I remember just sitting there like, "Damn.". Ed was definitely yelling my name, "Matt! We were winning, but we left a lot of points on the field. Record: 12-0 (1st of 117) (Schedule & Results), Bowl Game: Won Rose Bowl 37-14 versus Nebraska. / We knew, we got them out here, with the weather, the physicality, they weren't going to be ready for that. But that goes to the larger point: The focus was not on their talent, but on gaining the respect those players felt had been denied to them going back to high school. We were trying to showcase how tough we were. The 2001 Miami Hurricanes were the only team picked by fans to defeat the '05 Trojan squad, reflecting the esteem with which the 2001 Hurricanes are held in the college football world.[18]. Everything in Ed wanted to destroy Florida State for so many reasons. Vilma played for the 2001 Hurricanes; Bush played for the 2004 Trojans, widely regarded as two of the most talented teams ever assembled. But nobody wanted to waste the opportunity in front of them, either: A shot at the school's first national championship in 10 years. The University of Miami is known for producing excellent professional football players. In the classes that followed, they signed other players who constantly felt the need to prove they belonged, including Vilma. They knew he was the straw that stirred the drink. Coker And as a coach, you almost never want that -- guys on the ground, just a couple days before the game. The team's first-, second- and third-string running backs all later became running backs with a start in the NFL, a feat only done at least five other times. / ACC Network FAQs To solidify going to a national championship without having to worry about if somebody else was going to lose -- that was special. Rankings for the 2023 NFL draft: Top prospects at every position from Kiper, McShay, Miller, Reid, Kiper's new Big Board rankings for the 2023 NFL draft: Top 25 prospects, Syracuse QB Shrader to miss spring practice, Sources: Asst. We didn't want to have to change and have to learn a new offense, defense, or anything. Williams; and defensive backs Ed Reed, Mike Rumph, and Phillip Buchanon. Anybody who could block kicks like that, he was a fan of. I think they added extra bleachers so now they had the biggest stadium in college football. The Hurricanes then defeated West Virginia, 453,[9] and Temple, 380,[10] before heading to Chestnut Hill to take on Boston College (BC). But I feel like if you look at the history, every team that's won a national title has had a game like that, where it comes down to the last minute and if you lose, your season's over. Six players earned All-American status and six players were finalists for national awards, including Maxwell Award winner, Ken Dorsey, and Outland Trophy winner, Bryant McKinnie. It's nothing new to us. Guess what: He's still not finished . And whenever you do stuff like that, you believe you're going to win. Washington had beaten Miami the year before, but in 2001, it looked as if the Huskies wanted to be anywhere but playing in prime time in the Orange Bowl as the Hurricanes gleefully kept their foot on the gas to prove a point. 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. Sure enough, they run a slant, I go in to pick it off, and I spread my fingertips, and had my hands below my knee. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. When I look back at our workouts, and the pressure that we put on each other of not letting each other down, there was so much pressure that I would think twice about skipping a workout, I would think twice about skipping a rep, I would think twice about letting my brother down because there was so much invested into it. 14 Syracuse, 59-0", "No. I will never forget standing on the goal line at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, when Deshaun Watson threw the winning 2-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow to beat Alabama 35-31 and finish 15-0. We were mentally driven. In an article I wrote in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that October, quarterback Ken Dorsey said, "People around the country don't really respect our talent or our capabilities as a team. Like it was a fairy tale.". Soldinger It was always tough. Romberg We weren't trying to sit here and showcase how fast and athletic we were. Back at Miami, where he was named to the university's Hall of Fame back in 2011, Wayne helped The U to the 2001 national championship as a four-year starter, registering 173 catches for 2,510 . Please consider making a secure donation today by clicking the link below. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Rumph I told Mike they ought to bronze your knee and put it in the Hall of Fame, because if that didn't happen, we wouldn't have played for a national championship. LB Jonathan Vilma It's Ed!". C Brett Romberg The combined 1247 score is an NCAA record for largest margin of victory over consecutive ranked opponents. When Miami offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski wanted a more versatile player he went with Davenport. It really gave the players and the coaching staff somebody to rally behind. The Hurricanes began the season with a nationally televised primetime win over Penn State in Beaver Stadium. Everything that we put into this, everything lined up when it needed to. It is through the support of Hurricane fans and alumni that we are able to make a difference. With a 30-0 halftime Miami lead, Coker pulled his starters and Miami cruised in the second half to a 337 victory. Miami has two games remaining before the postseason begins and winning out has big implications for their place in the programs best all-time regular seasons. It was like, this is going to be outstanding for the next three, four, five years. There were a lot of expectations, and Larry took the pressure off of them. Walters 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. The first series, we line up, they run their option, and for as fast as it went for us in practice, it was like they were in sand. I'd feel good about our team against anybody. And we're in the buses going right through this wave of red, and it seemed like they all flipped us off in unison. Larry Coker knew that once that baton got handed off, he wasn't changing anything. It was a competitive culture and accountability was huge and he built a family environment. I went to a JUCO in Scranton, Penn. That was it for Miami. And so much more. Jump inside of it. There's something about a night game in the Orange Bowl, there's something about that mystique. They had no chance of winning that game. Being from California, playing in the Rose Bowl was special for me. It wasn't a surprise. / Men's Sports . It has been achieved by the 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Alabama Crimson Tide football teams and the 2012 Wisconsin Badgers football team. Renew Now , University of Miami 2023. Internships They pushed each other to the limit, and the one thing that separates that group, they were super, super competitive. We didn't do anything right. Reed I said, "Coach, they're slow as hell.". Miami (2001) Michigan (1947) Notre Dame (1947) Oklahoma (1956) How many NFL players came from Miami? I wanted to play more. The 2001 Miami Hurricanes are considered to be the greatest collection of players in college football history, at least as measured by the NFL Draft. Football. McGahee single handedly beat the Florida Gators in 2002 rushing for over 200 yards in the contest. When we recruited him in high school, when I actually went to see him in person it was at a basketball game. 1 defense. All rights reserved. Chudzinski If you dominate your responsibility and enough guys do that, then we'll be OK. A lot of people don't understand the context. We're tougher than you think.". Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Thursday, March 2, 12:48AM. The consensus among college football analysts is that the 2001 Hurricanes had the most talented roster in history. Chudzinski He was leading stuff, telling guys what to do, up and down the court with the ball in his hands, and you could just see this guy had that magical feel for how to play team games. Davis That 2001 Miami team, led by head coach Larry Coker in his first season, went undefeated and had just two games finish within 20 points. Rumph We were exhausted. Ed Reed, a free safety, is in the Hall of Fame (elected in 2019), and his backup was Sean Taylor, arguably the greatest safety who ever played the game. Strength coach Andreu Swasey Clinton Portis was the main ball carrier during the 2001 national championship run of the Miami Hurricanes. Terms of Service As a true freshman coming in, I'm all smiles. 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.. I said to our athletic director Barbara Hodges, "Let's reschedule that game for another year," and she was like, "No, We have to go." But these guys wanted to win that two-minute drill as bad as they wanted to win the Rose Bowl. We hadn't been there. He didn't want it to be close at all. 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. Dorsey and Johnson were named Rose Bowl co-Most Valuable Players. They were big boys, all positions, not just the offensive line. 2001 Miami Hurricanes 1 of 20 Ronald Martinez/Getty Images One of the greatest college teams of all time also had one of the greatest draft pools of all time. A jersey worn by late Hurricanes great Sean Taylor. Prior to the 2006 Rose Bowl, ESPN's SportsCenter ran a special in which the 2005 USC Trojans, led by stars Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, and LenDale White, were compared with the greatest college teams of the past 50 years, as picked by sports fans voting on ESPN.com, to determine their place in history. Media Requests They hated to lose. Walters There will be unsung heroes picking up blitzes. / While the 2001 squad only won a single national championship; they had NFL legends, All-Americans and Pro Bowlers in their film sessions. And I've debated that, and it's like, 'Yeah, whatever, you can talk.' It was my first game ever to be a head coach and it was against Joe Paterno. When he spoke, the team listened. I went to the University of Florida, where as a freshman in 1995, the Nebraska Cornhuskers staked their claim to the greatest-of-all-time throne after dismantling the Gators in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl. Reed Some school's results have been altered by retroactive NCAA penalties. Larry wasn't a sexy hire at the time, and it's rare the players have that kind of influence over who gets hired. Given all the challenges associated with the 2020 season, the Crimson Tide could easily make their case. The motivation of being upset and disappointed, that played a huge role in going to the Sugar Bowl and what we did against Florida to make a statement that we probably should've been the champs. 1.". I grew up in South Florida, and watched the previous four Miami national champions closely. The way we were able to play, come out firing on all cylinders, was huge. Among the numerous stars on the 2001 Miami squad were: quarterback Ken Dorsey; running backs Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee, Najeh Davenport, and Frank Gore; tight end Jeremy Shockey; wide receiver Andre Johnson; offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie; defensive linemen Jerome McDougle, William Joseph, and Vince Wilfork; linebackers Jonathan Vilma and D.J. But despite being outgained by the Hurricanes by 134 yards and being dominated in time-of-possession, the Hokies never quit. To go and win the game was quite an experience. Ohio State beat Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl (2002 BCS Championship Game). We thought we had a great team, but you don't know until the bullets start flying. That truly goes to show how much trust we had, for him to hear my voice and give me the ball. As the 2001 Miami Hurricanes celebrated a fifth national championship in the . We present them here for purely educational purposes. We [were] truly a team. Shockey had been there and done that, but we had new guys stepping in who weren't first-round draft picks yet. [17] Additionally, the Hurricane defense scored eight touchdowns of its own. That served as motivation. We lost the year before, and it kept us out of the national championship game. [15] Miami won its fifth national championship in the last 18 years, and put the finishing touches on a perfect 120 season. I tried to display that my senior year, 'cause I could have left my junior year. Shannon I don't know if this ever got released to the media, but Kenny [Dorsey] got hit and took a hard shot to the ribs. Like you knew in your bones that we were going to pull it out. Or write about sports? Do you have a blog? He almost had to come out of the game. [6] [7] The Hurricanes have had at least one former player make the Pro Bowl every season since 1985, 31 years in a row. there was no mention of GOATs or legacies, just one line at the bottom that noted: "This UM team has joined elite company.". "Because you're trying to recruit the foundation of what's to come for the next four years. I'd smile every time when I'd see them before the game and say, "Yeah, we're going to go at it. The offense was terrible. We let the country know what this whole season was going to be about. 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. On Sept. 27, Miami returned to play at Pitt with a determination to press forward, resulting in a 43-21 win. Twenty years later, the 2001 Miami Hurricanes are widely regarded as one of the greatest college football teams of all time. It is only now, with the perspective of history and time that those who suited up in 2001 understand -- and brag about -- what they accomplished in one magical season. Former Miami Dolphin and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor and defensive ends coach Rod Wright talk on the field during practice at Greentree . The events of 9/11 caused a pause in college football, with games that weekend either being canceled or postponed, and Miami's game against Washington would be rescheduled for later that season. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Additional contributors included future stars Kellen Winslow II, Sean Taylor, Antrel Rolle, Vernon Carey, and Rocky McIntosh. We blocked a kick and a punt and blocked a field goal that day. Sometimes the practices in the bowl games get a little stale or tired. The season began on the road against Penn State, a matchup Miami viewed as a "statement game.". Ask Reed about that 2001 team, and he starts not with the championship but with the leadership that drive created. [17] The offense set the school scoring record, while the defense led the nation in scoring defense (fewest points allowed), pass defense, and turnover margin. $400,000 was initially raised to endow the scholarship, the only undergraduate award presented by the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame. 2001 Miami (FL) Hurricanes Roster Previous Year Next Year Record: 12-0 (1st of 117) ( Schedule & Results ) Rank: 1st in the Final AP poll Conference: Big East Conference Record: 7-0 Coach: Larry Coker (12-0) Points For: 512 Points/G: 42.7 (3rd of 117) Points Against: 117 More Team Info Miami (FL) School History 2001 Miami (FL) Statistics In interviews with more than two dozen players, coaches and opposing coaches, here is the story of the 2001 season, told in their own words. , but we had, for him to hear my voice and give me ball! Want it to be a head coach and it 's like, this is going to the. 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