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Miami bowl report
How bright does the future look for Miami? The Hurricanes' late-season heroes have been freshmen. True freshmen.
Forum: Will the 'Canes return to the success of bowl games past? In three starts -- victories over Rutgers, Syracuse and Temple -- he completed 64 of 91 passes for 718 yards and nine touchdowns with only one interception. Miami scored 55, 45 and 55 points in those games. "It's pretty much every person's dream to come out of a season like this,'' Dorsey told the Miami Herald. "My dream year has come true.'' It has helped that he has been able to hand off to Clinton Portis, another true freshman who picked up the slack while starter James Jackson was out because of a high ankle sprain. Portis broke Jackson's freshman rushing record, gaining 838 yards on 143 carrries. In the finale against Temple, Miami was able to put its backfield all together -- Jackson, Portis and another true freshman, Jarrett Payton, Walter's son. Rotating by series, they combined for 216 yards on 25 carries. In the past three games, Payton rushed for 219 yards on 40 attempts. For now, it's not known whether Kenny Kelly will be back in time for the Jan. 1 game against Georgia Tech. Dorsey has been brilliant, although the level of competition has been suspect (although the Yellow Jackets' defense doesn't make opponents cringe in fear). Tech quarterback Joe Hamilton does, however. He's been the best quarterback in the land this fall, shut down by nobody and leading his team to an average of more than 40 points per game. Interesting matchup here: Miami hasn't allowed a passing touchdown in 23 quarters. So, yes, Miami's short-term future against Georgia Tech looks bright and its long-range success seems assured because of all the young talent. The Hurricanes might have been a bit too young this season to make a huge splash after beating Ohio State in the opener, but coach Butch Davis has the Hurricanes on the edge of national prominence again. All four of Miami's losses were to quality bowl-bound teams, including the two teams that will play for the national championship (Florida State and Virginia Tech). The Hurricanes let a game slip away late against Penn State and collapsed in the second half vs. East Carolina, otherwise this bright season would be even brighter. The Personnel FileOFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Santana Moss, Jr. receiver. Moss was the 'Canes big-play receiver, making 50 catches for 859 yards and six touchdowns. He was also an impact player on special teams, scoring twice on punt returns. The running back rotation is also one of the best around and Miami's offensive front deserves mention. Guard Richard Mercier, center Ty Wise and tight end Bubba Franks all earned all-Big East honors, as did Moss. DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Nate Webster, Jr., linebacker. Webster, a SportsLine All-American, is the leader of a hard-hitting linebacker corps. He made 146 tackles, 19 for loss, and had also forced five fumbles. He was selected the Big East defensive player of the week four times -- the first time a player had won the award that many times. COACH: Butch Davis (39-19, four years at Miami). Davis was kind of shaky in 1997, going 5-6, but has Miami turning the corner toward major success, leading them out of probation and scholarship limitations. A hot property on the coaching scene, Davis quickly rejected overtures from LSU last month. NoteworthyWINNING WAYS: By beating Syracuse, Miami improved to 7-4, marking the 20th time in the past 21 seasons that the 'Canes have won at least seven games. This season, winning eight games is an impressive accomplishment considering the combined record of Miami opponents is 81-44. HURRICANE GAMES: For the second year in a row, Miami had to play a Hurricane-postponed game in December. It seems to suit Miami well. Last season, Miami shocked UCLA 49-45 and kept the Bruins out of the national title game. This season, the Hurricanes waxed Temple.
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