A season that began with great expectations ended in disappointment and dismay for the men’s basketball team after losing in the first round of the Big East tournament to Seton Hall.
The ‘Canes were unable to duplicate the success of the previous season where they finished 24-5 and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament despite returning starters Darius Rice and James Jones. The Hurricanes finished with a record of 11-17.
The ‘Canes were led by Rice and Jones on offense, scoring 18.7 and 16.9 points per game respectively. Jones was unable to pick up the slack when Rice was either injured or in foul trouble, however, which left the team with limited options offensively.
The 2002-03 season was a breakout year of sorts for Rice, as the 6’10” junior had several outings that garnered national attention, including a 43 point game against Connecticut which featured Rice stealing an inbounds pass and hitting a three-pointer at the buzzer to shock the Huskies. Rice never could put up those numbers consistently, however, as injuries and double-teams slowed him down from time to time.
The ‘Canes are fortunate to have Rice returning for his senior season, as the forward made public that he was considering entering the draft. After not liking where he was projected during pre-draft camps, Rice decided to stay in school.
Rice’s decision will be crucial in the development of head coach Perry Clark’s younger players. As freshman Robert Hite, Armondo Surratt, Gary Hamilton, Eric Wilkins, and Ismael N’Diaye all played important roles during the season, and will be counted on to keep improving next year.
The addition of William Frisby, a forward who was injured throughout the entire year, should be helpful in the Hurricanes quest to return to the top of the Big East in 2004. Frisby was thought of as a possible starter before he got injured.
The ‘Canes also brought in a nice recruiting class for the incoming season, with five prospects agreeing to become Hurricanes. Anthony Harris, a guard out of Chicago, already has Clark excited.
“I feel Anthony (Harris) is a great addition to our program,” Clark said. “He is a lead guard who can score which really compliments the players we have already signed. His versatility and decision making on the perimeter will really help us.”
The other recruit’s the Hurricanes have brought in include guard Guillermo Diaz, forward Karron Clarke, forward Leonard Harden III, and power forward Anthony King.
Clark feels King will provide a force in the middle that the ‘Canes lacked last season.
“The addition of Anthony King to our line-up will give us a physical presence down low, and a person who can rebound and score in the post,” Clark said. “He is a tough Big East type post player who has shown the ability during his high school career to score against some of the best players in the country.”
What frustrated many fans during this past season was how close the ‘Canes played some of the tougher teams in the conference without ever pulling out a win in the final minutes. Losses by five or less to Connecticut, eventual national champion Syracuse, Georgetown, and Boston College helped put a dark cloud on the 2002-2003 campaign.
With the addition of five top recruits, the development of the younger players, and the return of Darius Rice, Clark says the Hurricanes should give their fans much more to cheer about and turn some of those close losses into wins.
“I am very excited about our chances next season,” Clark said. “With all of the additions we have made in the off season we should be right back to where we were two years ago.”

Many Miami Hurricane men’s basketball fans can breathe a sigh of relief now that the team’s best player is back.
Darius Rice, who led the Hurricanes in scoring in 2002-2003, announced in May his return to the team for his senior season. Rice had kept quiet for months about the topic, refusing to let his guard down when asked by reporters about his draft status. The 6’10 forward was projected as a late first round/early second round pick had he entered the draft.
Most followers of Hurricane basketball feel Rice needs one more year of seasoning and bulking up before venturing into the NBA. Next year’s team will now return a seasoned veteran to help youngsters Robert Hite, Armondo Surratt, Eric Wilkins, and Gary Hamilton develop into stars in the Big East.
Last season Rice averaged 18.7 points per game, 5.8 rebounds, and shot 36.4 percent from beyond the three-point line. He started 26 of the ‘Canes 28 games and averaged 33.4 minutes a contest.
Despite a solid season from Rice, the Hurricanes had one of their worst years in recent memory, finishing11-17 (4-12 Big East), good for the second-worst record in the conference. Miami followed that record with a first-round loss in the Big East tournament to Seton Hall.
Rice pointed to wanting to end his college career on a winning team, influence from friends and family, and talks with head coach Perry Clark as key reasons for staying in school for his senior year.
“With the help of my parents, Coach Clark and the UM coaching staff I was able to gather the necessary information needed to make a decision I am happy with,” Rice said. “That is to return to the University of Miami for my senior year. I am looking forward to next season and am excited to get back to work with my teammates.”
The highlight of Rice’s 2002-03 season took place Jan. 20 in the Convocation Center, when Rice stole an inbounds pass from Shamon Tooles of Connecticut with 3.2 seconds left in the game and hit a fade away three pointer to shock the Huskies, 77-76. Rice had a career high 43 points in the game.
“The basket was as big as the ocean for me that night,” Rice said. “I hope to have more nights like that in the future.”
At most of the Hurricanes’ games last season Rice had to perform in front of scouts of various professional teams. Despite that, Rice said he never felt any added pressure as a result.
“I honestly don’t pay attention to that stuff,” Rice said.
Rice is hopeful that his decision to stay at UM will keep the fans in the seats next season and promote more interest in the ‘Canes.
“We play for our school and our fans,” Rice said. “It’s great to be able to give them a great game and hear them cheer for us.”

The UM women’s basketball team still has some work left before they can be considered as much of a Big East power as the Uconn’s and Rutgers. However, a new member of the team brought the ‘Canes closer to reaching that goal this past season.
In a year that saw Miami reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998, freshman forward Tamara James wasted no time making the jump from hard working rookie to Big East superstar. James, a native of Miami, led the conference averaging 21.0 points a game, while pacing the Hurricanes with 7.9 rebounds per contest. Her contributions helped Miami achieve an 18-13 record, and an impressive run in the Big East tournament.
“She’s a competitor,” Labati told the Miami Herald. “She wants to win. She believes in herself. She believes in the team concept. She wants the ball in critical situations. She can do so many things.”
James, named the ‘Canes starter at small forward to begin the season, made her presence felt immediately with a 20 point, 21 rebound performance in UM’s opening game 60-49 victory over South Florida. She continued to be a consistent scoring threat for her team, with efforts like a 36-point night in an 87-56 rout of Quinnipiac, and a 27-point evening in Miami’s 97-66 victory over Maryland.
Before the start of conference play, the Hurricanes got off to an 11-3 start, and while it helped to have the nation’s highest scoring freshman in their lineup everyday, there were certainly other players increasing their level of play. Senior Meghan Saake, a two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year, continued to make plays on both ends of the floor, while junior Chanivia Broussard and sophomore Melissa Knight provided the ‘Canes some much needed depth off the bench.
Despite the presence of a consistent scoring threat, and better production from the bench, Miami still could not avoid falling into inconsistencies which have plagued the program over the past few seasons. Once Big East play rolled around, teams were finding ways to double-team James, and no one else’s shots were falling on a consistent basis.
Although Miami would lose several close games during that span, one player eventually helped taking the load off from James’s back. Sophomore Yalonda McCormick, who suffered through a disappointing rookie campaign, turned things around with a mature attitude and an improvement in all areas.
McCormick finished second on the ‘Canes with a 10.2 points per game scoring average, and also dished out six assists per contest. McCormick and Saake also formed one of the country’s devastating defensive combos. Saake added a 10.2 points per game average to the defensive highlights.
“Meghan Saake would be a great asset to any championship team,” Labati said. “She is fully dedicated to the game and it is great to coach a player like her. She gave us four years of dedication and hard work.”
Although the Hurricanes lose the services of Saake and Alicia Hartlaub, James and McCormick are back, along with eight other players from the 2002-2003 squad. Add to that a stellar freshman class, and Hurricane fans could be in for one of the most exciting seasons in quite some time.

It is hard to say if this is a good sign or not, but this year’s football team was already getting headlines this spring for a variety of reasons. Now, the Miami Hurricanes hope to rack up the headlines this fall as well.
In what was a controversial but entertaining spring, fans found out a lot about the 2003 Hurricanes. The most important question was answered when Larry Coker named Brock Berlin as the starter over underdog Derrick Crudup.
Coker pointed to Berlin’s physical skills and big-game ability as reasons for naming him the official starter.
“I’ve been very impressed with both players,” Coker said. “Brock, having had very little time in the offense, has really made tremendous strides in the offense. I think the same thing with Derrick. I’ve really seen Derrick come miles. I think we can win with both of those players on our football team at quarterback.”
The quarterback controversy almost became a race issue when Crudup’s father questioned quarterbacks coach Dan Werner’s ethics during team meetings. The situation resolved itself but not before appearing on ESPN and in national newspapers.
“We had a very productive meeting in which we discussed several issues,” Coker said. “We are all in agreement that race was not an issue in deciding the quarterback competition. The Crudups regret that Coach Werner was unfairly labeled.”
The ‘Canes will have a different look in other positions as well. The offensive line must overcome the losses of Brett Romberg and Sherko Haji-Rasouli by putting together a makeshift line featuring converted tight end Eric Winston. Senior Vernon Carey has already been put on the watch list for the Outland Trophy and is expected to anchor the inexperienced line.
Only a few months removed from Willis McGahee’s remarkable 2002 season, the Hurricanes are looking to Frank Gore for a repeat performance from his freshman campaign in 2001. Gore was expected to be last season’s starter before injuring his ACL in the spring. Fully recovered, Gore will have to take some pressure off of Berlin by having big rushing games.
The receivers all have increased responsibility after Andre Johnson declared for the draft and Ethenic Sands graduated. Sophomore Roscoe Parrish handles most of the kick returning duties and will also be a primary target for Berlin.
Seniors Kevin Beard and Jason Geathers will also look to come up with critical catches during the season. Kellen Winslow is expected to build on his breakout 2002 season and become the best tight end in the country.
While the offensive unit has many unanswered questions, the defense should be near the top of the country, returning many starters and looking impenetrable as a unit during the spring.
Seniors Jon Vilma and D.J. Williams should dominate the middle of the field. Vilma has been listed as a candidate for the Nagurski Award.
The secondary did not suffer any losses from last season and should be one of the most sound units in the nation. The combination of Maurice Sikes, Sean Taylor, Antrel Rolle, Glenn Sharpe, and Kelly Jennings should rack up interceptions and make opposing receivers frightened to go over the middle of the field.
The defensive line will be anchored by tackle Vince Wilfork, who was a candidate to leave for the draft after a breakout 2002 campaign. Wilfork chose to stay, much to the delight of the Hurricanes, and should team up with end David Williams to swallow up ball carriers.
Despite the kicking situation not being etched in stone, it seems that Mark Gent will replace Todd Sievers after an impressive spring that featured several 50-plus yard field goals. Jon Peattie will be the punter to start the season.
There are several newcomers expected to make an immediate contribution. Tyrone Moss could earn some carries backing up Gore and Jarrett Payton, and Terrell Walden looks to emerge as a nickel back in the secondary.
It is hard to imagine how a team that lost so many players to the draft will be able to immediately duplicate last year’s success with different players at key positions. But that is the beauty of Hurricanes football. No matter what combination of guys the ‘Canes put out on the field, they always find a way to win.

The 2003 NFL Draft turned out to be just another successful draft for the UM football program.
Eight Miami Hurricanes were selected overall in the draft, which brought their two year total to a 19 players, which ties the NCAA all-time record for any college program, a record the ‘Canes had a share of when they did it in 1987-88.
This time, the ‘Canes came extremely close to breaking the record. The only reason Miami did not break the record was due to a surprising draft day falling of the stock of All-American center Brett Romberg, who ended up signing a free agent deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The ‘Canes sported four first round selections in Andre Johnson, Jerome McDougle, Willis McGahee, and William Joseph. Johnson started things off by going No. 3 overall to the Houston Texans. Johnson’s 1092 yard, nine-touchdown season earned him the honor of being a top five selection.

Jerome McDougle’s name was called out next, when he became the first of five Hurricane defensive linemen selected, at No. 15 to the Philadelphia Eagles.
In perhaps the shock of the draft, the Buffalo Bills became the unlikely team to take a flyer on the injured Willis McGahee, doing so with the 23rd overall pick in the draft, despite McGahee’s uncertain status for the 2003 season. William Joseph joined McDougle in the NFC East, going to the New York Giants with the 25th pick in the first round.
The first day of the draft was not finished for Hurricane players, as Andrew Williams became the 89th overall pick of the draft, and a third round selection of the San Francisco 49ers. The Williams pick marked the third defensive lineman taken off of the ‘Canes defensive line, which was widely regarded as the best in the nation last season.
Day two of the draft yielded three more Hurricane selections, two of which came off the defensive line. Jamaal Green kicked things off in the fourth round, joining McDougle in Philadelphia, as the 131st overall pick. Just 19 selections later, Matt Walters became the fifth and final Canes defensive lineman to be selected, at No. 150 to the New York Jets.
The last round of the draft may have been the one every ‘Canes fan was waiting for. Star QB Ken Dorsey, a California native, was taken by his hometown team, the San Francisco 49ers with the 241st overall selection in the 7th round. It will be a homecoming for Dorsey, who is expected to compete for the backup quarterback spot on the 49ers, playing under former UM head coach Dennis Erickson.
These eight Hurricanes all have a very good chance of making the squads that they were drafted on, and several could be impact players right away. With these eight players selected, the Miami Hurricanes football program continues to set the standard for the rest of the colleges to follow.

Football pundits can say what they want about Ken Dorsey, but as a Hurricane the numbers don’t lie, and his fans will remember him as a winner.
Despite never getting the Heisman Trophy he may have deserved, or hearing scouts criticize his arm, Dorsey never stopped winning games for the ‘Canes.
The San Francisco 49ers draftee ended his career with a record of 38-2, which is unmatched in college football history. Dorsey set Big East records for touchdown passes, passing yards, pass completions, and pass attempts.
Last season Dorsey shared Big East Offensive Player of the Year honors with Willis McGahee, and is a three-time conference All-Academic Team member. The list of accomplishments for Dorsey goes on and on.
Unfortunately for Dorsey, his career did not end the way he had hoped. After winning the national title in 2001, the Hurricanes looked poised to repeat at the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona, heading into the title game with a 12-0 record.
What the ‘Canes did not expect, however, was the dominance of Ohio State’s defense in the double overtime thriller. The Buckeye’s defense, combined with costly turnovers and a questionable call by official Terry Porter led to a shocking 31-24 upset victory over the ‘Canes. To make matters worse for Dorsey, the signal-caller’s last game may have been his worst as a Hurricane.
Dorsey threw two costly interceptions, lost a fumble, and was sacked four times. The humbled quarterback did not point fingers after the loss.
“I take all the responsibility for the loss,” Dorsey said after the game. “If I didn’t turn the ball over we would have been in great shape to win our second national championship.”
The game will go down as one of the greatest ever to be played, but the pain of losing his final game left Dorsey with little concern about history.
“We’d be able to appreciate the game a lot more if we were on the winning side,” Dorsey said.
Because the Fiesta Bowl was the last game Dorsey played for the Hurricanes, fans may not remember all of the accomplishments of his senior season. In 2002, Dorsey compiled career highs in yardage, completions, touchdowns, and attempts. He led the conference in passing yardage, total offense, and pass efficiency.
Some of the highlights of Dorsey’s season included passing for 300 yards against Virginia Tech to clinch a berth in the Fiesta Bowl, a 16-25, 345 yard performance against Syracuse, and a career-high 422 yards against West Virginia, a game that put Dorsey back in the Heisman race.
Dorsey’s poor performance in the Fiesta Bowl combined with shaky pre-draft workouts may have hurt his draft status, as he was not picked until the final round by San Francisco. That may have been a blessing in disguise for Dorsey, however, as the 49ers are thin on QB’s to back up starter Jeff Garcia. Hurricane fans can assume that Dorsey will be itching to get a chance to play for the 49ers, and continue to win games, like he did in college.

Certainly having only one senior and entering just the second season since the program’s restoration does not usually spell success, but those factors did not deter the Hurricanes volleyball team from having a ground-breaking season.
Victories have not been hard to find for coach Nicole Lantagne Welch and the ‘Canes since the volleyball program was reinstated two years ago. Miami enjoyed a remarkable 26 game-winning streak that began at the end of the 2001 season and carried over to last year. The Hurricanes also gained some national recognition by reaching the top 25 and advancing to postseason play during which the team fell to the Nebraska Cornhuskers in three games.
Over the past two years, Lantagne Welch accumulated a 44-12 record, including a 27-6 mark in 2002. Losing only six games all season is even more impressive considering the six freshmen and six sophomores on the Miami roster.
The Hurricanes were led by their sole senior, Marcela Gamarra, who finished first on the team with 1209 total attacks and 477 kills. Gamarra also elevated her game defensively, placing second behind only Jaime Grass in digs. Gamarra earned First-Team All-Big East honors with her outstanding numbers and her impact on the team.
“Marcela’s been tremendous for this program,” coach Lantagne Welch said. “She’s a great player and such a great person as well. Everyone on this team cares for her so much and have learned so much from her as well. She’s really brought experience and dedication and has been a complete person for this program.”
Gamarra was not alone, however, in anchoring the women’s volleyball team. Sophomores Valeria Tipiana and Mallorey James ended the year as members of the First-Team All-Big East squad, and provided much needed offense consistently throughout the season. Tipiana, Miami’s outside-hitter and the Big East Player of the Year, was second on the Hurricanes in kills, while Mallorey James guided the ‘Canes through the season by setting up the attacks. James proved herself to be an outstanding role player, earning the Setter of the Year award in the Big East. Her play was much of the reason why Miami ended the year leading the Big East in kills per game.
Defensively, Jamie Grass set the tone for the Hurricanes. Grass raised her level of play in her sophomore season. In 118 games, Grass recorded 499 digs, or 4.23 digs per game. The Hurricanes in total had five players averaging over two digs per game, which provided the team with a good defense to compliment the explosive offense.
The combination of young talent and solid coaching put Miami in the national spotlight in 2002. In the NCAA tournament, the Hurricanes earned victories over Duke and the 14-seed Wisconsin Badgers. Against Wisconsin, Miami had to go on the road in front of a hostile crowd to pull off the upset. Equally as impressive, the Hurricanes went 10-3 in the Big East, which was a deep and difficult conference as usual. Despite having only one senior, Miami proved itself to be a serious threat in NCAA volleyball.

It was only a matter of time before the UM baseball squad returned to Omaha.
After a 34-29 campaign in 2002, which was the worst mark in Jim Morris’s coaching career in Coral Gables, the Miami Hurricanes turned things around with a 45-17-1 mark and a fifth place finish in the College World Series. The ‘Canes were able to amass that record with a starting lineup featuring only one player with previous CWS experience, and without their No. 1 pitcher in the starting rotation.
Although there were many positives to reflect on over the past five months, Morris was still disappointed in the way things turned out.
“We had as good of an opportunity as anyone else[in Omaha],” Morris said. “So it’s a disappointing feeling to come back early.”
The Hurricanes succeeded on having better team chemistry in the 2003 season, as the collective groups of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors were able to jell together. However, the ‘Canes probably wouldn’t have made the trip to Rosenblatt Stadium without the clutch hitting of freshman Ryan Braun. In addition to playing at four different positions this season, Braun led Miami in the three major hitting categories, sporting a .364 average with 17 home runs and 74 RBI’s.
Braun’s biggest highlight of his freshman year likely came in the first game of the Coral Gables Super Regionals, in which the Granada Hills native belted a walk-off homer to give Miami a 10-9 victory.
“I pride myself in those situations,” Braun said after the game. “I expect myself to come through in clutch situations.”
Braun was named Baseball America’s Freshman of the Year, while fellow frosh Gaby Sanchez earned second-team all-freshman honors. Immediately taking over the third base duties after the departure of Kevin Howard. Sanchez became one of Miami’s most consistent hitters, ending the year with a .328 average, while placing second on the ‘Canes with 56 RBI’s.
The biggest improvement may have come from catcher Eric San Pedro. The sophomore continued to provide the Hurricanes with stellar defense, but also hit .317 this season, a batting average that was up an even 100 points from a year ago. San Pedro attributes the improvement to a new attitude at the plate.
“Last season I worked out a lot, and I’ve calmed down in my approach of swinging the bat,” San Pedro said. “I’ve been more patient seeing the ball and I’ve been trying to hit the ball to right field.”
The pitching rotation appeared to suffer a major blow in late February, when ace Dan Touchet underwent Tommy John surgery, ending his season. However, Morris immediately called on the services of left-hander J.D. Cockroft, and the junior came out of the bullpen to post an 11-3 record, with a 2.71 ERA.
Cockroft accomplished all those numbers with the aid of a change-up that goes as slow as 55 MPH.
“J.D. throws two speeds,” Morris told the Sun-Sentinel. “Slow and slower.”
Although the bullpen was the shakiest aspect of the Hurricanes, junior George Huguet rebounded from a dismal ending to the 2002 season to record eight saves with a 2.37 ERA. Sophomore Shaun Valdes-Fauli, who became the closer after Huguet injured his hand in May, gave Miami quality multiple-inning efforts out of the pen, finishing with just a 3.19 ERA.
The good news for the Hurricanes is that every player from the 2003 season is eligible to return, and with the possible exception of first baseman Jim Burt, the entire staring lineup and pitching rotation will be back. As always, UM will bring in a first-rate freshman and junior college class for 2004, but Morris says that those players time will come at a later date.
“We expect to win next year, and to do it with the players on the roster right now.” Morris said.

UM football runs into sea of red

It was not supposed to end like this for the 2002 Hurricane football team.
After going 12-0 during the regular season, winning the Fiesta Bowl was supposed to be a mere formality for the heavily favored ‘Canes. Fans were going to begin thinking about a three-peat in 2003.
Instead, the combination of the underdog Ohio State defense, a questionable pass interference call, a devastating injury, and careless mistakes by several Hurricanes led to one of the biggest upsets in college football history, a 31-24 double overtime win for the Buckeyes.
Sure, the Hurricanes had a remarkable season and extended their win streak to 34 games before it was snapped. The team could also take pride in knowing that they were involved in one of the greatest games in the sport’s history.
But the sour taste of defeat left Ken Dorsey and the rest of the squad uninterested in the record books.
“I think we’d appreciate the game more if we were on the winning side,” Dorsey said.
Now, after having a few months to reflect on the 2002 season and forget about how it ended, one can realize how impressive the campaign actually was.
Looking at the big picture, the highlights far outweighed the lowlights for Larry Coker’s bunch.
Entering the season, no one could tell how the Hurricanes would be able to defend their title. Many assumed the losses of Clinton Portis, Jeremy Shockey, Ed Reed, and others would be too much to overcome.
It wasn’t until Sept. 7 when the ‘Canes demoralized Florida 41-16 in Gainesville that the team began to realize what it had. The Gator-bashing also foreshadowed the amazing season that Willis McGahee was about to have.
McGahee rushed for 204 yards and slashed through Florida’s defense, the first of many big games for the sophomore.
After easy victories over Temple, Boston College, and Connecticut, the Hurricanes added another chapter to their book of last second wins over hated rival Florida State. In arguably the best game of the regular season, the ‘Canes rallied from a 13 point deficit in the fourth quarter to escape with a 28-27 win after Xavier Beitia’s field-goal attempt sailed wide-left.
At this point in the season, Dorsey was keeping his name in the Heisman race with superior statistics, McGahee emerged as a dark horse in the race, and Kellen Winslow was making everybody in Coral Gables ask “Shockey who?” The sophomore tight end had become Dorsey’s favorite target near the end zone and would have his break-out performance in the Fiesta Bowl.
The Hurricane defense was also critical in the team’s regular season success. In wins against Tennessee, Rutgers, and Pittsburgh, veterans like Jon Vilma and D.J. Williams made timely plays, and youngsters like Sean Taylor and Maurice Sikes picked up where Reed, Phillip Buchanon, and Mike Rumph left off last year.
After Ohio State clinched their spot in the title game, it was up to the Hurricanes to win at home against Virginia Tech. Thanks to a six touchdown performance by McGahee, the squad held on for a 56-45 win over the Hokies, sending the ‘Canes back to Tempe.
Before the title game the Hurricanes made even more headlines when both Dorsey and McGahee were named as two of the five finalists for the Heisman Trophy. Neither would win, but both made the school very proud with their individual seasons.
In his final season, Dorsey ended up breaking conference records in touchdown passes, passing yards, pass completions and pass attempts. McGahee had the best season of any running back in the school’s history, emerging from a backup to a surefire first-round pick.
Unfortunately for the two stars, the season ended worse than anyone could have ever predicted. In the Fiesta Bowl, Dorsey had his worst game as a Hurricane and felt that the loss was his own fault.
“I take all the responsibility for this loss,” Dorsey said after the game. “If I didn’t turn the ball over we would have been in great shape to win our second national championship.”
As bad as the loss was for Dorsey, it ended worse for McGahee. In the fourth quarter, the tailback was hit so hard by cornerback Will Allen that he tore his ACL and MCL. There was talk after the game that his career would be over.
Despite the horrible ending for the Hurricanes, the team can look back with a smile at the seasons of Dorsey and McGahee, the fact that McGahee is on track for a full recovery and a professional career, the emergence of future stars like Roscoe Parrish, Kellen Winslow, Vince Wilfork, Sean Taylor, and others, and a 34-game winning streak that may never be duplicated again.