Hurricanes sink Volunteers, 26-3

By Wes Holtsclaw
STAR CORRESPONDENT
wholtsclaw@starhq.com

   KNOXVILLE--Ozzy Osbourne said it best.
   After a Hurricane flooded the Tennessee River and crashed into Neyland Stadium, the Tennessee Volunteer football team felt like they had been "driven off the rails of a 'Crazy Train.'"
   Despite jumping out on top with a 3-0 lead in the contest after a Cedric Houston 74-yard run and an Alex Walls field goal, the Vols hit the No. 2 team in the nation with full force, and bounced off of the wall.
   Miami took over after the Volunteer score, putting points on the board with every posession in the first half, except a missed field goal on the last play, to clean Neyland Stadium, and eventually take a 26-3 victory over Tennessee last night.
   "This was an outstanding win for us," said Miami head coach Larry Coker after his team's domination. "We played our best game of the year tonight in all three phases, and we are very appreciative of it."
   Led by two outstanding performances from Heisman candidates Willis McGahee (30 carries for 156 yards and a score) and Ken Dorsey (18 of 30 passing for 245 yards and a score), the Hurricanes racked up an impressive 422 yards of total offense.
   "McGahee had an outstanding day, and Dorsey did as well," Coker said. "I'm extremely proud of the way we handled things. We responded well over a tough opponent, we've got to continue playing top football, and take care of business so we'll be in Tempe."
   "I'm obviously very dissapointed," said Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer. "We played against a really good team. Defensively we held in there pretty good. We prepared well, defensively we probably played well enough, but offensively we did nothing."
   Todd Sievers had a big game for Miami, hitting four field goals in the first half. McGahee pounded a one-yard touchdown run to open the second quarter, while Dorsey hit Kellen Winslow Jr. with an 11-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter.
   "It was a statement game," said Miami quarterback Ken Dorsey. "I felt very comfortable with the way we played. We were interested in playing better as a team, and we played well."
   Tennessee was plagued with six injuries during the contest. Defensive back Willie Miles was knocked out of the game in the first quarter with a serious head injury, and Casey Clausen was out after the first half due to a recurring ankle injury, forcing James Banks and C. J. Leak to take duties.
   Elizabethton's Jason Witten was sidelined momentarily in the contest, but returned to finish the game.
   "I had a good shot on me out there," said Witten. "They were just able to capitalize on us when we couldn't. They are the fastest team I have ever seen. They deserve to be number one in the country. It's frustrating."
   "They whipped our butts up one side of the field and down the other. We've got to come back and try to win out there with our injuries to get in a bowl game. This is not Tennessee football."
   Kellen Winslow Jr., son of the NFL Hall of Famer by the same name, proved his legitimacy as a threat at tight end in the contest with five catches for 67 yards and a score.
   "We don't care about all of the BCS stuff," said Winslow. "All we care about is repeating as national champions. We are 31-0 since I have been here, and we control our own destiny. It is a good system, but computers cannot tell you who is going to win a national championship."
   After their performance Saturday in Knoxville, Miami looks primed to 'lay the smackdown' on the rest of college football.