|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Miami deserves share of title
Updated: Wednesday January 03, 2001 8:59 AM
Tuesday night Miami beat Florida 37-20 in the Sugar Bowl to finish an 11-1 season and potentially stake a claim to a share of a national title, should Florida State win Wednesday night's Orange Bowl. CNNSI.com spoke to Sports Illustrated senior writer Tim Layden, who was in New Orleans, about the implications of the Hurricanes' victory. CNNSI.com: Has Miami made a big enough statement? Tim Layden: Sure. I thought at one point Florida was playing really well, and the game was on a neutral field. I think Miami has made plenty of a statement to earn half the national championship. I didn't view this as a style-points game. Florida played much better than it did against Florida State, and I just think Miami did plenty. It wasn't pretty, but it was a tough game. CNNSI.com: Would this game have been more one-sided had Miami's James Jackson and Santana Moss not been banged up? Layden: I don't think so. Miami did a good job without both guys; the Hurricanes filled in for both well. Clinton Portis played well in place of Jackson, and Daryl Jones, who filled in for Moss, had that long punt return. They did a terrific job, and it shows that the program not only has great frontline players, but the depth to replace those guys. Losing Jackson and Moss and coming back the way the Hurricanes did is almost as big a statement about the program as the outcome of the game. CNNSI.com: Florida was terribly out of sync offensively in the second half. How much was this Miami's doing? Layden: I think a lot of it was Miami's defense, although Florida looked like a young team a lot of the game; the Gators were just hot and cold all night. Rex Grossman played all right, but he had a lot of balls dropped. The Hurricanes disrupted him by showing blitz and backing out a few times. On the whole, I don't think Miami played exceptionally well on defense, but the Hurricanes made a few big plays, which has been their m.o. all year. CNNSI.com: Can you envision any scenario in which Florida State beats No. 1 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl Wednesday night and Miami doesn't get the AP title? Layden: I can't right now. No. 2 Miami has a 53-point lead on No. 3 Florida State out of 71 voters in the AP poll. I can't see enough people who would be unconvinced by what happens to turn them around. Even if the Seminoles are impressive and beat Oklahoma badly, it seems Miami has done its share here and has a win over FSU in the bank.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
