NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE MIAMI HURBJ Coral Gables, Florida Since 1927 nnral n«hlft.Q Florida anrrh 18 Volume 79, Number 25 Hurricanes | (\t LJ Cornhuskers 101 01 7 7 Storming Back UM returns to glory • Quarterback Ken Dorsey • The Hurricanes' defense • UM will defend its crown brings home the only left Eric Crouch and against the likes of Florida trophy that matters. Nebraska with no options. and Tennessee in 2002. Please see Page 13 Please see Page 3 Please see Page 13 MIAMI HURRICANE Friday, January 18, 2002 NATIONAL CHAMPS Johnson the answer Sophomore wide receiver breaks out in Rose Bowl with seven catches for 199 yards By Michael Corbo was onlv lie-cause the respect tot lohnson rose learns were forced lo double cover him due lo his 6 . si/e and blazing - At the beginning ot the season Andre lohnson and the speed I hose qualities arc so dangerous that a writer once Miami receiving core were the Hurricanes' biggest question dubbed him the specimen , claiming lhal it was whal every Mark. At the Rose Bowl thev became the answer. recruiter dreamed ot and what every detensive back feared _.«. jf Johnson and < o led the Hurricanes to st,2 yards passing While defenses were trv ing lo figure out wav s to shut down a Miami bowl record lohnson led tht- Hurricanes with seven Johnson, much of the attention in theottensivc scheme shift eptions for 199 vards (also a Miami bowl record). ed to tight end |ereim shockev. who led the (anes with 40 • fohnson, il was the culmination of a quiet, yet produc receptions lor r.|4 yards and seven touchdowns. son. During the regular season, lohnson caught 37 While Shockev received mosi ot the recognition, lohnson i for a team high 682 yards and 10 touchdowns yet did quietly picked apart anv defense that didn't show respect for t receive much national attention due to the balance ofthe him (or have the athletes to stop him). ine offense Against Sv rtt use. lohnson had arguably his best statistical • his Rose Bowl performance, Johnson is being consid performance with four receptions for 116 vards and two long the nation's finest receivers in the game. touchdowns He followed il up a week later with foul ^""Andre Johnson is just a hell of a player," Miami quarter- tions lor M vards and a touchdown against Washington. tk Ken Horsev said atler the Rose Bowl Despite all of this, manv still believed thai the wide f But if vou ask any of the Hurricane players or coaching receivers were the ones to test in the- Miami offense A *J»tff they alreadv knew that. dropped pass In re n there was slill not out ol the question "'^Johnson was receiving praise before the season started due lo their relative inexperience lohnson, a red shirl sopho fTOn, wide receiver coach Curtis lohnson more, was one ol the most experienced wide receivers enter­ ' "Andre has great speed and size,"Curtis lohnson said back ing the season for Miami despite having caught iust three in Spring practii e "He reminds me a lot of Michael lrvin and passes toi S \ .mis m his collegiate career. Mmtjgk Wayne" But lohnson led I'M's wide outs to a spectacular perfor Curtis Johnson's onlv concern, like many others, was the mance in the Rose Bowl catching everything in sight while wide receiver's inexperience But right away, Andre Johnson burning the Huskers defensive backs erased many doubts with strong performances early in the "Our wide receivers fell we were being overlooked, so I felt season lohnson had foul receptions for 69 yards against I had something lo prove," lohnson said. Pfcnn State and a 104 yard performance against Rutgers ( ase and point taken. Despite the impressive numbers, lohnson still wasn't Next year no one will question lohnson and the wide known on a national level until his five-reception perfor­ receiving core al Miami, who lose iust one player (Daryl mance against Florida State, which led to 111 yards and two lonesl to graduation But a new question has risen around RUSSELL WOJTUSIAK / touchdowns the group even with the respect, can anvone stop them? SPECIMEN: Andre Johnson has drawn comparisons to Michael m fe> After that game, lohnsons numbers decreased, but that lrvin with his blazing speed and physical play. Coker proves he was the right man for the job By Michael Corbo dinators offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski is 33 Special to the Miami Hurricane Rookie head coach becomes first man since 1948an d dele nsiai coordinator Randy Shannon is CV Bul no one was loo concerned about their age after the Commentary to win national title in opening season Hurricanes defected oppoiu ills In an average score of A.s 9 during lhe regular season. At the beginning ot the season some people won eyeing everything that goes on yel he look a bac k se at whistle sounded ( okei was back to his old play lul sell ( oker knew that their coaching style and skills went elrieel 0 1 airy » okei was lht right man ao replace Hutch io his coofcliuaiois and assistant coaches during these Hi otten enioved dunks into Ihe large garbage cans much more important than then a.., oi expeneneM Davis as the new Miami Hurricanes head football times. Coaching up his own stall mst as much as the filled with ice water, which in the past were onlv bone No one is concerned anymore about ( oke-r's inexpe­ coach players, he was lhe general of a well machined armv lo the bravest of plavers who had the guls to stand free/ rience either. Hurricane supports have all oi their conti Coker's resume seemed highly impressive - 22 sea­ and the main concern was keeping the playeis toi used ing temperatures. deuce in (inker now Coker is "the man" in Miami. But sons as a collegiate assistant coach,offensive coordina and happv Coker also hired ihe- perfect statt this vear There were more importantly, ( oker has a new addition to his tor of three different collegiate programs (Miami, Despite the seriousness during practice, ome the plenty ol concerns about the youth of the Iwo new coot resume head coach of the 2001 National Champions Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State (coach of such players a.s Barry Sanders,Thurman Thomas. I.ddie George, and Kdgerrin James but despite all ot this something wa.s missing: (oker had no collegiate head coaching experi­ ence. Sure (oker had been a head coach before, but that was 23 year,s ago at Claremore High, a small school in Oklahoma Bui Olamore High is no Universit) ot Miami. Now that the season is over, no one wants to admit they ever doubled ihat ( oker was the right hire lor the I'M tootball program, as he accomplished things no other man in college football history has ever achieved. (oker was ilu first man in history to go 12 0 in his first season as a collegiate head coach He was iust the second head coach to win a national title in his first year. Benme Oosterbaan did it in 1948 with Michigan, bul he accomplished the feat by going just 9-0 without icipating in a bowl game Despite ill ol ( oker s above achievements, his biggest accomplishment may be in the way he returned the Huriicaiu-s to their glorv without returning them to their old antic s The Hurricanes ot the late 1980s and early 1990s were notorious tor winning but also notorious for get­ ting into loads of trouble Thev over celebrated on the field and received plenlv ol 'wrongful attention because Of It This year's squad was similar to those teams only in their dominance on the field ( oker kept the Hurricanes focused on winning and doing it in style. "We don't like to talk trash." Hurricane wide receiver Andre lohnson said "We do our talking on the field with the scores doing the talking tor us' The Hurricanes shocked Ihe nation, not only with their dominance, but also with their new "cleaner" atti .tade The only lime the Hurricanes disrespected their opponents is when thev were down right dominating on the field, lhe only time they got in trouble s...well it was almost never I xcept for wide receiver QAiaCnic Sands unspecified run-in with the law earlier I year, the team was almost angel-like. Coker says the Rs character was hands down the most important I of their success. Mb doubt about il." (oker said "We talked about tal 1 all along, but the thing that sets this team apart is Ir great charted the new character of these Hurricanes is a direct tion of its head coach Coker's stvle of coaching is I anv other seen in ( oral Cables tr's laid back personality has been exactly what I Hurricane program needed. He's |oked about himselt and his players constantly p when he is ott the field His attitude has kept players I ^relaxed, easing the stress ol being a football player at one ot the most scrutinized universities in college foot RUSSELL WOJTUSIAK ball KING Of THC WORLD: Larry Coker holds the Sears National Championship Trophy, while talking to ABC's Lynn Swann On tht practice fit-Id he walked around like a hawk. Coker was the first man in history to go 12-0 in Ns first season as a collegiate head coach -*.- l ... MIAMI HURRICANE NATIONAL CHAMPS Friday, January 18, 2002 O-line comprised of big men, bigger talent BY ZEV MINES most underrated positions in loot Award (given to the nations best recognized as one ot the best alter question mark entering this season is a tesiament to their talent and hall, I Ms {l Ime made headline lineman), while Mi Kinnie was not.