Miami Game Notes
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Miami extended its national leading win streak to 33 games, after its win against Syracuse. It is the longest winning streak in college football since Toledo won 35 straight from 1969-71. Miami also extended its BIG EAST-record win streak to 23 games. UM has won 26 of its last 27 BIG EAST games. Miami has won a national-best 17 straight games away from the Orange Bowl.
Ken Dorsey started the day completing his first 10 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns. His first incompletion was a pass to Roscoe Parrish with 6:05 left in the second quarter. The UM record for consecutive pass completions is 14 by Vinny Testaverde against Oklahoma in 1986. Before the incompletion to Parrish, Dorsey had completed 11 straight dating back to a six-yard completion to Quadtrine Hill in the fourth period of the Pittsburgh game on Nov. 21. Combining the second half of the Pittsburgh game (in which Dorsey went 9-for-11 for 150 yards and one touchdown) and today's first half, Dorsey was 21-of-26 for 379 yards and three touchdowns.
In the first quarter today, senior quarterback Ken Dorsey was 6-for-6 passing for 108 yards and a touchdown. His hot start continued into the second period when Dorsey hit his first four passes for 69 yards before missing on a fly pattern to Parrish. Overall, Dorsey completed 12 of his first 15 pass attempts for 229 yards and two touchdowns in the game's first half.
Ken Dorsey finished the game against Syracuse having completed 16 of 25 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns. It was his fourth 300+ yard passing outing of the season.
On his first carry of the game, Willis McGahee ran 61 yards for a touchdown, setting Miami single-season records for all-purpose yards, touchdowns and points scored. After finishing the game with 134 yards on 14 carries, McGahee now owns the following single-season school records:
a. all-purpose yards (1,810) b. touchdowns (21) c. points scored (126) d. rushing (1,481)
McGahee came into the game needing 70 yards to set Miami's single-season rushing record. He accomplished this in the first quarter against Syracuse, carrying the ball four times for 72 yards. His five-yard run late in the first quarter set a new single-season rushing record, giving him 1,419 rushing yards to surpass the former mark of 1,416 set by Edgerrin James in 1998. McGahee set the mark on his 210th rushing attempt of the season. James took 242 attempts to set the previous standard.
Willis McGahee scored his second touchdown of the game in the third quarter. The 51-yard rush brought his total for the game to 134 yards, marking his ninth 100+ yard performance of the season, breaking the record held by both Ottis Anderson in 1978 and Clinton Portis in 2001.
Ethenic Sands scored Miami's second touchdown of the game, a 23-yard catch from Ken Dorsey in the first quarter. It was his fourth receiving touchdown of the season and first since the Connecticut game on Oct. 5.
Andre Johnson registered the Hurricane's third touchdown of the game, a four-yard catch in the back of the endzone from Dorsey in the second quarter. It was Johnson's team-leading eighth receiving TD of the season and the 19th touchdown catch of his career, a total that ranks him tied for fourth in UM history with Santana Moss (1997-2000). Michael Irvin (1985-87) holds the school record with 26.
Split end Andre Johnson leads all current players with 18 Dorsey touchdown passes. The Dorsey to Johnson is the second-most prolific scoring tandem in school history behind Vinny Testaverde/Michael Irvin (19) and just ahead of Gino Torretta/Lamar Thomas (16). Overall, Dorsey has connected with 19 different players in his career.
Dorsey's Touchdown Targets (current players – regular season games only)
Andre Johnson – 18
Ethenic Sands – 7
Kevin Beard – 6
Kellen Winslow – 6
Jason Geathers – 2
D.J. Williams – 1
Dorsey and Johnson connected for a game-high 68-yard pass completion at the beginning of the third quarter which led to Miami's fourth touchdown. It was the longest catch of Johnson's career.
Sean Taylor recorded his second touchdown of the season in the fourth quarter when he caught a pass from punter Freddie Capshaw. It was a 47-yard touchdown catch.
Maurice Sikes tallied his team-leading third interception of the season in the fourth quarter against the Orangemen. It was the second time this season that Sikes returned an interception for a touchdown.
