2. . We didn't know it was going to come down to a 2-point conversion, but the football Gods were with us on that day, and that kid dropped that ball. If you look at the film, at the last second as he's falling to the ground, he looks up to see if it's Ed, and he lets the ball go. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Like Portis, McGahee was a two-time Pro Bowl player and a national champion in 2001. He didn't want it to be close at all. That's to win the national championship. Walters It's nothing new to us. We had 31 scholarships lost. They should have gone back to high school where they do the running clock. It was one of those things where it was kind of like inevitable for us, you know what I mean? It was a somewhat natural transition because I knew the players. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Rumph Williams That roster included 38 players who went on to . I got you over the top." They knew he was the straw that stirred the drink. "We had that mentality of, 'You may get a run, but I promise you for the next 60 minutes, we're gonna kick your ass. / I went to a JUCO in Scranton, Penn. We knew we were good, and when we got out there and played on Saturdays, the people we went against were not as good as the guys we had on our scout team. It was unreal, just to see the trophy come out. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. Butch did a great job recruiting and developing and building the culture. If I slacked off at all, I wasn't going to play as much because Vince Wilfork is my backup. Our communication wasn't good. Dorsey If you don't drive them, you're going to be in trouble. [6] [7] The Hurricanes have had at least one former player make the Pro Bowl every season since 1985, 31 years in a row. Because when Jimmy [Johnson] left after winning two national championships, they really changed the whole program, and I didn't want that to happen to those kids. After the close win over Boston College, Miami went on to win over #14 Syracuse, 590,[12] and #12 Washington, 657,[13] in consecutive weeks in the Orange Bowl. .mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}. In all, an extraordinary 17 players from the 2001 Miami football team were drafted in the first-round of the NFL Draft (5 in the 2002 NFL Draft: Buchanon, McKinnie, Reed, Rumph, and Shockey; 4 in 2003: Johnson, Joseph, McDougle, and McGahee; 6 in 2004: Carey, Taylor, Vilma, Wilfork, Williams, and Winslow; 1 in 2005: Rolle; and 1 in 2006: Kelly Jennings). Record: 12-0 (1st of 117) (Schedule & Results), Bowl Game: Won Rose Bowl 37-14 versus Nebraska. The guys before us set an expectation of how hard you had to work and what that standard was, and we knew we had to live up to that. After a blocked punt returned for a touchdown cut Miami's lead to 26-24, Virginia Tech lined up for a 2-point conversion to tie the game. But Ernest Wilford dropped it. Renew Now Close Topbar. 4 in the Bowl Championship Series standings. They hated to lose. Our freshman year, we redshirted, but we would go on road trips and have our jerseys on with sweatpants on the sideline. From there, this iconic team started its journey toward greatness. We win, and we're in that locker room, and when you work for something for so long, and you achieve it, there's a certain sadness. My knee went between my hands, and hit the tip of the ball and it flipped to Matt Walters. Ohio State beat Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl (2002 BCS Championship Game). Miami led 12-7 with under a minute to play, but BC had first-and-goal at the Miami 9-yard line. OT Bryant McKinnie They were invited to the Rose Bowl, which served as the BCS National Championship Game, and defeated Nebraska, 3714, to win the school's 5th national championship. 1 Hurricanes Stomp West Virginia, 45-3", "No. See our list of forfeits and vacated games for more details. / "I'm willing to line our 2001 team up against any collegiate institution, anytime, anywhere," center Brett Romberg said. MIAMI, Fla. - Matthew Cleveland scored a last second three-pointer of the game to lead the Seminoles to an 85-84 victory over the top ranked Miami Hurricanes at the Watsco Center. You were getting into a street fight when you went and played those guys. "They were really good, but I told Reggie, 'Yeah, you guys were fast and athletic, and we were equally fast and athletic," Vilma recalled recently. Coker Its hard to say in the case of Willis McGahee. including 17 first-rounders and at least one Hall of Famer in Ed Reed. The Canes became arguably the greatest team in CFB history 20 years ago, finishing 12-0, winning the national title and producing 38 NFL draft picks. Walters The combined 1247 score is an NCAA record for largest margin of victory over consecutive ranked opponents. In all, 17 players from the team became first-round draft picks, and 38 players would be drafted, with stars like Vilma, Reed, Shockey, Wilfork and Portis earning multiple Pro Bowl bids. Hurricanes basketball coach Jim Larraaga highlights a 10-member University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame class. Three trades in a chaotic top five, The new law changing service academy football, and the coaches pushing back, Realignment chatter: How the Pac-12 holds the key to it all. You had Sean Taylor behind him. It's a fun debate, but at the same time, the competitor in you has no doubt about where we stood. RBs coach Don Soldinger Back then, we had availabilities three times a week with players, an open locker room after games and access to practice, too. Johnson was a member of the Hurricanes' most recent national championship team in 2001. When you've got guys that are doing workouts, even though it was hell on earth in July in 115 degrees, like you're breathing through a sock, and turn around and just do it again for a teammate because he needs help, that's remarkable. Soon, that entire mentality took hold across the entire team. Despite Miami beating Florida State head-to-head that season and being higher ranked in both human polls, it was Florida State, and not Miami, that BCS computers selected to challenge the Oklahoma Sooners for the national championship (Oklahoma would win, 132). But Larry was a perfect fit for that team. The thing that was most impressive about that team is that, at any point in time, a younger player could take your position. I mean, he was pretty much automatic for them. Gonzalez We dominated those guys from start to finish, and Happy Valley wasn't so happy. Rumph Williams, Antrel Rolle, Vince Wilfork, Frank Gore, Willis McGahee, Chris Myers, Andre Johnson No other team is even in the conversation. Every one of those games was a physical, physical affair. We knew when I was there, but in 2001, it became reality. You can make the argument it's the most talented team to ever play. Fitzgerald The scholarship recipient is chosen each year by the football coaches . We were just too big, strong and fast, and way too physical. Jump inside of it. College Football at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. Employment One of the greatest safeties in college football history, Reed twice earned first-team All-America honors while guiding the Hurricanes to a national championship in 2001Led the Hurricanes to four consecutive bowl victories, ending career with perfect 12-0 record and 2001 national championship win over Nebraska2001 BIG EAST Defensive Co-Player * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Najeh Davenport was in the three headed monster backfield of the 1998 season with Edgerrin James and James Jackson before injuring his knee. That 2001 season, it was like the season was already written. And I'll never forget seeing the wave of red of Nebraska fans pulling up that seemed like it went for miles. Adelson: 2001 Canes make case for college football's GOATs, Breaking down the latest in 2024 football recruiting, from top commits to March visits, The Turnover Luck Index: Rating every 2022 team, from USC to Rutgers, ACC boss: Rule changes backed by FBS leaders, Top draft prospect Carter charged in fatal crash, Stoops: QB Leary (pec) 'close to full go' for UK, Hall of Fame coach Ault named to CFP committee, New NCAA president readies for NIL, legal issues, Ex-Vols staffers agree to show-cause penalties, UNC hires ex-Browns HC Kitchens as assistant, Kiper's updated NFL mock draft: Who's moving up for a QB? You go into the locker room and everybody is just elated. Fundraiser : The UM Sports Hall of Fame Needs U! It was so scary. Quarterbacks Fitzgerald But with a chance to tie the game with another two-point conversion, Virginia Tech sophomore Ernest Wilford dropped a pass in the endzone. They were cracking jokes at us, and they thought that they were gonna just drag us all over the football field and just pound us. I don't know how General Custer felt, but I felt like General Custer. Rumph We gave up the bowl in 1995. 2 behind Florida -- the team they dismantled in the Sugar Bowl to close out the 2000 season. We probably could have scored 80 points. 1 in both polls -- was sitting at No. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Six players were drafted in the. Take Ed Reed. Frank Gore was also on the 2001 national title Hurricanes roster. Ask Reed about that 2001 team, and he starts not with the championship but with the leadership that drive created. Then there was the first half against Nebraska in the BCS national championship game, in which Miami made the Cornhuskers look like a slow backyard team with no business being on the big stage. Download Our App, Achong, Harden & Hedley Earn ACC Postgraduate Scholarships, Newport News, Virginia/Hampton Roads Academy, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada/Vanier Academy, Windsor, Ontario, Canada/Belle River District. Chudzinski Like you knew in your bones that we were going to pull it out. 4 in the Bowl Championship Series standings. The 2022-23 Miami Hurricanes men's basketball team represents the University of Miami during the 2022-23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. I just remember on that play that the offensive lineman tried to cut my knees, and I remember finally getting it right. Miami followed up the victory with wins over Rutgers,[5] Pitt,[6] and Troy State.[7]. Everything that we put into this, everything lined up when it needed to. What players and coaches insist set this team apart was their camaraderie, accountability and willingness to do whatever it took to win a championship -- especially those afternoon workouts. ", Flashback: Ed Reed strips ball from teammate for Hurricanes pick-six (0:44), 'It's the most talented team to ever play': An oral history of the 2001 Miami Hurricanes, Breaking down the latest in 2024 football recruiting, from top commits to March visits, The Turnover Luck Index: Rating every 2022 team, from USC to Rutgers, ACC boss: Rule changes backed by FBS leaders, Top draft prospect Carter charged in fatal crash, Stoops: QB Leary (pec) 'close to full go' for UK, Hall of Fame coach Ault named to CFP committee, New NCAA president readies for NIL, legal issues, Ex-Vols staffers agree to show-cause penalties, UNC hires ex-Browns HC Kitchens as assistant, Kiper's updated NFL mock draft: Who's moving up for a QB? Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Given all the challenges associated with the 2020 season, the Crimson Tide could easily make their case. All rights reserved . [14] Defeating Virginia Tech earned the top-ranked Hurricanes an invitation to the Rose Bowl to take on BCS #2 Nebraska for the national championship. People always say the great teams have to overcome a scare along the way. Internships 1 defense. When I caught it, I wasn't thinking about running it back for a touchdown. Ed was somebody that would really talk to players. Find out more. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. They finished the season 120 overall and 70 in the Big East to finish as conference champion. The players and coaches, first and foremost, were accessible. Less Than 24 Hours to Renew Your Tickets. The 2001 roster was loaded from top to bottom all over the field with names like Bryant McKinnie, Andre Johnson, and Jeremy Shockey as just the tip of the ice berg. We were trying to showcase how tough we were. This endowed scholarship was created in 1992, in the memory of beloved Hurricanes' Hall of Fame player and coach Walter Kichefski. It was a challenge to figure out how to get through the rest of that game. Davis Internships It was like, this is going to be outstanding for the next three, four, five years. Do you have a sports website? Chudzinski Kenny didn't have the strongest arm in football, but he was just a tremendous leader and just a playmaker. They just accumulated so many good players that everybody was looking at them as like, 'How have they done this? I wanted to play more. We go to the sideline, and Randy Shannon, after the first series he's like, "Hey, how do they look?" Every team has to go through that, because that's how you get calloused to know that no matter what happens, you're going to find a way to win. LB D.J. But we were fruits of what they'd done. Were the backups better than the starter? People were literally afraid to let the person next to them down. In doing so, Portis ran for 1,200 and 10 touchdowns with a 5.5 yards per carry average for the Canes. "We really had leaders on that team, and I don't think that can be matched," Reed said. CB Markese Fitzgerald It was a bunch of these things that made us feel disrespected. / The intelligence he had. He was the perfect coach for our team, and his personality just meshed with us. The same standings that kept Miami out of the 2000 national championship game. In my mind, I didn't know if I'd get the job. But nobody wanted to waste the opportunity in front of them, either: A shot at the school's first national championship in 10 years. They were big boys, all positions, not just the offensive line. So can 2016 Clemson, a team I covered throughout the season as an ACC reporter. And I'll never forget, everybody's fired up, and Larry gets up in front of the bus, and said, "Men, don't worry about that. Their closest test came on road against the Boston College Eagles in an 18-7 victory, that included a late Ed Reed-Matt Walters pick-six. To win a national championship, you have to win some you're not supposed to win. What set those guys apart was what was inside of them -- in their heads and in their hearts, how they competed and how they prepared and how they loved and how they were passionate about playing the game. And when he spoke, the coaches listened. We hadn't been there. Miami beat opponents by an average of 32.9 points per game, the largest margin in the school's history, and set the NCAA record for largest margin of victory over consecutive ranked teams (1247). And they had a great defense. I had to make it tough tough. I turned around, and the next thing you know, the ball is floating to me in slow motion. Miami beat Florida State 49-27 to remain undefeated, but a bigger test awaited Nov. 10 on a cold day at Boston College. I remember thinking that it was going to be such a difficult game, and we over prepared ourselves so much that the game came easy. At that point, euphoric adrenaline runs over you. Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer It gives us extra incentive to go out and perform well every week.". Nobody was too "big time" for anything. I played with Richie Incognito with the Rams, and he told me when they saw us get off the bus at Disney [during the week], they started laughing. That drive starts with where this team started: in 1997, when Miami was at its lowest point as a football program, in the midst of NCAA sanctions that reduced its scholarship total to 15 in that signing class. DT Matt Walters Anybody who could block kicks like that, he was a fan of. Before we even went to the game, we made "Ballin Boys." I'm gonna run out of bounds." I helped cover that team, too. I never expected it to be a blowout. Not a lot needed to be said. The offense was terrible. They dominated nearly everyone on their schedule, culminating in a resounding 37-14 win over Nebraska in the BCS National Championship Game in the Rose Bowl. I'll never forget, he said he really liked our team. Dorsey Davenport went on to a seven year NFL career with the Packers, Steelers, and Colts, while averaging 4.6 yards per rush and scoring 13 touchdowns as a pro. While the 2001 squad only won a single national championship; they had NFL legends, All-Americans and Pro Bowlers in their film sessions. It wasn't like we were living at the top of the AP poll. The loudest game. It pushes you through those workouts and the offseason, and it was a huge motivator for me, because guys like Reggie Wayne and Santana Moss put their heart and soul into the program, to not be able to give them a national championship when you thought you could've -- it's one of those things that sticks with you. QB Ken Dorsey I think the next year, we had the mindset that, no matter what happens, we have to take care of business. The ladies win their home finale, prep for their conference tournament matchup on Thursday. Former Heisman Trophy Award winner Eric Crouch led the Nebraska Cornhuskers into the Rose Bowl to face the Miami Hurricanes in the 2001 national championship game.. To see the trophy come out the 2001 squad only Won a single championship! Na run out of the 1998 season with Edgerrin James and James Jackson injuring. To them down have the strongest arm in football, but he was the perfect coach for our team a! Cold day at Boston College not supposed to win the person next to them down and vacated games for details! The ladies win their home finale, prep for their conference tournament matchup on Thursday with a! Everything lined up when it needed to at the Miami 9-yard line the offensive line, it was a to., you 're not supposed to win some you 're not supposed to.! 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