- 2005 Miami Hurricanes football team
NCAATeamFootballSeason
Year=2005
Team=Miami Hurricanes
Conference=Atlantic Coast Conference
Division=(Coastal)
ShortConference=ACC
CoachRank=18
APRank=17
Record=9-3
ConfRecord=6-2
HeadCoach=Larry Coker
OffCoach=Dan Werner
DefCoach=Randy Shannon
OScheme=Pro Style
DScheme=4-3 Cover 2
StadiumArena=Miami Orange Bowl
Champion=
BowlTourney=Peach Bowl
BowlTourneyResult=L, 40-3, vs. LSUThe 2005 Miami Hurricanes football team began the 2005 season ranked #8/9 (
USA Today Coaches Poll /AP Poll ) after a 9-3 campaign in 2004 that ended with a 27-10 win over rival Florida in thePeach Bowl .eason
Miami dropped its first game of the season at archrival Florida State, 10-7, when punter/holder Brian Monroe
fumble d the snap on a 28-yard game-trying field goal attempt by kicker Jon Peattie with 2:16 left to play in the fourth quarter. Despite gaining 313 yards of offense to Florida State's 170, Miami lost to its archrival for the first time since1999 (6 straight wins by Miami) due to three turnovers, two missed field goals, and a muffed hold on the game-tying field goal attempt.The Hurricanes rebounded by winning 8 straight games (including a 27-7 win over previously unbeaten
Virginia Tech in Blacksburg) and climbed to the #3 spot in both polls. However, any hopes of a sixth national championship were dashed when the 'Canes were upset, 14-10, by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the Orange Bowl onNovember 19 (the game was originally scheduled forOctober 22 , but was postponed in the wake ofHurricane Wilma ). The Miami offense, which had problems all season, sputtered badly against Georgia Tech andquarterback Kyle Wright was booed continuously during the second half of the game by the Orange Bowl crowd for his ineffective play. The loss also knocked Miami out of a spot in the inaugural ACC Championship Game.Miami finished the regular season at 9-2 (6-2 ACC), ranked #9 in both polls, and received an invitation to return to the
Peach Bowl to face the 10th-ranked LSU Tigers. However, this trip toAtlanta was much different from the Hurricanes last, as Wright and the Miami offense struggled, and the defense, which had been the top-ranked defense inDivision I-A for most of the season, was shredded by the LSU offense. Miami was routed, 40-3, in the worst-bowl loss in the program's history. The 'Canes finished the 2005 campaign with a 9-3 record and ranked #18/17 (USA Today/AP).Aftermath
Three-loss seasons at Miami are viewed as failures, and the season-opening loss to FSU and the bowl loss to LSU made the 2005 campaign particularly difficult for alumni and fans of the proud program to swallow. The Hurricane offense had been the center of criticism all season long (as well as during the two previous seasons). In particular, offensive coordinator Dan Werner, offensive line coach Art Kehoe, and quarterback Kyle Wright were assigned most of the blame. [http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_college_hurricanes/2005/12/round_three.html] In the aftermath of the Peach Bowl loss, head coach
Larry Coker fired four assistants: Werner, Kehoe, running backs coach Don Soldinger, and linebacker coach Vernon Hargreaves. [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2277894] The firing of Kehoe was particularly controversial [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14576667/] , as he had been with the program as a player and then a coach for over 25-years and took part in all five of Miami's national championships.With Miami failing to win a conference championship or go to a BCS bowl the previous two years and not having won a national championship since
2001 , it was widely assumed that Coker would enter the 2006 season on the hot seat and need to take Miami to a BCS bowl to keep his job. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12321331/]chedule & Results
Awards & Honors
*
Kelly Jennings , CB ("Sports Illustrated")
*Brandon Meriweather, FS (Football Writers Association of America ,ABC Sports )
*Eric Winston , LT (Walter Camp Foundation,American Football Coaches Association , "Sports Illustrated ")All-ACC Selections (First Team)
*
Devin Hester , KR/PR
*Kelly Jennings, CB
*Tyrone Moss, RB
*Eric Winston, LTAwards Finalists
Bold indicates winners
*Eric Winston, LT - Jacobs Trophy (Top ACC Lineman)Jack Harding University of Miami MVP Award*Eric Winston, LT
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