(9) Miami (FL) 27, UCF 7

1234T
#9MIA (5-1)7310727
UCF (3-3)00707

Final

7:30 PM ET, October 17, 2009
BH Networks Stadium
ORLANDO, FL

James eclipses career 2,000-yard mark in Miami rout

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Top 25 Overview
It was over when... After shutting out UCF in the first half, Miami added 10 points in the third to further distance itself from the Knights.
Gameball goes to... Jacory Harris, who hit 77 percent of his passes and finished 20 of 26 passing for 293 yards and one touchdown.
Stat of the game... 2,000. Making a 5-yard TD run to start off the third quarter, Javarris James topped the 2,000-yard rushing mark.
Team Stat Comparison
 
1st Downs2611
Total Yards363229
Passing293176
Rushing7053
Penalties6-323-30
3rd Down Conversions6-136-15
4th Down Conversions0-10-0
Turnovers01
Possession37:1322:47
Air/Ground Leaders
Miami (FL) Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Harris20/2629310
Cooper0/1000
UCF Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Hodges12/2716311
Calabrese1/41300
Miami (FL) Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
James176518
Berry1460114
UCF Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Harvey122506
McDuffie321012
Miami (FL) Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Byrd585032
Hankerson464123
UCF Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Newsome356041
Aiken135035
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTERMIAUCF
TD01:46Leonard Hankerson 23 Yd Pass From Jacory Harris (Matt Bosher Kick) 70
SECOND QUARTERMIAUCF
FG09:47Matt Bosher 31 Yd 100
THIRD QUARTERMIAUCF
TD13:18Javarris James 5 Yd Run (Matt Bosher Kick) 170
TD09:15Rocky Ross 8 Yd Pass From Brett Hodges (Nick Cattoi Kick) 177
FG01:56Matt Bosher 46 Yd 207
FOURTH QUARTERMIAUCF
TD10:46Damien Berry 3 Yd Run (Matt Bosher Kick) 277
Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. -- By the end, about 5,000 fans were all that remained from the biggest crowd ever to see a game in Central Florida's stadium.

Seemed like all of them were from Miami.

Jacory Harris survived six sacks to complete 20 of 26 passes for 293 yards and a touchdown, Javarris James rushed for another score on the way to topping the 2,000-yard mark for his career, and No. 9 Miami methodically pulled away to beat Central Florida 27-7 on Saturday night.

Fast Facts

• Jacory Harris threw for 293 yards and a touchdown, helping Miami move to 5-1 for the first time since 2005.

• Saturday's victory marked Miami's first football game in Orlando since 1936.

• UCF quarterback Brett Hodges threw for 163 yards, a touchdown and interception.

-- ESPN Stats & Information

Damien Berry added a fourth-quarter touchdown run for the Hurricanes (5-1), who matched their best start since 2005.

"We're on the right track," Harris said.

Brett Hodges threw for 163 yards for UCF (3-3), but the team's top rusher -- Brynn Harvey, who was coming off a 219-yard effort against Memphis -- was held to 25 yards on 12 carries.

UCF is now 0-20 against teams in the AP Top 25 since moving to Division I-A in 1996. Miami held nearly a 2-to-1 edge in time of possession, had 26 first downs to UCF's 11, and outgained the Knights 363-229.

"Our defense did a great job of keeping us in the game," UCF coach George O'Leary said. "But offensively, we just did not capitalize."

It was a perfect day for Miami in the ACC: Not only did the Hurricanes win their third straight, they got help in the Atlantic Coast Conference race when Georgia Tech knocked off Virginia Tech earlier Saturday. Miami, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech now all have one ACC loss, with Virginia (2-0) leading the Coastal Division.

"Kind of made me smile a little bit," James said, acknowledging that he checked the scoreboard in the fourth quarter.

Although Miami scored the game's first 17 points, getting past UCF wasn't easy, not with Harris getting hot so often.

UCF had chances, none better than getting the ball at the Miami 2 midway through the third quarter after a snap sailed over Miami punter Matt Bosher's head.

Bosher retreated and kicked the ball soccer-style out of the end zone, which turned out to be brilliant.

On third-and-goal from the 6, Jared Campbell got to Hodges just as his arm was going forward, the easy pop fly was intercepted by Miami linebacker Colin McCarthy, and the Hurricanes knew they just dodged a bullet.

Bosher kicked a 46-yard field goal on the ensuing drive, putting Miami up 20-7.

The outcome wasn't in doubt again.

"We got a positive out of something that could have been negative," Miami coach Randy Shannon said. "Tough situation for the defense, but they held in there and got the turnover. Those sort of changes are really big for us right now."

Until Hodges' 8-yard touchdown pass to Rocky Ross with 9:15 left in the third quarter, the Knights had been scoreless in all 21 of their offensive possessions against Miami. UCF's two touchdowns in last year's 20-14 loss came off interception and kickoff returns.

That streak nearly ended much earlier, and might have changed UCF's fortunes, too.

Hodges connected with Kamar Aiken for a 35-yard gain on UCF's first possession, getting to the Miami 18. But the drive stalled, Nick Cattoi's 32-yard field goal try was wide left, and the game remained scoreless.

"We had a lot of missed opportunities," O'Leary said.

From there, Harris was surgical.

He completed his first seven passes, got the scoring going with a 23-yard pass to Leonard Hankerson, and the Hurricanes were on their way.

And early in the third quarter, after shanked UCF punt, Harris was at his best.

He found LaRon Byrd perfectly for 32 and 14 yards on Miami's first two plays of that drive, and James went in from 5 yards out on the next play for a 17-0 lead.

"We concentrated more," Harris said. "We tried to stay focused. We tried to pay attention to what we had to get done and just executed our plays, made the right reads and made the right blocks."

James finished with 65 yards on 17 carries, giving him 2,032 for his career. He's seventh all-time at Miami but still No. 2 in the family; cousin Edgerrin James rushed for 2,960, topped only by Ottis Anderson's 3,331.

"It's a good accomplishment," James said. "But I'm happy we won. I'm more excited with the win."

College Football Scores

Other Scores:

Wednesday, October 14th
5 Boise State 28 Final
Tulsa 21
Thursday, October 15th
8 Cincinnati 34 Final
21 South Florida 17
Saturday, October 17th
Arkansas 20 Final
1 Florida 23
22 South Carolina 6 Final
2 Alabama 20
20 Oklahoma 13 Final
3 Texas 16
4 Virginia Tech 23 Final
19 Georgia Tech 28
6 USC 34 Final
25 Notre Dame 27
7 Ohio State 18 Final
Purdue 26
9 Miami (FL) 27 Final
UCF 7
11 Iowa 20 Final
Wisconsin 10
Colorado State 6 Final
12 TCU 44
Minnesota 0 Final
14 Penn State 20
Texas Tech 31 Final
15 Nebraska 10
Missouri 17 Final
16 Oklahoma State 33
17 Kansas 30 Final
Colorado 34
18 Brigham Young 38 Final
San Diego State 28
23 Houston 44 Final
Tulane 16
24 Utah 35 Final
UNLV 15