Miami, W. Va. to square offff in Orlando
Hurricanes will play ex-Big East rival in Russell Athletic Bowl.
CORAL GABLES — The Hurricanes are heading back to Orlando — and hoping for better results than last time.
Miami (8-4, 5-3 ACC) was chosen Sunday for the Dec. 28 Russell Athletic Bowl.
It will square offff against a former Big East rival, West Western Kentucky ranks Virginia (10-2, 7-2 Big 12). in the top 10 nationally in The Russell Athletic Bowl, points per game, yards per which picks before the rest game and passing yards per of the ACC’s “Tier I” games, game. Memphis also ranks was the highest possible bowl within the top 35 in all three the Hurricanes could have categories, including 17th in attained. It was something points per game (39.5). of a reward for a four-game
Memphis offifficials had tarwinning streak, which came geted Palm Beach County as after a four-game October their preferred destination losing streak. for the postseason. “It’s a c redit to the job
“This was the game that we Mark [Richt] and his staff had highlighted as an excithave done, and the guys for ing opportunity and destinagoing out and executing the tion,” Memphis coach Mike last four weeks,” UM AthletNorvell said in a conference ics Director Blake James said. call Sunday afternoon. “We “For our guys to handle knew if you get matched up the situation they way they against a team the caliber of did in November, people Western Kentucky, it’s going took notice of that.” to be a really exciting game, He called West Virginia a game that the nation wants a “great team that has had to see. Two teams that fifina g re at ye a r, a n exc i t i ng ished the season in extremely matchup for us. ... We’ll be strong fashion. It’s going to excited to be there. I know be an explosive game in all our guys will be excited.” aspects.” The Mountaineers were
Western Kentucky Coach ranked No. 14 in the latest Jeff Brohm also is excited Associated Press poll and about the matchup. No. 16 in the latest College
“They’ve got some exploFootball Playoff rankings. sive talent on offffffffffffense,” he UM earned votes in the AP said. “They had a tremenand coaches’ polls, and was dous victory against Housleft out of the playoffff top 25. ton to end the season, and Miami will play in Orlando I know they’re feeling very for the fifirst time since a disgood about themselves.” mal defeat in the 2013 Rus- sell Athletic Bowl. After losing to Louisville 36-9, Miami fifinished 9-4.
Six current Hurric anes played in that game, including wide receiver Stacy Coley and safety Rayshawn Jenkins, who started. Another Hurricane who saw action that night: then-sophomore cornerback Antonio Crawford, who transferred to West Virginia in 2015 and has played in seven games for the Mountaineers this season.
WVU, which fifinished tied for second in the Big 12, won 10 games for the ninth time in its year history. Its only losses were to conference leader Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
It has no common opponents with Miami, but knows South Florida well. Coach Dana Holgorsen has 14 Florida natives on his roster. In his fifirst season in Morgantown — 2011 — he took a team led by Miramar High alum Geno Smith to the Orange Bowl. The Mountaineers set an FBS record for points in a bowl game by beating Clemson 70-33.
UM and WVU have faced offff 19 times, most of those under the Big East banner. UM was 11-2 in those contests, and 16-3 overall against the Mountaineers.
The last time Miami played West Virginia was 2003, a year before UM joined the ACC. The second-ranked Hurricanes held on for a 22-20 win thanks to a Jon Peattie fifield goal, which came after a fifingertip catch by Kellen Winslow on fourth-and-13 saved the drive with 1:03 left.
West Virginia remained in the Big East until 2011, after which season it bolted for the Big 12.
After going 7-6, 4-8 and 7-6 in their fifirst three Big 12 seasons, the Mountaineers went 8-5 last year and beat Arizona State in the Cactus Bowl.
That’s a f e e l i ng Miami hasn’t had — ending the year with a W’ — in a decade.
UM’s l a s t bowl vi c tor y was 21-20 over Nevada in the 2006 MPC Computers Bowl in Boise, Idaho. Its last three bowl games: a 20-14 loss to Washington State in the 2015 Sun Bowl, a 24-21 loss to South Carolina in the 2014 Independence Bowl, and of course, the blowout in Orlando in 2013.
“I think it’s very important,” Richt said of breaking the streak. “I think our guys know that. Every guy that’s in the room, whether he’s been there one year or three or four years, they haven’t had the victory at the end of the year.”
To win, Miami will have to get past arguably the best defense in the offffffffffffense-happy Big 12. The Mountaineers are tied for 35th nationally in points allowed and rank one spot ahead of Miami in opponent passer rating (120.00, 32nd). They are 63rd in yards per carry allowed.
Junior running back Justin Crawford ranks third in the Big 12 in rushing yards (1,168, with four touchdowns) and is averaging 7.44 yards per carry. Senior quarterback Skyler Howard (3,194 yards, 26 touchdowns, 10 interceptions) is fourth in the conference in passer rating (149.24).