Miami vs. UT has national title potential
By John Adams, News-Sentinel sports editor
April 26, 2002
You can sum up Tennessee's 2002 non-conference schedule in one word: Miami.
The Vols will be prohibitive favorites over Wyoming, Middle Tennessee State and Rutgers in September. But their November matchup with Miami could help determine college football's next national champion.
Here's a look at UT's non-conference opponents this spring :
MIAMI: The Hurricanes tied an NCAA record by having five players taken in the first round of the NFL draft; eleven of the 14 draft-eligible Hurricanes were drafted.
But there's enough talent left behind to make the Hurricanes a popular preseason pick to repeat as national champion.
Quarterback Ken Dorsey will be one of the leading candidates for the Heisman Trophy; Miami's defensive front seven, led by linebacker Jonathan Vilma, might be the best in the country. The Hurricanes' defense allowed only 60 yards rushing in 57 plays in the spring game, which points to coach Larry's Coker's No. 1 concern: the running game.
Miami lost three starters in the offensive line and leading rusher Clinton Portis. Moreover, backup Frank Gore, who averaged an eye-popping 9.1 yards per carry last year, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the spring.
The Hurricanes are optimistic about Gore's return following surgery. His surgeon said Gore might be able to play this season.
With or without Gore, the offense will have plenty of punch. Star wide receiver Andre Johnson was suspended for both terms after he was caught plagiarizing a paper for a sociology class, but will be eligible in the fall. Despite heavy losses in the offensive line, two Miami offensive linemen already have been named to one preseason All-Big East team.
Several young players had an impact on the offense in the spring. Kellen Winslow Jr. was so impressive at tight end that Dorsey said he had the potential to be better than Jeremy Shockey, who was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants.
Redshirt freshman Kyle Cobia won the starting fullback job with his blocking and pass receiving; Roscoe Parrish, another redshirt freshman, drew comparisons to former Hurricanes star wideout Santana Moss with his elusive running after receptions.
Willie McGahee, who rushed for 118 yards on only 11 carries in one spring scrimmage, will start at tailback if Gore isn't ready. McGahee started at fullback in the Rose Bowl in place of an injured Najeh Davenport.
The Hurricanes must replace their entire starting secondary, which had three players taken in the first round of the draft. Sean Taylor, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound safety, was a big hit in the spring after contributing on special teams last fall.
MTSU: Despite the loss of quarterback Wes Counts, the Blue Raiders offense should keep right on rolling.
MTSU returns its starting offensive line and two good running backs from a team that averaged 37 points and 237 yards rushing in winning the Sun Belt Conference championship and finishing fifth nationally in total offense.
Dwone Hicks, who rushed for 1,143 yards and averaged 6 yards per carry, returns to lead the running game. He's backed up by Reshard, Lee who rushed for 790 yards and averaged 7.3 yards per carry. Don Calloway gives the Blue Raiders a third proven running back.
Andrico Hines, a 6-3, 221-pound junior, is the heir apparent to Counts. Hines, who transferred from Southwest Mississippi Junior College, was a four-year starting quarterback at Murfreesboro Riverdale High School.
MTSU has six starters back on defense, including free safety Michael Woods, who led the team in tackles last season. The secondary should be MTSU's defensive strength.
WYOMING: The Cowboys' spring drills ended with a snowstorm, which was fierce enough to cut short the final scrimmage.
The weather is the least of coach Vic Koenning's concerns, however. Each of his first two teams at Wyoming lost eight consecutive games to end the season.
The Cowboys will return 10 starters on offense, including quarterback Casey Bramlet, a 6-4, 220-pound junior who ranked 14th in the country in total offense last year. Although he passed for 3,069 yards, Bramlet threw for only nine touchdowns and was intercepted 20 times in a 2-9 season.
The Cowboys' top two wide receivers - Ryan McGuffie and Malcolm Floyd - missed spring practice with injuries but will be ready for preseason drills.
The defense, which returns six starters, was bolstered by the play of Brandon Casavan, a 6-5, 286-pound junior. He suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the fourth game last fall but had an outstanding spring after being moved from end to tackle.
RUTGERS: Greg Schiano, 35, probably doesn't feel like the nation's youngest Division I-A head coach after his first season.
Rutgers went 2-9, scored only five touchdowns in seven Big East Conference games, and suffered four defeats by 42 points or more, including an 80-7 loss to West Virginia. Needless to say, the Scarlet Knights expect to be improved.
The Rutgers offense will return eight starters, including Ryan Cubit, the Big East all-freshman quarterback last year. Although Cubit only completed 44.8 percent of his passes, he showed promise by completing 19 of 34 passes for 224 yards against a tough Syracuse defense.
Rutgers' offensive line will return intact, and tight end L.J. Smith is a second-team All-Big East selection. Also returning are Rutgers' top two tacklers - linebacker Gary Brackett and safety Shawn Seabrooks - from a beleagured defense.
The defense got a boost this spring from the hiring of line coach Ryan Melvin, who left the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots because he preferred college coaching.
By John Adams, News-Sentinel sports editor
April 26, 2002
You can sum up Tennessee's 2002 non-conference schedule in one word: Miami.
The Vols will be prohibitive favorites over Wyoming, Middle Tennessee State and Rutgers in September. But their November matchup with Miami could help determine college football's next national champion.
Here's a look at UT's non-conference opponents this spring :
MIAMI: The Hurricanes tied an NCAA record by having five players taken in the first round of the NFL draft; eleven of the 14 draft-eligible Hurricanes were drafted.
But there's enough talent left behind to make the Hurricanes a popular preseason pick to repeat as national champion.
Quarterback Ken Dorsey will be one of the leading candidates for the Heisman Trophy; Miami's defensive front seven, led by linebacker Jonathan Vilma, might be the best in the country. The Hurricanes' defense allowed only 60 yards rushing in 57 plays in the spring game, which points to coach Larry's Coker's No. 1 concern: the running game.
Miami lost three starters in the offensive line and leading rusher Clinton Portis. Moreover, backup Frank Gore, who averaged an eye-popping 9.1 yards per carry last year, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the spring.
The Hurricanes are optimistic about Gore's return following surgery. His surgeon said Gore might be able to play this season.
With or without Gore, the offense will have plenty of punch. Star wide receiver Andre Johnson was suspended for both terms after he was caught plagiarizing a paper for a sociology class, but will be eligible in the fall. Despite heavy losses in the offensive line, two Miami offensive linemen already have been named to one preseason All-Big East team.
Several young players had an impact on the offense in the spring. Kellen Winslow Jr. was so impressive at tight end that Dorsey said he had the potential to be better than Jeremy Shockey, who was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants.
Redshirt freshman Kyle Cobia won the starting fullback job with his blocking and pass receiving; Roscoe Parrish, another redshirt freshman, drew comparisons to former Hurricanes star wideout Santana Moss with his elusive running after receptions.
Willie McGahee, who rushed for 118 yards on only 11 carries in one spring scrimmage, will start at tailback if Gore isn't ready. McGahee started at fullback in the Rose Bowl in place of an injured Najeh Davenport.
The Hurricanes must replace their entire starting secondary, which had three players taken in the first round of the draft. Sean Taylor, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound safety, was a big hit in the spring after contributing on special teams last fall.
MTSU: Despite the loss of quarterback Wes Counts, the Blue Raiders offense should keep right on rolling.
MTSU returns its starting offensive line and two good running backs from a team that averaged 37 points and 237 yards rushing in winning the Sun Belt Conference championship and finishing fifth nationally in total offense.
Dwone Hicks, who rushed for 1,143 yards and averaged 6 yards per carry, returns to lead the running game. He's backed up by Reshard, Lee who rushed for 790 yards and averaged 7.3 yards per carry. Don Calloway gives the Blue Raiders a third proven running back.
Andrico Hines, a 6-3, 221-pound junior, is the heir apparent to Counts. Hines, who transferred from Southwest Mississippi Junior College, was a four-year starting quarterback at Murfreesboro Riverdale High School.
MTSU has six starters back on defense, including free safety Michael Woods, who led the team in tackles last season. The secondary should be MTSU's defensive strength.
WYOMING: The Cowboys' spring drills ended with a snowstorm, which was fierce enough to cut short the final scrimmage.
The weather is the least of coach Vic Koenning's concerns, however. Each of his first two teams at Wyoming lost eight consecutive games to end the season.
The Cowboys will return 10 starters on offense, including quarterback Casey Bramlet, a 6-4, 220-pound junior who ranked 14th in the country in total offense last year. Although he passed for 3,069 yards, Bramlet threw for only nine touchdowns and was intercepted 20 times in a 2-9 season.
The Cowboys' top two wide receivers - Ryan McGuffie and Malcolm Floyd - missed spring practice with injuries but will be ready for preseason drills.
The defense, which returns six starters, was bolstered by the play of Brandon Casavan, a 6-5, 286-pound junior. He suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the fourth game last fall but had an outstanding spring after being moved from end to tackle.
RUTGERS: Greg Schiano, 35, probably doesn't feel like the nation's youngest Division I-A head coach after his first season.
Rutgers went 2-9, scored only five touchdowns in seven Big East Conference games, and suffered four defeats by 42 points or more, including an 80-7 loss to West Virginia. Needless to say, the Scarlet Knights expect to be improved.
The Rutgers offense will return eight starters, including Ryan Cubit, the Big East all-freshman quarterback last year. Although Cubit only completed 44.8 percent of his passes, he showed promise by completing 19 of 34 passes for 224 yards against a tough Syracuse defense.
Rutgers' offensive line will return intact, and tight end L.J. Smith is a second-team All-Big East selection. Also returning are Rutgers' top two tacklers - linebacker Gary Brackett and safety Shawn Seabrooks - from a beleagured defense.
The defense got a boost this spring from the hiring of line coach Ryan Melvin, who left the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots because he preferred college coaching.
