ESPN.com - 'Canes working on attitude adjustment

ESPN.com: College Football

Tuesday, November 5, 2002
Updated: November 7, 5:09 PM ET
'Canes working on attitude adjustment

By Jorge Milian
Special to ESPN.com

It isn't easy being perfect.

Just ask the Miami Hurricanes.

Despite piling up a school-record 30 consecutive victories, there are concerns that the Hurricanes (8-0, 4-0 Big East) may be losing their edge.

Those worries are being voiced by the team's fans, players and coaches as Miami begins a difficult four-game stretch to close out the regular season, beginning with Saturday's showdown with Tennessee in Knoxville.

War Of (Kind) Words

Bowling Green's Urban Meyer and Northern Illinois' Joe Novak engaged in a war of flattery this week.

"You have the best team in the MAC," Meyer insisted to Novak.

"No, you have the best team in the MAC." Novak countered.

The answer will come on Saturday when No. 16 Bowling Green (7-0, 4-0) travels to DeKalb, Ill., to face Northern Illinois (6-3, 5-0) in a game that will go a long way in deciding the conference's West Division title.

"This is a championship game," Meyer said. "If you look at it any other way, then you're mistaken."

It's been quite a while since either team was champion of anything.

Bowling Green hasn't won a MAC title since 1992. It's been an even longer dry spell for NIU, which last won the conference crown in 1983.

The Falcons are favored to win Saturday's game, and for good reason. They've won 11 games in a row, second nationally only to Miami's 30-game win streak, and have the nation's second-highest scoring offense at 47.4 points a game.

Quarterback Josh Harris leads a perfectly-balanced offense which is averaging 238 yards on the ground and 252.9 yards through the air. Harris, a ruggedly-built junior, has been the key for the Falcons, accounting for 30 touchdowns.

"Nobody's stopped them," Novak said. "You always try and look to see, 'Where are we better? What can we exploit?' Honestly, it's hard to find anything with this football team. That's why they've won 11 straight games."

Northern Illinois, which has won a MAC-best nine consecutive conference games dating back to last season, doesn't lack for talent, either.

The Huskies have won their last five games after beginning the year 1-3. They've been led by tailback Michael Turner, the MAC's leading rusher with a 142.6-yard average. Turner missed most of NIU's 24-20 win against Western Michigan two weeks ago with a sprained ankle, but is expected to play against the Falcons.

The Huskies' defense has also performed well, registering a league-high 37 sacks.

"I see probably the best team in the league from top to bottom," Meyer said of NIU.

Novak laughed at the comment and threw it back at Meyer.

"If I'm correct, they're ranked 16th in the country," Novak said. "We're not anywhere near the polls. Obviously, everybody would say right now they're the best team in our conference."

Whoever wins on Saturday, still has to play defending MAC champion Toledo, which remains in the West Division race. NIU will face the Rockets (5-3, 3-1) at home on Nov. 23. Bowling Green finishes the regular season at Toledo on Nov. 30.

"The season doesn't end with this Saturday," Novak said.
-- Jorge Milian

After opening the year by pummeling five consecutive opponents, the Hurricanes have found themselves in life-and-death battles in their last three games.

The worst of it came last weekend against Big East doormat Rutgers. A 39-point favorite, Miami struggled mightily and trailed the hapless Knights (1-8, 0-5 Big East) for much of the game. Only a four-touchdown explosion in the fourth quarter kept the Hurricanes from suffering arguably the biggest upset in college football history.

After going 27 games without trailing in the second half, the Hurricanes have been in that position in two of their last three outings.

While criticizing a team that has won 30 straight games -- the 10th-longest streak in Division I-A history -- might seem unfair, their recent skittish play has already proved costly to the Hurricanes. After a record 21 straight weeks at No. 1, Miami fell to No. 2 in this week's Associated Press poll. That drop was enough to allow Ohio State to leapfrog the Hurricanes into second place in the latest BCS rankings.

So, at least for this week, Miami is on the outside looking in at the national title game.

"We're not going to apologize for a 25-point win," said UM coach Larry Coker. "It shows a little respect issue. I would hope it might light a little fire under (UM's) team."

It's the same fire some players tried to ignite earlier in the season.

Last week, UM senior center and captain Brett Romberg questioned whether the Hurricanes' success over the past three seasons had turned some of his younger teammates into fat cats.

"Some of the guys are just sitting back and letting their helmet and shoulder pads sit on the field and hoping we win football games," Romberg said. "If we don't fix what we need to fix, we'll find ourselves talking about it come Jan. 3 while we're watching the (national championship) game.

"I'm very concerned. If you saw what the attitude was like last year, it was not only confident, but it was also humble. I think the humble guys are gone and the guys around here have been bred on championships and winning football games."

Complacency. Over-confidence. Satisfied.

Those were some of the words used by Romberg and other veteran Miami players to describe possible reasons for the Hurricanes' recent uneven performances.

And that was before the Rutgers game.

Senior guard Sherko Haji-Rasouli points out that last season's team played with a chip on its shoulder after being left out unfairly -- in the Hurricanes' opinion -- of the 2000 national championship game.

Haji-Rasouli said that was the driving force behind Miami's perfect 12-0 season.

"Last year's team was a little bit more hungry at this point in the season and a little bit more worried about losing and not as non-chalant about some things," Haji-Rasouli said.

With the heart of the schedule looming -- and a possible spot inthe Fiesta Bowl riding on the 'Canes attitude as well -- Coker says the Hurricanes must play better starting with Saturday's encounter against the Volunteers at Neyland Stadium.

"You just can't live on the edge week in and week out," Coker said.

Around the Big East

Boston College
"It's a great day for Boston College," said BC coach Tom O'Brien after his Eagles put some luster on what had been a disappointing season by upsetting undefeated Notre Dame, 14-7, in South Bend. With the win, the Eagles snapped a 23-game regular season losing streak to ranked teams while beating a Top 5 opponent for the first time since defeating the No. 1 Irish in 1993. ... Linebacker Josh Ott had a huge game, registering 12 sacks, two pass deflections a fumble recovery and a 71-yard interception for a touchdown. ... BC quarterback Brian St. Pierre threw for only 77 yards but it was enough to move up two spots to No. 4 on the school's all-time passing charts with 4,567 yards. ... In 1993, Boston College beat top-ranked Notre Dame and lost to West Virginia the following week. The Eagles hope to avoid a similar fate on Saturday when they face West Virginia at Mountaineer Field. "You can't celebrate all week," O'Brien said. "That's one thing we have to guard against."

Miami
Tailback Willis McGahee is on a pace to break the school single-season records for rushing and all-purpose yards. With 1,034 rushing yards and four regular-season games remaining, McGahee is within reach of Edgerrin James' mark of 1,416 yards set in 1998. McGahee has 1,335 all-purpose yards and at his current rate would surpass Ottis Anderson's record of 1,708 yards established in 1978. ... Quarterback Ken Dorsey broke Donovan McNabb's Big East record with his 78th career touchdown pass on Saturday. ... Freddie Capshaw had his third punt blocked this season against Rutgers. Miami had several special teams breakdowns including the blocked punt, a missed extra point and several penalties. One infraction negated a 64-yard punt return for a touchdown by Roscoe Parrish. ... After giving up a total of 659 rushing yards in its last two games, Miami allowed only 83 yards on 39 carries against Rutgers. ... The Hurricanes picked off three Rutgers' passes after entering the game with six interceptions this season.

Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh broke into the national rankings for the first time since 1991 following its 28-21 upset of No. 3 Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. The Panthers are No. 22 in the Associated Press poll and No. 23 in the ESPN/USA Today rankings. ... The Hokies entered the game ranked No. 1 in run defense allowing 40.75 yards per game, but the Panthers ran for 275 yards, including a career-high 161 yards on 23 carries by Brandon Miree. It was Miree's 53-yard touchdown run with 4:11 left in the fourth quarter that provided the winning margin. Pitt had not had a 100-yard runner since Kevan Barlow reached the century mark in the 2000 Insight.com Bowl. ... The Panthers had not beaten a team ranked in the top three since a 24-20 victory against No. 2 Georgia in the 1982 Sugar Bowl. ... Freshman receiver Larry Fitzgerald had a huge night, catching five passes for 105 yards and three touchdowns. Fitzgerald leads the Big East with 43 receptions for 650 yards and seven TDs. ... Kicker David Abdul missed a 28-yard field goal in the first quarter, the freshman's first unsuccessful attempt in 10 tries. ... Defensive end Claude Harriott recorded his Big East-leading sixth fumble. ... A win in any of their remaining three games would give the Panthers eight victories for the first time since 1989.

Rutgers
Rutgers seemed on the verge of one of college football's biggest upsets before collapsing in the fourth quarter during a 42-17 loss to top-ranked Miami. The Knights led, 17-14, after three quarters. The loss was Rutgers' 20th straight in Big East games, but coach Greg Schiano thinks his team may be turning the corner. "We're going in the right direction," Schiano said. "(Our players) know it. They see the vision. They know where we are headed. And it's going to happen." ... Freshman quarterback Ryan Hart started his first game and played well in spots. Hart completed 9-of-23 passes for 110 yards and led the Knights on an opening 80-yard touchdown drive. ... The Knights lost starting defensive end Ryan Neill for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Tight end L.J. Smith, Rutgers' best offensive player, did not play in the second half after a bad reaction to medication he was taking for a knee injury.

Syracuse
Syracuse (3-6) retained its hopes of avoiding a losing record for the first time in 16 seasons by rallying from a 21-3 halftime deficit to defeat Central Florida, 38-35. "Who knows what can happen now," said tailback Walter Reyes, who ran for 130 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries. "We have a little momentum." ... Senior quarterback Troy Nunes led the Orangemen to their second straight win in his second start by completing 13-of-18 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with a bruised hip. The injury is not thought to be serious. ... Jamel Riddle, Syracuse's leading receiver, was suspended for the UCF game for undisclosed reasons. Riddle has caught 27 passes for 494 yards this season. Riddle will play against Virginia Tech on Saturday. ... Linebacker Jameel Dumas (ankle) and offensive tackle Adam Terry (concussion), both starters, returned to the lineup against UCF after missing the Rutgers game with injuries.

Temple
Temple lost to West Virginia for the 11th in its last 12 games against the Mountaineers. ... The Owls managed only two first downs and were outgained 226-16 in the first half. Temple also committed three turnovers that led to 16 points and a 33-0 deficit. "I don't think I've ever seen a worse first half than that one," said Temple coach Bobby Wallace. ... Tanardo Sharps, averaging 114 yards per game, was held to 30 yards on 17 carries. Sharps had rushed for 285 yards in his two previous games against the Mountaineers. ... Sophomore quarterback Mike McGann threw three touchdowns, but they all came in the second half after the game had long been decided. McGann also threw three interceptions and now has been picked off a Big East-high 17 times this season. "He's a young quarterback, but he's got to stop being young pretty soon," Wallace said.

Virginia Tech
National title hopes were dashed in Blacksburg Saturday night as No. 3 Virginia Tech lost for the first time this season, dropping a 28-21 decision to Pittsburgh. ... The Hokies allowed Pittsburgh 275 rushing yards after giving up only 326 yards in their first eight games. ... Tailback Kevin Jones, who rushed only twice for four yards after leaving the Pittsburgh game with a left hamstring pull, is unlikely to play in Saturday's game against Syracuse. ... Starting tight end Keith Willis did not start after being taken to the hospital on Tuesday with abdominal pain. A slightly torn abdominal muscle was found, but Willis was cleared to play. Freshman Jeff King started in Willis' place. ... The Hokies' block of a Pittsburgh punt was the 95th blocked kick in 183 games under coach Frank Beamer. ... Cornerback Ronyell Whitaker, an first-team, all-Big East selection last year, has had a year he'd like to forget. Whitaker was suspended for the Hokies' first two games then lost his job. On Saturday, he gave up a pair of big plays and was called for a key personal foul in the third quarter that fueled Pittsburgh's comeback. Whitaker has been forbidden to talk to the media this season by Beamer. ... Tailback Lee Suggs scored a touchdown for the 22nd consecutive game. ... Virginia Tech plays at the Carrier Dome against Syracuse on Saturday where Beamer is 1-4 all-time. The Orange defeated the Hokies in Blacksburg last season, snapping the home side's 16-game win streak at Lane Stadium. ... The Hokies hope to have starting inside linebacker Vegas Robinson back for Saturday's game. Robinson has missed two games with a high left ankle sprain. "I think he's an important guy in there, particularly in the run defense because he's a guy who just stops people," said coach Frank Beamer. "We miss him in there."

West Virginia
West Virginia reached the NCAA-imposed minimum of six victories for bowl qualification by defeating Temple, 46-20. ... Tailback Avon Cobourne fell short of setting the school-record for consecutive 100-yard games by running for 94 yards against the Owls. Cobourne had gone over 100 yards for six straight games. ... Senior starting defensive end Kevin Freeman has taken a leave of absence for personal reasons. ... The Mountaineers face a difficult three-game stretch to close the regular season. West Virginia faces Boston College at Mountaineer Field on Saturday before playing Virginia Tech (Nov. 20) and Pittsburgh (Nov. 30) on the road. The home team has won the last six games between West Virginia and Boston College.

Around the MAC
Akron defeated a ranked Division I-A opponent for the first time in school history by shocking Marshall, 34-20, in the Rubber Bowl. "There's no question that this is the biggest win I've ever been associated with since I've been here," said coach Lee Owens, who is in his eighth season with the Zips. ... Akron cornerback Rickey McKenzie had five tackles, an interception and returned a fumble 98 yards for a touchdown. McKenzie's return was the second longest in school history behind the 100-yard return by Earl Weary in 1902. ... Ball State's Marcus Merriweather set the school rushing record by running for 214 yards during Ball State's 17-7 win against Western Michigan. Merriweather now has 3,562 career yards, surpassing the previous mark of 3,483 yards held by Bernie Parmalee. Merriweather has rushed for 1,178 yards this season, his third straight over 1,000, and needs only 67 yards to break his school single-season record set last year. The 6-foot, 209-pound senior has run for at least 100 yards in 18 of his last 24 games. He needs 438 yards in the Cardinals' final three games to become the ninth MAC player with 4,000 career yards. ... Ball State held Western Michigan without a sack for the first time in 34 games. ... Bowling Green's 11-game win streak is its longest since the 1991-92 seasons when the Falcons also won 11 straight games. ... The Falcons play four of their final five regular-season games on the road. Dating back to last season, they've won six straight on the opponent's home field. ... Buffalo plays its final regular-season game at home on Saturday against Central Florida. The Bulls are 0-3 all-time against the Knights. The two teams played in the season's final regular-season game from 1992 to 1994. UCF, which hosted each of the three games, won by a combined 153-28. ... Tailback Robbie Mixon rushed for a MAC-record 377 yards and scored four touchdowns as Central Michigan beat Eastern Michigan, 47-21. It was the Chippewas' first victory after five consecutive losses. Mixon, who carried 43 times, surpassed the conference mark of 376 yards set by Miami of Ohio's Travis Prentice against Akron in 1999. The CMU record before Saturday was held by Brian Pruitt, who rushed for 356 yards in 1994. ... Eastern Michigan gave up 42 or more points for the seventh time in nine games during a 47-21 loss to Central Michigan. The Chippewas scored on their first nine possessions against the defenseless Eagles. ... Tailback Ime Akpan returned after a one-game absence because of a thigh bruise, but was held to a season-low 66 yards on 21 carries. "I think he was about 40 percent healthwise," said EMU coach Jeff Woodruff. ... The loss was EMU's seventh in its last 11 games against CMU. ... Three Eastern Michigan defensive linemen were hurt during the game, forcing offensive lineman Derrick Swanigan to play defense. ... Kent State continued its slide, losing for the fifth time in six games with a 45-14 loss to Bowling Green. Quarterback Joshua Cribbs returned after missing one game with a hamstring injury, but the sophomore did not play well. Cribbs threw three interceptions and now has 13 for the season, He threw only five all of last year. ... Marshall QB Byron Leftwich may have lost any chance he had of winning the Heisman Trophy with Marshall's 34-20 upset loss to Akron. But, Leftwich showed uncommon valor after injuring his left shin in the first quarter. Leftwich was taken to the hospital for X-rays, but returned to the game with 7:06 left in the third quarter. The 6-6, 248-pound senior was so hobbled that he was forced to hop from the sideline to the huddle and was carried upfield by two Marshall offensive linemen after completing a long pass. "I've never seen anything like that before in my life," said Akron coach Lee Owens. Despite the injury, Leftwich completed 26-of-38 passes for 307 yards. "He showed a tremendous amount of courage," said Marshall coach Bob Pruett. Leftwich's status for the Nov. 12 game against Miami of Ohio is uncertain. The injury is in the same area where Leftwich had surgery to repair a stress fracture last winter. ... Miami leapfrogged Marshall for first place in the East Division with a 38-20 victory over Ohio, coupled with Marshall's defeat against Akron. The RedHawks and Thundering Herd meet on Nov. 12. ... Junior tailback Cal Murray was taken to the hospital on a backboard following a helmet-to-helmet hit, but tests showed no serious damage. Murray watched the fourth quarter from the sideline. ... Northern Illinois has won nine consecutive MAC games. That's the longest streak in the conference. ... The Huskies hold the record for most points scored against an Associated Press Top 25 program. NIU defeated No. 24 Fresno State, 73-18, on October 6, 1990. ... Since 1968, the Huskies are 1-20 against Top 25 opponents. ... A victory Saturday would be NIU's seventh, its most since 1989 when the Huskies finished 9-2. ... NIU has won 11 of its last 13 games at home. ... Ohio lost for the first time after two straight victories, falling to Miami, 38-20. ...Senior Jason Caesar was voted the MAC's Special Teams player of the week in the West Division after returning three kicks for 102 yards against Miami, including a 71-yarder to start the game. ... Toledo hopes to get back on the winning track on Saturday against Central Michigan after a bye week. The Rockets lost to Miami (Ohio), 27-13, on Oct. 26, breaking a string of 17 consecutive victories in the Glass Bowl. The Rockets have won seven straight games from the Chippewas. CMU's last victory in the Glass Bowl was in 1993. ... UCF folded in the second half, blowing a 21-3 halftime lead on the way to a 38-35 defeat to Syracuse. ... Quarterback Ryan Schneider had a huge game, throwing for a school-record 440 yards. ... The loss was the 24th in 25 games against teams affiliated with BCS conferences. ... Receiver Doug Gabriel set a UCF record with 324 all-purpose yards, including 206 yards on 12 receptions. ... Matt Prater missed three field goals, including a 47-yard attempt with 2:55 remaining in the fourth quarter that could have tied the game. ... Saturday's attendance was announced as a season-high 24,043. ... Western Michigan lost for the seventh time this season, dropping a 17-7 decision to Ball State. The seven defeats are the most in coach Gary Darnell's six-year tenure with the Broncos. ... Tailback Phil Reed, who rushed for 226 yards a week ago against Northern Illinois, was knocked out of Saturday's game with a shoulder injury. Reed left in the first half after carrying 13 times for 68 yards. ... WMU was held without a sack for the first time in 34 games. ... Receiver Kendrick Mosley has caught a pass in 27 consecutive games.

Jorge Milian covers college football for the Palm Beach Post.