Miami Practice Notes

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Miami Practice Notes & Quotes (12-27-02)


Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Friday, December 27, 2002
Miami Practice Notes & Quotes
(first practice since arriving in Arizona)

HEAD COACH LARRY COKER

On first practice since arriving in Phoenix
?It is good to have our guys back together. It was nice to be away and now I think the players were excited about being back together. It was a spirited practice and just a great day weather-wise. We felt very good about it.?

Performance at practice
?The defensive backs really impressed me today at practice. They really broke on the ball well and had a lot of interceptions at practice, which I like. Batted down balls are fine but the offense gets another opportunity. With interceptions we get another opportunity (on offense).?

On the team?s arrival
?Nearly everyone is here. We had two guys miss practice today, Jonathan Vilma and Jamaal Green. Jamaal was snowed in up East. He lives in New Jersey and actually went to a second airport and tried to get out, but couldn?t get a flight. John had a late flight and should be in tonight. We knew he would be late and everything is OK. We anticipate that both of them will be in tonight and both of them will be fine.?

On the returning players? goal to win the national championship
?Almost right after the Rose Bowl our guys went to work for a run at this year?s championship. I think that that last year was nice but we have 18 seniors and they are very good players who want to do something special.?

On Ken Dorsey?s importance to the Miami Offense
?Dorsey is extremely important to our offense and we would not have been in the Rose Bowl last year or in the Fiesta Bowl today if not for the play of Ken Dorsey. Ken is an integral piece of our offense and we are able to surround him with good players.?

MIAMI QUARTERBACK KEN DORSEY

On his progression as the Miami quarterback
?As a sophomore it was all about earning my teammates? respect. My junior year we learned very well how to handle success. Sometimes it is hard to handle success and the entire team was able to handle success and that is why we won the national championship. This year, I learned a lot about how to handle criticism. It?s part of life and I just go out and try to do the best I can on the field and not let my teammates down. The most important thing is to play well for your teammates and to win games.?

Pressure playing QB in the Miami program
?Pressure is something you have to be willing to accept. When you are the quarterback on any team you are going to be in the spotlight, and when things go good you have a lot to do with it and when things go bad you have everything to do with it. As a quarterback you have to be willing to take on that responsibility and it?s a challenge that I?ve been willing to take on. I am willing to be that guy that people expect the most out of.?

On Accomplishments at UM
?I haven?t really had time to think much about accomplishments. For one thing, I?ve been completely engulfed in preparing for Ohio State.?

On what the Fiesta Bowl game means
?This game means a lot to me and to my teammates and it means a lot to Ohio State. It is a big game for both programs and you have to think both teams are looking forward to the challenge.?

On today?s practice
?It was fun, there is nothing like conditioning at the end of practice to get you going. We are happy to be here and I feel like we had a very good practice for the day. We got a lot done, we are not there yet but we are getting there. We feel like we have a great game plan and now it is just a matter of executing it.?

MIAMI OFFENSIVE CENTER BRET ROMBERG

On today?s practice
?It was a great practice for us. We executed very well both on offense and defense and we looked very hungry. We look like we are getting ready to play a football game.?

Miami Hurricane Practice Notes:

Miami practiced one hour and 45 minutes at Scottsdale Community College in shorts and shoulder pads.
Miami players and coaches were beaming about the practice field that consists of Bermuda and rye grasses, cut to ? inch in height, the same as the field at Sun Devil Stadium. ?It?s a great practice facility, extremely nice and well done. It?s the same turf that we will play on at Sun Devil Stadium on game day,? said UM Coach Larry Coker.
?The field is great. It is a great situation and we appreciate the people at the Fiesta Bowl putting this together for us,? said UM quarterback Ken Dorsey.
Miami practices Saturday at Scottsdale Community College, 1:30-3:30 p.m. The first 15 minutes of practice will be open to all media. Head coach Larry Coker and players will be available for interviews coming off the field immediately following practice.

 

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Disappointed that the Buckeyes are close to two touchdown underdogs and are being given little, if any, chance of upsetting the Hurricanes on Friday, Allen and several of his teammates have taken to undermining the Big East and Miami's current 34-game winning streak.

"The Big East is basically all about Miami," said Allen. "I really don't mean to cut on the Big East but they have Temple and Rutgers in there."

Despite possessing five teams that finished with winning records this season, including two (Boston College and Pittsburgh) that have already scored bowl victories in the postseason, the Big East has been a constant subject of criticism as a football conference in recent years.

The Big East is 6-2 in their last eight bowl games and Pittsburgh, Boston College, West Virginia and Virginia Tech posted 9-win campaigns. Boston College defeated Toledo in the Motor City Bowl, while Pittsburgh pounded Oregon State in the Insight Bowl. West Virginia lost to Virginia in the Continental Tire Bowl.

"There are a lot of pushovers in the Big East," said Allen. "We play in the Big Ten, and there are no pushovers in the Big Ten."

Said Ohio State senior safety Mike Doss: "Nothing against Miami because I know they are the best team we're going to face but I think the Big Ten matches up very well. We don't have to many pushovers in our league."

The Buckeyes might be on to something.

The Big Ten had seven teams that qualified for the postseason, including the No. 2 ranked Buckeyes, No. 3 Iowa (11-1) and No. 10 Penn State (9-3). No. 11 Michigan (9-3) will play Florida in the Outback Bowl. Penn State will meet Auburn in the Capital One Bank Bowl. Purdue (6-6), Wisconsin (8-6) and Minnesota (7-5) also made the postseason.

The worst teams in the Big Ten (Northwestern and Indiana) both had three victories apiece, while last place Rutgers went 1-11 this season. Temple finished 4-8.

"We had a lot more quality teams than the Big East," said Allen.

There is a perception among the national media that none of the top-tier teams in the Big Ten would be able to stay with the Hurricanes because of the difference in speed. And that includes Iowa who did not play Ohio State this season. "We're not going to get into that," said UM center Brett Romberg. "We only have to wait a few more days."

Although they haven't lost a game since Sept. 9, 2000 (at Washington) the Hurricanes have sat back and watched their accomplishments rarely get noticed. Despite not making any public statements, the Hurricanes are upset because they only garnered one postseason individual award. "We're not making a big deal about it," says UM sophomore running back Willis McGahee. "We want the big award."

 

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PHOENIX (AP) -- The Ohio State and Miami players didn't spend New Year's Eve out partying.

Instead, it was mostly a quiet night in their hotels as the two teams prepare for Friday night's Fiesta Bowl.

"I don't think they wanted us to go out at all," Ohio State defensive end Will Smith said Wednesday. "We had a curfew at 11 p.m., so we stayed in the hotel. We had a game room and pool table so we had a couple of tournaments. Guys also played X-Box and checkers."



A couple of Miami players went out to movies, but most stayed in the hotel with a midnight curfew.

"I had a little dinner, relaxed a little bit, got some things done I needed to do," Hurricanes center Brett Romberg said.

Miami linebacker Jonathan Vilma watched television, but was disappointed in the coverage in the Mountain Time Zone.

"I was mad because ABC switched away right at 10 when the ball dropped," he said.

Buckeyes kicker Mike Nugent had dinner with his parents and got to bed by 10:30 p.m. Ohio State defensive tackle Tim Anderson stayed in his room and had a very mundane night.

"I folded my clothes," he said. "The room was getting a little messy."

BIG TEN PRIDE: After hearing lots of criticism about their conference, the Ohio State players are taking pride in the bowl performance of the Big Ten.

Big Ten teams are 4-1 in bowl games following Wednesday's win by Michigan and a loss by Penn State.

"A lot of guys have been talking about it," kicker Mike Nugent said. "The guys on ESPN have been saying that the Big Ten is the weakest conference this year. But we're doing great."

Nugent said he was even going to cheer for his school's archrival, Michigan. The Wolverines beat Florida 38-30 in the Outback Bowl.

"I know they should be our biggest rival, but as long as the Big Ten wins it speaks well for everyone else in the Big Ten," Nugent said. "I might have a different opinion than some guys but that's how I feel."

The Buckeyes aren't surprised about the success after getting through another grueling conference season.

"Every game you don't know who is going to win in the Big Ten," defensive end Darrion Scott said. "That's the difference between other conferences. Every game is a dogfight and you don't know what is going to happen."

CARING FOR CLARETT: Maurice Clarett's Ohio State teammates understand the difficult situation the freshman running back is going through after the death of a friend.

Clarett wasn't able to go back for the funeral -- the reasons are in dispute between the player and the school. Clarett said he filled out the proper forms to get NCAA emergency funds, but the school said the paperwork was not complete.

"I feel bad for him," defensive lineman Tim Anderson said. "My heart goes out to him. Unfortunately I know what he's feeling because I lost one of my best friends last May. I can't imagine not being able to go to the funeral. He has to use this to motivate him in the game."

MORE ROMBERG: Miami center Brett Romberg has held court at each one of the meetings with reporters, cracking off-color jokes, telling stories about some of his wildest escapades and, basically, polishing his monologue.

Romberg appeared Wednesday morning at the media hotel in his jersey, shorts and a cowboy hat.

Earlier in the week, he said that he might just pinch Ohio State defensive lineman Tim Anderson's butt to try to throw him off his game.

Anderson responded that he might reply in the same manner.

"I could tell you what I'm going to do, but I don't think you could put it in a family newspaper," he said with a laugh. "If he pinches my butt, he may just get it pinched back."

Told what Anderson had said, Romberg responded: "It's bound to happen. I'm glad to hear he's got the same mindframe."

TRAVELING BUCKEYES: At least one Ohio State fan came to the Fiesta Bowl with a suitcase full of buckeyes.

Jerry Kerns is selling necklaces strung with the nuts for $8 apiece to fellow Buckeyes fans celebrating Friday's Fiesta Bowl showdown between Ohio State and Miami for the national championship.

For the past five years he's threaded buckeyes from the state tree, considered good luck charms, with scarlet and gray beads. They're sold in a Chillicothe bar and a Columbus sports gift shop.

"I could do it in my sleep," Kerns said. "I've made thousands of them."

Each necklace is centered by a plastic football that his wife and daughter paint scarlet and gray. They added "Fiesta Bowl 2003" for the 270 necklaces they took to Tempe.

NOT EVEN CLOSE: A radio station doing a live broadcast from Tuesday night's New Year's Eve festivities at a Tempe block party was a little bit fuzzy on who was playing in the Fiesta Bowl on Friday night.

"And welcome to the Miami Hurricanes and the Ohio Buccaneers," the disc jockey said on the air.

 

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For only the second time in the BCS' five years, two undefeated teams meet in the national championship game, which returns to the Fiesta Bowl for the first time since Tennessee's victory over Florida State there four years ago. Miami enters the game riding a 34-game winning streak, the longest Division I has seen in 31 years, and looking to repeat as national champion. It would mark the program's sixth such prize in the past 20 years. The Buckeyes, in their second season under head coach Jim Tressel, leapt from 7-5 to the first 13-win season in school history. They will be attempting to capture the school's fifth national title, but its first since 1968.



Miami's offense vs. Ohio State's defense
The nation's No. 3 scoring offense (41.9 points per game) faces a unique challenge. The 'Canes love to pile up yardage on the ground with gifted RB Willis McGahee (1,686 yards, 27 TDs), but the Buckeyes' defense allows only 78.7 yards per game, fourth nationally. In addition to a strong defensive line, All-America LB Matt Wilhelm (111 tackles, 16.5 for loss) and S Mike Doss (98) creep up and stuff the run. It's possible Miami's stout offensive line, led by C Brett Romberg, will overwhelm OSU's defenders as they do everyone else. But if the Buckeyes can contain McGahee as they did Penn State's Larry Johnson, the onus will be on accomplished QB Ken Dorsey (3,073 yards, 26 TDs) in the passing game. His favorite target is TE Kellen Winslow streaking across the middle, but he's also lethal when he connects with speedy WR Andre Johnson (21.6 yards per catch) on the deep ball. OSU's bend-but-don't-break pass defense is liable to give up yardage, but two-way CB Chris Gamble is always a threat to pick one off.


Ohio State's offense vs. Miami's defense
The Buckeyes don't exactly dazzle anyone on offense, ranking 67th out of 117 I-A teams (372 yards per game), but they've been able to make the necessary big plays. It all starts with talented RB Maurice Clarett (1,190 yards, 6.0 per carry), who's had six weeks to rest his injured shoulder. The shifty freshman will be going against a Miami rush defense that got torched in several games this season. Miami relies on hard-hitting LBs Jonathan Vilma (119 tackles) and D.J. Williams (100) to stand up runners, and if the 'Canes play good assignment football, they should at least be able to prevent Clarett from breaking off long runs. QB Craig Krenzel is deceptively mobile, but he'll have a hard time escaping menacing Miami pass-rushers like Jerome McDougle. Gamble and Michael Jenkins (1,031 yards, 18.1 per catch) are talented receivers, but they'll be going against four highly skilled defensive backs, led by safety Maurice Sikes (two INTs for TDs), that helped produce the nation's top pass defense (119.5 yards per game).



The Buckeyes have both an All-America kicker and punter in Mike Nugent (24 of 26 field goals) and Andy Groom (44.6 yards per kick). The 'Canes have veterans at the position as well in Todd Sievers and Freddie Capshaw, but both have struggled at times this season. Capshaw has had three punts blocked; OSU has blocked four. Miami head coach Larry Coker has yet to lose a game as head coach and will be coaching in his second straight national championship game. Tressel knows about such games as well: He won four of them at I-AA Youngstown State.


Miami WR Andre Johnson
Jr., 6-3, 227
2002 stats: 48 catches, 1,039 yards, 21.6 per catch, 9 TDs
Earned co-MVP honors in last year's Rose Bowl win over Nebraska with seven catches for 199 yards and two touchdowns.

Ohio State CB Chris Gamble
So., 6-2, 180
2002 stats: 4 interceptions, 6 pass break-ups, 1 TD

The receiver became a starter on defense halfway through the season and ended up leading the Buckeyes in interceptions.



It's easy to look at Miami's three-year dominance and Ohio State's many close calls against several mediocre Big Ten teams and think this will be a blowout from the start. Think again. The Buckeyes' defense is too good to let McGahee run all over them, while Clarett is capable of putting on a show against the 'Canes' soft run defense. OSU doesn't have enough weapons on offense to put together four quarters, however, and Dorsey will help Miami pull away down the stretch to finish his career 39-1 as a starter.
The pick: Miami 28, Ohio State 16

 

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From a friend of mine.....

West Virginia has the second best rushing offense in the nation and could not catch up to Virginia and their creative balanced passing/running attack. UVA killed this team and UVA has almost the same ranked run defense as the Canes. UVA did what Miami will do, just watch! They scored a ton of points and made WVU turn to a pass game they are not accustom to playing to catch up. The result was turnovers and more points by UVA. Everyone said that UVA could not stop the #12 mountain boys run attack. Wrong! UVA shut down the entire running attack and made them pay in the air. Now UVA has a defense that is not even in the same ball park in speed as Miami. Wonder how many turnovers the Canes will punish OSU with. Not to mention that UVA's(RB) Lundy is quite good and only a freshman but he's still not on the level of McGahee. I bet big money that McGahee makes a huge statement in this game and makes it really easy for Dorsey to expose the slower secondary of OSU by forcing the Buckeyes to stack the box to stop him. OSU better be able to pass as well and often as they run if they hope to beat the Canes.

 

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Against most teams, Ohio State?s 13-game winning streak and undefeated season looks pretty good. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, their streak doesn?t look like much when you put it next to the Miami Hurricanes? 34-game tear.

The two teams will fight for the right to be called the nation?s best when they meet in this year?s Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. OSU played its way into its second BCS bowl game in its history by knocking off all 13 of its opponents - including eight conference foes ? which gave them a share of the Big Ten conference title.

Miami is coming off its second consecutive perfect regular season. The team ended last year?s campaign with a commanding 37-14 crushing over Nebraska in the Rose Bowl to snatch the national crown and no team has won the title in back to back years since 94-95.

The ?Canes storm into this year?s final with a similar team, led by Heisman Trophy candidates Ken Dorsey and Willis McGahee.

Dorsey led the Big East with a sensational 3,073 yards through the air with 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. McGahee, who left many wondering if he could fill the shoes of the talented Clinton Portis, set a single season school record with 1,686 yards and rumbled into the end zone 27 times. The sophomore running back also set a school record with six touchdowns against Virginia Tech in the last game of the season.

Miami?s air assault is complimented by a pair of talented flankers in Andre Johnson and Kellen Winslow II, who help round out college football?s sixth-best overall offense.

The ?Canes will go up against the toughest defense they?ve faced this season. Ohio State ranks fourth nationally at defending the run and owns the second stingiest scoring ?D?. All-Americans Mike Doss (strong safety) and Matt Wilhelm (middle linebacker) lead a quick and punishing stopping squad.

On offense, the Buckeyes have the most exciting freshman in college football in Maurice Clarett. Clarett has crashed through opposing defenses for 1,190 yards this season, while racking up 14 majors.

Quarterback Craig Krenzel silenced his critics by posting an impressive 148.1 quarterback rating this campaign, which is slightly better than Dorsey?s mark of 148.

If Krenzel and Clarett have any trouble generating points, they?re backed what is unquestionably best kicking tandem in Division 1-A football. Punter Andy Groom led the Big Ten in punting and place kicker Mike Nugent led the conference in field goals, by nailing 24 of his 26 attempts this season. Nugent was also a finalist for the Lou Groza Award.

Head Coach Jim Tressel guided Ohio State to a perfect 13-0 record, which was the first unbeaten regular season since 1979 for a Buckeyes team. In recording a school-record 13 victories, OSU defeated four ranked opponents during the course of the season - Washington State, Penn State, Minnesota and Michigan - and wound up second in both major polls and the BCS ranking.

Ohio State will be making its second appearance in a BCS bowl. The Buckeyes defeated Texas A&M in the 1999 Sugar Bowl. OSU also faced Miami that year, losing 23-12 in the Kickoff Classic.

Oddsmakers have Miami as 13-point favorites and the 'total' is set at 50.

Covers.com Pick: Miami -13

 

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Taken from another website...

West Virginia has the second best rushing offense in the nation and could not catch up to Virginia and their creative balanced passing/running attack. UVA killed this team and UVA has almost the same ranked run defense as the Canes. UVA did what Miami will do, just watch! They scored a ton of points and made WVU turn to a pass game they are not accustom to playing to catch up. The result was turnovers and more points by UVA. Everyone said that UVA could not stop the #12 mountain boys run attack. Wrong! UVA shut down the entire running attack and made them pay in the air. Now UVA has a defense that is not even in the same ball park in speed as Miami. Wonder how many turnovers the Canes will punish OSU with. Not to mention that UVA's(RB) Lundy is quite good and only a freshman but he's still not on the level of McGahee. I bet big money that McGahee makes a huge statement in this game and makes it really easy for Dorsey to expose the slower secondary of OSU by forcing the Buckeyes to stack the box to stop him. OSU better be able to pass as well and often as they run if they hope to beat the Canes.