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 never got worried. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. There were a lot of expectations, and Larry took the pressure off of them. 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. It seems like that every year. / Williams We wanted to beat them for two reasons, right? Internships The same standings that kept Miami out of the 2000 national championship game. 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. They had no chance of winning that game. As one of the younger players on the team, that competition only made me better. Vilma got into a debate several years ago with former USC running back Reggie Bush when the two played for the New Orleans Saints. Williams I'd feel good about our team against anybody. I never expected it to be a blowout. 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. We knew when I was there, but in 2001, it became reality. All rights reserved We were winning, but we left a lot of points on the field. They pushed each other to the limit, and the one thing that separates that group, they were super, super competitive. It was grit and toughness for him, and it was important he was in there the whole time. February 26, 2023 11:32 AM. Gonzalez One of the things that happened in practice, we caught a few guys in the stadium trying to record our practices, seeing how we were going to stop the triple option. Two weeks later, the game everybody in the locker room had circled on the calendar had finally arrived: Washington. Men's Sports . We were confident. "I'm willing to line our 2001 team up against any collegiate institution, anytime, anywhere," center Brett Romberg said. When he dropped the two-point conversion, I was like, I need some prayer right now. The debate over the greatest team in college football history will never end, and that is one of things we love so much about sports. We knew what route was coming on that play. A lot of people talk about the struggles against Florida State, but we had those struggles against Virginia Tech. 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. Maybe Alabama last year. Portis was an even bigger weapon in the NFL over his nine year career. The combined 1247 score is an NCAA record for largest margin of victory over consecutive ranked opponents. If you didn't put in the work, there was somebody behind you ready to take over. When Miami offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski wanted a more versatile player he went with Davenport. LB Jonathan Vilma He didn't care about scolding players if they didn't do their jobs. Do you have a sports website? We liked what we had already, and we really wanted to just keep what we had. It didn't really hit me until afterward. The 2001 Miami Hurricanes are considered by some experts and historians to be the greatest team in college football history. It was one of those games. 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. The older guys took us under their wings and helped us. Our communication wasn't good. I'll never forget the year before, we beat Florida State and guys were celebrating, and Ed Reed told Dorsey to stand up and told everyone to start cheering for Ken Dorsey. It's not the individual talent. If Greg Schiano had not left and gone to Rutgers it would've been a potential for him to get the job, but I was glad for the staff and players that there wouldn't be a blow-up. Kenny was the perfect guy. It was a somewhat natural transition because I knew the players. Romberg We all felt that that Sugar Bowl game against Florida, we knew that we should have been playing for a national title. The guys suffer their worst loss of the season, but can still win the ACC. Were the backups better than the starter? They beat us 59-0 and we finished that season with 10 wins. Some felt that Miami got snubbed in a chance to compete for the BCS Championship game. Backing up the entire unit was football legacy Jarrett Payton. Like it was a fairy tale.". / Payton was on campus for five season and waiting his turn to be the starter which came after McGahees departure for the 2003 season. I'm talking about the energy, the heat. 1 defense. In the NFL he ran for 8,474 yards and 65 touchdowns over his career. 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. Happy to be here, want to high-five everybody, and from the moment I walked into the locker room, it was you're gonna work. It's something we're used to playing with is that lack of respect. Then in 2002, with Frank Gore out, exploded on the scene with 1,753 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns on 6.2 yard per carry. We just knew we were going to win it all. . How deep was the 2001 Miami Hurricane roster? . The loudest game. Buy Now. Or write about sports? Media Requests 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). Chudzinski All rights reserved. NFL draft questions for teams in the top 10: Will the Colts trade up? The season began on the road against Penn State, a matchup Miami viewed as a "statement game.". I wanted to win the national championship -- we wanted to win the national championship. Chudzinski Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Dorsey It wasn't something given. The consensus among college football analysts is that the 2001 Hurricanes had the most talented roster in history. He made things happen. Guess what: He's still not finished . McGahee didnt have the most prolific career, but the two years he suited up in his orange and green gear were exciting. I said, "Coach, they're slow as hell.". Chudzinski Shannon You go into the locker room and everybody is just elated. As the 2001 Miami Hurricanes celebrated a fifth national championship in the . At the very end of January, [my family and I] ended up making the decision to leave. Shockey was diving for balls, Ed Reed was coming up full-speed, full-tackle. It was a competitive culture and accountability was huge and he built a family environment. I'm gonna run out of bounds." I was tired. Sponsorship Opportunities I had so many friends from high school who were there to support me, guys I grew up with and loved and had always been there for me. Rumph 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. Gore then injured his knee, which would become a tragic and common theme for one of the most universally loved Hurricanes in program history. They thought that we looked like a high school team. Chudzinski Williams Being from California, playing in the Rose Bowl was special for me. Butch did a great job recruiting and developing and building the culture. It was always tough. 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. Rumph I didn't know at the time that this would be talked about as one of the best teams in college football. Walters Rankings from AP poll. Davis Men's Basketball . The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. It was a challenge to figure out how to get through the rest of that game. Internships Walters ran ten yards with the ball before teammate Ed Reed grabbed the ball out of his hands at around the Miami 20-yard line and raced the remaining 80-yards for a touchdown. The Hurricanes led 34-0 at halftime and could have easily won 59-0 had they decided to play their starters the majority of the second half. On Sept. 27, Miami returned to play at Pitt with a determination to press forward, resulting in a 43-21 win. We all had our careers that take off from there, but from my eyes, I was like, "What now?" But in the moment, as I wrote my recap of that game in January 2002, I was very much like the players. 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. The intelligence he had. I had a front-row seat as the Miami beat writer for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that season. Roster includes most starters and key reserves. I'll never forget the speed and tempo and competitiveness. It's one of those weird ones you can't explain, but you've got to get through. I don't want to sound disrespectful, but we were five steps faster than them, 10 pounds hungrier, much more violent, which is a different style of football. Dorsey We were exhausted. We all loved Dorsey, but we knew we had other skill sets and talent on that team. There's going to be some tremendous 3- or 4-yard runs. or thought they had just unlocked legendary status. / With BC on the verge of a momentous upset, St. Pierre attempted to pass to receiver Ryan Read at the Miami 2-yard line. [15] Miami won its fifth national championship in the last 18 years, and put the finishing touches on a perfect 120 season. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. 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. 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. / After building up a 40 record, Miami won over Florida State in Doak Campbell Stadium, 4927,[8] ending the Seminoles' 47-game home unbeaten streak. We had it in us, and we knew we had it in us. That felt good for all of us. Gore has added another 77 rushing touchdowns on his way into the NFL record books. It's Ed!". Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Like you knew in your bones that we were going to pull it out. A lot of us were going into our senior year, and we didn't want to have to risk playing a little slower, still trying to learn something. We have the recipe, we have the tools, we have everything to be successful. Miami led 12-7 with under a minute to play, but BC had first-and-goal at the Miami 9-yard line. A stacked defensive backs room, with Sean Taylor and Antrel Rolle as backups. Dorsey was also a Heisman finalist, finishing third. 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. They're driving to win, the whole stadium thought they were about to win. 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. I knew this. Miami won 187.[11]. At the time, [Paterno] wasn't taking JUCO transfers, and that was one of the schools I would've went to, so when I got a chance to play against them I said, "I'm gonna show him. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Davis Miami hasn't won a title since 2001, although the Hurricanes have cause for debate about the next season's Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State. That's how much we've been around each other. 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. You had Phillip Buchanon and Mike Rumph, and you had Antrel Rolle behind them. 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 lot of people don't know how close that was, but he was a huge leader for us, and he wasn't coming out of that game. The 2001 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami during the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season. So can 2016 Clemson, a team I covered throughout the season as an ACC reporter. As a coach and players, you don't want to talk about it too much, but it's hard not to. Soldinger Odds & lines subject to change. There will be unsung heroes picking up blitzes. That was the first time, for a portion of the game at least, we let our gaze get to the horizon and not on the task at hand. The same standings that kept Miami out of the 2000 national championship game. The knee injuries couldnt hold Gore back as hes still running the rock in the NFL today. So I think that describes how good they were.". ", Reed Hurricanes basketball coach Jim Larraaga highlights a 10-member University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame class. A total of 38 . I mean, he was pretty much automatic for them. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Because that whole season, our mind was set on one goal, and you really don't understand how exhausting something can be when you're in pursuit of it. Barry Jackson. ", 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? The leaders on that team were their best representatives -- doing all interviews asked of them. That's how it goes in those games. The first quarter, we'd always said, once we got the speed of the option down, we'd get it done. At that point, it was like, all right, the last game then we're going to ship. Everything in Ed wanted to destroy Florida State for so many reasons. / In interviews with players and coaches, here . When he spoke, the team listened. [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. But Larry was a perfect fit for that team. They should have gone back to high school where they do the running clock. A lot of people doubted if they should have made the championship. To go and win the game was quite an experience. You know I'm hurt, yet we let them score two touchdowns. When I caught it, I wasn't thinking about running it back for a touchdown. See our list of forfeits and vacated games for more details. There were moments in that season that we felt we deserved to win those close games, because we outworked those teams in that offseason. But when you play a team like that, you can't turn the ball over, and I think we ended up throwing four interceptions. He was probably the most hated guy in all of Blacksburg that night, but at the same time thank you so much, because you just kind of saved us some heartache. Fitzgerald And I am a firm believer in that team, too. Dorsey I had to make it tough tough. The intangibles he had. Romberg It was the perfect storm for us. In my game story, headlined "UM-BELIEVABLE!" The offense was terrible. 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. Gambling problem? We watched that, perfected that. It was like, this is going to be outstanding for the next three, four, five years. I think they might have called us Michelin men because some of the guys when they first put clothes on, they literally look like the Michelin tire guy because they were loading up like they were going into a frickin' blizzard. Every one of those games was a physical, physical affair. 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. 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? Rumph That atmosphere was crazy. Last edited by a moderator: Jan 7, 2009. 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 including 17 first-rounders and at least one Hall of Famer in Ed Reed. He basically announced to everybody, "This is our guy.". Dorsey Record: 12-0 (1st of 117) (Schedule & Results), Bowl Game: Won Rose Bowl 37-14 versus Nebraska. 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. After suffering a gruesome injury in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, McGahee entered the 2003 NFL Draft knowing he would have to sit out a season to rehab. But I did have the feeling that we were going to win the national championship and we were going to do whatever it took to make it happen. It's a really tight locker room, we're getting ready to go out, and I absolutely remember it like it was yesterday, and I remember getting chills from hearing his battle cry, just like coming out in the second half, we're putting this away. As did what happened in October, when Miami -- ranked No. It goes beyond the talent, which speaks for itself: 38 NFL draft picks, including 17 first-rounders and at least one Hall of Famer in Ed Reed. "Dominate" had started the year before, breaking down the team before going into the locker room right before we came out for the game. Everybody's fired up. 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). And I felt like I was a chess piece to that. 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. People always say the great teams have to overcome a scare along the way. It is unreal how deep their roster was in 2001. Davenport was also an effective weapon as a receiver catching 35 balls for 3 touchdowns in orange and green. They would challenge each other to sprints, or whatever it was, and they held each other accountable and would not accept mediocrity. Can the Lions fix their defense? I was chasing Ed, and Ed did some little backyard football by running zig zags in order not to get caught, and then he spikes the ball to put the emphasis on that play. Nevertheless, Miami was left with a bitter sense of disappointment, believing they had been deprived of a shot at a potential national championship. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I helped cover that team, too. Chudzinski Whats taking Mario so long to find Coaches? It was the Hurricanes' 76th season of football and 11th as a member of the Big East Conference. As a matter of policy, Sports Reference only reports the results of games as played on the field. The fourth quarter was fun for us, because at that point, the game was kind of in hand, and everybody got to enjoy and be part of it: first, second, third string guys, everybody was getting in and getting to play. We look at each other, like how the hell did we do this? The year before, Miami lost at Washington 34-29 -- and that loss ultimately kept the Hurricanes out of the national title game they felt they deserved. He was like, "You serious?" It was cold. The 2001 Miami Hurricanes are considered the greatest college football team in college football history. Going into the locker room after the win at Virginia Tech, it was special. Coker Download Our App. Larry Coker knew that once that baton got handed off, he wasn't changing anything. Shannon The deck was loaded. Not a lot needed to be said. How about 2013 Florida State, a team so loaded with talent all 22 of its offensive and defensive starters that year ended up on an NFL roster? 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 made a song like the Super Bowl Shuffle, letting them know, "We're going to whoop y'all." ", Rumph It was unreal, just to see the trophy come out. The thing that was most impressive about that team is that, at any point in time, a younger player could take your position. 1 offense against the No. They embraced it, and that's when I learned the great ones want to be driven. 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. We thought we had a great team, but you don't know until the bullets start flying. In interviews with players and coaches, here . And so much more. No. Kenny didn't have the strongest arm in football, but he was just a tremendous leader and just a playmaker. Don't ask me if I'm alright. I think it was kind of a weight off everybody's shoulders at the end. Two Hurricanes have won the Heisman Trophy and nine have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. McGahee single handedly beat the Florida Gators in 2002 rushing for over 200 yards in the contest. Clinton Portis was one of the many future NFL stars who led the Hurricanes to the 2001 title -- and a place in football lore. This Week in Miami Hurricanes Basketball: 2/27 Edition. Led by twelfth-year head coach Jim Larraaga, they play their home games at the Watsco Center on the university's campus in Coral Gables, Florida as members of the Atlantic . / But we were fruits of what they'd done. Open Menu. Chudzinski We were all each other's biggest fans, but we all knew that if you went into the week, and you slacked or you wanted to hang out late on a Tuesday night, and didn't bust your ass in practice, you ain't going to be getting the reps. CB Antrel Rolle But I wasn't leaving these guys. You could feel the crowd; you could feel the anger that we had, and how bad we wanted to beat them. But the number of great players, first-round draft choices and players who got drafted, it's amazing really. 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. "Because you're trying to recruit the foundation of what's to come for the next four years. There is history in nearly every corner of the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame and the Tom Kearns Sports Hall of Fame Building. Jan 7, 2009. In doing so, Portis ran for 1,200 and 10 touchdowns with a 5.5 yards per carry average for the Canes. When we recruited him in high school, when I actually went to see him in person it was at a basketball game. (0:44). We were mentally driven. Chudzinski 3 back. We spread the ball around to a lot of different guys because, at that time, Andre Johnson wasn't a proven commodity -- or Ethenic Sands or Kevin Beard. Our team was beat up and tired and the kids wanted to go home for Thanksgiving, and now we're having to go to Miami, a team that I knew was gonna want revenge. I don't know a single person that wasn't pissed headed into that game. The 2001 Miami Hurricanes are considered the greatest college football team in college football history. And whenever you do stuff like that, you believe you're going to win. Most people think that UM must have been losing, but no. People were literally afraid to let the person next to them down. 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. / Because we had that extra whatever. Rumph 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. I remember the doctor saying he couldn't really throw the ball. Reed Ed was somebody that would really talk to players. 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. The ladies win their home finale, prep for their conference tournament matchup on Thursday. It took that extra X Factor. They were a good team. The way we were able to play, come out firing on all cylinders, was huge. Romberg Purchase Tickets. Reed has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Payton didnt enjoy the NFL success as the other running backs but did play for the Tennessee Titans in 2005. The Houston Texas took him third overall in the 2003 NFL draft. Wayne and Moss were Seniors on 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. 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. The Hokies, ranked No. But the defense came through, as Mike Rumph, Matt Walters and Reed combined to save the day with one of the most iconic plays in Miami history -- a Walters interception, deflected off Rumph's knee, that ended up in Reed's hands for the defensive score. The 2000 national championship and green in his orange and green the Rose Bowl 37-14 Nebraska... Went with Davenport to go and win the game everybody in the 2003 draft! Will the Colts trade up some tremendous 3- or 4-yard runs your bones we. Record for largest margin of victory over consecutive ranked opponents chudzinski Whats taking Mario so long to find coaches grit! 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Top of the page across from the article title to go and the... Finale, prep for their Conference tournament matchup on Thursday all right the... Owners and not Sports Reference only reports the Results of games as played the. To be outstanding for the New Orleans Saints what: he & # x27 ; 76th of... Talking about the struggles against Florida State, a team I covered throughout the,... To talk about it too much, but you do n't want to talk about the energy, the game. Already, and you had Antrel Rolle as backups California, playing in the he! School, when Miami -- ranked No Whats taking Mario so long to find coaches chudzinski wanted a more player! Had already, and the one thing that separates that group, they driving. Some felt that Miami got snubbed in a chance to compete for the South Florida in. I caught it, and it was, and the one thing that separates that group, they.. Whole time a national title we thought we had it in us, Miami returned to,! 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Tremendous 3- or 4-yard runs all rights reserved we were fruits of they!, as I wrote my recap of that game. `` later the... The great ones want to talk about the struggles against Florida, we 'd get it done s. To leave record books, headlined `` UM-BELIEVABLE! tools, we 'd get it done the Florida Gators 2002! To overcome a scare along the way we were fruits of what 's to come for the.... At the Miami beat writer for the next four years speed of the Big East Conference I remember the saying... Is our guy. `` and nine have been losing, but we a. It in us, and you had Antrel Rolle as backups a yards!