The 2006 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the
University of Miami
The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...
during the
2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The regular season began on August 31, 2006, and ended on ...
. It was the Hurricanes' 81st season of football and 3rd as a member of the
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the ACC's eighteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athlet ...
. The Hurricanes were led by sixth-year head coach
Larry Coker
Larry Edward Coker (born June 23, 1948) is an American former college football coach and player. He served as the head football coach of the University of Miami from 2001 to 2006 and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) from 2011 to 201 ...
and played their home games at the
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. Played annually since 1935 Orange Bowl, January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in ...
. They finished the season 7–6 overall and 3–5 in the ACC to finish in fourth place in the Coastal Division. They were invited to the
MPC Computers Bowl
The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, previously the Humanitarian Bowl (1997–2003, 2007–2010) and the MPC Computers Bowl (2004–2006), is an NCAA-sanctioned post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually since 1997 at Albertson ...
where they defeated
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
, 21–20.
Preseason
Miami began the season ranked #11 in the ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' Coaches Poll and #12 in the Associated Press Poll after going 9–3 (6–2 ACC) in
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
with a #18 ranking in the ''USA Today'' Coaches Poll (#17 AP).
Junior quarterback Kyle Wright finished second to
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The teams have also been nicknamed the ...
wide receiver
Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson Jr. (born September 29, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "Megatron" after the ''Transforme ...
in voting for the ACC Preseason Player of the Year.
Earlier during the summer, head coach Larry Coker announced that running back Tyrone Moss, receiver Ryan Moore, linebacker James Bryant, and receiver Rashaun Jones would be suspended for the first game of the season against Florida State for violating team policy. On August 26, Coker announced that Moore's suspension would be extended indefinitely. Moore would eventually return for the final two regular season games.
After back-to-back 9–3 seasons at Miami, where expectations are to compete for a national championship every year, it was widely believed that Coker was on the proverbial hot seat and needed to take the Hurricanes to a
BCS
BCS may refer to:
American football
* Bowl Championship Series, a system that selected matchups for major college football bowl games between 1998 and 2013
* BCS conferences, the six FBS conferences with automatic major bowl bids under that sys ...
bowl to keep his job. In the wake of last year's Peach Bowl loss, Coker fired four assistant coaches. During the offseason, Coker hired
Rich Olson as his new offensive coordinator in an attempt to reinvigorate the Hurricane offense. Olson had previously served as Miami's offensive coordinator during the early 1990s under then-head coach
Dennis Erickson
Dennis Brian Erickson (born March 24, 1947) is an American football coach who most recently served as the head coach for the Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) league. He was also the head coach at the University of ...
.
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
college football analyst
Kirk Herbstreit
Kirk Edward Herbstreit (; born August 19, 1969) is an American sportscaster and former college football player. He serves as an analyst for ESPN's ''College GameDay (football TV program), College GameDay'', a television program covering college f ...
picked Miami to win the 2006 national championship, predicting the Hurricanes would defeat
Notre Dame in the national championship game.
''See also
2006 NCAA Division I-A football rankings
Three human polls and one formulaic ranking make up the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) football rankings, in addition to various publications' preseason polls. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA ...
''
Award candidates
The following Hurricanes were named to preseason awards watch lists:
*
Kyle Wright -
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best all ...
*
Greg Olsen - Maxwell Award,
John Mackey Award
The John Mackey Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding tight end. Established in 2000 by the Nassau County Sports Commission, the award is given annually to the tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, ac ...
*
Brandon Meriweather
Brandon Meriweather (born January 14, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, and was selected by the New England Pat ...
-
Bronko Nagurski Award
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football defensive player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) to be the best in the National Collegiate Athle ...
,
Chuck Bednarik Award
The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive player of the year in college football as judged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States. The award is named for Chuck Bednarik, a former college and profess ...
,
Jim Thorpe Award
The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport athlete Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athle ...
*
Kenny Phillips
Kenneth Phillips (born November 24, 1986) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New York Giants 31st overall in the 2008 NFL draft and won Super Bowl XL ...
- Chuck Bednarik Award, Jim Thorpe Award
*
Tyrone Moss - Maxwell Award
* Baraka Atkins - Bronko Nagurski Award
* Kareem Brown - Chuck Bednarik Award
* Anthony Reddick - Jim Thorpe Award
Schedule
Rankings
Personnel
Coaching staff
Depth chart
Game recaps
Florida State
Pregame line: Miami -3.5
This was the third time in the last three years that archrivals Miami and Florida State opened the season against each other. The previous two games were also low-scoring defensive struggles, with the Hurricanes winning, 16–10, in overtime in 2004, and the Seminoles prevailing, 10–7, in 2005.
The game was the most-viewed college football game, regular season or bowl, in the history of
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
, averaging 6,330,000 million households in viewership (6.9 rating). It was also the second-highest rated game in ESPN history, behind only the 1994 game between Miami and FSU, which notched a 7.7 rating
Florida A&M
Pregame line: Off
This was the seventh meeting between Miami and Florida A&M. Miami continues to lead the all-time series, 6–1. The two teams had last met in 2002, with Miami winning, 63–17.
Louisville
Pregame line: Louisville -3.5
This was the eleventh meeting between the schools. Prior to this game, Miami had never lost to Louisville, owning an all-time record of 9–0–1. Miami won the previous meeting in 2004, 41–38, in a game in which the Hurricanes had to rally late from a 17–point deficit. After this humiliating loss in the rain to Louisville, Miami became unranked for the first time in 107 weeks – the then-longest current streak in college football. The game was highlighted by a pre-game confrontation between the teams that was sparked when several Miami players provocatively stomped on the Louisville Cardinal bird logo located at mid-field of
Papa John's Cardinal Stadium
L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, also known as L&N Stadium and formerly known as Cardinal Stadium and Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, is a football stadium located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, on the southern end of the campus of the U ...
. Four other teams (
East Carolina
East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of universities in North Carolina by enrollment, fourth largest university in North Carolina and the only one in the state with s ...
,
South Florida
South Florida, sometimes colloquially shortened to SoFlo, is the Regions of the United States#Florida, southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the two others are ...
,
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
, and
Rutgers
Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College and was aff ...
) had stomped on the logo in the past, and each wound up losing the game.
Houston
Pregame line: Miami -17
In the eighteenth meeting between the schools, Miami extended the all-time series lead to 11–7. Miami won 14–13, after a 27-yard gain on 3rd and 24 which led to a touchdown pass by Kyle Wright to James Bryant and gave Miami the win. Freshman RB
Javarris James
Javarris James (born September 18, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was signed by the Indianapolis Col ...
set a school rushing record for freshman by posting 148 rushing yards, breaking the previous record of 147 rushing yards set by
Clinton Portis
Clinton Earl Portis (born September 1, 1981) is an American college football coach at Delaware State University and former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played col ...
. Prior to the game, a number of
airplane
An airplane (American English), or aeroplane (Commonwealth English), informally plane, is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, Propeller (aircraft), propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a vari ...
s hired by Miami fans unhappy with the team's poor start circled over the Orange Bowl while carrying banners demanding the firing of the embattled Coker, as well as Athletic Director Paul Dee.
North Carolina
Pregame line: Miami -20.5
Freshman Javarris James further solidified his hold on the starting running back position by rushing for over 100 yards for the second consecutive week. James carried 16 times for 111 yards (6.9 ypc), including a dazzling 62-yard touchdown run in the third quarter which put the game out of reach.
Tight end
The tight end (TE) is an offense (sports), offensive position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football. It is a hybrid that combines the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a receiver (football), receiv ...
Greg Olsen had his best game of the season, catching 8 passes for 95 yards, while the Miami defense limited North Carolina to just 244 yards of total offense and forced 3 Tar Heel turnovers. The win gave Miami its first winning streak of the 2006 campaign as the Hurricanes improved to 3–2 overall. It was also Miami's first ACC win of the year, evening its conference record at 1–1.
Florida International
Pregame line: Off
This was the first meeting between the Hurricanes and the crosstown Golden Panthers, who began active competition as a football program in 2002. Kyle Wright threw for three touchdowns, and the Miami defense held the Golden Panthers to 148 total yards.
However, this game would become one of the biggest embarrassments in the history of both schools. After trash-talk between players from both teams during the opening minutes, and an incident in which FIU wide receiver Chandler Williams dove helmet-first into a prone Kenny Phillips after Miami intercepted a pass, the game turned truly ugly in the third quarter.
After James Bryant caught Wright's second TD pass, he pointed to the FIU bench and bowed to the crowd, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his act. At the end of the ensuing conversion, FIU's Chris Smith wrestled Miami holder Matt Perelli to the ground and punched him. Another Golden Panther, Marshall McDuffie Jr., kicked Perelli on the ground. Players from each side joined the pile, and both benches quickly emptied, with fights breaking out in several parts of the field. Several players from both teams threw punches, Miami cornerback Brandon Meriweather was seen trying to stomp on FIU players, and another Golden Panther, Amod Ned, was seen swinging a crutch at Miami players. During the melee, Canes safety Anthony Reddick ran across the field and swung his helmet at FIU cornerback Robert Mitchell, hitting him.
Five Canes were ejected—Carlos Armour, Chris Barney, Bruce Johnson, Charlie Jones, and Derrick Morse. Eight Golden Panthers were ejected as well. Coach Larry Coker also indefinitely suspended Meriweather and Reddick for their parts in the fracas, plus Bryant for his taunting gesture that arguably triggered the melee.
In the aftermath, Coker called the brawl "disgraceful". adding the following day, "I don't have many bad days. This is a bad day. And last night was a bad night." For his part, FIU head coach
Don Strock
Donald Joseph Strock (born November 27, 1950) is an American former professional football player and coach. He played as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) with the Miami Dolphins (1973–1987), Cleveland Browns (1988), and Ind ...
said "I can promise you that this will never happen again." Other officials from both universities also publicly apologized.
The day after the game, the ACC suspended a total of 13 Miami players, and the Sun Belt Conference suspended 18 FIU players.
Duke
Pregame line: Miami -20
Playing without 13 players who were suspended for their actions in the previous week's brawl with FIU, and missing starting tight end Greg Olsen and starting linebacker Jon Beason due to injury, the shorthanded 'Canes raced out to a 20–2 third quarter lead behind strong play from QB Kyle Wright. Underdog Duke would not give up, though, rallying to score two unanswered fourth-quarter touchdowns to trim Miami's lead to 20–15 (Duke failed to convert a two-point conversion attempt on the second touchdown). Meanwhile, the Duke defense put the clamps on Miami's running game, holding the Hurricanes to a paltry 37 yards rushing on 25 carries (1.5 ypc) for the game. Duke, however, could not capitalize on two opportunities to take the lead. After driving down to the Miami 29-yard line with less than 3:30 remaining in the game, Duke was stopped on a fourth down attempt and turned the ball over to Miami. Duke's defense would bend, as Miami drove down to the Duke 34, but Duke was able to stop Miami on third down. Faced with a 4th-and-2 from Duke's 34-yard line with inside 2:15 remaining, Miami head coach
Larry Coker
Larry Edward Coker (born June 23, 1948) is an American former college football coach and player. He served as the head football coach of the University of Miami from 2001 to 2006 and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) from 2011 to 201 ...
elected to punt and rely on his vaunted defense rather than go for it on fourth down or attempt a long field goal.
Duke took over from its own 11-yard line and strung together an impressive drive that brought the Blue Devils down to the Hurricanes' 6-yard line with :03 remaining in the game. On third down and with time expiring, Duke QB Thaddeus Lewis' threw a pass intended for
wide receiver
A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
Eron Riley in the left side of the endzone. However, Miami safety Willie Cooper was lying in wait and was able to jump the route and intercept Lewis' pass at the goal line. Cooper returned the ball all the way to the Duke 15-yard line before voluntarily falling to the ground to end the game and deny Duke what would have been a momentous upset.
Wright completed 23 of 41 passes for 291 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Duke wide receiver Jomar Wright was impressive in defeat, catching 10 passes for 170 yards against Miami's makeshift secondary. Miami sophomore safety Kenny Phillips intercepted three passes, tying a school record. Phillips was named the
ACC's Defensive Back of the Week for his stellar play.
Miami improved to 5–2 on the year with a 2–1 ACC record, setting up a showdown the next week with
Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the lar ...
for control of the ACC's Coastal Division.
Georgia Tech
Pregame line: Georgia Tech −5.5
Georgia Tech (5–2, 3–1 ACC) entered the game in first place in the ACC's Coastal Division, leading second-place Miami (5–2, 2–1 ACC) by 1/2 game in the standings. The winner of this showdown would gain control its own destiny and be able to assure itself of a berth in the ACC Championship by winning the remainder of its games.
Miami got on the board first when Georgia Tech
quarterback
The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
Reggie Ball fumbled the ball at the Georgia Tech 18-yard line during the Yellow Jackets' opening drive. Miami
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...
Glenn Cook returned the fumble for a Miami touchdown. After Miami forced a punt on the Jackets next possession,
Javarris James
Javarris James (born September 18, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was signed by the Indianapolis Col ...
broke a 49-yard run that set up a 38-yard field goal from Jon Peattie, putting Miami ahead, 10–0. Georgia Tech answered with a 12-play, 53-yard drive on its ensuing possession, highlighted by a 43-yard pass from Ball to receiver
Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson Jr. (born September 29, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "Megatron" after the ''Transforme ...
that set up a 39-yard field goal from Travis Bell, cutting the Miami lead to 10–3 at the end of the first quarter.
Miami added another field goal early in the second quarter to push its lead to 13–3. After a 22-yard punt by Miami's Brian Monroe gave Georgia Tech the ball at the Miami 46-yard line, Tech scored a touchdown on its first play when Ball connected with James Johnson for a 46-yard touchdown strike, bringing the Jackets within 3. Georgia Tech later intercepted a
Kyle Wright pass in Miami territory, which enabled the Jackets to add a game-tying field goal before the half.
On its first possession of the second half, Miami moved the ball 69 yards before the drive was ended when receiver Lance Leggett fumbled at the Georgia Tech 10-yard line. Miami forced Georgia Tech to go three-and-out before embarking on a long 14-play, 54-yard drive that ate up 6:59 and ended with another Peattie field goal, putting the Hurricanes back in front, 16–13.
Georgia Tech would respond with 17 unanswered fourth-quarter points. The first three came by way of a 39-yard field goal from Bell. That drive was not without controversy, however, as replays appeared to show Miami safety Brandon Meriweather intercept a pass from Ball on a 2nd-and-11 from the Miami 31. The play was ruled an incomplete pass by the referees on the field. The officials in the replay booth declined to initiate an instant replay review of the play, nor did Miami coach Larry Coker, who still had one timeout remaining, initiate a coach's challenge. Instead of Miami taking over with its lead intact, Georgia Tech retained possession, and, after picking up nine yards on third down, successfully kicked a game-tying field goal from the Miami 22.
The Jackets forced Miami to punt, and, on its next possession, Georgia Tech went 74 yards in 9 plays, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown pass from Ball to Johnson. On Miami's next possession, Wright was sacked by Adamm Oliver and fumbled at the Miami 35. The ball was recovered by Georgia Tech's Kamichael Hall, who returned it eight yards to the Miami 27. Two plays later, running back
Tashard Choice
Tashard J. Choice (born November 20, 1984) is an American football coach and former player who currently serves as the running backs coach for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia ...
ran for a 25-yard touchdown, giving Georgia Tech a 30–16 lead with 3:30 remaining, seemingly sealing the game.
Miami, however, made things interesting when Wright hooked up with tight end Greg Olsen for a 41-yard touchdown pass on the third play of Miami's next possession, making the score 30–23 with just 2:10 remaining in the game. Coker, who only had one timeout left, elected to kick deep on the ensuing kickoff rather than attempt an
onside kick
In gridiron football, an onside kick is a kickoff (under American and Canadian rules) or punt (under Canadian rules only) deliberately kicked short in an attempt by the kicking team to regain possession of the ball. This is in contrast with a t ...
. Miami was able to force Georgia Tech to punt and was set to take possession with less than :30 remaining and no timeouts. However, Miami punt returner Rashaun Jones fumbled the punt and the ball was recovered by Georgia Tech's Chris Dunlap, giving Georgia Tech the win.
With the loss, Miami fell to 5–3 (2–2 ACC) on the year, causing the already intense criticism of coach Coker and quarterback Wright to intensify. James was productive in defeat, gaining 112 yards on 19 carries, while Olsen caught 5 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown.
Virginia Tech
Pregame line: Virginia Tech -2
Virginia Tech avenged a 27–7 loss from the previous year by dealing reeling Miami its fourth loss of the 2006 season. Miami's defense was stout in defeat, holding the visiting Hokies to just 139 yards of total offense (86 passing, 53 rushing). Running back Tyrone Moss, filling in after starter
Javarris James
Javarris James (born September 18, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was signed by the Indianapolis Col ...
was forced from the game early in the first half with a hip pointer, had a strong game, rushing 13 times for 103 yards. The highlight of Moss' evening was a 50-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter that tied the score at 10. But it was not enough to overcome Miami's sputtering pass offense. Kyle Wright struggled badly, completing just 14 of 29 passes for 84 yards. Wright also threw two critical interceptions late in the game. The first led to what would prove to be Virginia Tech's game-winning touchdown, while the second came on the first play of Miami's ensuing possession, essentially sealing the defeat. The
homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States and Canada.
United St ...
loss served to only intensify criticism of the struggling Wright, who was booed lustily at times during the game. Coker, the team's embattled head coach, was also the subject of boos from the crowd. The loss was Miami's fifth consecutive against ranked opponents dating back to the previous season's
Peach Bowl
The Peach Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played annually in Atlanta, Georgia, since December 30, 1968.
The first three Peach Bowls were played at Bobby Dodd Stadium, Grant Field on the Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Tech c ...
loss to
LSU
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
, and ensured Miami of its first four-loss season since 1999.
Maryland
Playing in its first game since the murder of defensive lineman Bryan Pata (see
Bryan Pata murder below), a mourning Miami team dropped its third straight game, 14–13, to the #24 Maryland Terrapins at Byrd Stadium, falling to 5–5 on the season (2–4 ACC). Sophomore quarterback
Kirby Freeman
Kirby Lyn Freeman (born March 28, 1985) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Miami Hurricanes footba ...
, starting in place of the injured Kyle Wright, played well in his first collegiate start, completing 14 of 27 passes for 140 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Freeman also rushed for 51 yards on 9 carries. However, a couple of long pass plays surrendered by the Hurricane defense early in the game proved to be the difference. Maryland took a 7–0 lead early in the first quarter when quarterback Sam Hollenbach hooked up with receiver
Darrius Heyward-Bey
Darrius Ramar Heyward-Bey (born February 26, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins, and was selected by the O ...
on a 65-yard touchdown pass. Hollenbach would find Heyward-Bey again in the second quarter for a 96-yard touchdown pass, both the longest pass play in Maryland history and the longest pass ever surrendered by Miami. Miami would fight back, though, and cut the Maryland lead to one point in the fourth quarter. But after forcing Maryland to punt with 1:14 to go in the game, Miami returner Bruce Johnson fumbled the punt and Maryland recovered, enabling the Terrapins to run the clock out and walk away with the victory. Miami dominated the game statistically, racking up 320 yards and 18 first downs while holding the ball for 37:09, compared to just 258 yards, 6 first downs, and 22:51 of possession for Maryland, but was unable to convert that statistical advantage into a victory. Maryland fans stormed the field in celebration after the final whistle.
The loss was Miami's sixth straight against a ranked opponent, and was the third straight loss, and fourth loss overall, in which the Canes had a chance to tie or win the game on their final possession, but squandered the opportunity with a turnover.
Virginia
Pregame line: Miami -2
Miami lost its fourth straight game, losing to the Virginia Cavaliers for the first time in four all-time meetings. Miami's problems on offense continued, as the Hurricanes were only able to muster one offensive touchdown for the fourth consecutive game, while the Virginia offense picked apart the Miami defense. Jameel Sewell was the star of the Cavalier offense, connecting on 23 of 33 passes for 217 yards and running for a pair of touchdowns. Virginia also became the first team all season to rush for over 100 yards against Miami's defense, racking up 134 yards on the ground. Freshman running back Javarris James ran for 95 yards on 21 carries in defeat. Quarterback Kirby Freeman, making his second collegiate start after Kyle Wright underwent season-ending thumb injury, completed 11 of 18 passes for 152 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception.
With the Hurricanes dropping to 5–6 (2–5 ACC), they would need to win their final game of the season against Boston College in order to become bowl eligible.
Boston College
Pregame line: Boston College -3.5
In a Thanksgiving night primetime nationally televised game, Miami upset #18 Boston College at the Orange Bowl, 17–14, to win its 15th straight game against BC. The Hurricanes won behind a dominating defense that held the Eagles to under 200 yards of total offense and an offense that made just enough plays to overcome a 14–3 first half deficit. With the win, Miami became bowl eligible and denied BC a potential berth in the ACC Championship Game. The win was Miami's first of the year over a ranked opponent.
The game was played on the 22nd anniversary of the immortal "
Hail Flutie
The Hail Flutie game, also known as the Miracle in Miami, is a college football game in 1984 that took place between the Boston College Eagles and the Miami Hurricanes on November 23. It has been regarded by FOX Sports writer Kevin Hench as ...
" game, which was the last time Boston College defeated Miami.
MPC Computers Bowl
The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, previously the Humanitarian Bowl (1997–2003, 2007–2010) and the MPC Computers Bowl (2004–2006), is an NCAA-sanctioned post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually since 1997 at Albertson ...
vs. Nevada
On November 29, 2006, Miami accepted an invitation to play against the
Nevada Wolf Pack
The Nevada Wolf Pack are the athletic teams that represent the University of Nevada, Reno. They are part of NCAA's Division I's Mountain West Conference. It was founded on October 24, 1896 with football as the Sagebrushers in Reno, Nevada.
H ...
in the
MPC Computers Bowl
The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, previously the Humanitarian Bowl (1997–2003, 2007–2010) and the MPC Computers Bowl (2004–2006), is an NCAA-sanctioned post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually since 1997 at Albertson ...
at
Bronco Stadium
Albertsons Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in the Western United States, located on the campus of Boise State University in Boise, Idaho. It is the home of the Boise State Broncos of the Mountain West Conference. Known as Bronco Stadium f ...
in
Boise, Idaho
Boise ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Idaho, most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, there were 235,685 people residing in the city. Loca ...
on December 31. Playing in 20 degree temperatures, quarterback
Kirby Freeman
Kirby Lyn Freeman (born March 28, 1985) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Miami Hurricanes footba ...
completed 11 of 19 passes for 272 yards and led Miami to a 21–20 victory in coach Larry Coker's final game. Freeman, who also rushed for a touchdown, was named the game's Most Valuable Player. The win was clinched when Nevada quarterback Jeff Rowe was intercepted by Chavez Grant at the Miami 33 yard line with :18 remaining in the game. After the game, Coker was carried off the field by his players.
The win improved Miami's record to 7–6, making the 2006 campaign Miami's ninth straight winning season.
Bryan Pata murder
Defensive tackle
Bryan Pata was shot and killed on November 7, 2006. Pata was murdered at The Colony apartment complex in
Kendall by an unknown assailant some time around 7:30 pm. The
Miami-Dade Police Department
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO), formerly known as the Dade County Sheriff's Office (1836–1957), Dade County Public Safety Department (1957–1981), Metro-Dade Police Department (1981–1997),
and Miami-Dade Police Department (1997� ...
declined to release further information about the specific circumstances of the shooting until they finished interviewing witnesses; the death was ruled a
homicide
Homicide is an act in which a person causes the death of another person. A homicide requires only a Volition (psychology), volitional act, or an omission, that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from Accident, accidenta ...
.
Pata was the fourth Miami football player to die in the past 10 years. Linebacker Marlin Barnes and a female companion were bludgeoned to death in Barnes' on-campus apartment in 1996 by the woman's jealous ex-lover. In 2002, linebacker Chris Campbell was killed in a car accident. A car accident in 2003 also claimed the life of safety Al Blades.
Pata was described by friends and acquaintances as a "
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
" with a friendly, outgoing personality. Pata, who was projected to be a third-round selection in the
2007 NFL draft
The 2007 NFL draft was the 72nd annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draf ...
, also harbored dreams of one day possibly joining the
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
when his football career was over.
Post–season
With the Hurricanes finishing the regular season at 6–6, the 2006 season proved to be one of the worst for the program in the past thirty years. The fall of Miami, which established itself as one of the most successful college football programs of the past twenty five years, was one of the biggest stories in collegiate football in 2006.
The season was the culmination of a gradual decline for the program since it won the national championship in 2001. In each following year, Miami appeared to have taken a step back in terms of national stature and its overall record, going from an undefeated national championship in 2001 to a national championship game loss in 2002 to a two-loss season in 2003 to back-to-back three loss seasons in 2004 and 2005, and a six-loss season in 2006. The team, which had the longest current streak of being ranked in the
AP Poll, fell from the AP Top 25 in 2006 for the first time in 10 seasons.
Most noticeable during the decline were the mounting losses to mediocre programs, the increase in home losses, and a persistently anemic offense.
Only a late season win over Boston College ensured that Miami would finish the season bowl eligible. Since 1983, Miami had failed to play in a bowl game just twice: in 1995, when the program served a one-year bowl suspension, and in 1997, when the Hurricanes, hampered by NCAA scholarship sanctions, finished just 5–6.
Considerable speculation about Larry Coker's job status began to swirl after Miami's loss to Louisville in the third game of the season, which only intensified after the midseason brawl against FIU and the team's four-game losing streak late in the season.
As expected, Coker was dismissed on November 24, 2006, the morning after his Hurricanes closed the regular season with a 17–14 upset win over #18 Boston College. Coker would coach the team in its bowl game. As part of the terms of his contract, Coker would receive a buyout in the neighborhood of $2 to $3 million.
Head coaching search
In the aftermath of Coker's firing, a number of prominent college head coaches were speculated as potential candidates for the Miami head coaching job, including
South Carolina
South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
head coach
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945) is an American former football player and coach. He played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often referred to by his nicknam ...
, former
Wisconsin
Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
head coach Barry Alvarez, and
Rutgers
Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College and was aff ...
head coach
Greg Schiano
Gregory Edward Schiano (born June 1, 1966) is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Rutgers University, a position he held from 2001 to 2011 and resumed before the 2020 season. Schiano has the most wins in program ...
. Schiano, a former defensive coordinator at Miami, was reported to be the university's top choice. Schiano discussed the position with Miami Athletic Director Paul Dee, but subsequently removed his name from further consideration. Speculation ran high around
Texas Tech
Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the flagship institution of the five- ...
head coach
Mike Leach, who was one of only three coaches publicly confirmed as a candidate for the job, but Leach fell out of consideration after an interview with Dee.
After an intensive two-week head coaching search, Miami opted to stay in the family and promoted its highly regarded defensive coordinator
Randy Shannon
Randy Leonard Shannon (born February 24, 1966) is an American football coach and former player. He is the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for Florida State University, positions he has held since 2022. Shannon was the head coach a ...
to the position of head coach on December 8, 2006. Shannon, who played linebacker at Miami from 1985 through 1988, became just the sixth African-American head coach in NCAA Division I-A football at the time. Shannon took over recruiting duties immediately, but expressed his desire for fired head coach Larry Coker to stay on and coach the team one final time in its season-ending bowl game against Nevada.
Awards and honors
All-ACC
First Team
* Calais Campbell, DE
* Greg Olsen, TE
* Kenny Phillips, SS
Second Team
* Kareem Brown, DT
* Brandon Meriweather, S/CB
Jack Harding
John Joseph Harding (January 4, 1898 – February 24, 1963) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at St. Thomas College—now the University of ...
University of Miami MVP Award
*
Calais Campbell
Calais Malik Campbell ( ; born September 1, 1986) is an American professional football defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was selected by the Ca ...
, DE
References
{{Miami Hurricanes football navbox
Miami
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
Miami Hurricanes football seasons
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl champion seasons
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football team represents the University of Miami in college football. The Hurricanes compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, Foot ...