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{{2001 Big East football standings}}
{{2001 Big East football standings}}


The '''2001 Miami Hurricanes football team''' represented the [[University of Miami]] during the [[2001 NCAA Division I-A football season]]. It was the Hurricanes' 76th season of football and 11th as a member of the [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East Conference]]. The Hurricanes were led by first-year head coach [[Larry Coker]] and played their home games at the [[Miami Orange Bowl|Orange Bowl]]. They finished the season 12–0 overall and 7–0 in the Big East to finish as conference champion. They were invited to the [[2002 Rose Bowl|Rose Bowl]], which served as the [[Bowl Championship Series|BCS]] National Championship Game, and defeated [[2001 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]], 37–14, to win the school's fifth national championship.
The '''2001 Miami Hurricanes football team''' represented the [[University of Miami]] during the [[2001 NCAA Division I-A football season]]. It was the [[Miami Hurricanes football|Miami Hurricanes]]' 76th season of football and 11th as a member of the [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East Conference]]. Many believe the 2001 Miami Hurricanes are considered the best college football team ever assembled,The Hurricanes were led by first-year head coach [[Larry Coker]] and played their home games at the [[Miami Orange Bowl|Orange Bowl]]. They finished the season 12–0 overall and 7–0 in the Big East to finish as conference champion. They were invited to the [[2002 Rose Bowl|Rose Bowl]], which served as the [[Bowl Championship Series|BCS]] National Championship Game, and defeated [[2001 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]], 37–14, to win the school's fifth national championship.


Eventually producing a record 38 [[National Football League Draft|NFL Draft]] picks, the 2001 Hurricanes are considered by many to be one of the best college football teams of all time, though they struggled to defeat #14 Virginia Tech and an unranked Boston College team. <ref name="sportingnews.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/cfb-150-top-10-teams-in-college-football-history/1ad8rqqb1rdf4zedmfu6e29ci|title=CFB 150: Top 10 teams in college football history - Sporting News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/page/CFB150teams/the-150-greatest-teams-college-football-150-year-history|title=The 150 greatest teams in college football's 150-year history - ESPN|date=10 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fanbuzz.com/college-football/acc/miami/2001-miami-hurricanes/|title=The 2001 Miami Hurricanes Would Beat Any Team, Any Time - FanBuzz|date=19 August 2021}} </ref>
Eventually producing a record 38 [[National Football League Draft|NFL Draft]] picks, the 2001 Hurricanes are considered by many to be the best college football team of all time. <ref name="sportingnews.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/cfb-150-top-10-teams-in-college-football-history/1ad8rqqb1rdf4zedmfu6e29ci|title=CFB 150: Top 10 teams in college football history - Sporting News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/page/CFB150teams/the-150-greatest-teams-college-football-150-year-history|title=The 150 greatest teams in college football's 150-year history - ESPN|date=10 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fanbuzz.com/college-football/acc/miami/2001-miami-hurricanes/|title=The 2001 Miami Hurricanes Would Beat Any Team, Any Time - FanBuzz|date=19 August 2021}}</ref>


==Pre-season motivation==
==Pre-season motivation==
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==Legacy==
==Legacy==
The 2001 Miami Hurricanes are considered by some experts and historians to be one of the greatest team in college football history.<ref name="sportingnews.com"/> The Hurricanes scored 512 (42.6 points per game) points while yielding only 117 (9.75 points allowed per game). 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 (124–7), though they struggled to defeat #14 Virginia Tech, and an unranked Boston College. <ref name="University of Miami">{{cite web|url=http://fbguide.theusports.com/natlchamp/2001.html|title=2001 football national championship|publisher=University of Miami|access-date=July 23, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120726145044/http://fbguide.theusports.com/natlchamp/2001.html|archive-date=July 26, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The offense set the school scoring record, while the defense led the nation in scoring defense (fewest points allowed), pass defense, and turnover margin.<ref name="University of Miami"/> Additionally, the Hurricane defense scored eight touchdowns of its own. 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]]. Dorsey was also a Heisman finalist, finishing third.
The 2001 Miami Hurricanes are considered by some experts and historians to be the greatest team in college football history.<ref name="sportingnews.com"/> The Hurricanes scored 512 (42.6 points per game) points while yielding only 117 (9.75 points allowed per game). 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 (124–7), though they struggled to defeat #14 Virginia Tech, and an unranked Boston College. <ref name="University of Miami">{{cite web|url=http://fbguide.theusports.com/natlchamp/2001.html|title=2001 football national championship|publisher=University of Miami|access-date=July 23, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120726145044/http://fbguide.theusports.com/natlchamp/2001.html|archive-date=July 26, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The offense set the school scoring record, while the defense led the nation in scoring defense (fewest points allowed), pass defense, and turnover margin.<ref name="University of Miami"/> Additionally, the Hurricane defense scored eight touchdowns of its own. 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]]. Dorsey was also a Heisman finalist, finishing third.


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 (football player)|William Joseph]], and [[Vince Wilfork]]; linebackers [[Jonathan Vilma]] and [[D. J. Williams (linebacker)|D.J. Williams]]; and defensive backs [[Ed Reed]], [[Mike Rumph]], and [[Phillip Buchanon]]. Additional contributors included future stars [[Kellen Winslow II]], [[Sean Taylor (American football)|Sean Taylor]], [[Antrel Rolle]], [[Vernon Carey]], and [[Rocky McIntosh]]. 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]]).
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 (football player)|William Joseph]], and [[Vince Wilfork]]; linebackers [[Jonathan Vilma]] and [[D. J. Williams (linebacker)|D.J. Williams]]; and defensive backs [[Ed Reed]], [[Mike Rumph]], and [[Phillip Buchanon]]. Additional contributors included future stars [[Kellen Winslow II]], [[Sean Taylor (American football)|Sean Taylor]], [[Antrel Rolle]], [[Vernon Carey]], and [[Rocky McIntosh]]. 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]]).


Overall, 38 members of the team would be selected in the NFL Draft. As of 2013, they had earned a combined total of 43 trips to the Pro Bowl: Ed Reed (9), Andre Johnson (7), Frank Gore (5), Vince Wilfork (5), Jeremy Shockey (4), Jonathan Vilma (3), Willis McGahee (2), Chris Myers (2), Clinton Portis (2), Antrel Rolle (2), Sean Taylor (2), Bryant McKinnie (1), and Kellen Winslow II (1). In addition, [[Jonathan Vilma|Vilma]], [[Jeremy Shockey|Shockey]], [[Vince Wilfork|Wilfork]], [[William Joseph (football player)|Joseph]], [[Antrel Rolle|Rolle]], McKinnie, and [[Ed Reed|Reed]] have won the [[Super Bowl]]. It has been estimated that the 2001 Hurricanes [http://www.suitesports.com/2014/12/how-absurd-were-2001-miami-hurricanes.html would cost nearly $120 million as an NFL team] as early as 2009.
Overall, 38 members of the team would be selected in the NFL Draft. As of 2013, they had earned a combined total of 43 trips to the Pro Bowl: Ed Reed (9), Andre Johnson (7), Frank Gore (5), Vince Wilfork (5), Jeremy Shockey (4), Jonathan Vilma (3), Willis McGahee (2), Chris Myers (2), Clinton Portis (2), Antrel Rolle (2), Sean Taylor (2), Bryant McKinnie (1), and Kellen Winslow II (1). In addition, [[Jonathan Vilma|Vilma]], [[Jeremy Shockey|Shockey]], [[Vince Wilfork|Wilfork]], [[William Joseph (football player)|Joseph]], [[Antrel Rolle|Rolle]], McKinnie, and [[Ed Reed|Reed]] have won the [[Super Bowl]]. It has been estimated that the 2001 Hurricanes [http://www.suitesports.com/2014/12/how-absurd-were-2001-miami-hurricanes.html would cost nearly $120 million as an NFL team] as early as 2009.


Prior to the [[2006 Rose Bowl]], [[ESPN]]'s [[SportsCenter]] ran a special in which the [[2005 USC Trojans football team|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. 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/story?page=uschistoryschedule|title=Top Sports Searches - ESPN}}</ref>
Prior to the [[2006 Rose Bowl]], [[ESPN]]'s [[SportsCenter]] ran a special in which the [[2005 USC Trojans football team|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. 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 by fans. However ESPN analyst Mark May placed the 2005 Trojans only behind 1995 Nebraska. Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated later observed that, although the 05 team "may have had the greatest set of skill players in history," "ESPN spent the better part of Christmas season comparing that Trojans squad to some of the most acclaimed teams of all time only to find out that they weren’t even the best team that season <ref>{{cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/story?page=uschistoryschedule|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060208210149/http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/story?page=uschistoryschedule|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 8, 2006|title=Top Sports Searches - ESPN}}</ref>


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 five other times. It has only been achieved by the 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014 [[Alabama Crimson Tide football]] teams. They remain the only team to have its first-, second-, third- and fourth-string running backs all later become running backs to start in the NFL.
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 five other times. It has only been achieved by the 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014 [[Alabama Crimson Tide football]] teams. They remain the only team to have its first-, second-, third- and fourth-string running backs all later become running backs to start in the NFL.
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{{American football roster/Player|num=79|class=Fr|first=Robert|last=Bergman|pos=OL|link=n}}
{{American football roster/Player|num=79|class=Fr|first=Robert|last=Bergman|pos=OL|link=n}}
{{American football roster/Player|num=80|class=Sr|first=Robert|last=Williams|pos=TE|link=n}}
{{American football roster/Player|num=80|class=Sr|first=Robert|last=Williams|pos=TE|link=n}}
{{American football roster/Player|num=81|class=Fr|first=Kellen Winslow|dab=Kellen Winslow II|pos=TE|link=y}}
{{American football roster/Player|num=81|class=Fr|first=Kellen|last=Winslow|dab=Kellen Winslow II|pos=TE|link=y}}
{{American football roster/Player|num=82|class=Fr|first=David|last=Williams|pos=TE|link=n}}
{{American football roster/Player|num=82|class=Fr|first=David|last=Williams|pos=TE|link=n}}
{{American football roster/Player|num=83|class=So|first=Aaron|last=Greeno|pos=TE|link=n}}
{{American football roster/Player|num=83|class=So|first=Aaron|last=Greeno|pos=TE|link=n}}
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| [[Ken Dorsey]]
| [[Ken Dorsey]]
|-
|-
|Derrek Crudup
|Hunter Lefler
|-
|-
|Tony Prasek
|Tony Prasek
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* RB [[Willis McGahee]]: 67 carries for 314 yards (4.7) with 3 TD.
* RB [[Willis McGahee]]: 67 carries for 314 yards (4.7) with 3 TD.
* TE [[Jeremy Shockey]]: 40 catches for 519 yards (13.0) and 7 TD.
* TE [[Jeremy Shockey]]: 40 catches for 519 yards (13.0) and 7 TD.
* WE [[Andre Johnson]]: 37 catches, 682 yards (18.43) and 10 TD.
* WR [[Andre Johnson]]: 37 catches, 682 yards (18.43) and 10 TD.
* WR [[Kevin Beard]]: 25 catches for 409 yards (16.4) and 2 TD.
* WR [[Kevin Beard]]: 25 catches for 409 yards (16.4) and 2 TD.
* K [[Todd Sievers]]: 21/26 FG (80.8%).
* K [[Todd Sievers]]: 21/26 FG (80.8%).
* S [[Ed Reed]]: 9 INT, 2 TD.
* S [[Ed Reed]]: 9 INT, 12 TD.
* LB [[Jonathan Vilma]]: 73 tackles
* LB [[Jonathan Vilma]]: 73 tackles
* DT [[William Joseph (American football)|William Joseph]]: 10 sacks
* DT [[William Joseph (American football)|William Joseph]]: 400 sacks


==Awards and honors==
==Awards and honors==

Latest revision as of 21:52, 2 November 2024

2001 Miami Hurricanes football
  • Consensus national champion
  • Big East champion
  • Rose Bowl champion
Rose Bowl (BCS NCG), W 37–14 vs. Nebraska
ConferenceBig East Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 1
APNo. 1
Record12–0 (7–0 Big East)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorRob Chudzinski (1st season)
Offensive schemePro-style
Defensive coordinatorRandy Shannon (1st season)
Base defense4–3 Cover 2
Home stadium
Seasons
← 2000
2002 →
2001 Big East Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 1 Miami (FL) $#   7 0     12 0  
No. 14 Syracuse   6 1     10 3  
No. 18 Virginia Tech   4 3     8 4  
No. 21 Boston College   4 3     8 4  
Pittsburgh   4 3     7 5  
Temple   2 5     4 7  
West Virginia   1 6     3 8  
Rutgers   0 7     2 9  
  • # – BCS National Champion
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2001 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami during the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the Miami Hurricanes' 76th season of football and 11th as a member of the Big East Conference. Many believe the 2001 Miami Hurricanes are considered the best college football team ever assembled,The Hurricanes were led by first-year head coach Larry Coker and played their home games at the Orange Bowl. They finished the season 12–0 overall and 7–0 in the Big East to finish as conference champion. They were invited to the Rose Bowl, which served as the BCS National Championship Game, and defeated Nebraska, 37–14, to win the school's fifth national championship.

Eventually producing a record 38 NFL Draft picks, the 2001 Hurricanes are considered by many to be the best college football team of all time. [1][2][3]

Pre-season motivation

[edit]

In 2000, Miami was shut out of the Orange Bowl BCS National Championship Game by the BCS computers. 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, 13–2). This was because Miami had lost to No. 15 Washington 34–29 on the road, while the Seminoles' lone loss was on the road to the #7 team in the country by 3. Nevertheless, Miami was left with a bitter sense of disappointment, believing they had been deprived of a shot at a potential national championship. That off-season, the team resolved to take the matter entirely out of the discretion of the computers by going a perfect 12–0. However, they had to do so under a new head coach, Larry Coker, who was named to the post after Butch Davis left to become head coach of the NFL's Cleveland Browns.

Schedule

[edit]
DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 18:00 pmat Penn State*No. 2ABCW 33–7109,313
September 84:00 pmRutgersNo. 1ESPN+W 61–039,804
September 277:30 pmat PittsburghNo. 1ESPNW 43–2157,224
October 612:00 pmTroy State*No. 1
  • Miami Orange Bowl
  • Miami, FL
ESPN+W 38–736,617
October 1312:00 pmat No. 13 Florida State*No. 2ABCW 49–2782,836
October 257:00 pmWest VirginiaNo. 1
  • Miami Orange Bowl
  • Miami, FL
ESPN2W 45–344,411
November 312:00 pmTempleNo. 1
  • Miami Orange Bowl
  • Miami, FL
ESPN+W 38–031,128
November 1012:00 pmat Boston CollegeNo. 1ABCW 18–744,500
November 173:30 pmNo. 15 SyracuseNo. 1
ABCW 59–052,896
November 248:00 pmNo. 11 Washington*No. 1
  • Miami Orange Bowl
  • Miami, FL
ABCW 65–778,114
December 11:00 pmat No. 14 Virginia TechNo. 1ABCW 26–2453,662
January 38:15 pmvs. No. 4 Nebraska*No. 1ABCW 37–1493,781
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

Rankings

[edit]
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes
Week
PollPre123456789101112131415Final
AP2 (33)2 (33)1 (37)1 (40)1 (39)1 (34)2 (23)1 (48)1 (47)1 (55)1 (55)1 (44)1 (52)1 (71)1 (72)1 (72)1 (72)
Coaches Poll2 (15)2 (16)2 (22)1 (29)1 (34)1 (35)1 (25)1 (48)1 (47)1 (46)1 (41)2 (28)1 (33)1 (59)1 (59)1 (60)1 (60)
BCSNot released43222111Not released

Season recap

[edit]

Led by quarterback Ken Dorsey, free safety Ed Reed, running back Clinton Portis, wide receiver Andre Johnson, tight end Jeremy Shockey, offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, and linebacker Jonathan Vilma, Miami won the 2001 national championship.

At Penn State

[edit]
Miami (FL) at Penn State
1 234Total
No. 2 Hurricanes 13 1703 33
Nittany Lions 0 007 7

[4]

The Hurricanes began the season with a nationally televised primetime win over Penn State in Beaver Stadium. With a 30-0 halftime Miami lead, Coker pulled his starters and Miami cruised in the second half to a 33–7 victory. The 26-point margin tied for Penn State's worst home loss under Joe Paterno.

Rutgers

[edit]

Miami followed up the victory with wins over Rutgers,[5] Pitt,[6] and Troy State.[7]

At Pittsburgh

[edit]

Troy State

[edit]

At Florida State

[edit]
Miami (FL) at Florida State
1 234Total
No. 2 Hurricanes 14 7280 49
No. 13 Seminoles 0 1377 27

After building up a 4–0 record, Miami won over Florida State in Doak Campbell Stadium, 49–27,[8] ending the Seminoles' 47-game home unbeaten streak.

West Virginia

[edit]

The Hurricanes then defeated West Virginia, 45–3,[9] and Temple, 38–0,[10] before heading to Chestnut Hill to take on Boston College (BC).

Temple

[edit]

At Boston College

[edit]
Miami (FL) at Boston College
1 234Total
No. 1 Hurricanes 0 909 18
Eagles 0 070 7
  • Date: November 10
  • Location: Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, MA
  • Game start: 12:15 pm EST
  • Elapsed time: 3:10
  • Game attendance: 44,500
  • Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C), Mostly Cloudy, Wind SW 15–25 mph (24–40 km/h)
  • Referee: Tom DeJoseph
  • Television network: ABC

Miami started with a 9–0 lead over the Boston College Eagles, but Miami's offense began to sputter as Dorsey struggled with the swirling winds, throwing four interceptions. The Hurricane defense picked up the slack by limiting BC to just seven points. However, in the final minute of the fourth quarter, with Miami clinging to a 12–7 lead, BC quarterback Brian St. Pierre led the Eagles from their own 30-yard line all the way down to the Hurricanes' 9-yard line. With BC on the verge of a momentous upset, St. Pierre attempted to pass to receiver Ryan Read at the Miami 2-yard line. However, the ball ricocheted off the leg of Miami cornerback Mike Rumph, landing in the hands of defensive end Matt Walters. 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. Miami won 18–7.[11]

Syracuse

[edit]

After the close win over Boston College, Miami went on to win over #14 Syracuse, 59–0,[12] and #12 Washington, 65–7,[13] in consecutive weeks in the Orange Bowl. The combined 124–7 score is an NCAA record for largest margin of victory over consecutive ranked opponents.

Washington

[edit]
Washington at Miami (FL)
1 234Total
No. 11 Huskies 0 070 7
No. 2 Hurricanes 7 301414 65

At Virginia Tech

[edit]
Miami (FL) at Virginia Tech
1 234Total
No. 1 Hurricanes 0 2033 26
No. 14 Hokies 3 0714 24

The final hurdle to the Rose Bowl BCS National Championship Game was at Virginia Tech. Miami jumped on Virginia Tech early, leading 20–3 at halftime, and 26–10 in the fourth quarter. But despite being outgained by the Hurricanes by 134 yards and being dominated in time-of-possession, the Hokies never quit. After a Virginia Tech touchdown and two-point conversion cut Miami's lead to 26–18, the Hokies blocked a Miami punt and returned it for another score, cutting Miami's lead to just two points. But with a chance to tie the game with another two-point conversion, Virginia Tech sophomore Ernest Wilford dropped a pass in the endzone. Still, the resilient Hokies had one more chance to win the game late, taking possession of the ball at midfield and needing only a field goal to take the lead. But a diving, game-saving interception by Ed Reed sealed the Miami victory, 26–24.[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.

Rose Bowl

[edit]
Miami (FL) vs. Nebraska
1 234Total
No. 1 Hurricanes 7 2703 37
No. 4 Cornhuskers 0 077 14

Nebraska proved to be no competition for Miami, which opened up a 34–0 halftime lead en route to a 37–14 final score.[15] Miami won its fifth national championship in the last 18 years, and put the finishing touches on a perfect 12–0 season. Dorsey passed for 362 yards and 3 touchdowns, while wide receiver Andre Johnson caught 7 passes for 199 yards and 2 touchdowns. Meanwhile, the stifling Miami defense shut down Heisman-winner Eric Crouch and the Huskers vaunted option offense, holding Nebraska 200 yards below its season average. Dorsey and Johnson were named Rose Bowl co-Most Valuable Players.

[16]

Legacy

[edit]

The 2001 Miami Hurricanes are considered by some experts and historians to be the greatest team in college football history.[1] The Hurricanes scored 512 (42.6 points per game) points while yielding only 117 (9.75 points allowed per game). 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 (124–7), though they struggled to defeat #14 Virginia Tech, and an unranked Boston College. [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.[17] Additionally, the Hurricane defense scored eight touchdowns of its own. 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. Dorsey was also a Heisman finalist, finishing third.

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. Williams; and defensive backs Ed Reed, Mike Rumph, and Phillip Buchanon. Additional contributors included future stars Kellen Winslow II, Sean Taylor, Antrel Rolle, Vernon Carey, and Rocky McIntosh. 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).

Overall, 38 members of the team would be selected in the NFL Draft. As of 2013, they had earned a combined total of 43 trips to the Pro Bowl: Ed Reed (9), Andre Johnson (7), Frank Gore (5), Vince Wilfork (5), Jeremy Shockey (4), Jonathan Vilma (3), Willis McGahee (2), Chris Myers (2), Clinton Portis (2), Antrel Rolle (2), Sean Taylor (2), Bryant McKinnie (1), and Kellen Winslow II (1). In addition, Vilma, Shockey, Wilfork, Joseph, Rolle, McKinnie, and Reed have won the Super Bowl. It has been estimated that the 2001 Hurricanes would cost nearly $120 million as an NFL team as early as 2009.

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. 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 by fans. However ESPN analyst Mark May placed the 2005 Trojans only behind 1995 Nebraska. Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated later observed that, although the 05 team "may have had the greatest set of skill players in history," "ESPN spent the better part of Christmas season comparing that Trojans squad to some of the most acclaimed teams of all time only to find out that they weren’t even the best team that season [18]

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 five other times. It has only been achieved by the 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Alabama Crimson Tide football teams. They remain the only team to have its first-, second-, third- and fourth-string running backs all later become running backs to start in the NFL.

Roster

[edit]
2001 Miami Hurricanes football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
WR 1 Daryl Jones Sr
RB 2 Willis McGahee Fr
WR 3 Jason Geathers So
RB 4 Najeh Davenport Sr
WR 5 Andre Johnson So
WR 7 Ethenic Sands Jr
WR 9 Kevin Beard So
QB 11 Ken Dorsey Jr
QB 18 Derrick Crudup Fr
QB 19 Troy Prasek Jr
RB 28 Clinton Portis Jr
RB 32 Frank Gore Fr
RB 34 Jarrett Payton So
RB 35 Quadtrine Hill Fr
RB 40 Kyle Cobia Fr
RB 41 Frank Bayless So
WR 43 Nate Smith Jr
OL 53 James Sikora So
OL 54 Alex Garcia Fr
OL 59 Brad Kunz Fr
OT 60 Vernon Carey So
OL 61 Tony Tella Fr
OL 63 Scott Puckett Sr
G 65 Martin Bibla Sr
C 66 Brett Romberg Jr
OL 67 Joe McGrath So
OL 68 Joe Fantigrassi Jr
OL 70 Joel Rodriguez Fr
OL 71 Jim Wilson Jr
OL 72 Ed Wilkins Jr
OT 73 Joaquin Gonzalez Sr
G 74 Sherko Haji-Rasouli Jr
OT 76 Carlos Joseph So
OL 77 Chris Myers Fr
OT 78 Bryant McKinnie Sr
OL 79 Robert Bergman Fr
TE 80 Robert Williams Sr
TE 81 Kellen Winslow Fr
TE 82 David Williams Fr
TE 83 Aaron Greeno So
WR 84 Roscoe Parrish Fr
TE 85 Ennis Crafton Jr
TE 86 Brandon Sebald Fr
TE 88 Jeremy Shockey Jr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
CB 6 Antrel Rolle Fr
CB 8 Mike Rumph Sr
LB 17 D.J. Williams So
FS 20 Ed Reed Sr
FS 21 Jermell Walker So
DB 22 Kelly Jennings Fr
SS 23 James Lewis Sr
DB 24 Marcus Maxey Fr
DB 25 Alfonso Marshall So
FS 26 Sean Taylor Fr
CB 27 Markese Fitzgerald Sr
DB 29 James Scott Jr
CB 31 Phillip Buchanon Jr
DB 36 Maurice Sikes So
LB 38 Carl Walker So
DE 39 LaVaar Scott Jr
WR 43 Nate Smith Jr
LB 44 Leon Williams Fr
LB 45 Howard Clark Jr
LB 47 Ken Dangerfield Jr
LB 48 Chris Campbell Sr
LB 49 Darrell McClover So
LB 50 Roger McIntosh Fr
LB 51 Jonathan Vilma So
LB 54 Alejandro Colon Fr
DE 55 Jamaal Green Jr
DT 56 Santonio Thomas So
LB 58 Jarrell Weaver So
DT 75 Vince Wilfork Fr
DL 90 Thomas Carroll Fr
DE 91 Matt Walters Jr
DL 92 Orien Harris Fr
DE 93 John Square Fr
DT 94 William Joseph Jr
DE 95 Jerome McDougle Jr
DL 96 Miguel Robede Fr
DT 97 Larry Anderson So
DE 98 Cornelius Green Sr
DE 99 Andrew Williams Jr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
P 13 Freddie Capshaw Jr
K 16 Todd Sievers Jr
LS 62 Chris Harvey So
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster

Players

[edit]

Starting lineup

[edit]

Offense

[edit]
Position Name
QB Ken Dorsey
HB Clinton Portis
HB Najeh Davenport
TE Jeremy Shockey
WR Andre Johnson
WR Kevin Beard
LT Bryant McKinnie
LG Sherko Haji-Rasouli
C Brett Romberg
RG Martin Bibla
RT Joaquin Gonzalez

Defense

[edit]
Position Name
RE Andrew Williams
DT Matt Walters
DT William Joseph
LE Jerome McDougle
OLB D.J. Williams
MLB Jonathan Vilma
OLB Chris Campbell
RCB Mike Rumph
FS Ed Reed
SS James Lewis
LCB Phillip Buchanon

Special teams

[edit]
Position Name
K Todd Sievers
P Freddie Capshaw
KR
PR Phillip Buchanon

Depth chart

[edit]
Offense
WR
Andre Johnson
Ethenic Sands
Jason Geathers
Alex Duk
 
 
 
 
LT LG C RG RT
Bryant McKinnie Sherko Haji-Rasouli Brett Romberg Martin Bibla Joaquin Gonzalez
Carlos Joseph Ed Wilkins Joel Rodriguez Joe Fantigrassi Vernon Carey
Rashad Butler Scott Puckett Jim Wilson Chris Myers
Joe McGrath James Sikora Tariq Vlaun Robert Bergman
Tony Tella Alex Garcia Brad Kunz
 
 
 
TE
Jeremy Shockey
Robert Williams
Kellen Winslow
Enis Crafton
Kevin Everett
Aaron Greeno
Brandon Sebald
David Williams
WR
Daryl Jones
Kevin Beard
Roscoe Parrish
Nate Smith
 
 
 
 
QB
Ken Dorsey
Hunter Lefler
Tony Prasek
Jeff Malley
Buck Ortega
FB
Najeh Davenport
Jarrett Payton
Frank Bayless
Kyle Cobia
Jarvis Gray
TB
Clinton Portis
Willis McGahee
Frank Gore
Quadtrine Hill
Defense
CB
Phillip Buchanon
Markese Fitzgerald
Antrel Rolle
Marcus Maxey
Jair Clark
Michael Langley
DE DT DT DE
Jerome McDougle William Joseph Matt Walters Andrew Williams
LaVaar Scott Santonio Thomas Vince Wilfork Cornelius Green
Jamaal Green Orien Harris Larry Anderson John Square
Kyle Morgan Jarvis Gray Thomas Carroll Miguel Robede
CB
Mike Rumph
Alfonso Marshall
Kelly Jennings
Carl Walker
Jean Leone
 
FS
Ed Reed
Sean Taylor
Jermell Weaver
WLB MLB SLB
D.J. Williams Jonathan Vilma Chris Campbell
Darrell McClover Howard Clark Jarrell Weaver
Leon Williams Ken Dangerfield Roger McIntosh
Steve Adzima Javon Nanton
SS
James Lewis
Maurice Sikes

[19]

Statistics

[edit]

(From 1937 to 2001, bowl games did not count towards season statistics)

Awards and honors

[edit]

All-Conference Selections (First Team)

[edit]

Awards Finalists

[edit]

Bold indicates winners

Jack Harding University of Miami MVP Award

[edit]

NFL Draft selections

[edit]
Player Position Round Pick Year NFL Team
Andre Johnson Wide Receiver 1 3 2003 Houston Texans
Sean Taylor Defensive Back 1 5 2004 Washington Redskins
Kellen Winslow II Tight End 1 6 2004 Cleveland Browns
Bryant McKinnie Tackle 1 7 2002 Minnesota Vikings
Antrel Rolle Defensive Back 1 8 2005 Arizona Cardinals
Jonathan Vilma Linebacker 1 12 2004 New York Jets
Jeremy Shockey Tight End 1 14 2002 New York Giants
Jerome McDougle Defensive Line 1 15 2003 Philadelphia Eagles
Phillip Buchanon Defensive Back 1 17 2002 Oakland Raiders
D. J. Williams Linebacker 1 18 2004 Denver Broncos
Vernon Carey Tackle 1 19 2004 Miami Dolphins
Vince Wilfork Defensive Line 1 21 2004 New England Patriots
Willis McGahee Running Back 1 23 2003 Buffalo Bills
Ed Reed Defensive Back 1 24 2002 Baltimore Ravens
William Joseph Defensive Line 1 25 2003 New York Giants
Mike Rumph Defensive Back 1 27 2002 San Francisco 49ers
Kelly Jennings Defensive Back 1 31 2006 Seattle Seahawks
Rocky McIntosh Linebacker 2 35 2006 Washington Redskins
Clinton Portis Running Back 2 51 2002 Denver Broncos
Roscoe Parrish Wide Receiver 2 55 2005 Buffalo Bills
Frank Gore Running Back 3 65 2005 San Francisco 49ers
Andrew Williams Defensive Line 3 89 2003 San Francisco 49ers
Rashad Butler Tackle 3 89 2006 Carolina Panthers
Leon Williams Linebacker 4 110 2006 Cleveland Browns
Martin Bibla Guard 4 116 2002 Atlanta Falcons
Jamaal Green Defensive Line 4 131 2003 Philadelphia Eagles
Orien Harris Defensive Line 4 133 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers
Najeh Davenport Running Back 4 135 2002 Green Bay Packers
Matt Walters Defensive Line 5 150 2003 New York Jets
Marcus Maxey Defensive Back 5 154 2006 Kansas City Chiefs
James Lewis Defensive Back 6 183 2002 Indianapolis Colts
Chris Myers Guard 6 200 2005 Denver Broncos
Darrell McClover Linebacker 7 213 2004 New York Jets
Alfonso Marshall Defensive Back 7 215 2004 Chicago Bears
Daryl Jones Wide Receiver 7 226 2002 New York Giants
Joaquin Gonzalez Tackle 7 227 2002 Cleveland Browns
Ken Dorsey Quarterback 7 241 2003 San Francisco 49ers
Carlos Joseph Tackle 7 254 2004 San Diego Chargers

[21]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "CFB 150: Top 10 teams in college football history - Sporting News".
  2. ^ "The 150 greatest teams in college football's 150-year history - ESPN". September 10, 2019.
  3. ^ "The 2001 Miami Hurricanes Would Beat Any Team, Any Time - FanBuzz". August 19, 2021.
  4. ^ "Hurricanes Roll Past Penn State, 33-7 :: Ken Dorsey throws three touchdown passes to lead Miami". Archived from the original on March 4, 2008. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  5. ^ "No. 1 Miami Rolls Over Rutgers, 61-0". University of Miami (FL) Athletic Department. September 8, 2001. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  6. ^ "No. 1 Miami Crushes Pittsburgh, 43-21". University of Miami (FL) Athletic Department. September 27, 2001. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  7. ^ "Hurricanes Flatten Troy State, 38-7". University of Miami (FL) Athletic Department. October 6, 2001. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  8. ^ "No. 1 Miami Trounces 'Noles, 49-27". University of Miami (FL) Athletic Department. October 13, 2001. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  9. ^ "No. 1 Hurricanes Stomp West Virginia, 45-3". University of Miami (FL) Athletic Department. October 25, 2001. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  10. ^ "No. 1 Miami Blanks Temple, 38-0". University of Miami (FL) Athletic Department. November 3, 2001. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  11. ^ "Hurricanes Survive Eagles' Last Gasp". University of Miami (FL) Athletic Department. November 10, 2001. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  12. ^ "No. 1 Miami Flattens No. 14 Syracuse, 59-0". University of Miami (FL) Athletic Department. November 17, 2001. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  13. ^ "No. 1 Hurricanes Roll Over Washington, 65-7". University of Miami (FL) Athletic Department. November 24, 2001. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  14. ^ "Hurricanes Are Runnin' For The Roses". University of Miami (FL) Athletic Department. December 1, 2001. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  15. ^ "Perfect!". University of Miami (FL) Athletic Department. January 3, 2002. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  16. ^ Murphy, Austin (January 7, 2002). "Cane Whuppin': Unbeaten Miami Flogged Nebraska Early and Often to Win an Undisputed National Title". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  17. ^ a b "2001 football national championship". University of Miami. Archived from the original on July 26, 2012. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  18. ^ "Top Sports Searches - ESPN". Archived from the original on February 8, 2006.
  19. ^ "Historical Depth Charts – 2001 Miami".
  20. ^ "A Handy List of College Football's Heisman Trophy Winners". Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
  21. ^ "2002 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com.