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Friday, December 13, 2002
No. 4 Miami (Fla.)
at No. 15 Washington
By Will Weiss
BCSfootball.com
For the second consecutive Saturday, a Top 5 team travels west, as No. 4 Miami visits No. 15 Washington (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET) in a non-conference matchup showcasing two of the country's most exciting players: Miami wide receiver Santana Moss and Washington quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo.
Miami heads to Seattle after nine days of rest, following its 61-14 decimation of McNeese State, while Washington beat Idaho 44-20 in its home opener a week ago.
|  | | Heisman hopeful Santana Moss will be a marked man on Saturday. |
Though more than 3,000 miles separate the two schools, they have some history, having shared the 1991 national championship. Six years ago, in their only regular season meeting, the Huskies ended Miami's record 58-game home winning streak with a 38-20 upset victory in what was known as "The Whammy in Miami."
It's unknown whether this season's contest will be worthy of a name, but it features many intriguing players and matchups. Miami has speed and depth on both sides of the line, and plays a flashier style of football, whereas Washington runs a multiple option attack. Both teams have weapons on offense and are capable of accumulating yards in a hurry -- it may just come down to which defense contains those weapons better.
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ABC's Brad Nessler:
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As they get back to the Miami we knew in the '80s and early '90s, it's the defense that is already back to that type of defense. They are fast and deep, with linebackers that run like defensive backs and defensive backs that run like wide receivers or better.
Offensively for Miami, the 'Canes are as deep at running back as I've ever seen them. In Santana Moss, I think they have one of the three most exciting guys in college football along with Freddie Milons and Michael Vick. He can do so many different things. That will be the chore for the Washington defense -- whether they can slow him down. The Huskies' D had enough trouble with Idaho in its opener that it is going to wonder what hit them when Moss gets into the secondary.
Washington's got a weapon as good as anyone in the country in its own right, and that's Marques Tuiasosopo. He is probably one of the five most versatile quarterbacks, as far as running and passing ability, in the entire country. Something to keep in mind: He's picked as the MVP of the Pac-10. The past four MVPs in Pac-10 football have all been senior quarterbacks who have led their teams to the Rose Bowl.
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When Miami has the ball:
There might not be a team in the country with as much depth and firepower at the skill positions as Miami. The man Washington is keying on is wide receiver Santana Moss, a track star who had to be begged to play football at Miami. Washington head coach Rick Neuheisel knows his defense will not be able to take Moss completely out of the game, but he will adopt a philosophy similar to how Bob Toledo handled Milons last week. He will not let Moss win the game by himself -- which resulted in a major upset for Toledo and UCLA.
The wide receivers, led by Moss, combine speed, soft hands and a flair for the end zone. Last Thursday, the trio of Moss, Reggie Wayne and Andre King combined for eight receptions, 118 yards and two touchdowns in only one half of play. They will play the full game Saturday. Because the Huskies possess an average secondary, Miami's talented corps of receivers could have a field day. Free safety Hakim Akbar is the best player in Washington's secondary, but the Huskies don't really have a top-notch cover man.
If Washington's D concentrates solely on the pass, it's in trouble -- Miami's running game is perhaps the most underrated part of its offense. Talk about a three-headed monster. Assisted by a tough offensive line, tailbacks James Jackson, Najeh Davenport and Clinton Portis combined for 1,701 yards and 14 touchdowns in 1999. Jackson has been the starter the last two seasons, and is the fifth-leading rusher in school history. Davenport, now at full strength after sustaining a torn ACL in last year's Kickoff Classic, will see ample playing time. Third-stringer Portis led the team in rushing en route to a freshman All-America season a year ago.
Don't forget quarterback Ken Dorsey, either. In four career starts, he has thrown for 966 yards, 12 touchdowns and only one interception. Granted, he hasn't faced a ranked opponent in any of his starts, but numbers don't tell the whole story. Dorsey seems to be settling into his role, and with his supporting cast, who wouldn't feel comfortable running the offense?
Where Dorsey may have trouble is with his cadence, as the always-raucous crowd at Husky Stadium will try to rattle him from the outset. It is imperative that Dorsey get into a rhythm and lead the offense to some early scores.
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ABC analyst Bob Griese:
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For Washington, it's all on Marques Tuiasosopo. He's the warrior from Samoa, and he's the leader of this team.
I see a problem for the Huskies, though, because he's kind of out there by himself. Washington has a good offensive line, and they have good backs, but they lost three of four wide receivers, and they haven't really replaced them.
Miami has the best secondary in the nation, and when you match up those corners against the wide receivers, Miami has a huge advantage. The key to the game is the option and Tuiasosopo.
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When Washington
has the ball:
This is one area where the Huskies have Miami beat. Clearly Tuiasosopo is a better quarterback than Dorsey -- the only issue is that the success of the offense depends on the success of its leader, particularly with key injuries at wide receiver and running back. Folks in Seattle know what Tuiasosopo can do, and his 200-yard rushing, 300-yard passing effort against Stanford last October has become legendary.
Last week, Tuiasosopo accounted for 303 yards of total offense versus Idaho, throwing for 223 and rushing for 80. Like many of the "new breed" of quarterbacks, Tui is more of a threat when flushed from the pocket, and his offensive line does a great job of keeping him protected whether he's running or passing.
The Hurricanes' front seven will not be at full strength in Seattle, hampering their ability to apply pressure on Tuiasosopo. Ends Jevon Rhodes and Lavaar Scott are out with injuries, and Jamaal Green is a game-time decision after being suspended for the first game. The juggling of the lineup on Miami's D-line puts added pressure on tackle Damione Lewis to produce.
With the injured Chris Juergens out of the lineup, junior Todd Elstrom is the Huskies' No. 1 option at wide receiver. He snagged six passes last week for a career-high 104 yards, but other players such as Wilbur Hooks and tight end Jerramy Stevens must make themselves a factor against one of the best defensive backfields in the country, led by free safety Al Blades.
The Huskies running game took a severe hit when Maurice Shaw went down with a back injury. Paul Arnold assumes the starting spot at tailback and figures to get anywhere between 10-20 carries against Miami. Willie Hurst, the starter for the past two seasons, will see action as well. Fullback Pat Conniff, Tuiasosopo's high school teammate, will handle the ball in short yardage situations, but will be relied upon more to block Miami's athletic front seven.
A Husky win on Saturday would be a tremendous upset at this stage of the season, but they will have to give Tuiasosopo some help on offense and the defense must force Dorsey to make mistakes. Perhaps the greatest advantage for Washington is the crowd -- expect Husky Stadium to be filled to capacity and expect the 'Dawgs to be rabid.
News and notes:
Miami linebacker Dan Morgan will play on Saturday, despite leaving the McNeese State game early with a mild concussion.
Washington's defense gave up 401 yards to Idaho last week. Yes, they forced six turnovers, but 400 yards to a team like the Vandals is too much.
Saturday marks the first of three straight road games for Miami. The Hurricanes return home on Oct. 7 to have Florida State waiting for them after trips to West Virginia and Rutgers.
Miami head coach Butch Davis and Washington head coach Rick Neuheisel have identical career coaching records, 41-19.
After 32 years, Husky Stadium has a new look, switching from AstroTurf to FieldTurf, a synthetic grass surface. Miami is 12-2 on artificial surfaces under Butch Davis.
Will Weiss is the assistant editor of BCSfootball.com
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