Negative criticism is one of the biggest challenges for a national championship team to overcome. Just ask the 2002 Miami Hurricane football squad, who fresh off their 12-0 championship season, constantly hear the echoes of facing a daunting schedule minus 12 of last year’s starters, along with injuries to several players figured to be a key part of the puzzle this time around.

However, the Hurricanes, like many other championship teams before them, choose to ignore all the criticism and questions. Instead, the team is concentrating on extending their nation-long 22-game win streak, and are looking upon the shoulders of a dozen returning starters as well as many other talented veterans and newcomers to get them through the country’s toughest schedule.

Miami currently holds the No. 1 spot in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Although the team certainly hasn’t been paying attention to the polls at this point of the season, head coach Larry Coker uses the ranking as an indicator to describe his squad’s expectations.

“Expectations are sky high and I don’t see them any lower than they were in the past,” Coker said. “We expect to be a good football team, we expect to play well, and we expect to meet our own expectations.”

On offense, the focus again shines on senior quarterback and Heisman hopeful Ken Dorsey. Coming off a season in which he passed for 2,652 yards and 23 touchdowns, Dorsey is chasing the Big East mark for career touchdowns, as he enters this year just three behind Boston College’s Glen Foley. More importantly, though, Dorsey has three full seasons under his belt and the coaches will look to him more than ever to supply the majority of the offensive load.

Dorsey has his own ideas about what to do with the negative criticism against the Hurricanes.

“It just makes it easier to block out,” Dorsey said. “People telling us how complacent we are just gives us more motivation to try and prove them wrong.”

Dorsey’s favorite target, at least at the start of the season, will be junior Andre Johnson. The 6-3 Johnson transformed from obscurity to greatness last year, with 37 catches for a team-high 685 yards, capped off by a Rose Bowl performance that garnered him the Co-MVP Award with Dorsey. Fellow junior Kevin Beard looks to repeat a strong 2001 performance, while sophomore Kellen Winslow shifts into the starting tight end spot.

Several other receivers, including senior Ethnic Sands, freshman Roscoe Parrish, and sophomore David Williams figure to be included in a lot of three and four receiver sets. Sands, in particular, wants to erase a disappointing junior campaign.

“Everyone said that we were the weak link of the team last year,” Sands said. “This year, we come in as an experienced core and we feel that we can all make plays and be comfortable.”

Injuries hit the Hurricane backfield hard, where this year’s projected starter Frank Gore, will miss at least five games after recovering from spring knee surgery. Sophomore Willis McGahee, who in addition to his 4.7 yards per carry last season, has impressed during August practice, will start at the tailback. Junior Jason Geathers moves from receiver to tailback in place of Jarrett Payton, who has been hampered by recurring back problems.

Kyle Cobia, sidelined with an injury to his upper fibula, looks to return for the Sept. 7 Florida game. Until then, freshman Quadtrine Hill starts at fullback, with junior transfer Talib Humphrey getting a lot of downs as well.

Senior center Brett Romberg anchors a talented, but young offensive line. The Outland Trophy candidate will be joined by sophomore Carlos Joseph and senior Sherko Haji-Rasouli. Surprise starter Chris Myers occupies the right guard position, while big Vernon Carey, generously listed at 330 pounds, moves into the right tackle spot. Carey understands the void left by the departure of Bryant McKinnie and Joaquin Gonzalez, but doesn’t think that will affect much.

“We have potential for a great season, just like last year,” Carey said. “Me and Carlos want to show that you can forget about Bryant and Joaquin.”

The front seven is arguably the strongest part of the Hurricane squad. Both defensive ends and tackles return this season, as William Joseph looks to repeat his 10 sacks from a year ago. Senior Matt Walters has gotten playing time at both tackle and end in training camp. Jerome McDougle and Andrew Williams are recovering from mild injuries, and for the time being, are backing up Jamal and Cornelius Green.

Williams doesn’t really care who is starting out of this talented bunch.

“We will all be out there rotating,” Williams said. “With all of us out there, we can go out and hopefully make things happen.”

The linebacking core, which showed the most improvement as the 2001 season progressed, returns at two-thirds strength. Junior Jonathan Vilma certainly promises to be one of the most exciting players at his position, while weak side linebacker D.J. Williams joins Vilma on the Butkus Award watch list. Senior Howard Clark will finally get his chance to start at the strong side. Freshman Rocky McIntosh could eventually challenge Clark for playing time.

Finally, there’s the secondary, which will undergo a complete transformation of personnel. Freshman Kelly Jennings and Sophomore Antrel Rolle start at the corners, with Al Marshall as the primary nickel back. Sophomore Sean Taylor, considered the most talented of the bunch, holds down the free safety spot, while Mo Sikes starts at strong safety.

This is, without a doubt Miami’s biggest question mark, but Rolle is confident that the secondary will produce, when need be.

“I don’t feel that we have a weakness, but rather things we can work on,” Rolle said. “I think with preparation, we can get the job done.”

The Hurricanes return two of the nation’s best special team players, in senior placekicker Todd Sievers and fellow senior punter Freddie Capshaw. Geathers and Rolle begin the season as Miami’s likely kick return duo with Rolle a candidate for punt returns as well.

The Hurricanes, as everyone has repeated many times, face the nation’s toughest schedule. Although the obligatory cupcakes like FAMU, Connecticut, and Rutgers appear on the schedule, Miami will host a vastly improved Florida State squad, as well as a Virginia Tech team with two star running backs. On the road, the ‘Canes travel to Gainesville for the first time since 1987, as well as face a Tennessee game that many people are pointing to as a possible national championship preview.

No one on the 2002 Hurricanes will argue about the difficulty of repeating as national championships. However, the players, like Dorsey, know that it can be done.

“If you take the wrong attitude, then [repeating] is even more difficult,” Dorsey said. “But, if you take the right attitude, it’s still hard, but the right attitude also alleviates pressure.”

Favorites
Rex Grossman
(QB, Florida, Jr.)
Grossman throws the ball deeper with more accuracy than anyone in the nation. However, he will have to adjust to life without Steve Spurrier. If Grossman can beat Miami and Tennessee, the Heisman is his. If he struggles, it proves Spurrier’s system was the reason for his success.

Ken Dorsey
(QB, Miami, Sr.)
Dorsey is the most intelligent quarterback in college football. He must prove he can succeed with an inexperienced offensive line that will give up more sacks than last season. Dorsey is 26-1 as a starter and can take the Heisman home if he leads Miami to victories in statement games against Florida, FSU, and Tennessee.

Byron Leftwich
(QB, Marshall, Sr.)
Will put up huge numbers against sub par MAC opponents. Prior Marshall players Chad Pennington and Randy Moss went to New York City, but came home empty handed. Leftwich will need to win at Virginia Tech on Sept. 12 for any chance whatsoever, or it will be 0-for-3 for Marshall Heisman hopefuls.

Hopefuls
Jason Gesser
(QB, Washington, Sr.)
Led Wash. St. to 10-2 record last season behind a strong and very accurate arm. Will lead a spread out offense that calls for plenty of deep passing plays that will pad his stats. Statement game against Ohio State on Sept. 14 should make him known. An undefeated season is very possible.

Chris Simms
(QB, Texas, Sr.)
Texas coach Mack Brown will allow Simms to throw often to the best receivers in the country. Simms can finally put the Major Applewhite situation behind him, but he must lead the Longhorns to nothing less than a National Title for Longhorn fans to accept him. Simms has to put up huge numbers and prove himself for reasons other than his famous father.

Onterrio Smith
(RB, Oregon, Jr.)
Smith will get a boatload of carries that will assure him amazing numbers. However, playing on the west coast will hurt his name recognition, and the Ducks may have to go undefeated for him to earn a trip to New York.

Sleepers
Dave Ragone
(QB, Louisville, Sr.)
Ragone is not known around the country. He is a big quarterback who throws well on the run. Schedule is not too tough but will probably have to beat FSU at home on Sept. 26 for a chance to win the hardware.

Chris Rix
(QB, Florida State, Soph.)
Rix compiled 3,123 yards of total offense as a freshman last season. He returns with a much-improved team, including an outstanding offensive line and speedy wide receivers. Rix’s performance against Miami and Florida will control his fate.

Casey Clausen
(QB, Tennessee, Jr.)
Doesn’t have great arm strength but will throw to an amazing target in wideout Kelly Washington and will have plenty of time behind a solid offensive line. It will be hard to ignore him if the Vols beat Florida and Miami.
The Rest
Eli Manning (QB, Ole Miss, Jr.), Chris Brown (RB, Colorado, Jr.), Lee Suggs (RB, Virginia Tech, Sr.), Charles Rogers (WR, Michigan State, Soph), EJ Henderson (LB, Maryland, Sr.), Cedric Benson (RB, Texas, Soph).

Reminder, don’t miss out on the beginning of the Intramural seasons!

Fantasy Football
Here is your chance to win Miami Dolphins tickets to the Monday Night Football game against the Chicago Bears! The winner of this year’s fantasy football league will win 2 tickets to this game on December 9 at Pro Player Stadium. The cost is $10 and this is your 1st chance to become a champion.

Labor Day Softball Tournament
The first tournament of the 2002-2003 year is this softball tournament held on the Yaron Fields September 1. The cost of the tournament is $10 per team. The Major Leagues may strike but you can count on us playing ball!

Center Brett Romberg has always brought a lot of confidence to the football field. Whether Miami is challenging for a national title, or recovering from an embarrassing loss, expect the senior lineman from Windsor, Ontario to be the first to hold his head up high.

For Romberg, this year is no different. Although the Hurricanes enter the tomorrow’s season opener against Florida A&M ranked No. 1 in both polls, many questions remain unanswered about the offensive line, particularly about the three new full-time starters. Romberg shrugs off those questions, instead offering a more hopeful explanation.

“I’m confident in our ability,” Romberg said. “We’ve never worked this hard before and guys are doing whatever it takes to win games.”

Brett Romberg has come a long way from his days playing football in Canada. After scouts ranked him as high as No. 2 among Canadian Junior Football players, Romberg arrived at Miami in 1998 and was used sparingly as a true freshman, primarily at left guard.

After redshirting the following year, Romberg came back with a vengeance in 2000 and 2001, making most of the calls as the ‘Canes starting center. Romberg received two consecutive All Big-East selections, as well as being named a finalist for the Dave Rimington Trophy in 2001.

This season, Romberg has been named a pre-season candidate for the Rimington Trophy. Despite all the accolades, the senior puts his focus on what is important.

“I take it [the award] as an honor, especially growing up thinking that the center was the fat guy position,” Romberg said. “But I’m just trying to win football games with my unit.”

As with many offensive linemen before him, Romberg developed a bond with his position coach, Art Kehoe. The 45-year old Kehoe enters his 24th year with the Miami football program, coaching players like Leon Searcy, K.C. Jones, and Bryant McKinnie during that time span. According to Romberg, Kehoe’s personality has benefited himself and the rest of the team.

“He [Art] developed a friendship with me, instead of a player-coach type dictatorship,” Romberg said. “He wants you to be able to talk to him on a personal level, not just a football coach level.”

Graduating in December 2001 with a business degree, Romberg is now enrolled in graduate school, where he attempts to receive his MBA. Away from the classroom, Romberg spends countless hours playing video games, or in other words, getting embarrassed by his roommate, quarterback Ken Dorsey. One would think rooming with another key player might cause a lot of unneeded strain away from the field, but Romberg says just the opposite.

“The thing that keeps us sane is that we don’t bring football back to the house,” Romberg said. “Once we get back to the house, there is always talk about video games, or stuff going on in our lives.”

“That helps both of us shut out what needs to be shut out.”

Back on the field, the loss of three starting offensive linemen from the 2001 national championship team means that coaches and players count on Romberg to keep the offensive line in shape. Of course, Romberg does not have any problem with that; instead he thrives on being a leader.

“I want to do a little extra this year, whether it’s in the film room, on the field, or off it,” Romberg said. “I just want to be the leader of the team, and me, Kenny, and Jerome McDougle all share the same thought process.”

The road to the National Championship, like every season, will prove to be extremely difficult. However, unlike last season and the four prior seasons, there is a strong possibility that an undefeated team will not run away with the title at the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona.

The Hurricane’s perfect 2001 season was one to remember for the ages…but don’t count on another perfect campaign by Miami, or any other division one football team for that matter. In 2000, it was Oklahoma who won the title with an undefeated record, FSU in 1999 went 12-0, Tennessee was perfect in 1998, and Nebraska went 13-0 in 1997. This year’s champion should break a five-year trend that started after the Florida Gators won the 1996 National Championship with a 12-1 record.

Miami fans must not take what I am saying the wrong way. I strongly believe that the ‘Canes will return to the National Championship game and become the first back to back title winner since Nebraska did so in 1994-95. However, Miami can and most likely will lose a game this year and still be in line for a repeat. The ‘Canes travel to Florida next week, host FSU on Oct. 12, and visit Tennessee on Nov. 9. UM can lose one of these three games and still play in Tempe come January 3.

But what about the other title contenders?

When looking at the upcoming season, one must begin with the best league by far, the Big 12. The Big 12 has four teams ranked in the top eight of the preseason ESPN/Coaches poll – Texas (No. 2), Oklahoma (No. 3), Colorado (No. 6), and Nebraska (No. 8). Four of the last eight national champions have come from the Big 12.

As talented as these football teams are, their league schedule alone is a nightmare, and ultimately, will allow the teams to cancel one another out and produce a possible one or two loss champion contender. One must not forget that the regular season culminates with the Big 12 title game.

Texas

Texas may have the best offensive skill players in all of college football, behind senior quarterback Chris Simms, sophomore running back Cedric Benson, and the outstanding receiver duo of Roy Williams and B.J. Johnson. However, head coach Mack Brown and his Longhorns will play one of their toughest schedules in recent years. Expectations are high for Texas, who landed the No. 1 recruiting class this season. The Longhorns should open the season with five straight victories against sub par opponents, but have an Oct. 12 showdown against Oklahoma in Dallas, in what many believe to be the premier game in this season’s college football schedule. The winner of this contest could determine the conference title, as well as the national champion. After the midseason battle with the Sooners, Texas will be rewarded the following week with a trip to the extremely difficult atmosphere of Kansas State. Finally, the ‘Horns will visit Lincoln two weeks later in a showdown with the Cornhuskers. Of course it is possible for Texas to sweep through their schedule, but based on its past misfortunes and the uncertainty of Simms’ leadership, do not count on it.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is looking to win its second title in three years under head coach Bob Stoops. The Sooners suit up the nation’s most intimidating defense behind junior linebacker Teddy Lehman and sophomore defensive tackle Tommie Harris, and a strong running attack with senior tailback Quentin Griffin. Yet, several obstacles can get in Oklahoma’s way, including their Oct. 12 clash with Texas, Colorado’s visit to Oklahoma on Nov.12, and the uncertainty of their starting quarterback. Jason White is coming off season-ending knee surgery and will try to win his job back from the erratic Nate Hybl, a senior who threw for over 2,000 yards last season but also threw 13 interceptions. The Sooners biggest question will be whether the offense can throw the ball downfield to complement their strong rushing game, which will in effect, keep the stifling defense from being on the field too much.

Colorado

After having a surprise 2001 season in which Gary Barnett’s Buffaloes won the Big 12 title, nobody will be shocked if Colorado plays in Tempe come Jan. 3. Colorado has one of the best rushing attacks in the country behind tailbacks Chris Brown and Bobby Purify. Colorado also returns eight starters on defense, but must prove they can stop they run, which they struggled with in 2001. Getting in the way of its hopes of a perfect 2002 campaign will be the Oklahoma contest and a season ending trip to Nebraska on Nov. 29. Remember, Colorado destroyed the Cornhuskers 62-36 last year, and Nebraska will surely not forget that.

Nebraska

The Cornhuskers will have to deal with life after Eric Crouch, last season’s Heisman Trophy winner. In their first game last week against Arizona State, new quarterback Jamal Lord ran for 103 yards and threw for 33 yards. It won’t be so easy for Lord as the season rolls on. Nebraska must travel to the hostile environments of Penn State, Texas A&M, and Kansas State this season, while hosting games versus Texas and Colorado. In addition to a tough schedule, Nebraska has their worst recruiting class in years. Look for the Cornhuskers to have an off year.

Tennessee

Tennessee (No. 5) may not be over their fourth quarter collapse to LSU in last year’s SEC title game, which cost the Vols a trip to the Rose Bowl. Coach Phillip Fulmer brings a potent offense behind junior quarterback Casey Clausen and super sophomore wide out Kelley Washington (64 catches in 2001). However, the Vols lost all four d-line starters and play a dreadful schedule that will most likely limit their title aspirations. In week three, the No. 7 Florida Gators travel to Knoxville, and will attempt to avenge last season’s defeat. Tennessee also has two tough road games at No. 11 Georgia on Oct. 12 and at No. 22 South Carolina two weeks later. Their biggest test will come with the ‘Canes visit on Nov. 9. Don’t expect a perfect season for the Vols.

Florida

As for the post-Spurrier Gators, their road to a title will not come easy either. Behind Heisman candidate Rex Grossman and speedy tailback Earnest Graham, UF will host the ‘Canes Sept. 7, travel to Knoxville, and finish the season Nov. 30 at FSU. Will Grossman be able to put up huge numbers again without the Spurrier spread out offense and the loss of standout wide receivers Jabar Gafney and Reche Caldwell to the NFL? I am going to go out on a limb and say his numbers will drop a favorable amount. A trip to the Fiesta bowl will be too much to ask for from rookie head coach Ron Zook.

Florida State

Lets shift gears to our other state rival, FSU, who is coming off their worst season in a decade. FSU escaped a scare last week, with a 38-31 win at Iowa State. The Seminoles (No. 4) return an experienced playmaker in sophomore quarterback Chris Rix (3,123 yards of total offense in 2001), junior tailback Greg Jones and an intimidating linebacker in Michael Boulware. FSU will face an early test with a Sept. 21 visit to No. 20 Maryland, which will most likely decide the ACC champion. FSU also travels to Miami, and will attempt to avoid another wide right. I wouldn’t count on this year’s clash to come down to a field goal however. The ‘Noles also must travel to No. 17 Louisville, and will end the season with Florida at home. After coming off a lackluster season and barely getting passed Iowa State last week, I believe FSU is getting way too much hype for a team who has yet to prove themselves. I will be shocked if FSU plays in the Fiesta Bowl.

Washington State

Washington State has a Heisman candidate in senior quarterback Jason Gesser (3,010 yards and 26 TD’s in 2001) and their Pac 10 schedule is not too tough due to a down year for the usually potent conference. They have an early nonconference match up at Ohio St. on Sept. 14 and could sneak atop the polls come January if they can slip past their conference foes, which include games at Stanford and at UCLA and home games against No. 15 Oregon and No. 9 Washington in consecutive weeks.

Marshal

Marshal also will have a Heisman campaign with senior quarterback Byron Leftwich (4,132 passing yards and 38 TD’s in 2001) and will not play a touch schedule in the MAC conference. Marshall’s only test, which will be a difficult one, is a week two visit to No. 16 Virginia Tech. Unlike the other top contenders, Marshall must go undefeated for even a slim chance at a National Championship.

The women’s soccer team will try to build off their success of last season under new head coach Tricia Taliaferro. In 2001, the ‘Canes earned an NCAA Tournament bid and finished the season with a winning record.

“With the new coach, we have a new system of play and we are all really excited about it. It gives us all a new chance to start over,” said team captain Vonda Matthews.

Miami’s new system will try to get more production on offense. While new systems sometimes take time to learn, the ‘Canes are not expecting to start off on a low note with new coach Tricia Taliaferro at the helm.

“We want to start off well, and then go from there, our expectation will be to do well, it’s the same players from last year who had a lot of success, so hopefully we will be able to continue that,” Taliaferro said.

Taliaferro, the second women’s soccer coach in Canes history, replaces Jim Blankenship, who was with the team for its first four seasons. Taliaferro had a lot of success at the University of Illinois, guiding them to two NCAA Tournament bids and a national ranking of No.15, the school’s highest ever ranking. She hopes to continue that success at Miami, and build off the ‘Canes success of last season.

“Right now, we want to build on what we did last year. We want to qualify for the Big East, qualify for the NCAA, but we don’t have a set goal,” Taliaferro said. “We want to continue to lay the foundation and build it, we are still a young program, and we want to keep building toward the future.”

One of these players that will help her do that is captain Vonda Matthews, who earned All-Big East pre-season honors. Mathews will provide the leadership on the field that a young team desperately needs.

“I feel like I should be the one who is the role model, who can show the younger players the way, that if I work hard, then they should work hard,” Matthews said.

The way the ‘Canes will build for the future will be through their hard work ethic, and determination. However, the team must learn a new system, which could be difficult at first. Their new aggressive, attacking style should benefit the deal in the future.

“We are running the offense off of everybody, that’s the difference. We will attack off the back, we will attack off the middle, and we are going to attack on the sides. We want everybody on the field to attack, to get goals, and be involved in the offense,” said Taliaferro.

The Miami Hurricanes lost 18 lettermen from the 2001 national championship, including 12 starters from that bunch. If Larry Coker’s team wants to have a chance at repeating the feat, then he will need help from several of the new faces.

41 freshmen don the Hurricanes’ uniform this season, some who look to make an immediate impact similar to Frank Gore’s last season. Head coach Larry Coker has named first-year players to the fullback and left cornerback positions, respectively. Several other Miami freshmen should see a lot of plays with the second-team unit, while some look to make their initial impact on special teams

The secondary could be where Hurricane fans have the most trouble recognizing some of the new numbers. Two of those freshmen are in the mix for serious playing time in the defensive backfield. Coaches project Kelly Jennings, a redshirt freshman from Live Oak, Florida, to start at one cornerback position, while another redshirt freshman, Marcus Maxey, looks to get a lot of work at strong safety.

The linebacking core spotlights some fresh blood as well. Many people tout 6-4, 225 Leon Williams as the next great middle linebacker in the University of Miami program. Williams begins this year behind Jonathan Vilma at that spot. Redshirt freshman Rocky McIntosh may also get a lot of time at the strong side, as he begins the year as the second-teamer at that spot.

The defensive line remains intact from last season, as 11 lettermen return to the front. However, look for undersized, yet hard-working Thomas Carroll to lead the crop of freshman pushing for playing time on the front four.

On the other side of the ball, the Hurricanes lost all but four of their starters from 2001, so there is a gaping hole for newcomers to try to close off this season. Several freshmen will be

The road to national championship will be extremely tough for the Hurricane football team with the loss of 11 players to the NFL, contests against three top ten teams (UF, FSU, and Tennessee), a strong Big East schedule, and a home opener against Florida A&M. Yes, Miami will compete against three Florida foes this season, and they must not overlook tomorrow’s game.

Head coach Larry Coker stressed the importance of tomorrow’s game, noting that this year’s team has a lot of new faces that are out to prove something come kickoff.

“This year expectations are sky high for our football team,” Coker said. “The anticipation is definitely higher than last year. We must get off to a good start Saturday.”

“We are prepared for a hungry Florida A&M team,” quarterback Ken Dorsey added. “We want to execute our game plan and come out with a lot of confidence to win the game, no matter what it takes.”

FAMU is coming off an 8-2 season that won them the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Despite being a Division 1-AA team, the Ratlers are running a Heisman Trophy campaign for TCU transfer quarterback Casey Printers.

“Their quarterback (Casey Printers) has an outstanding record as a starter,” Coker said. “Facing a team with that talented of a leader is certainly not a tune up game.”

FAMU is known for using four and five receiver sets in what many call the Gulf Coast Offense. Printers (6-3, 208, Sr.) will attempt to stretch the field and throw the ball deep against the inexperienced Hurricane secondary.

“You make a mistake against this quarterback and he can hurt you,” defensive end Jerome McDougle said. “We need to play a great game.”

Printers was 23-8 at TCU and left the school as the third all-time passing leader with 4,621 yards and 37 touchdowns, while completing 56 percent of his passes. Printers led TCU to a bowl game in each of his three seasons.

Printers’ prime targets will be speedy wideouts Marco Junious (6-3, 185, Sr.) and Charlie Allen (6-4, 208, Sr.). Junious had 33 receptions for 657 yards and three touchdowns last season, while Allen led the Ratlers with 46 catches for 575 yards and two touchdowns.

“Their spread out offense will be a tremendous test for our young secondary,” Coker said.

The Florida A&M rushing game should struggle against the tenacious Miami front seven. The Ratlers leading returning rusher is E.J. Collier (5-9, 175, Jr.) who rushed for only 100 yards on eight carries last season.

The battle at the line of scrimmage will be a difficult task for the Ratlers on both sides of the ball. FAMU lost two starters to graduation from last year, but do bring forth a good pair of tackles in seniors Shedrick Moten (6-6, 300) and Fletcher Williams (6-4, 295).

On the defensive side, the Ratlers also have strong set of ends in junior Sean Kelly (13 sacks in 2001) and sophomore Jeff Green, who is coming off a knee injury.

“Playing a team like Florida A&M in the first week of the season is beneficial to our team,” Dorsey said. “We must take them seriously especially because there are a lot of players on our team who want to prove themselves and Saturday is the first significant action for a lot of them.”

The FAMU linebacker unit is strong, led by senior Alex Fortson (58 tackles and seven sacks in 2001) and Joe Sanders (28 tackles and two sacks in 2001).

As for the Ratlers secondary, FAMU returns its two leading tacklers in junior safety Levy Brown (98 tackles and three interceptions in 2001) and junior cornerback Shedrick Copeland (78 tackles in 2001).

The Hurricanes have to keep their focus on tomorrow’s FAMU contest in order to reach their goal of a second consecutive championship. Miami, like last season, must take one game at a time.

“If we concentrate on this game, the positives will carry on to the next game which enables to learn something no matter who the opponent is,” said defensive tackle Matt Walters.

“We don’t know our chemistry yet, but I really like our focus,” said Coker. “This game will answer a lot of questions.”

(U-WIRE) GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gator fans who love football and ice cream can get the best of both worlds at their local supermarket.

Edy’s Ice Cream is sponsoring its third annual “Ice Cream Bowl” competition and will reintroduce last year’s rivals: the University of Florida’s Reptile Ripple and Florda State University’s Seminole Caramel Scramble.

The University of Miami’s Hurricane Blitz is joining the competition this year.

Last year, Reptile Ripple outsold the competition, selling more than 45,000 gallons – 2,500 more than FSU’s flavor, said Lou Ricardo, Edy’s Regional Marketing Manager.

Edy’s gave UF $22,000 from the proceeds, which was distributed to various campus programs, Ricardo said.

This competition is a great way for fans to support their campus, he said.

“This is a fun competition and everyone wins,” Ricardo said.

Edy’s has sponsored the competition in other states, but Ricardo said the company has had the most success in Florida.

“Other fans just didn’t have the passion that Florida football fans do,” he said.

All three flavors are made up of chocolate and caramel ice cream with caramel swirls and will be sold for $4.99 a carton until December, when the flavors will be discontinued.