Pickin' Splinters » Larry Coker

This Date in College Football Belt History – November 10

Casey — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:40:47 +0000

November 10, 2001 – The top-ranked, 7-0 Miami Hurricanes of coach Larry Coker met the 6-2 Boston College Eagles & coach Tom O’Brien. This proved to be a much tougher test than the Hurricanes had anticipated, as the Eagles defense was ready for an upset. Boston College played without All-American RB William Green, the nation’s leading rusher, who was suspended for a violation of team rules. A critical interception late in the 4^th quarter helped the Hurricanes avoid the upset with an 18-7 win to retain The Belt. Both defenses ruled the 1^st half with Miami able to manage only 3 field goals from All-Big East PK Todd Sievers & Boston College unable to score. The Eagles finally got on the board with 5:50 to play in the 3^rd quarter when QB Brian St. Pierre hit TE Sean Ryan on a 9-yard touchdown pass. Sievers added his 4^th field goal of the game, this one from 47 yards, with 14:50 to play in the game giving Miami a 12-7 lead. Each team missed a field goal attempt & exchange punts before Miami took possession at their 12-yard line with 6:09 to play. With 2:09 left, Hurricanes’ RB Frank Gore fumbled at the Boston College 30-yard line & Eagles’ S Ralph Parent recovered it giving Boston College one last chance to win the game. St. Pierre drove the Eagles to the Hurricanes’ 20-yard line with 0:22 to play. His pass for WR Ryan Read deflected off Miami’s CB Mike Rumph & was intercepted by Hurricanes’ DT Matt Walters who gave the ball to All-American S Ed Reed. Reed ran the final 80 yards for the touchdown as Miami escaped with an 18-7 win. Miami’s All-Big QB Ken Dorsey threw for 222 yards but with 4 interceptions & All-Big East RB Clinton Portis added 160 yards rushing. St. Pierre finished with 162 yards passing with a touchdown in the losing effort. Miami finished the season 12-0; Big East & National Champions while the Eagles finished 8-4 & ranked 21^st nationally. Boston College would play for The Belt again in 2002.

The College Football Belt

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.

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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.

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