Pickin' Splinters » Ken Dorsey

This Date in College Football Belt History – October 12

Casey — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:27:20 +0000

AP Photo/Phil Coale

The 9^th ranked, 5-1 Florida State Seminoles of coach Bobby Bowden provided the Homecoming opposition for the top-ranked, 5-0 Miami Hurricanes & coach Larry Coker. Miami had taken The Belt from Florida State 2 years earlier in the game known as “Wide Right III” & had easily won the rematch last season but now the Seminoles hoped to end the 24-game Belt reign of the Hurricanes. Florida State again suffered a missed field goal attempt that could have won the game as Miami held on for a 28-27 victory. After a Florida State punt, Miami took their opening drive 89 yards with All-American RB Willis McGahee scoring from 4 yards giving the Hurricanes a 7-0 lead. Neither team was able to score the rest of the 1^st quarter. After recovering a fumble by Miami’s All-Big East QB Ken Dorsey at their 16-yard line, Florida State drove 84 yards in 4 plays with RB Nick Maddox scoring on a 30-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7. Seminoles’ PK Xavier Beitia’s 45-yard field goal gave Florida State a 10-7 lead & a 10-yard touchdown pass from QB Chris Rix to WR Talman Gardner put the Seminoles up 17-7. Miami took their next possession 80 yards in 12 plays in 2:08 with Dorsey connecting with All-Big East TE Kellen Winslow, Jr. on a 5-yard touchdown pass as the teams went to intermission with Florida State leading 17-14. The Seminoles got the only 3^rd quarter points on a 42-yard field goal by Beitia. With 11:44 to play, Florida State’s RB Greg Jones scored on an 11-yard run & the Seminoles had a 27-14 advantage. Miami’s belt reign was in jeopardy but the Hurricanes would not go away without a fight. After exchanging punts, Dorsey lead a 70-yard drive hitting WR Kevin Beard for a 2-yard touchdown with 8:10 to play making the score Florida State 27, Miami 21. Miami’s defense forced a Seminoles’ punt on their next possession & the Hurricanes went 79 yards in 2 plays – a 68-yard screen pass from Dorsey to McGahee & 11-yard touchdown run from RB Jason Geathers giving Miami a 28-27 lead. Each team punted again & Florida State took possession at their own 46-yard line with 2:05 to play. Seven plays later, the Seminoles set-up for the winning field goal at the Miami 25-yard line as time was expiring. Beitia’s 43-yard field goal attempt was wide left & Miami had held on for a 28-27 victory. Dorsey finished with 362 yards passing with 2 touchdowns & 2 interceptions. For Florida State, Rix threw for just 83 yards with a touchdown while Jones finished with 189 yards rushing with a touchdown in the losing effort. Miami finished the season 12-1; Big East Champions, ranked 2^ndnationally while the Seminoles finished 9-5, ACC Champions, & ranked 21^st nationally. Florida State has not played for The Belt again.

The College Football Belt

This Date in College Football Belt History – October 7

Casey — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:44:06 +0000

The top-ranked ranked, 5-0 Florida State Seminoles of coach Bobby Bowden battled the 7^th ranked, 3-1 Miami Hurricanes of coach Butch Davis. The teams had a history of playing close games with Florida State holding a recent edge winning the past five games. Miami liked to focus on the 1991 & 1992 games that came to be known as “Wide Right I” & “Wide Right II” when Florida State kickers missed late field goals that would have won the games. The Hurricanes got 2 touchdown passes from All-Big East QB Ken Dorsey & survived another missed field goal attempt by a Florida State kicker to claim The Belt with a 27-24 victory. Miami controlled the first half with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Dorsey to RB Najeh Davenport in the 1^st quarter, a 1-yard score from RB D.J. Williams & 31-yard field goal from PK Todd Sievers giving the Hurricanes a 17-0 halftime edge. Florida State rallied in the 3^rd quarter as PK Matt Munyon hit a field goal from 18 yards & Heisman Trophy winning, All-ACC QB Chris Weinke found WR Anquan Boldin for a 48-yard touchdown making the score Miami 17 Florida State 10. Sievers added a 37-yard Hurricane field goal, as Miami went to the 4^th quarter with a 20-10 lead. Most of the quarter saw the teams trade field position but with 3:15 to play, Weinke hit Boldin on a 2-yard touchdown pass. The Seminoles got a break when LB Brian Allen recovered a Davenport fumble at the Miami 48-yard line. Florida State took advantage of the break when Weinke hit WR Atrews Bell from 29 yards for a touchdown to give the Seminoles a 24-20 lead with 1:37 left in the game. Miami got the ball back at their own 32-yard line & Dorsey went to work. Hitting 6 of 7 passes on the drive, Dorsey connected with All-Big East TE Jeremy Shockey on a 13-yard touchdown pass with 0:46 to play. Weinke was able to get the Seminoles in position for a tying field goal try but, as time expired, Munyon’s 49-yard kick sailed to the right of the upright & “Wide Right III” was born with the 27-24 Miami victory. It was Miami’s second Belt reign & first since 1984. For the Seminoles, Weinke finished with 496 yards passing with 3 touchdowns but 2 interceptions both inside the Miami 5-yard line while All-American WR Marvin “Snoop” Minnis had 7 catches for 145 yards, Bell had 6 catches for 146 yards, & Boldin had 6 catches for 108 yards with 2 touchdowns. Miami’s Dorsey threw for 328 yards with 2 touchdowns & All-American WR Santana Moss had 7 catches for 115 yards. The Seminoles finished the season 11-2; ACC Champions, ranked 5^th nationally while the Hurricanes finished 11-1, Big East Champions, & ranked 2^nd nationally in Davis’ final season. Florida State would play for The Belt again in 2001.

The College Football Belt

This Date in College Football Belt History – October 5

Casey — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:40:01 +0000

In their first season in Division 1-A, the 2-3 Connecticut Huskies of coach Randy Edsall met the top-ranked, 4-0 Miami Hurricanes of coach Larry Coker. Miami used this game to get ready for their match-up with Florida State the following week as the Huskies, playing without leading rusher RB Terry Caulley, were no match for the defending national champions in a 48-14 Miami win. Hurricanes’ All-American RB Willis McGahee scored twice in the 1^st quarter, both on 15-yard runs. McGahee added an 11-yard touchdown run in the 2^nd quarter & DE Andrew Williams scored on a 56-yard fumble recovery giving Miami a 28-0 advantage. Hurricanes’ All-Big East QB Ken Dorsey hit WR Kevin Beard for touchdowns of 5 & 8 yards as Miami pushed their lead to 42-0 at the intermission. Dorsey connected with WR Ethenic Sands from 15-yards on the first drive of the 2^nd half & the Hurricanes rested most of their frontline players the rest of the game. Connecticut scored near the end of the 3^rdquarter on a 14-yard pass from QB Dan Orlovsky to TE Tommy Collins. The Huskies other score came when CB Ezra Carey returned a blocked punt 5 yards for a touchdown in the 4^th quarter. Dorsey finished with 216 yards passing with 3 touchdowns & McGahee finished with 107 yards rushing with 3 touchdowns on just 11 carries. Orlovsky threw for 100 yards with a touchdown but the Huskies were held to 190 total yards with 6 sacks in the blowout. Miami finished the season 12-1; Big East Champions, ranked 2^nd nationally while the Huskies finished 6-6. Connecticut has not played for The Belt again.

The College Football Belt