCAA Division I-A independent schoolsNCAA Football Bowl Subdivision independent schools are four-year institutions whose football programs are not part of an NCAA-affiliated conference. This means that FBS independents are not required to schedule each other for competition like conference schools do...
- 1991–2003: Big East ConferenceBig East ConferenceThe Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
- 2004–present: Atlantic Coast ConferenceAtlantic Coast ConferenceThe Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
| Year | Conference | Overall Record | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Big East Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports... |
12–0 | 2–0 |
| 1992 | Big East Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports... |
11–1 | 4–0 |
| 1994 | Big East Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports... |
10–2 | 7–0 |
| 1995† | Big East Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports... |
8–3 | 6–1 |
| 1996† | Big East Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports... |
9–3 | 6–1 |
| 2000 | Big East Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports... |
11–1 | 7–0 |
| 2001 2001 Miami Hurricanes football team The 2001 Miami Hurricanes football team was the national champion of the 2001 college football season and is considered by many to be the greatest team in college football history.-Pre-season motivation:... |
Big East Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports... |
12–0 | 7–0 |
| 2002 2002 Miami Hurricanes football team The 2002 Miami Hurricanes football team sought to defend the school's 1-A national championship. They were coached by second year head coach Larry Coker, and competed in the Big East Conference- Pre Season :... |
Big East Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports... |
12–1 | 7–0 |
| 2003† | Big East Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports... |
11–2 | 6–1 |
| Total conference championships – 9 | |||
| † Denotes co-champions | |||
College Football Hall of Fame members
The following nine Miami players and coaches have been inducted to the College Football Hall of FameCollege Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
:
| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" style="width:65%;"> | |||
| Name | Position | Years | Inducted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Harding Jack Harding Jack Harding was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach of football and baseball. He served as the head football coach at St... |
Coach | 1937–42, 45–47 | 1980 |
| Andy Gustafson Andy Gustafson -External links:... |
Coach | 1948–63 | 1985 |
| Ted Hendricks Ted Hendricks Theodore Paul Hendricks is a Hall of Fame former American football linebacker who logged 15 seasons for the Baltimore Colts , the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders in the National Football League... |
Defensive end | 1966–68 | 1987 |
| Don Bosseler Don Bosseler Donald John Bosseler is a former American football fullback who played in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins from 1957 to 1964. He played college football at the University of Miami and was drafted in the first round of the 1957 NFL Draft... |
Fullback | 1953–56 | 1990 |
| Don James | Quarterback (inducted as coach at Univ. of Washington) |
1951–53 | 1997 |
| Bennie Blades Bennie Blades Horatio Benedict "Bennie" Blades Sr. is a former American football cornerback and safety in the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami.-University of Miami:... |
Safety | 1984–87 | 2006 |
| Arnold Tucker Arnold Tucker Arnold Tucker is a retired United States Air Force Officer who graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY in 1947.... |
Quarterback (also at Army) | 1943–46 | 2008 |
| Gino Torretta Gino Torretta Gino Louis Torretta is a Heisman Trophy winner who played quarterback for several teams in the National Football League from 1993 to 1997.... |
Quarterback | 1989–92 | 2009 |
| Russell Maryland Russell Maryland Russell James Maryland is a former professional American football player. He played defensive tackle for ten seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Cowboys first overall in the 1991 NFL Draft... |
Defensive Tackle | 1987–90 | 2011 |
| Total Hall of Famers – 9 | |||
In addition, Jim Otto
Jim Otto
James Edwin Otto is a former Professional Football center for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League.-Wausau High School and University of Miami:...
, Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
and Michael Irvin
Michael Irvin
Michael Jerome Irvin is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his...
were inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame without also being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Winning streaks
Miami also has two of the longest winning streaks in NCAA Division I historyLongest NCAA Division I football winning streaks
The following is a list of the top 50 longest winning streaks in Division I college football history. The information comes from the NCAA official Football Record books....
. From 2000 to 2003, Miami won 34 consecutive games, tying for sixth all-time. The streak started on September 23, 2000 with a 47–10 victory at West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
and ended on January 3, 2003 with a 31–24 double overtime loss to Ohio State
2002 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was the national champion of the 2002 college football season. The team was the first in Division I-A history to finish its season at 14–0, and the second to win 14 games, following BYU's 14–1 season in 1996...
in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl
2003 Fiesta Bowl
The 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl took place on January 3,2003 in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil Stadium. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Miami Hurricanes by a score of 31–24 in double overtime. It also served as the BCS National Championship Game for the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season...
. 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
1993 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1993 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama for the 1993–94 college football season, competing in the Southeastern Conference Western Division...
, 34–13 in the 1993 Sugar Bowl
1993 Sugar Bowl
The 1993 Sugar Bowl took place on January 1, 1993, in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. It served as the final game and the National Championship of the 1992–93 college football season. The game featured two unbeaten teams in the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Miami Hurricanes...
.
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. The 58 game streak includes three Orange Bowl victories where Miami was the away team because of the Orange Bowl's tie to the Big 8 conference.
In addition to its own lengthy winning streaks, Miami has snapped 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
Princeton Tigers football
The Princeton Tigers football program represents Princeton University college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
. In the 1984 Orange Bowl
1984 Orange Bowl
The 1984 Orange Bowl was the 50th annual Orange Bowl Classic, played on January 2, 1984, between the unbeaten Nebraska Cornhuskers and the once-beaten Miami Hurricanes, for the national championship. After leading 31-17 in the fourth quarter, Miami held on for a 31-30 victory...
, Miami ended top-ranked Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
's 22-game winning streak and won its first national championship with a 31–30 victory. The Hurricanes halted top-ranked Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
's 20-game streak and won their second national championship when they defeated the Sooners, 20–14, in the 1988 Orange Bowl
1988 Orange Bowl
The 1988 Orange Bowl was a postseason American college football bowl game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Oklahoma Sooners. It was the 54th edition of the Orange Bowl and took place at the Orange Bowl stadium in Miami, Florida on January 1, 1988. Miami was coached by Jimmy Johnson and Oklahoma...
. The Hurricanes ended top-ranked Notre Dame's 23-game winning streak with a 27–10 win on November 25, 1989. Miami also ended the 20-game winning streak of UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
when Miami defeated the third-ranked Bruins 49–45 on December 5, 1998.
Notable team records
- Consecutive wins: 34, 2000–02
- Consecutive regular season wins: 39, 2000–03
- Consecutive road wins: 20, 1984–86
- Consecutive games without being shut out: 188, 1979–94
- Consecutive shutouts of opponent: 4, 1926, 1936, 1941
- Consecutive games without a tie score: 345, 1966–95 (NCAA adopted tiebreaker in 1996)
NFL Draft records
- Most first round selections (single draft): 6, 20042004 NFL DraftThe 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
- Most consecutive years with first round draftee: 14, 19951995 NFL DraftThe 1995 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
–20082008 NFL DraftThe 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
All-time bowl results
Miami has played in 34 bowl games, going 18–16 for a .529 winning percentage. Its most common bowl destination has been the Orange Bowl, where the 'Canes have appeared 9 times and compiled a 6–3 record. Miami's most common opponent in bowl play has been NebraskaNebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
. The schools have met six times in bowl play, with the Hurricanes winning four of the meetings.
| Date | Bowl | W/L | Opponent | PF | PA |
| January 1, 1935 | Orange Bowl 1935 Orange Bowl The 1935 Orange Bowl was a postseason American college football bowl game between the Bucknell Bison and Miami. It was the first edition of the Orange Bowl and took place at Miami Field... |
L | Bucknell Bucknell Bison The Bucknell Bison are the athletic teams of Bucknell University. The program is a member of the Patriot League for Division I sports, Division I-AA in football.Bucknell won the first Orange Bowl... |
0 | 26 |
| January 1, 1946 | Orange Bowl | W | Holy Cross Holy Cross Crusaders football The Holy Cross Crusaders football team is the collegiate football program of the College of the Holy Cross. The team is a member of the Patriot League, an NCAA Division I conference that participates in the second-level Football Championship Subdivision, more commonly known as FCS or the... |
13 | 6 |
| January 1, 1951 | Orange Bowl | L | Clemson Clemson Tigers football The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
14 | 15 |
| January 1, 1952 | Gator Bowl Gator Bowl The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally... |
W | Clemson Clemson Tigers football The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
14 | 0 |
| December 16, 1961 | Liberty Bowl Liberty Bowl The Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in December of each year from 1959 to 2007 and in January in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty Bowl was sponsored by AXA Financial and was known as the AXA Liberty Bowl from 1997 to 2003... |
L | Syracuse 1961 Syracuse Orangemen football team The 1961 Syracuse Orangemen football team represented Syracuse University in the 1961 NCAA University Division college football season. Running back Ernie Davis would become the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy.-Schedule:... |
14 | 15 |
| December 15, 1962 | Gotham Bowl Gotham Bowl The Gotham Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game that was played in New York City, United States, in 1961 and 1962. The game was initially created as a fund raising attempt for the March of Dimes.... |
L | Nebraska 1962 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team The 1962 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska and member of the Big Eight Conference in the 1962 college football season... |
34 | 36 |
| December 10, 1966 | Liberty Bowl 1966 Liberty Bowl The 1966 Liberty Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Miami Hurricanes at Memphis Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee on December 10, 1966. The game was the final contest of the 1966 college football season for both teams, and ended... |
W | Virginia Tech Virginia Tech Hokies football The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over... |
14 | 7 |
| December 23, 1967 | Bluebonnet Bowl Bluebonnet Bowl The Bluebonnet Bowl was an annual college football bowl game played in Houston, Texas. A civic group was appointed by the Houston Chamber of Commerce Athletics Committee in 1959 to organize the bowl game. It was held at Rice Stadium from 1959 through 1967, and again in 1985 and 1986. The game was... |
L | Colorado 1967 Colorado Buffaloes football team The 1967 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the 1967 college football season. The Buffaloes offense scored 245 points while the defense allowed 113 points. Led by head coach Eddie Crowder, the Buffaloes competed in the Bluebonnet... |
21 | 31 |
| January 2, 1981 | Peach Bowl 1981 Peach Bowl (January) The 1981 Peach Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Hurricanes from the University of Miami at Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on January 2, 1981. The game was the final contest of the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season... |
W | Virginia Tech Virginia Tech Hokies football The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over... |
20 | 10 |
| January 2, 1984 | Orange Bowl 1984 Orange Bowl The 1984 Orange Bowl was the 50th annual Orange Bowl Classic, played on January 2, 1984, between the unbeaten Nebraska Cornhuskers and the once-beaten Miami Hurricanes, for the national championship. After leading 31-17 in the fourth quarter, Miami held on for a 31-30 victory... |
W | Nebraska 1983 Nebraska Cornhuskers Football Team The 1983 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln] in the 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska... |
31 | 30 |
| January 1, 1985 | Fiesta Bowl 1985 Fiesta Bowl The 1985 Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, 1985, was the 14th edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game featured the UCLA Bruins, and the Miami Hurricanes. The game was the fourth highest scoring Fiesta Bowl of all time... |
L | UCLA | 37 | 39 |
| January 1, 1986 | Sugar Bowl 1986 Sugar Bowl The 1986 Sugar Bowl, featuring the 2nd ranked Miami Hurricanes and the 8th ranked Tennessee Volunteers, was played on January 1, 1986, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.... |
L | Tennessee 1985 Tennessee Volunteers football team The 1985 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Volunteers offense scored 325 points while the defense allowed 140 points. At season’s end, the Volunteers ranked fourth in both the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll... |
7 | 35 |
| January 2, 1987 | Fiesta Bowl 1987 Fiesta Bowl The 1987 Sunkist Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game sponsored by Sunkist. It was part of the bowl season of the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. The game was the 16th edition of the Fiesta Bowl, played annually since 1971. The 1987 game was played on January 2, 1987, at the Sun... |
L | Penn State | 10 | 14 |
| January 1, 1988 | Orange Bowl 1988 Orange Bowl The 1988 Orange Bowl was a postseason American college football bowl game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Oklahoma Sooners. It was the 54th edition of the Orange Bowl and took place at the Orange Bowl stadium in Miami, Florida on January 1, 1988. Miami was coached by Jimmy Johnson and Oklahoma... |
W | Oklahoma Oklahoma Sooners football The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... |
20 | 14 |
| January 2, 1989 | Orange Bowl | W | Nebraska 1988 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team The 1988 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:... |
23 | 3 |
| January 1, 1990 | Sugar Bowl 1990 Sugar Bowl The 1990 USF&G Sugar Bowl, part of the 1989 season, took place on January 1, 1990, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference , and the Miami Hurricanes, competing as a football independent... |
W | Alabama | 33 | 25 |
| January 1, 1991 | Cotton Bowl Classic | W | Texas Texas Longhorns football The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National... |
46 | 3 |
| January 1, 1992 | Orange Bowl |
W | Nebraska 1991 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team The 1991 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:... |
22 | 0 |
| January 1, 1993 | Sugar Bowl 1993 Sugar Bowl The 1993 Sugar Bowl took place on January 1, 1993, in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. It served as the final game and the National Championship of the 1992–93 college football season. The game featured two unbeaten teams in the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Miami Hurricanes... |
L | Alabama 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team The 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 1992 college football season. This was the team's third season under head coach Gene Stallings. They played their home games at both Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Legion Field in Birmingham,... |
13 | 34 |
| January 1, 1994 | Fiesta Bowl 1994 Fiesta Bowl The 1994 IBM OS/2 Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, 1994, was the 23rd edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game featured the Arizona Wildcats, and the Miami Hurricanes. The game featured the only shutout in Fiesta Bowl history, as Arizona shut-out Miami... |
L | Arizona 1993 Arizona Wildcats football team The 1993 Arizona Wildcats football team represented University of Arizona during the 1993 NCAA college football season. The offense scored 294 points while the defense allowed 161 points... |
0 | 29 |
| January 1, 1995 | Orange Bowl 1995 Orange Bowl The 1995 Orange Bowl a 1994-1995 college football bowl game was played on January 1, 1995, for the national championship. This 61st edition to the Orange Bowl featured the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the Miami Hurricanes. Nebraska came into the game with a 12-0 and #1 AP ranking, whereas Miami came... |
L | Nebraska 1994 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team The 1994 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska... |
17 | 24 |
| December 27, 1996 | Carquest Bowl | W | Virginia Virginia Cavaliers football Virginia Cavaliers football is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I-FBS and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
31 | 21 |
| December 29, 1998 | Micron PC Bowl | W | NC State | 46 | 23 |
| January 1, 2000 | Gator Bowl Gator Bowl The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally... |
W | Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
28 | 13 |
| January 2, 2001 | Sugar Bowl 2001 Sugar Bowl The 2001 Sugar Bowl a 2000–2001 BCS game was played on January 2, 2001. This 67th edition to the Sugar Bowl featured the Florida Gators, and the , in an in-state rivalry game... |
W | Florida 2000 Florida Gators football team September 30, 2000The Florida Gators came into Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi ranked third in the nation. The unranked Mississippi State Bulldogs ran for 351 yards, 172 yards and a touchdown for Dicenzo Miller, and 156 yards and a touchdown for Dontae Walker. Bulldogs quarterback... |
37 | 20 |
| January 3, 2002 | Rose Bowl 2002 Rose Bowl The 2002 Rose Bowl, played on January 3, 2002, was a college football bowl game. It was the 88th Rose Bowl game and was the BCS National Championship Game of the 2001 college football season... BCS National Championship BCS National Championship Game The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision... |
W | Nebraska 2001 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team The 2001 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Frank Solich and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:... |
37 | 14 |
| January 3, 2003 | Fiesta Bowl 2003 Fiesta Bowl The 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl took place on January 3,2003 in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil Stadium. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Miami Hurricanes by a score of 31–24 in double overtime. It also served as the BCS National Championship Game for the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season... BCS National Championship BCS National Championship Game The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision... |
L (2OT) |
Ohio State 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes football team The 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was the national champion of the 2002 college football season. The team was the first in Division I-A history to finish its season at 14–0, and the second to win 14 games, following BYU's 14–1 season in 1996... |
24 | 31 |
| January 1, 2004 | Orange Bowl 2004 Orange Bowl The 2004 FedEx Orange Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the and the Florida State Seminoles on January 1, 2004, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Miami defeated FSU 16-14 in a stout defensive battle... |
W | Florida State 2003 Florida State Seminoles football team -Schedule:... |
16 | 14 |
| December 31, 2004 | Peach Bowl 2004 Peach Bowl (December) The 2004 December edition of the Peach Bowl featured the Miami Hurricanes and the Florida Gators.Miami took a 7-0 lead when it blocked a Florida field goal attempt, and Devin Hester returned the ball 78 yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Matt Leach kicked a 34-yard field goal to male it... |
W | Florida 2004 Florida Gators football team The 2004 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2004 college football season... |
27 | 10 |
| December 30, 2005 | Peach Bowl 2005 Peach Bowl The 2005 edition of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl featured two top 10 ranked teams. The ninth ranked Miami Hurricanes battled the tenth ranked LSU Tigers in this contest, the last to be played as the Peach Bowl.... |
L | Louisiana State 2005 LSU Tigers football team The 2005 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the college football season of 2005–2006. Coached by Les Miles in his first season at LSU, the Tigers played their home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana... |
3 | 40 |
| December 31, 2006 | MPC Computers Bowl 2006 MPC Computers Bowl The 2006 MPC Computers Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game held on December 31, 2006 at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho. The game featured tie-ins between the Atlantic Coast Conference , which was represented by the Miami Hurricanes, and the Western Athletic Conference , represented by... |
W | Nevada Nevada Wolf Pack football The Nevada Wolf Pack Football program represents the University of Nevada, Reno in college football. The Wolf Pack competes in the Western Athletic Conference at the Football Bowl Subdivision level of the NCAA... |
21 | 20 |
| December 27, 2008 | Emerald Bowl 2008 Emerald Bowl The 2008 Emerald Bowl, part of the 2008-09 NCAA football bowl games season, was played on December 27, 2008 at AT&T Park, the home field of the Giants in San Francisco, California... |
L | California 2008 California Golden Bears football team The 2008 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in the college football 2008-2009 season. They played their home games at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California and are coached by Jeff Tedford... |
17 | 24 |
| December 29, 2009 | Champs Sports Bowl 2009 Champs Sports Bowl The 2009 Champs Sports Bowl was a college football bowl game between the Wisconsin Badgers of the Big Ten Conference and the Miami Hurricanes of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Played at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida, the game started at 8:00 PM US EST on Tuesday, December 29, 2009 and was... |
L | Wisconsin 2009 Wisconsin Badgers football team The 2009 Wisconsin Badgers football team competed on behalf of the University of Wisconsin–Madison during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers were coached by Bret Bielema and played their home games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin... |
14 | 20 |
| December 31, 2010 | Sun Bowl 2010 Sun Bowl The 2010 Hyundai Sun Bowl game was the 77th edition of the annual college football bowl game known as the Sun Bowl. It was played on December 31, 2010 between the Miami Hurricanes from the ACC and the independent Notre Dame Fighting Irish, in a revival of a long-dormant rivalry. CBS television... |
L | Notre Dame 2010 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team The 2010 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2010 college football season. The team's head football coach was Brian Kelly. The Irish played their home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana... |
17 | 33 |
| Total | 34 bowl games* | 18–16 | 720 | 679 |
Rivalries
Miami's traditional rivals are Florida StateFlorida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
and Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
. Since 2002, the Florida Cup
Florida Cup
The Florida Cup is the American football trophy sponsored by the state of Florida given to either the Florida State University Seminoles, the University of Florida Gators, or the University of Miami Hurricanes in return for beating the other two teams in the same season...
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. Four Florida Cups have been awarded, and Miami won the first three.
Miami also had heated rivalry with Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
through 1990.
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 every year since 1966, with Miami holding the all-time advantage, 31–25. Upon the conclusion of their 2003 regular-season schedules, the teams represented their respective conferences in the 2004 FedEx Orange Bowl (Miami being the champions of the Big East, and Florida State being the champions of the ACC). Miami won the bowl game 16–14, it was the only time the schools have met in post-season football play. Following their October 2010 contest, the 55 meetings between the teams of FSU and Miami eclipses a rivalry between the Hurricanes and the Gators (from the University of FloridaUniversity of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
); the series of games between UM and Florida becomes Miami's second-longest at 54 games.
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 14 bowl games with a national championship at stake. The 1988 game starred 57 future NFL pros on the combined rosters. Since 2004, the year Miami left the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
to join the expanded 12-member Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
, the universities have been conference foes, though they are placed in separate divisions consisting of six institutions. This alignment brings about the potential of the two teams meeting for a second time, should each win their respective divisions in any particular season, at the ACC Championship Game
ACC Championship Game
The Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game is an American college football game held on the first Saturday in December by the Atlantic Coast Conference each year to determine its football champion. The game pits the champion of the Coastal Division against the champion of the Atlantic Division in a game...
. Played annually since 2005, the victor of the early December contest becomes the ACC champion, and subsequently the Conference's representative in the Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
(BCS) that year. Under the current arrangement with the BCS, the intent has been to send the ACC champion to the FedEx Orange Bowl in Miami each year, although provisions exist that permit teams to be placed in one of the other four BCS bowls, dependent upon the rankings of the teams and the location of that season's BCS Championship Game.
The series has consistently drawn very high television ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
with the 2006 Miami – Florida State game being the most-watched college football game—regular-season or postseason—in ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
history, and the 2009 and 1994 meetings being the second- and fifth-most watched regular season games, respectively.
Florida
Miami's rivalry with FloridaFlorida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
dates back to 1938, making it the oldest rivalry among Florida's "Big Three" of Miami, Florida, and Florida State. 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 football game. 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. The canoe is now on permanent display at the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame on the Coral Gables campus.
Miami holds the edge in the all-time series with a 28–26 record against Florida. The two schools met every year from 1944 until 1987, but have not played regularly since then. Florida canceled the annual series after the 1987 season, when the requirement of the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
for member schools to play eight conference games induced the University of Florida to fill out the non-conference portion of its schedule with teams that do not require a home-and-home arrangement.
From 1986 to 2003, Miami won all six of the games between the schools, including victories in the 2001 Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
and the 2004 Peach Bowl. Florida snapped its 23-year drought against Miami with a 26–3 win over the Hurricanes in 2008. The two schools are next scheduled to play in 2013 at Sun Life Stadium.
Notre Dame
While not the most regular rivalry for either school, Notre Dame's games with Miami, dubbed by Irish fans in the late 1980s as "Catholics vs. Convicts" still stand out as one of the most heated feuds in college football history. After not meeting for two decades, the schools faced each other in the 2010 Sun Bowl, with Notre Dame prevailing 33–17. The Fighting Irish hold a 16–7–1 edge. Miami and Notre Dame will renew their regular season rivalry at Soldier FieldSoldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
in 2012 before they begin a new series of games in 2016.
Players
- Heisman TrophyHeisman TrophyThe Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
- Vinny TestaverdeVinny TestaverdeVincent Frank Testaverde is a former NFL quarterback. Testaverde last played for the Carolina Panthers and had previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Testaverde holds the NFL record for having...
– 19861986 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Penn State winning the national championship. Coached by Joe Paterno, they defeated Miami 14–10 in the Fiesta Bowl. This Fiesta Bowl was the first in the game's history to decide the national championship, launching it into the top tier of... - Gino TorrettaGino TorrettaGino Louis Torretta is a Heisman Trophy winner who played quarterback for several teams in the National Football League from 1993 to 1997....
– 19921992 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Coalition, and ended with Alabama's first national championship in thirteen years—their first since the departure of Bear Bryant...
- Maxwell AwardMaxwell AwardThe Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
- Maxwell Award
- Vinny TestaverdeVinny TestaverdeVincent Frank Testaverde is a former NFL quarterback. Testaverde last played for the Carolina Panthers and had previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Testaverde holds the NFL record for having...
– 19861986 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Penn State winning the national championship. Coached by Joe Paterno, they defeated Miami 14–10 in the Fiesta Bowl. This Fiesta Bowl was the first in the game's history to decide the national championship, launching it into the top tier of... - Gino TorrettaGino TorrettaGino Louis Torretta is a Heisman Trophy winner who played quarterback for several teams in the National Football League from 1993 to 1997....
– 19921992 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Coalition, and ended with Alabama's first national championship in thirteen years—their first since the departure of Bear Bryant... - Ken DorseyKen DorseyKenneth Simon "Ken" Dorsey is a former football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami. A two-time Heisman Trophy finalist at Miami, Dorsey played for the Cleveland Browns from 2006–2008...
– 20012001 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the University of Miami winning the national title for the fifth time.The Hurricanes were led by Larry Coker, who was in his first year as head coach after five years as Miami's offensive coordinator under Butch Davis...
- Walter Camp AwardWalter Camp AwardThe Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation;...
- Walter Camp Award
- Vinny TestaverdeVinny TestaverdeVincent Frank Testaverde is a former NFL quarterback. Testaverde last played for the Carolina Panthers and had previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Testaverde holds the NFL record for having...
– 19861986 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Penn State winning the national championship. Coached by Joe Paterno, they defeated Miami 14–10 in the Fiesta Bowl. This Fiesta Bowl was the first in the game's history to decide the national championship, launching it into the top tier of... - Gino TorrettaGino TorrettaGino Louis Torretta is a Heisman Trophy winner who played quarterback for several teams in the National Football League from 1993 to 1997....
– 19921992 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Coalition, and ended with Alabama's first national championship in thirteen years—their first since the departure of Bear Bryant...
- Bednarik Award
- Warren SappWarren SappWarren Carlos Sapp is a retired American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year professional career, and college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was then...
– 19941994 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season saw yet another controversial finish as both Nebraska and Penn State finished undefeated, and yet Penn State finished a distant second in the final AP and UPI polls. The controversial finish, however, could have been an even worse morass if not for some... - Dan MorganDan MorganDaniel Thomas "Dan" Morgan, Jr. is a former American football linebacker for the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Panthers 11th overall in the 2001 NFL Draft...
– 20002000 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Oklahoma Sooners claiming their first national championship and their first conference championship since the departure of head coach Barry Switzer....
- Bronko Nagurski TrophyBronko Nagurski TrophyThe Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America to be the best defensively in the National Collegiate Athletic Association; the award is presented by the Charlotte...
- Bronko Nagurski Trophy
- Warren SappWarren SappWarren Carlos Sapp is a retired American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year professional career, and college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was then...
– 19941994 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season saw yet another controversial finish as both Nebraska and Penn State finished undefeated, and yet Penn State finished a distant second in the final AP and UPI polls. The controversial finish, however, could have been an even worse morass if not for some... - Dan MorganDan MorganDaniel Thomas "Dan" Morgan, Jr. is a former American football linebacker for the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Panthers 11th overall in the 2001 NFL Draft...
– 20002000 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Oklahoma Sooners claiming their first national championship and their first conference championship since the departure of head coach Barry Switzer....
- Dave Rimington TrophyDave Rimington TrophyThe Dave Rimington Trophy is awarded to the player considered to be the best center in college football. Dave Rimington was a center who played at the University of Nebraska from 1979-1982....
- Dave Rimington Trophy
- Brett RombergBrett RombergBrett Christopher Romberg is an American football center for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Miami....
– 20022002 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season ended the season with what most consider an exciting double overtime national championship game. Ohio State and Miami both came into the Fiesta Bowl undefeated. The underdog Buckeyes defeated the Hurricanes 31–24, ending Miami's 34 game winning...
- Davey O'Brien AwardDavey O'Brien AwardThe Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...
- Vinny TestaverdeVinny TestaverdeVincent Frank Testaverde is a former NFL quarterback. Testaverde last played for the Carolina Panthers and had previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Testaverde holds the NFL record for having...
– 19861986 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Penn State winning the national championship. Coached by Joe Paterno, they defeated Miami 14–10 in the Fiesta Bowl. This Fiesta Bowl was the first in the game's history to decide the national championship, launching it into the top tier of... - Gino TorrettaGino TorrettaGino Louis Torretta is a Heisman Trophy winner who played quarterback for several teams in the National Football League from 1993 to 1997....
– 19921992 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Coalition, and ended with Alabama's first national championship in thirteen years—their first since the departure of Bear Bryant...
- Dick Butkus AwardDick Butkus AwardThe Butkus Award, instituted in 1985, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football...
- Dick Butkus Award
- Dan MorganDan MorganDaniel Thomas "Dan" Morgan, Jr. is a former American football linebacker for the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Panthers 11th overall in the 2001 NFL Draft...
– 20002000 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Oklahoma Sooners claiming their first national championship and their first conference championship since the departure of head coach Barry Switzer....
- Jim Thorpe AwardJim Thorpe AwardThe Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport legend Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986...
- Jim Thorpe Award
- Bennie BladesBennie BladesHoratio Benedict "Bennie" Blades Sr. is a former American football cornerback and safety in the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami.-University of Miami:...
– 19871987 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Miami winning its second national championship during the 80s in an Orange Bowl match-up featuring a rare #1 vs...
- John Mackey AwardJohn Mackey AwardThe John Mackey Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding tight end.The award is given to the collegiate tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, academics, and community values of NFL Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey....
- John Mackey Award
- Kellen Winslow IIKellen Winslow IIKellen Boswell Winslow, II is an American football tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns sixth overall in the 2004 NFL Draft...
– 20032003 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with an abundance of controversy, resulting in a split national championship. This was the first split title since the inception of the BCS, something the BCS intended to eliminate....
- Johnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardJohnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardThe Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's outstanding senior quarterback in college football. It was established in 1987 by a foundation named for Johnny Unitas , the Hall of Fame quarterback who played his college career at the University of...
- Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
- Craig EricksonCraig EricksonCraig Neil Erickson is a former professional quarterback who was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 5th round of the 1991 NFL Draft and also by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 4th round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He is one of the few NFL players to be drafted twice, most famously Bo...
– 19901990 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a split championship and the ensuing controversy led to the creation of the Bowl Coalition, a precursor to the Bowl Championship Series. The title was split between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets... - Gino TorrettaGino TorrettaGino Louis Torretta is a Heisman Trophy winner who played quarterback for several teams in the National Football League from 1993 to 1997....
– 19921992 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Coalition, and ended with Alabama's first national championship in thirteen years—their first since the departure of Bear Bryant...
- Lombardi AwardLombardi AwardThe Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
- Lombardi Award
- Warren SappWarren SappWarren Carlos Sapp is a retired American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year professional career, and college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was then...
– 19941994 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season saw yet another controversial finish as both Nebraska and Penn State finished undefeated, and yet Penn State finished a distant second in the final AP and UPI polls. The controversial finish, however, could have been an even worse morass if not for some...
- Outland TrophyOutland TrophyThe Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
- Outland Trophy
- Russell MarylandRussell MarylandRussell James Maryland is a former professional American football player. He played defensive tackle for ten seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Cowboys first overall in the 1991 NFL Draft...
– 19901990 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a split championship and the ensuing controversy led to the creation of the Bowl Coalition, a precursor to the Bowl Championship Series. The title was split between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets... - Bryant McKinnieBryant McKinnieBryant McKinnie is a American football offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
– 20012001 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the University of Miami winning the national title for the fifth time.The Hurricanes were led by Larry Coker, who was in his first year as head coach after five years as Miami's offensive coordinator under Butch Davis...
Coaches
- Paul "Bear" Bryant Award
- Howard SchnellenbergerHoward SchnellenbergerHoward Schnellenberger is an American football coach at both the professional and college level. He is currently in his final season as head coach of Florida Atlantic University, having announced his retirement on August 11, 2011, effective at the end of the 2011 season...
– 19831983 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the University of Miami winning their first national championship over perennial power Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.... - Larry CokerLarry CokerLarry Edward Coker is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at the University of Texas at San Antonio, whose Roadrunners football team begins play in 2011. From 2001 to 2006, Coker served as the head coach at the University of Miami...
– 20012001 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the University of Miami winning the national title for the fifth time.The Hurricanes were led by Larry Coker, who was in his first year as head coach after five years as Miami's offensive coordinator under Butch Davis...
- Broyles AwardBroyles AwardThe Broyles Award is an annual award given to honor the best assistant coach in college football. First awarded in 1996, it was named after former University of Arkansas men's athletic director Frank Broyles...
- Broyles Award
- Randy ShannonRandy ShannonRandy Lennard Shannon is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Miami from 2007 to 2010. Shannon played football at Miami and then with the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL....
– 20012001 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the University of Miami winning the national title for the fifth time.The Hurricanes were led by Larry Coker, who was in his first year as head coach after five years as Miami's offensive coordinator under Butch Davis...
Touchdown Tommy
Touchdown Tommy is the cannon that is fired off when the team runs out of the tunnel, after every point that the Hurricanes score, and the conclusion of a victory. The cannon is kept by the Sigma ChiSigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
fraternity's Cannon Master and fired off during the games by the senior brothers of Sigma Chi. Touchdown Tommy is the third oldest tradition at the University of Miami, after the Iron Arrow Honor Society
Iron Arrow Honor Society
The Iron Arrow Honor Society is a highly selective secret society and honor society at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida for students, faculty, staff and alumni...
and Sebastian the Ibis
Sebastian the Ibis
Sebastian the Ibis is the official mascot for the University of Miami. He is an anthropomorphized American White Ibis with a Miami Hurricanes football jersey, number 0.-History:...
.
The Smoke
One of the Hurricanes' traditions is the team's 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 consists of fire extinguisher exhaust.Following Miami's rise to prominence in the 1980s, many high school, college and NFL teams over the last 25 years have copied this practice, and in 2001 ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
made a parody of it for a Saturday college football commercial.
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. Members are selected by an anonymous advisory committee, the director of athletics and the head football coach. The names and jersey numbers of the inductees were displayed on the upper deck of the Orange BowlMiami Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
(which has since been torn down). The inaugural class of included Jim Dooley, Ted Hendricks
Ted Hendricks
Theodore Paul Hendricks is a Hall of Fame former American football linebacker who logged 15 seasons for the Baltimore Colts , the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders in the National Football League...
, George Mira
George Mira
George Ignacio Mira is a former professional American football player. A quarterback drafted in the second round of the 1964 NFL Draft from the University of Miami, Mira played in eight NFL seasons from 1964-1971 for three different teams...
, and Vinny Testaverde
Vinny Testaverde
Vincent Frank Testaverde is a former NFL quarterback. Testaverde last played for the Carolina Panthers and had previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Testaverde holds the NFL record for having...
. These four players are the only ones in the history of the program to have their numbers retired by the university as well.
A second group of players consisting of Ottis Anderson
Ottis Anderson
Ottis Jerome "O.J." Anderson is a former American football running back. He was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1979, and the MVP of Super Bowl XXV in 1991 when playing with the New York Giants...
, Don Bosseler
Don Bosseler
Donald John Bosseler is a former American football fullback who played in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins from 1957 to 1964. He played college football at the University of Miami and was drafted in the first round of the 1957 NFL Draft...
, Bernie Kosar
Bernie Kosar
Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Kosar, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Kosar played for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993 and then finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins.-Early life and high school career:A Hungarian-American...
, and Burgess Owens was inducted in 1999. After a nine-year hiatus, five new players were added in 2008: Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
rs Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
and Jim Otto
Jim Otto
James Edwin Otto is a former Professional Football center for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League.-Wausau High School and University of Miami:...
, former Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
-winner Gino Torretta
Gino Torretta
Gino Louis Torretta is a Heisman Trophy winner who played quarterback for several teams in the National Football League from 1993 to 1997....
, running back Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
, and defensive lineman Cortez Kennedy
Cortez Kennedy
Cortez Kennedy is a former NFL defensive tackle who played his entire eleven-season career with the Seattle Seahawks.-High school and college career:...
.
In 2009, College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
defensive back Bennie Blades
Bennie Blades
Horatio Benedict "Bennie" Blades Sr. is a former American football cornerback and safety in the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami.-University of Miami:...
, running back and former Miami head coach Eddie Dunn
Eddie Dunn
Eddie Dunn was head coach of the University of Miami football program from 1943 to 1944 while head coach Jack Harding, was called to serve in World War II....
, and quarterback Steve Walsh were inducted.
Miami Hurricanes in the NFL
Many Miami players go on to play in the National Football LeagueNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. 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). From 1995 through 2008, Miami set an NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
record by having at least one player selected in the first round of 14 consecutive drafts. The Hurricanes once had a streak of 149 consecutive regular season weeks where a former Hurricane scored a touchdown in an NFL game; the streak started in Week 15 of the 2002 NFL regular season and ended in Week 11 of the 2011 season. During the streak, 33 different former Hurricanes scored touchdowns and a total of 661 touchdowns were scored. Setting a new record for most players from one school, eleven former Hurricanes were selected to the 2010 Pro Bowl
2010 Pro Bowl
The 2010 AFC–NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2009 season. It took place at 8:00 PM EST on Sunday, January 31, 2010, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host site of Super Bowl XLIV...
, which happened to take place at Miami's Sun Life Stadium.
Of the program's last five head coaches, three have gone directly on to head coaching positions in the NFL:
- Jimmy JohnsonJimmy Johnson (American football coach)James William "Jimmy" Johnson is an American former NCAA and National Football League head coach. As of 2010, he is currently an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday, the Fox network's NFL pregame show. He was the first football coach whose teams won both an NCAA Division 1A National Championship and a...
– Dallas CowboysDallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
(NFL) - Dennis EricksonDennis EricksonDennis Erickson is an American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at Arizona State University until November 28, 2011, a position he had held since the 2007 season. In 2008 the Arizona Board of Regents had approved a contract extension to keep Erickson at Arizona...
– Seattle SeahawksSeattle SeahawksThe Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
(NFL) - Butch DavisButch DavisPaul Hilton "Butch" Davis, Jr. is an American football coach and former player in the United States. He was the head coach at the University of Miami from 1995 to 2000, the Cleveland Browns of the NFL from 2001 to 2004, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 2007 to 2011.-Early...
– Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(NFL)
Howard Schnellenberger resigned as the Hurricanes head coach in order to become part owner and coach of Miami's first USFL franchise to be named "The Spirit of Miami." It did not materialize, and he took the head coaching position at the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
.
Controversies and scandals
The University of MiamiUniversity of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
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. These include a situation in 1978 where three players threw a man into a lake precipitating the resignation of coach Lou Saban
Lou Saban
Louis Henry Saban was an American football player and coach. Saban played for Indiana University in college and as a pro for the Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference...
, the 1991 Cotton Bowl Classic unsportsman like conduct giving rise to the so-called "Miami Rule," the 1995 Pell Grant scandal, and the 2005 "7th Floor Crew" rap song, described above.
1980s: Luther Campbell's "pay for play"
2 Live Crew2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew was a hip hop group from Miami, Florida. They caused considerable controversy with the sexual themes in their work, particularly on their 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.- Early career :...
member Luther Campbell
Luther Campbell
Luther R. Campbell , also known as Luke Skyywalker, Uncle Luke or Luke, is a record label owner, rap performer , and actor...
was alleged to have been behind what was referred to as a "pay-for-play" system, which involved cash rewards for acts such as scoring touchdowns and big hits, although Campbell has never actually donated to the University of Miami or its athletics department.
2006: FIU brawl
On October 14, 2006, in the first meeting of cross-town programs, Miami and the Florida International Golden PanthersFIU Golden Panthers football
The FIU Golden Panthers football team represent Florida International University in Miami, Florida in the sport of college football. The FIU Panthers are a mid-major NCAA FBS college football team in the Sun Belt Conference led by Mario Cristobal and play at the on-campus FIU Stadium.-History:On...
brawled after a PAT
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
.
FIU cornerback Chris Smith wrestled Miami holder Matt Perelli to the ground after the kick and appeared to punch him in the chin. Another FIU cornerback, Marshall McDuffie, Jr., kicked Perelli in the head. Miami's Anthony Reddick
Anthony Reddick
Anthony Reddick is a defensive back for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. Reddick signed as a free agent with the Lions on April 27, 2010. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes. In a 2006 brawl, Reddick swung his helmet as a weapon at players on the opposing team...
swung his helmet at FIU players and Miami's Brandon Meriweather
Brandon Meriweather
Brandon Meriweather is an American football safety for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 24th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami.-Early years:Meriweather's mother gave birth to him when...
kicked an FIU player. FIU's A'Mod Ned, who was injured, came onto the field and swung at Miami players with his crutches. The fight lasted just over one minute before the coaches of both teams were able to separate the players. Florida Highway Patrol state troopers and City of Miami police arrived on the field as the fight was going on and remained a visual presence on the sidelines and in the stands to prevent further fighting. The game was delayed approximately 15 to 20 minutes as the officials attempted to sort out which players were ejected and what, if any, penalty yards needed to be enforced.
The next day, 31 players from both schools were punished — 18 from FIU, 13 from Miami — The Miami players were handed one-game suspensions, while the FIU players were suspended for the remainder of the season. Three Miami players were suspended indefinitely and the rest were also assigned community service work.
2002–2010: Shapiro scandal
A Ponzi schemePonzi scheme
A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to its investors from their own money or the money paid by subsequent investors, rather than from any actual profit earned by the individual or organization running the operation...
r, convicted felon
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
and Miami booster, Nevin Shapiro
Nevin Shapiro
Nevin Shapiro is a former University of Miami football booster who is currently imprisoned for orchestrating a $930 million Ponzi scheme. According to interviews, he engaged in rampant violations of NCAA rules over eight years as a booster for University of Miami athletes...
, claimed he used investor funds to finance donations to the University of Miami's athletic program and gave an estimated $2 million in illegal benefits to at least 72 current or former football and basketball players and coaches from 2002–2010. A Yahoo! Sports
Yahoo! Sports
Yahoo! Sports was launched on December 8, 1997. It receives a majority of its information from STATS, Inc., employs various writers, and has team pages for teams in almost every North American sport...
report alleged that Shapiro, through his donations, violated at least four major NCAA bylaws.
Documentary film
Miami-based media studio rakonturRakontur
Rakontur is a Miami-based media studio founded by Alfred Spellman and Billy Corben in 2000.-History:Rakontur's feature documentary debut, Raw Deal: A Question of Consent, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2001, making Corben one of the youngest directors in Sundance history...
documentary film called The U
The U (documentary)
The U is a 2009 documentary film produced by Miami based media studio rakontur and directed by Billy Corben. The U covers the rise and dominance of the Miami Hurricanes football team during the late 1980s and early 1990s....
, for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's 30 for 30 film series. The film depicts the rise of the University of Miami's football tradition throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. According to the filmmaker, the university chose not to be involved in the project, and denied access to coach Randy Shannon, Paul Dee and Tad Foote
Edward T. Foote II
Edward Thaddeus “Tad” Foote II served as the fourth president of the University of Miami from 1981 through 2001.A graduate of John Burroughs School in St. Louis, Missouri, and Yale University, Foote served as dean of the law school at Washington University in St...
, the former president of the university. The film features the rise of the UM football program in the 1980s, but also includes details related to player crime and drug usage and privileges provided to players, including Luther Campbell
Luther Campbell
Luther R. Campbell , also known as Luke Skyywalker, Uncle Luke or Luke, is a record label owner, rap performer , and actor...
's "pay for play," in which the rap star reportedly paid UM players for major hits and plays. The film addresses the controversial and pioneering nature of the UM football program. The film was pre-screened on campus on December 10, 2009 with only two student athletes attending and televised two days later on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. The film became the network's most watched documentary program.