Miami Herald Logo

Miami Hurricanes pummel South Florida, become bowl-eligible | Miami Herald

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Site Information
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Herald Store
    • RSS Feeds
    • Special Sections
    • Advertise
    • Advertise with Us
    • Media Kit
    • Mobile
    • Mobile Apps & eReaders
    • Newsletters
    • Social
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • YouTube

    • Sections
    • News
    • South Florida
    • Miami-Dade
    • Broward
    • Florida Keys
    • Florida
    • Politics
    • Weird News
    • Weather
    • National & World
    • Colombia
    • National
    • World
    • Americas
    • Cuba
    • Guantánamo
    • Haiti
    • Venezuela
    • Local Issues
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • In Depth
    • Issues & Ideas
    • Traffic
    • Sections
    • Sports
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Pro & College
    • Miami Dolphins
    • Miami Heat
    • Miami Marlins
    • Florida Panthers
    • College Sports
    • University of Miami
    • Florida International
    • University of Florida
    • Florida State University
    • More Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Auto Racing
    • Fighting
    • Golf
    • Horse Racing
    • Outdoors
    • Soccer
    • Tennis
    • Youth Sports
    • Other Sports
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • The Florida Influencer Series
    • Sections
    • Business
    • Business Monday
    • Banking
    • International Business
    • National Business
    • Personal Finance
    • Real Estate News
    • Small Business
    • Technology
    • Tourism & Cruises
    • Workplace
    • Business Plan Challenge
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Cindy Krischer Goodman
    • The Starting Gate
    • Work/Life Balancing Act
    • Movers
    • Sections
    • Living
    • Advice
    • Fashion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • Home & Garden
    • Pets
    • Recipes
    • Travel
    • Wine
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Dave Barry
    • Ana Veciana-Suarez
    • Flashback Miami
    • More Living
    • LGBTQ South Florida
    • Palette Magazine
    • Indulge Magazine
    • South Florida Album
    • Broward Album
    • Sections
    • Entertainment
    • Books
    • Comics
    • Games & Puzzles
    • Horoscopes
    • Movies
    • Music & Nightlife
    • People
    • Performing Arts
    • Restaurants
    • TV
    • Visual Arts
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Jose Lambiet
    • Lesley Abravanel
    • More Entertainment
    • Events Calendar
    • Miami.com
    • Contests & Promotions
    • Sections
    • All Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Op-Ed
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Jim Morin
    • Letters to the Editor
    • From Our Inbox
    • Speak Up
    • Submit a Letter
    • Meet the Editorial Board
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Blog Directory
    • Columnist Directory
    • Andres Oppenheimer
    • Carl Hiaasen
    • Leonard Pitts Jr.
    • Fabiola Santiago
    • Obituaries
    • Obituaries in the News
    • Place an Obituary

    • Place an ad
    • All Classifieds
    • Announcements
    • Apartments
    • Auctions/Sales
    • Automotive
    • Commercial Real Estate
    • Employment
    • Garage Sales
    • Legals
    • Merchandise
    • Obituaries
    • Pets
    • Public Notices
    • Real Estate
    • Services
  • Public Notices
  • Cars
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Real Estate
  • Mobile & Apps

  • el Nuevo Herald
  • Miami.com
  • Indulge

Latest News

Miami Hurricanes pummel South Florida, become bowl-eligible

By Susan Miller Degnan

    ORDER REPRINT →

November 18, 2012 12:01 AM

The Hurricanes are bowl-eligible.

Now comes the wait — not for the bowl, but for the decision that will determine whether the Canes actually go to one.

If Miami, a 40-9 winner over USF on Saturday, opts to self-impose a bowl ban for the second year in a row in hopes of allaying future NCAA sanctions, an announcement could come as early as Sunday.

But regardless of post-season decisions, the Canes (6-5, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) just need to defeat Duke next Saturday to win their first ACC Coastal Division title.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Miami Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

“I’m not part of it and most of that is to protect me from the legal side of it, to be quite honest,” UM coach Al Golden said of his administration’s decision, which could take the Hurricanes out of not only a bowl, but the ACC title game as well.

“I don’t know what the president knows or our legal counsel or what [athletic director] Blake James knows. I’m sure there will be some discussions [Saturday night] and [Sunday], and we’ll go from there.”

Saturday, however, was all about slamming the hammer on USF and sending out the Miami seniors with smiles in their final game at Sun Life Stadium.

“It is nice just to win,” freshman running back Duke Johnson said, “regardless of big margin or small margin. The younger guys came out and played very well for the seniors, knowing it was their last game at Sun Life. We wanted to take them out with a bang.”

While the Canes qualified for their fifth consecutive bowl and eighth in the nine years they’ve played in the ACC, the Bulls (3-7, 1-4 Big East) suffered their worst loss of the season.

After losing four of its last five games coming into Saturday, UM delivered its biggest blowout since beating Duke 49-14 last November — and held an opponent without a touchdown since winning at USF in the final road game of 2011.

“It feels awesome,” said linebacker Jimmy Gaines, who had a first-half interception that led to a touchdown. “We finally put it together.”

The Canes scored three points in the first quarter, 13 in the second, 14 in the third and 10 in the fourth.

And despite being down four scholarship receivers — three because of injury and one because of suspension — Miami had three receivers who surpassed 100 yards.

UM quarterback Stephen Morris became only the second Canes quarterback in UM history to have three 400-yard passing games. The other: Heisman Trophy winner Gino Torretta.

Morris, who was replaced by backup Ryan Williams with 10:02 left, completed 21 of 32 passes for 413 yards and three touchdowns. His three prolific receivers: tight end Clive Walford (three catches for 135 yards and a touchdown) and wideouts Phillip Dorsett (12 for 111) and Herb Waters (four for 130 and a touchdown).

“It was one of our best performances this season,” Dorsett said, “with Stephen throwing for all those yards and our defense not allowing a touchdown on the board.”

Kendal Thompkins and Johnson also scored touchdowns, with senior Jake Wieclaw kicking four field goals.

“My years here have gone by really fast, but it has to come to an end one day, so you just try to make the most of it and make the best of the situation,” said fifth-year senior Thompkins, who had a career-high 80 receiving yard and whose touchdown was only the second of his career.

As for any pending self-imposed sanctions, most players seemed resigned to accept their fates.

“I’m eager about it,” Morris said of soon finding out about the Hurricanes’ future. “At the same time I’m just going with whatever Coach Golden says. I’ll let that stuff be dealt with by the guys who are upstairs in athletics. Our biggest focus and my biggest focus is I’ve got a locker room of 110 guys that I’ve got to get ready for Duke.”

Thompkins also looks forward to the season finale, but he admitted he’d like to go out by playing in the post season.

“To tell you the truth, I don’t want it to happen,” Thompkins said. “It being my senior year, I’d like to play in a bowl game.”

Related stories from Miami Herald

HOMEPAGE

Game stats | UM 40, USF 9

November 17, 2012 10:11 PM

HOMEPAGE

UM blog | Eye on the U

March 22, 2011 12:28 PM

  Comments  

Videos

Activists remove barricades from a bridge at the Colombian border to Venezuela

Four members of the Venezuelan military defect toward the Colombian border

View More Video

Trending Stories

Patriots owner Robert Kraft is among the hundreds charged in Florida sex traffic sting

February 22, 2019 12:23 PM

Trump threatens to deport Venezuelan military officials’ families that have fled to Miami

February 22, 2019 07:21 PM

It’s about to get easier for legal immigrants in Miami to get their papers. Faster, too.

February 22, 2019 03:14 PM

Government preparing to be sued in 2023, when the Keys stop issuing building permits

February 23, 2019 07:00 AM

Two dead, 14 injured after Venezuela soldiers fire at civilians near border with Brazil

February 22, 2019 10:13 AM

Read Next

Flaring tensions, defections at the border as first shipment of aid enters Venezuela
Video media Created with Sketch.

Venezuela

Flaring tensions, defections at the border as first shipment of aid enters Venezuela

By Antonio Maria Delgado and

David Smiley

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 23, 2019 08:21 AM

Four members of Venezuela’s National Guard deserted their posts Saturday morning and solicited help from Colombia at the Simon Bolivar bridge connecting the two countries. Earlier, tear gas was fired on residents.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Miami Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE LATEST NEWS

The Latest: Guaido sends aid into Venezuela from Brazil

Latest News

The Latest: Guaido sends aid into Venezuela from Brazil

February 23, 2019 11:44 AM
The first trucks with humanitarian aid have arrived in Venezuela

Venezuela

The first trucks with humanitarian aid have arrived in Venezuela

February 23, 2019 11:32 AM
Government preparing to be sued in 2023, when the Keys stop issuing building permits

Florida Keys

Government preparing to be sued in 2023, when the Keys stop issuing building permits

February 23, 2019 07:00 AM
FPL’s troubled cooling canals are about to get a new permit. Some say that’s a problem

Environment

FPL’s troubled cooling canals are about to get a new permit. Some say that’s a problem

February 23, 2019 06:00 AM
Soldiers unleash tear gas amid tension on Venezuela’s border

Latest News

Soldiers unleash tear gas amid tension on Venezuela’s border

February 23, 2019 11:57 AM
R. Kelly due in Chicago court to face sex abuse charges

Latest News

R. Kelly due in Chicago court to face sex abuse charges

February 23, 2019 09:29 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Miami Herald App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Public Insight Network
  • Reader Panel
Advertising
  • Place a Classified
  • Media Kit
  • Commercial Printing
  • Public Notices
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story