University of Washington
Miami Fla
Huskies Topple No. 4 Hurricanes!!
September 09, 2000 | Football
Sept. 9, 2000
SEATTLE - Some of the Miami players mocked Washington before Saturday's game by barking like dogs. The Huskies got in last bark.
"They were yelping a bit in the tunnel," Washington tight end Jerramy Stevens said. "They found out who the real dogs were."
Marques Tuiasosopo passed for a touchdown and ran for another, and freshman Rich Alexis scored on a 50-yard run as No. 15 Washington beat No. 4 Miami 34-29.
The Huskies spoiled Miami's first trip to Husky Stadium. In the schools' first meeting in 1994 at the Orange Bowl, Washington ended the Hurricanes' NCAA record 58-game home winning streak.
"That was a big-time win against one of the best teams in the nation," Tuiasosopo said.
"We want to get Washington back to the glory days," Huskies linebacker Jafar Williams said. "Today proves to us that we're on our way back."
Washington (2-0) led 20-3 at halftime and took a 34-22 lead on the second play of the fourth quarter on Pat Conniff's 1-yard touchdown plunge.
But the Hurricanes (1-1), taking advantage of Tuiasosopo's second interception of the fourth quarter and third turnover of the second half, scored on James Jackson's 1-yard run with 2:52 to go to get to within five at 34-29.
On third-and-12 at the Washington 10, Tuiasosopo was intercepted by Al Blades, giving the Hurricanes the ball at the Huskies' 8.
"There's still a lot of things I can do better," Tuiasosopo said. "I need to throw the ball away more often. It was a fun game, but there was a little heartache at the end."
After Jackson's second TD of the game, Todd Sievers' onside kick was recovered by Stevens at the Miami 45 with 2:49 left. The Huskies couldn't get a first down, but they were able to run the clock down to just 20 seconds.
After Ryan Fleming's punt landed in the end zone, the Hurricanes took the ball over at the 20. Ken Dorsey misfired on his first two pass attempts before passing 42 yards to Reggie Wayne on the last play the game.
Some of the Hurricanes players talked about being good enough to win the school's fifth national title and first since 1991 before the game. After the game, coach Butch Davis denied his players ever talked about that.
"We never talked about the national championship," Davis said. "That's always media conversation."
The Huskies had themselves to blame that the game was so close at the end. After holding Miami without a touchdown in the first half, they gave up three in the third quarter.
After Fleming got off a punt that went off the side of his foot for 9 yards, Miami took over on the Washington 30. The Hurricanes scored their first TD seven plays later on a 21-yard pass from Dorsey to Wayne.
But Alexis, who is from Florida, took a pitchout from Tuiasosopo and scored on his 50-yard run down the left sideline to give the Huskies a 27-9 lead with 6:10 left in the third quarter.
A 61-yard run by Clinton Portis set up an 8-yard touchdown run by Najeh Davenport on the Hurricanes' next possession to cut Washington's lead to 27-15.
A fumble by Tuiasosopo that was recovered by Dan Morgan at the Washington 8 led to Miami's third touchdown of the quarter. Jackson scored on the next play as the Hurricanes got within five at 27-22 with 3:50 left in the third period.
Washington then put together a 13-play, 65-yard drive, with Conniff scoring in a 1-yard run with 30 seconds gone in the fourth quarter.
Despite his turnovers in the second half, Tuiasosopo was the star of the game. He completed 18 of 31 passes for 223 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. In addition, he gained 45 yards and scored a TD on 15 carries.
Dorsey was 15-for-34 for 215 yards and one TD with no interceptions.
Washington built its 21-3 lead at halftime after scoring two touchdowns in the final 5 1/2 minutes of the opening half.
In the key drive of the game, Tuiasosopo took the Huskies 80 yards in nine plays in 4:40 as they took a 14-3 lead with 5:19 left in the second quarter. Tuiasosopo ran 12 yards on an option keeper for Washington's second TD.
Cornerback Anthony Vontoure blitzed Dorsey, caused him to fumble and recovered the ball to give Washington the ball at the Miami 49. Tuiasosopo passed 23 yards to uncovered Stevens, his tight end, in the end zone as Washington took a 21-3 lead with 2:02 to go in the second quarter.
In the first quarter, Washington's special teams set up its first touchdown, a 3-yard run by Braxton Cleman. Tyler Krambrink hit Santana Moss on a punt return, caused him to fumble and recovered the ball on the Hurricanes' 35.
"The reason we lost the game was us," Dorsey said. "They didn't beat us."
By JIM COUR
AP Sports Writer
