|
|
![]() |
|
Miami Hurricanes © |
Penn State Nittany Lions |
|
Played September 1, 2001 at Beaver Stadium |
|
Teams' Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt Reigns |
Overall Record |
Home Record |
Away Record |
Neutral Record |
||||||||||||
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
||
| Miami, FLA © | 2 | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 5 | 1 | 0 | .833 | 3 | 3 | 0 | .500 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 |
| Penn State | 2 | 8 | 2 | 0 | .800 | 4 | 1 | 0 | .800 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .500 |
|
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
|
Miami, FLA |
13 |
17 |
0 |
3 |
33 |
|
Penn State |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
7 |
The 2nd ranked Miami Hurricanes opened the 2001 season with a new coach in Larry Coker but expecting similar results from their star-studded roster. This was the third time in Belt history that a coaching change had occurred during a Belt reign. UCLA coach Dick Vermeil left for the NFL following the 1975 season before Terry Donahue took over becoming one of the top-ranked coaches in Belt victories & Frank Solich replaced the retiring Tom Osborne following the 1997 season. Coker hoped to have similar success & the Miami program seemed well stocked to make that a reality. The Penn State Nittany Lions & coach Joe Paterno provided the opening day opposition. Miami raced to a 30-0 halftime lead on their way to a 33-7 win. Hurricanes’ All-Big East QB Ken Dorsey threw 3 touchdown passes, all in the 1st half, & All-Big East PK Todd Sievers hit four goals to lead the rout. Penn State starting QB Matt Senneca was injured in the 1st quarter & replaced by redshirt freshman QB Zack Mills. Mills completed 12 of 14 passes for 240 yards but it was Dorsey & his experienced Hurricane teammates that starred in this game. Miami amassed 602 yards of total offense in the rout. Miami scored on touchdown passes of 27 yards to WR Ethenic Sands, 28 yards to RB Najeh Davenport, & 10 yards to All-Big East TE Jeremy Shockey in the 1st half. The Nittany Lions only score came in the 4th quarter when Mills hit WR Bryant Johnson for a 44-yard touchdown. Dorsey finished with 344 yards passing to go with his 3 touchdowns & All-Big East RB Clinton Portis, led often by All-American OT Bryant McKinnie, added 164 yards rushing as Miami controlled the game. Johnson had 6 catches for 149 yards to go with his touchdown for Penn State. Miami finished the season 12-0; Big East & National Champions while the Nittany Lions finished 5-6. Penn State has not played for The Belt again.
|
|
![]() |
|
Rutgers Scarlet Knights |
Miami Hurricanes © |
|
Played September 8, 2001 at the Orange Bowl |
|
Teams' Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt Reigns |
Overall Record |
Home Record |
Away Record |
Neutral Record |
||||||||||||
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
||
| Rutgers | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| Miami, FLA © | 2 | 11 | 7 | 0 | .611 | 5 | 1 | 0 | .833 | 4 | 3 | 0 | .571 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 |
Previous Belt Meetings: None
|
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
|
Rutgers |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Miami, FLA |
14 |
13 |
20 |
14 |
61 |
The 1-0 Rutgers Scarlet Knights of first-year coach Greg Schiano were the opposition for the home opener of the top-ranked, 1-0 Miami Hurricanes of coach Larry Coker. The Miami offense scored at will but perhaps more impressive was the Hurricanes’ defense as Miami posted a 61-0 shutout. Schiano was Miami’s defensive coordinator the past two seasons & the Hurricane defense wanted to show him what they had learned. Miami scored in the 1st quarter on a 40-yard touchdown pass from All-Big East QB Ken Dorsey to WR Andre Johnson & on a 3-yard touchdown run by RB Najeh Davenport. The 2nd quarter saw Dorsey connect with All-Big East TE Jeremy Shockey on a 3-yard touchdown pass & two field goals, 24 & 40 yards, from All-Big East PK Todd Sievers as the Hurricanes took a 27-0 halftime lead. The 2nd half was more of the same. All-Big East RB Clinton Portis scored on a 3-yard run, All-Big East CB Phillip Buchanon returned a punt 56 yards for another touchdown, & DE John Square returned a Rutgers’ fumble 5 yards for a touchdown. In the 4th quarter, RB Frank Gore scored on a 10-yard run & RB Jarrett Payton scored on a 5-yard touchdown run. Dorsey threw for 315 yards with 2 touchdowns, Johnson added 2 catches for 104 yards receiving to his touchdown while the defense held Rutgers to just 64 yards rushing, 62 yards passing, & caused 6 turnovers in the rout. Rutgers QB Ryan Cubit threw for just 47 yards in the loss. Miami finished the season 12-0; Big East & National Champions while the Scarlet Knights finished 2-9. Rutgers would play for The Belt again in 2002.
|
|
![]() |
|
Miami Hurricanes © |
Pittsburgh Panthers |
|
Played September 27, 2001 at Heinz Field |
|
Teams' Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt Reigns |
Overall Record |
Home Record |
Away Record |
Neutral Record |
||||||||||||
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
||
| Miami, FLA © | 2 | 12 | 7 | 0 | .632 | 6 | 1 | 0 | .857 | 4 | 3 | 0 | .571 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 |
| Pittsburgh | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | ||||
|
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
|
Miami, FLA |
20 |
3 |
10 |
10 |
43 |
|
Pittsburgh |
7 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
21 |
The top-ranked, 2-0 Miami Hurricanes of coach Larry Coker met the 1-1 Pittsburgh Panthers & coach Walt Harris. The Hurricanes again raced to a big lead at halftime & coasted home for an easy 43-21 win. Miami All-Big East RB Clinton Portis scored twice in the 1st quarter on runs of 4 & 1 yard sandwiched around a 2-yard touchdown run by Pittsburgh QB Rod Rutherford. The Hurricanes also scored in the 1st quarter on an 18-yard touchdown pass from All-Big East QB Ken Dorsey to WR Andre Johnson. All-Big East PK Todd Sievers accounted for the only points of the 2nd quarter with a 24-yard field goal as the Hurricanes led 23-7 at halftime. The 3rd quarter saw more of the same from Miami as Portis added his third touchdown on a 1-yard run & Sievers connected on a 27-yard field goal giving Miami a 33-7 lead. RB Willis McGahee scored on a 5-yard touchdown run & Sievers’ third field goal, this one from 38 yards, finished Miami’s scoring. Pittsburgh got 2 touchdowns in the 4th quarter on a 10-yard pass from Rutherford to TE Kris Wilson & a 3-yard Rutherford run. Portis starred, rushing for 131 yards on 24 attempts & scoring 3 times while the Hurricanes’ defense held Pittsburgh All-Big East WR Antonio Bryant to 3 catches for 39 yards. Rutherford threw for 111 yards with a touchdown & rushed for 49 yards with 2 touchdowns. The game was marred by 22 penalties for 249 yards between the teams. Miami finished the season 12-0; Big East & National Champions while the Panthers finished 7-5. Pittsburgh would play for The Belt again in 2002.
|
|
![]() |
|
Troy State Trojans |
Miami Hurricanes © |
|
Played October 6, 2001 at the Orange Bowl |
|
Teams' Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt Reigns |
Overall Record |
Home Record |
Away Record |
Neutral Record |
||||||||||||
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
||
| Troy State | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| Miami, FLA © | 2 | 13 | 7 | 0 | .650 | 6 | 1 | 0 | .857 | 5 | 3 | 0 | .625 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 |
Previous Belt Meetings: None
|
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
|
Troy State |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
|
Miami, FLA |
7 |
10 |
21 |
0 |
38 |
The Division 1-AA, 1-2 Troy State Trojans with coach Larry Blakeney met the top-ranked, 3-0 Miami Hurricanes of coach Larry Coker. The Hurricanes had to be careful not to look to the game with Florida State the following week but their talent & speed were too much for the Trojans to compete with as the Hurricanes claimed a 38-7 win. The 1st quarter saw All-Big East QB Ken Dorsey connecting with WR Andre Johnson on an 11-yard touchdown & Troy State responding with a 2-yard touchdown pass from QB Brock Nutter to RB LeBarron Black. The rest of the game belonged to the Hurricanes. All-Big East PK Todd Sievers hit a 34-yard field goal & Dorsey connected with WR Kevin Beard on a 22-yard touchdown as Miami led 17-7 at the half. The Hurricanes got scores in the 3rd quarter from All-American S Ed Reed’s 27-yard interception return, RB Jarrett Payton’s 2-yard touchdown run, & RB Willis McGahee’s 7-yard score in the Miami victory. Troy State’s defense held the Hurricanes to 101 yards rushing but the offense was no match for the experienced Miami defense. Dorsey threw for 299 yards with 2 touchdowns in the win. Nutter had 152 yards passing with a touchdown but an interception for the Trojans. Miami finished the season 12-0; Big East & National Champions while the Trojans finished 7-4. Troy State moved to Division 1-A in 2002 but has not played for The Belt again.
|
|
![]() |
|
Miami Hurricanes © |
Florida State Seminoles |
|
Played October 13, 2001 at Doak Campbell Stadium |
|
Teams' Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt Reigns |
Overall Record |
Home Record |
Away Record |
Neutral Record |
||||||||||||
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
||
| Miami, FLA © | 2 | 14 | 7 | 0 | .667 | 7 | 1 | 0 | .875 | 5 | 3 | 0 | .625 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 |
| Florida State | 2 | 25 | 2 | 0 | .926 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 10 | 1 | 0 | .909 | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 |
Previous Belt Meetings
|
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
|
Miami, FLA |
14 |
7 |
28 |
0 |
49 |
|
Florida State |
0 |
13 |
7 |
7 |
27 |
The 2nd ranked, 4-0 Miami Hurricanes of coach Larry Coker traveled to Tallahassee to meet the 14th ranked, 3-1 Florida State Seminoles of coach Bobby Bowden. This game had many storylines; Miami had taken The Belt from Florida State the previous season in the “Wide Right III” game, Florida State had played in the BCS Championship game the previous season in spite of the loss to Miami, Florida State had a 12-0 record in Belt games at home, & the Seminoles were riding a 54-game home unbeaten streak. Miami took a lead midway through the 1st quarter when All-American S Ed Reed blocked a punt that was returned by Markese Fitzgerald 5 yards for a touchdown. All-Big East QB Ken Dorsey hit WR Andre Johnson for a 27-yard touchdown & Miami led 14-0 as the 2nd quarter began. The lead was pushed to 21-0 when Dorsey hit All-Big East TE Jeremy Shockey with a 1-yard touchdown pass. The Seminoles finally got on the board when RB Greg Jones scored from 6 yards & they finished the 1st half with a 1-yard touchdown run by RB William McCray with just 0:05 to play before intermission. The 3rd quarter saw the Hurricanes effectively put away the game with 4 touchdowns. Dorsey hit Johnson on an 18-yard touchdown pass &, 1:05 later, All-Big East LB Jonathan Vilma returned a fumble 36 yards for a 35-13 Miami advantage. The Seminoles did get a 57-yard touchdown pass from QB Chris Rix to WR Talman Gardner but a 7-yard touchdown run by P Freddie Capshaw on a botched field goal snap & an 8-yard score by RB Willis McGahee after All-Big East CB Phillip Buchanon intercepted a Rix pass made the score 49-20 Hurricanes. Florida State got a break LB Michael Boulware returned a fumble 73 yards for a touchdown but the game was well out of reach. Miami rolled to a 49-27 win ending Florida State’s home win streak & reinforcing their argument for last season’s championship injustice. Dorsey finished with 249 passing with 3 touchdowns, All-Big East RB Clinton Portis added 122 yards rushing, & Johnson had 5 catches for 111 yards with his 2 touchdowns. Rix was intercepted 4 times while throwing for 222 yards with a touchdown. Miami finished the season 12-0; Big East & National Champions while the Seminoles finished 8-4 & ranked 15th nationally. Florida State would play for The Belt again in 2002.
|
|
![]() |
|
West Virginia Mountaineers |
Miami Hurricanes © |
|
Played October 25, 2001 at the Orange Bowl |
|
Teams' Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt Reigns |
Overall Record |
Home Record |
Away Record |
Neutral Record |
||||||||||||
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
||
| West Virginia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | ||||||||
| Miami, FLA © | 2 | 15 | 7 | 0 | .682 | 7 | 1 | 0 | .875 | 6 | 3 | 0 | .667 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 |
Previous Belt Meetings: None
|
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
|
West Virginia |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
Miami, FLA |
3 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
45 |
The top-ranked, 5-0 Miami Hurricanes of coach Larry Coker welcomed the 2-4 West Virginia Mountaineers of first-year coach Rich Rodriguez to the rain-soaked Orange Bowl. The Hurricanes defense again was the dominant unit in the game as they held the Mountaineers to 72 yards passing with 5 sacks & 4 interceptions as well as recovering 2 fumbles in the 45-3 Miami win. The offense continued to roll as All-Big East QB Ken Dorsey threw for 192 yards with 2 touchdowns & RB Frank Gore rushed for 124 yards with 2 touchdowns on only 6 carries. Gore broke loose for a 45-yard score in the 3rd quarter & a 49-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter. Miami’s All-American S Ed Reed had 2 interceptions for the 2nd game in a row & recovered 1 of the Mountaineers’ fumbles. West Virginia RB Avon Cobourne rushed for 95 yards in the 1st half & finished with 132 yards for the game while QB Derek Jones threw for just 42 yards while being intercepted 4 times. Miami finished the season 12-0; Big East & National Champions while the Mountaineers finished 3-8. West Virginia would play for The Belt again in 2002.
|
|
![]() |
|
Temple Owls |
Miami Hurricanes © |
|
Played November 3, 2001 at the Orange Bowl |
|
Teams' Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt Reigns |
Overall Record |
Home Record |
Away Record |
Neutral Record |
||||||||||||
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
||
| Temple | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | ||||||||
| Miami, FLA © | 2 | 16 | 7 | 0 | .696 | 8 | 1 | 0 | .889 | 6 | 3 | 0 | .667 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 |
|
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
|
Temple |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Miami, FLA |
7 |
7 |
21 |
3 |
38 |
The 2-5 Temple Owls of coach Bobby Wallace met the top-ranked, 6-0 Miami Hurricanes of coach Larry Coker. The Hurricanes defense did not allow a touchdown for the 2nd consecutive game & the offense lit up the Temple defense in a 38-0 win. Temple managed only 152 yards total offense & had 3 turnovers in the game. Miami led 14-0 at the half on a 15-yard pass from All-Big East QB Ken Dorsey to WR Kevin Beard & a 7-yard touchdown run from All-Big East RB Clinton Portis. The 3rd quarter saw 3 more Hurricane scores; an 11-yard touchdown pass from Dorsey to WR Andre Johnson, a 13-yard touchdown run from RB Frank Gore, & a 52-yard punt return for a touchdown by CB Phillip Buchanon. PK Todd Sievers closed the scoring with a 37-yard field goal in the 4th quarter. Dorsey finish with 175 yards to go with his 2 touchdown passes, Portis finished with 117 yards rushing with a touchdown & All-American S Ed Reed had an interception for the 3rd consecutive game. Temple QB Mike McGann threw for just 34 yards with an interception in the loss. Miami finished the season 12-0; Big East & National Champions while the Owls finished 4-7. Temple would play for The Belt again in 2002.
|
|
![]() |
|
Miami Hurricanes © |
Boston College Eagles |
|
Played November 10, 2001 at Alumni Stadium |
|
Teams' Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt Reigns |
Overall Record |
Home Record |
Away Record |
Neutral Record |
||||||||||||
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
||
| Miami, FLA © | 2 | 17 | 7 | 0 | .708 | 9 | 1 | 0 | .900 | 6 | 3 | 0 | .667 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 |
| Boston College | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | ||||||||
|
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
|
Miami, FLA |
0 |
9 |
0 |
9 |
18 |
|
Boston College |
0 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
7 |
The top-ranked, 7-0 Miami Hurricanes of coach Larry Coker met the 6-2 Boston College Eagles & coach Tom O’Brien. This proved to be a much tougher test than the Hurricanes had anticipated, as the Eagles defense was ready for an upset. Boston College played without All-American RB William Green, the nation’s leading rusher, who was suspended for a violation of team rules. Both defenses ruled the 1st half with Miami able to manage only 3 field goals from All-Big East PK Todd Sievers & Boston College unable to score. The Eagles finally got on the board with 5:50 to play in the 3rd quarter when QB Brian St. Pierre hit TE Sean Ryan on a 9-yard touchdown pass. Sievers added his 4th field goal of the game, this one from 47 yards, with 14:50 to play in the game giving Miami a 12-7 lead. Each team would miss a field goal & exchange punts before Miami took possession at their 12-yard line with 6:09 to play. With 2:09 left, RB Frank Gore fumbled at the Boston College 30-yard line & S Ralph Parent recovered it giving the Eagles one last chance to win the game. St. Pierre drove the Eagles to the Hurricane 20-yard line with less than 0:22 to play. His pass for WR Ryan Read deflected off Miami CB Mike Rumph & was intercepted by Miami DT Matt Walters who gave the ball to All-American S Ed Reed. Reed ran the final 80 yards for the touchdown as Miami escaped with an 18-7 win. All-Big QB Ken Dorsey threw for 222 yards & All-Big East RB Clinton Portis added 160 yards rushing. St. Pierre finished with 162 yards passing with a touchdown in the losing effort. Miami finished the season 12-0; Big East & National Champions while the Eagles finished 8-4 & ranked 21st nationally. Boston College would play for The Belt again in 2002.
|
|
![]() |
|
Syracuse Orange |
Miami Hurricanes © |
|
Played November 17, 2001 at the Orange Bowl |
|
Teams' Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt Reigns |
Overall Record |
Home Record |
Away Record |
Neutral Record |
||||||||||||
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
||
| Syracuse | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | ||||||||
| Miami, FLA © | 2 | 18 | 7 | 0 | .720 | 9 | 1 | 0 | .900 | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 |
|
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
|
Syracuse |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Miami, FLA |
10 |
14 |
21 |
14 |
59 |
The 14th ranked, 8-2 Syracuse Orangemen & coach Paul Pasqualoni traveled to the Orange Bowl with upset on their mind as they met the top-ranked, 8-0 Miami Hurricanes of coach Larry Coker. They left with a healthy respect for exactly how good the Hurricanes were. Coming off a close call at Boston College, Miami was determined to show everyone what the top team in the nation looked like. All-Big East QB Ken Dorsey threw 3 touchdowns in the 1st half as Miami took a commanding 24-0 lead on their way to a 59-0 rout. Syracuse was held to 185 total yards by the suffocating Hurricane defense. All-American OT Bryant McKinnie held Syracuse’s All-American DE Dwight Freeney, the NCAA Sack leader, without a sack & the Hurricanes rushed for 331 yards as the Miami offensive line dominated the Orangemen. Dorsey finished with 224 yards passing with 4 touchdowns, All-Big East TE Jeremy Shockey had 2 touchdown receptions, RB Frank Gore had 153 yards rushing, & All-Big East RB Clinton Portis had 132 yards rushing with a touchdown. All-Big East CB Phillip Buchanon added a 76-yard interception return for a touchdown as well as recovering a fumble, getting a 17-yard sack & a 59-yard punt return to set up another score. Syracuse QB A.J. Anderson threw for just 66 yards with an interception in the loss. Miami finished the season 12-0; Big East & National Champions while the Orangemen finished 10-3 & ranked 14th nationally. Syracuse would play for The Belt again in 2002.
|
|
![]() |
|
Washington Huskies |
Miami Hurricanes © |
|
Played November 24, 2001 at the Orange Bowl |
|
Teams' Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt Reigns |
Overall Record |
Home Record |
Away Record |
Neutral Record |
||||||||||||
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
||
| Washington | 10 | 27 | 13 | 0 | .675 | 16 | 5 | 0 | .762 | 11 | 7 | 0 | .611 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 |
| Miami, FLA © | 2 | 19 | 7 | 0 | .731 | 10 | 1 | 0 | .909 | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 |
Previous Belt Meetings: None
|
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
|
Washington |
0 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
7 |
|
Miami, FLA |
7 |
30 |
14 |
14 |
65 |
The 12th ranked, 8-2 Washington Huskies with coach Rick Neuheisel met the top-ranked, 9-0 Miami Hurricanes of coach Larry Coker. Washington beat Miami the previous season & that loss ultimately cost the Hurricanes a shot at the BCS championship. Miami wanted revenge & got it in dominating fashion with a 65-7 win. The Miami defense took 6 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery & 4 sacks in the blowout. Miami scored on a 4-yard touchdown run by All-Big East RB Clinton Portis on their opening drive but that was the only score of the 1st quarter. The Hurricanes opened things up in the 2nd quarter scoring 30 points to put the game out of reach for the Huskies. Portis scored on a 30-yard touchdown run & a 5-yard touchdown reception from All-Big East QB Ken Dorsey. Miami scored on a safety before Dorsey connected with WR Andre Johnson for a 25-yard touchdown. All-Big East DE Jerome McDougle added an 18-yard interception return for a touchdown of a QB Cody Pickett pass as Miami finished scoring their 30 points in just 7:32 of game time. The 2nd half was more of the same as Hurricane RB Najeh Davenport scored on a 1-yard touchdown run before Washington’s only score of the game came on a 5-yard touchdown run by RB Rich Alexis. Dorsey connected again with Johnson on a 3-yard touchdown pass to close out 3rd quarter scoring. In the 4th quarter, Miami back-ups kept the scoreboard running with a 2-yard touchdown run from RB Frank Gore & a 13-yard touchdown pass from QB Derrick Crudup to RB Jason Geathers. Dorsey finished with 192 yards passing with 3 touchdowns & Portis finished with 3 touchdowns while Washington’s Pickett threw for 156 yards with 5 interceptions. Miami finished the season 12-0; Big East & National Champions while the Huskies finished 8-4 & ranked 19th nationally. Washington would play for The Belt again in 2003.
|
|
![]() |
|
Miami Hurricanes © |
Virginia Tech Hokies |
|
Played December 1, 2001 at Lane Stadium |
|
Teams' Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt Reigns |
Overall Record |
Home Record |
Away Record |
Neutral Record |
||||||||||||
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
||
| Miami, FLA © | 2 | 20 | 7 | 0 | .741 | 11 | 1 | 0 | .917 | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 |
| Virginia Tech | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | ||||
|
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
|
Miami, FLA |
0 |
20 |
3 |
3 |
26 |
|
Virginia Tech |
3 |
0 |
7 |
14 |
24 |
The top-ranked, 10-0 Miami Hurricanes of coach Larry Coker had only one obstacle left between them & a shot at the BCS Championship, the 14th ranked, 8-2 Virginia Tech Hokies of coach Frank Beamer. Miami had been on a mission to show the BCS they made a mistake last season not inviting them to the championship game & they needed only a win in Blacksburg to assure their spot in this season’s game. The Hokies scored the only points of the 1st quarter with a 27-yard PK Carter Warley field goal. The Hurricane offense dominated the 2nd quarter. All-Big East QB Ken Dorsey connected with All-Big East TE Jeremy Shockey on a 14-yard touchdown & All-Big East RB Clinton Portis added a 7-yard touchdown run as Miami took a 14-3 lead. All-Big East PK Todd Sievers added field goals from 34 & 43 yards to give the Hurricanes a 20-3 halftime edge. In the 3rd quarter, Hokies’ RB Jarrett Ferguson scored from 1-yard & Sievers added a 42-yard field goal as Miami lead was cut to 23-10. Sievers’ 39-yard kick put Miami on top 26-10 when Virginia Tech started their rally. Ferguson scored from 1-yard & the 2-point conversion made the score Miami 26, Virginia Tech 18. With 6:03 to play, Hokies CB Eric Green blocked a Hurricane punt & LB Brandon Manning returned it 22 yards for a touchdown. The 2-point conversion failed as a wide-open WR Ernest Wilford dropped the pass from QB Grant Noel leaving the score 26-24. Tech still had a chance but with 4:18 to play, All-American S Ed Reed intercepted a Noel pass & the Hurricanes held the ball until 0:20. The Hokies had 96 yards to go but the clock ran out giving Miami a 26-24 win. Dorsey finished with 235 yards passing with a touchdown & Portis finished with 124 yards rushing with a touchdown but 2 fumbles. For the Hokies, Noel finished with only 4 completions for 81 yards with 4 interceptions, a fumble, & he was sacked 5 times while RB Kevin Jones finished with 160 yards rushing. Miami finished the season 12-0; Big East & National Champions while the Hokies finished 8-4 & ranked 18th nationally. Virginia Tech would play for The Belt again in 2002.
|
|
![]() |
|
Miami Hurricanes © |
Nebraska Cornhuskers |
|
The Rose Bowl Played January 3, 2002 at the Rose Bowl |
|
Teams' Belt Records
|
Team |
Belt Reigns |
Overall Record |
Home Record |
Away Record |
Neutral Record |
||||||||||||
|
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
W |
L |
T |
PCT |
||
| Miami, FLA © | 2 | 21 | 7 | 0 | .750 | 11 | 1 | 0 | .917 | 8 | 3 | 0 | .727 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 |
| Nebraska | 2 | 16 | 3 | 0 | .842 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Previous Belt Meetings: None
|
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
|
Miami, FLA |
7 |
27 |
0 |
3 |
37 |
|
Nebraska |
0 |
0 |
7 |
7 |
14 |
The top-ranked, 11-0 Miami Hurricanes with coach Larry Coker met the 4th ranked, 11-1 Nebraska Cornhuskers of coach Frank Solich in the BCS Championship game. Nebraska’s selection had been controversial since they had lost their final regular season game to Colorado by a score of 62-36 & had not even played in the Big 12 Conference’s championship game. The controversial selection prompted another change in the BCS computer formulas that would take effect the following season. Miami used the same formula that had won them 19 straight Belt games, a suffocating defense & quick strike offense to overwhelm the Huskers & Heisman Trophy winning, All-Big 12 QB Eric Crouch 37-14 to retain The Belt as they claimed the BCS National Championship. All-Big East QB Ken Dorsey hit WR Andre Johnson for a 49-yard touchdown in the 1st quarter but it was the 2nd quarter that decided the outcome of the game. All-Big East RB Clinton Portis broke free for a 39-yard touchdown run & S James Lewis returned an interception from Crouch 47 yards for a touchdown. Dorsey connected with All-Big East TE Jeremy Shockey for a 21-yard touchdown pass & Dorsey hit Johnson again for an 8-yard score as Miami took a 34-0 halftime lead. Nebraska’s only offensive touchdown came on a RB Judd Davies 16-yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter. The Cornhuskers only other score came on a 71-yard punt return by CB DeJuan Groce. Dorsey finished with 362 yards passing with 3 touchdowns, Portis added 104 yards rushing to his touchdown, & Johnson had 7 catches for 199 yards with 2 touchdowns. Crouch was held to 5 completions for 62 yards with an interception. He did have 114 yards rushing with a fumble in 22 attempts. Miami finished the season 12-0; Big East & National Champions while the Cornhuskers finished 11-2 & ranked 8th nationally. Nebraska has not played for The Belt again.