The Miami Hurricanes have won eight straight games by an average of 25 points.
In their lone close call, they survived fired-up intrastate rival Florida State when the Seminoles’ normally reliable kicker missed a 43-yard field goal at the final gun. Things like that happen when rivals meet.
So why is coach Larry Coker worried?
“You just can’t continually live on the edge,” he said.
A lot of teams across America would love to visit that edge, let alone live on it. But Coker isn’t trying to poor-mouth. He looks at his talented team and sees a worrisome tendency to play to the level of the competition, as well as an inability to concentrate on fundamentals.
Either could cost the Hurricanes a shot at back-to-back national championships.
A case in point: Saturday’s 42-17 victory over Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J. The final score doesn’t do justice to the Hurricanes’ struggles against one of the nation’s worst teams. Miami trailed 17-14 heading into the fourth quarter. A big problem was penalties; the Hurricanes were flagged 13 times for 120 yards.
“You look at a 25-point win on the road and you think everything’s fine,” Coker said. “But it’s not fine. We have things we have to get corrected.”
At times Miami seems to be a team waiting for an offensive eruption instead of a team tending to details. The Hurricanes rank fourth nationally in scoring offense, averaging 47.8 points per game. But their run defense and punting game are both well below average, and they’re averaging a Big East-worst 87 yards per game in penalties.
What’s more, the Hurricanes have committed as many turnovers (17) as they have forced. The best teams almost always take the ball away more than they give it away.
“There’s no doubt about it . . . you’re living on the edge,” Coker said. “When you do that, everything has to fall into place. If you have something that doesn’t go right–say you have a turnover or something that doesn’t go right, then you’re not going to win those games.”
In the Hurricanes’ defense, opponents often save their best shots for the defending national champions.
“Everyone’s bringing their `A’ game, and we’re bringing our `D’ game,” defensive end Jerome McDougle said.
The Hurricanes face another big test Saturday against Tennessee in Neyland Stadium, one of the nation’s tougher venues. The Volunteers aren’t as strong as they have been–Florida drilled them 30-13 on the same field this season–but they will be ready Saturday.
The question is, will Miami?
“We still have a lot of stuff to fix,” defensive end Matt Walters said, “or we’re going to get beat.”
“Really what matters is what the score is at the end,” Pitt coach Walt Harris said. “They’re probably the most talented team in America.”
More Miami: The Hurricanes still are trying to figure out how they could win 30 straight games and drop to No. 3 in the most recent Bowl Championship Series standings.
They’re not alone. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, whose Buckeyes leapfrogged Miami into No. 2 in the BCS, said he thinks the Hurricanes deserve a higher rating.
“I think Miami is No. 1,” Tressel said. “They’re the one right now holding the trophy, and there’ll be another contest on Jan. 3. I don’t know who is going to be in that contest. Until that contest happens, Miami is No. 1.”
The truly Big East: The Big East has been an easy target in this space in recent years. So it’s only fair to point out the league’s resurgence this season, which was highlighted Saturday by Boston College’s victory at Notre Dame, followed by Pitt’s upset of Virginia Tech.
Both results hint at improving depth in the Big East.
“I really feel like the Big East Conference hasn’t gotten the respect it deserves,” Coker said. “It really doesn’t surprise me that [the Eagles] could go and beat Notre Dame. The parity has really set in. There are a lot of tough football teams in the Big East.”
A stand-up Ty: Big Ten officials ought to find a transcript of Notre Dame coach Tyrone Willingham’s postgame news conference after the Fighting Irish’s 14-7 loss to Boston College. And they ought to send it to all 11 of their coaches, especially those who have been whining about the officiating this autumn.
But in case the Big Ten is too busy, here’s the excerpt its coaches need to see. During the session, a reporter asked Willingham if he planned to “take action” in response to a controversial call that cost the Irish a touchdown catch. Willingham had been on the other side of the field and didn’t have a good look at the play. Afterward, aides told him the catch should have stood.
“That’s the way the ball bounces,” Willingham said. “Everything has human error. Obviously, we had some human error [with five turnovers].
“We are not going to be a coaching staff or a program of young men that whine and complain about calls. Those officials are trying to do their best job. They wanted to make the call right. Now, please understand, I’m not saying it was wrong. I have not seen it. I’m just listening to what other people have said. But that’s not the way the game is played.”
Those dogged Huskies: Washington has lost three straight games for the first time in Rick Neuheisel’s four years in Seattle. But Neuheisel remains optimistic because, he said, the Huskies have played hard in double-digit defeats to Southern Cal, Arizona State and UCLA.
“I haven’t heard one person tell me, `Your team quit,'” Neuheisel said. “I’ve had people say, `You can’t punt very well.’ I’ve had people say, `You dropped some balls.’ I’ve had people say, `You can’t run the ball’ or `You’re playing lousy pass defense.’
“You look at every game, and our guys fight to the bitter end. They’re continuing to believe in each other and trust each other. If you have that, you have a chance [to win].”
With 6-3 Oregon State, 7-2 Oregon and 8-1 Washington State remaining on their schedule, the Huskies also have a chance to finish 4-8.
In this corner . . . : UNLV assistant head coach John Jackson, a longtime friend of head coach John Robinson, works part time as a boxing promoter. Saturday, his two jobs conflicted.
Jackson left Saturday’s home game against Wyoming with 2 minutes 37 seconds left and UNLV leading by eight so he could make it to the MGM Grand, where he was promoting a fight between Marco Antonio Barrera and Johnny Tapia. Jackson is Barrera’s promoter.
Wyoming rallied to tie the game and send it to overtime, where UNLV prevailed 49-48.
Robinson called Jackson’s departure “a mistake” and said the coach received an internal reprimand.
Jackson’s fighter, Barrera, won a 12-round decision.
Goal-line stand: Boston College students celebrated the big victory over Notre Dame by tearing down the goalposts at the team’s practice facility. They tried to go after the posts in Alumni Stadium, but it was locked.
STATS & STUFF
BY THE NUMBERS
142.8
Rushing yards per game for Northern Illinois’ Michael Turner. He’s second in the nation behind Colorado’s Chris Brown, who averages 156.2.
171-162-8
Michigan State’s record since Duffy Daugherty retired in 1972. Daugherty went 109-69-5 in 19 seasons.
THE LIST
The top five punt returners in Division I-A:
PLAYER TEAM YPR
1. DeJuan Groce Neb. 21.0
2. Aris Comeaux Army 19.4
3. Derek Abney Ky. 18.8
4. Domanick Davis LSU 18.7
5. Dan Sheldon NIU 17.4
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MOTOR CITY MADNESS
The Motor City Bowl race has hit the stretch stumble. With three weeks to play in the regular season, a quartet of teams still has a shot at spending the holidays in Detroit, where the Big Ten’s seventh-best team is scheduled to face a Mid-American Conference opponent Dec. 26.
1. Purdue, 4-5: Didn’t lose last week. Didn’t play, either.
2. Illinois, 3-6: One more loss and the Illini are safe.
3. Indiana, 3-6: Hoosiers control own destiny.
4. Michigan State, 3-6: Spartans a lock if they sweep last three.
GAMES TO WATCH
No. 20 Bowling Green at NIU
1:35 p.m. Saturday; Fox Sports Net (3 p.m., delay)
Quick look: This enticing matchup is the most important game to take place within Illinois borders so far this season. The game will determine the Mid-American Conference West Division title. NIU has won nine straight MAC games and the Falcons are one of four unbeaten Division I-A teams.
No. 2 Miami at Tennessee
2:30 p.m. Saturday; WBBM-Ch. 2
Quick look: Will the Hurricanes’ demotion in the AP poll inspire them? The Volunteers would salvage a subpar season with an upset.
No. 1 Oklahoma at Texas A&M
2:30 p.m. Saturday
Quick look: When the Sooners won the national title two years ago, they needed a late interception return for a touchdown to escape Aggieland with a 35-31 victory.
No. 15 Oregon at No. 5 Washington State
2:30 p.m. Saturday
Quick look: Having drubbed second-place Arizona State, Wazoo still would command the Rose Bowl race with a loss here, but its slim Fiesta Bowl hopes would be gone.
Andrew Bagnato.
