The Miami Hurricanes: A Legacy of College Football Excellence

The Miami Hurricanes football team, representing the University of Miami, stands as one of the most storied and decorated programs in the history of college football. Competing in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), the Hurricanes have etched their name in the annals of the sport with a rich tradition of success, innovation, and unforgettable moments.

Early Years and Formation

The University of Miami football program began with a freshman team in 1926. Under the guidance of head coach Howard "Cub" Buck, a former NFL player, the freshman team posted an undefeated 8-0 record in its inaugural season. The program's first game was a 7-0 victory over Rollins College on October 23, 1926 before 304 fans. Two of Miami's wins in 1926 came against the University of Havana, one on Thanksgiving Day in Miami and one in Havana, Cuba, on Christmas Day. The Hurricanes won both games against the University of Havana by an identical shutout score of 23-0. The Hurricanes won their last home game of its inaugural 1926 season against Howard College, now Samford University, 9-7, at the University of Miami's University Stadium. In 1927, the team adopted the name "Miami Hurricanes" for its athletic teams.

Varsity competition began in 1927, with the Hurricanes beating Rollins, 39-3, in its first game and going on to a 3-6-1 record. In 1928, the team improved to 4-4-1, but Buck was fired and replaced prior to the 1929 season with J. Burton Rix. Rix was replaced the following season, in 1930, by Ernest Brett.

The Brett and Harding Eras

Following a difficult first year, the Hurricanes recorded a winning record in the 1932 season and served as host to the inaugural Palm Festival, later renamed the Orange Bowl, where it defeated Manhattan College 7-0 at Moore Park in Miami. A 5-1-2 campaign and another Palm Festival berth followed in 1933, and in 1934, the program played in its first official bowl game, losing to Bucknell in the first Orange Bowl, 26-0.

Irl Tubbs took over as head coach in 1935. Jack Harding succeeded Tubbs, and in nine seasons as head coach (with a two-year break for service in World War II), Harding moved the Hurricanes from the ranks of small time into major college status.

Read also: A Colorful Legacy: Miami Football

Gustafson's "Drive Series" and Tate's Tenure

Harding was succeeded by Andy Gustafson, who introduced a "drive series" offense, which featured an option-oriented attack from the Split-T formation that relied on zone blocking and either a fullback fake or carry on every play. Under Gustafson, the Hurricanes went 9-1-1 in 1951, including a 35-13 win in its first-ever game against rival Florida State. Following the season, Gustafson decided to step down as head coach and Charlie Tate, an assistant at Georgia Tech, was hired to replace him. Gustafson has the Hurricane record for most years as head coach (16) and most wins (93).

Charlie Tate's first seasons at Miami were uneventful, with the team posting a 4-5-1 record in 1964 and a reverse 5-4-1 record in 1965. 1966 brought the arrival of defensive end Ted Hendricks, the only three-time All-American in school history, and the Hurricanes won eight games, earning a trip to the Liberty Bowl, where they defeated No.

Coaching Changes and the Saban Era

On December 20, 1970, Fran Curci, a former All-American quarterback for the Hurricanes under Andy Gustafson, was named as the program's new head coach. Curci's 1971 team improved by a game, but rival Florida Gators defeated the Hurricanes in a game that came to be known as "the Gator Flop". Lou Saban, formerly head coach of the NFL's Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, and Boston Patriots, was hired on December 27, 1976, as the team's new head coach.

The Hurricanes won only three games in 1977, but Saban was able to put together a well-regarded recruiting class that included future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly of East Brady, Pennsylvania. Kelly had been recruited by Penn State as a linebacker and agreed to come to Miami after Saban promised him he would play quarterback. Among the other 30 signees in Saban's first recruiting class were 11 future NFL players. The Hurricanes improved by three games in Saban's second season and Ottis Anderson emerged as an NFL talent. Anderson became the first University of Miami running back to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and led the team in rushing for three straight seasons from 1977 through 1979.

The Schnellenberger Era and the Rise to National Prominence

In the wake of Saban's departure, the extensive coaching upheaval the Hurricanes faced in the prior decade, and various fiscal challenges then confronting the university, the university's board of trustees considered holding a vote on whether to reclassify the football program at the Division I-AA level, or even eliminate it altogether. University of Miami executive vice president John L. Green Jr. successfully convinced the board to give Division I-A football another shot.

To replace Saban, the Hurricanes hired Howard Schnellenberger, the former head coach of the Baltimore Colts from 1973 to 1974 and the offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins under Don Shula. On the field, Miami went 5-6 in Schnellenberger's debut season, which was highlighted by a 26-10 upset win at No. Miami continued to improve in 1981, going 9-2 and defeating No. The following season, the team finished with four losses following Kelly's shoulder injury.

Entering the 1983 season-the fifth of Schnellenberger's tenure-the program had to find a replacement for the recently graduated Kelly. Behind the passing wizardry of freshman quarterback Bernie Kosar, the Hurricanes upset Nebraska 31-30 in the 50th Orange Bowl Classic to cap a storybook 11-1 season and a No.

The Orange Bowl-berth was Miami's first since 1951, but the program's first national championship remained a long shot, as the Hurricanes entered the game ranked fifth. Miami got much needed help early on New Year's Day when second-ranked Texas, the nation's other undefeated team, lost in the Cotton Bowl Classic and fourth-ranked Illinois lost in the Rose Bowl. Behind Kosar's passing, Miami jumped out to a 17-0 lead, but Nebraska battled back and cut Miami's lead to 31-24 in the fourth quarter. With 48 seconds remaining, Nebraska scored a touchdown to make it 31-30 and as the number one-ranked team in the nation needed only to kick the extra point to tie the game and put itself in position to win the national championship. Nebraska head coach Tom Osborne elected to go for the win and attempt a two-point conversion instead. On the ensuing play, Miami safety Kenny Calhoun tipped away Gill's pass to receiver Jeff Smith in the end zone, saving the game and winning Miami the national championship when it leap-frogged No.

The Johnson Era and Continued Success

In May 1984, UM athletic director Sam Jankovich plucked Jimmy Johnson away from Oklahoma State. The team struggled to an 8-5 record in Johnson's first season, losing a number of noteworthy games. In the next-to-last game of the regular season, the No. The 1985 team opened the season with a loss at Florida before winning their next four games, including a 38-0 win over Cincinnati that began a then NCAA-record 58 game home winning streak, heading into a matchup at No. 3 Oklahoma.

Facing the nation's top-rated defense, Testaverde amassed 270 yards passing and threw touchdowns to Michael Irvin and Brian Blades, while also running for an additional score, in a 27-14 win over the Sooners. The Hurricanes ascended to number two in the rankings following a 58-7 victory over Notre Dame in the final game of the regular season, earning a trip to the Sugar Bowl to play the No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers. With No.

Miami opened its 1986 season as the third-ranked team in the country and climbed to number two after winning its first three games, setting up a No. 1 vs. No. Having seized the number one ranking with the win over Oklahoma, the Hurricanes finished the regular season at 11-0, outscoring their opponents 420-136, and accepted a bid to the 1987 Fiesta Bowl to play No. 2 Penn State. There, the team's "outlaw" image grew when player Dan Sileo was doing an interviews in a Hells Angels jacket, plus arriving in Arizona clad in fatigues.

Led by Michael Irvin and new quarterback Steve Walsh, the 1987 Miami Hurricanes won the school's second national championship and completed its first undefeated varsity season. The season was highlighted by one of the most memorable games in the history of the Florida State-Miami football rivalry. Trailing No. 4 Florida State 19-3 in the third quarter at Doak Campbell Stadium, the Hurricanes rallied to take a 26-19 lead late in the fourth quarter on a 73-yard touchdown pass from Walsh to Irvin. More than 60 players on the combined rosters for the game went on to play in the NFL. The 12-0 campaign was capped by a 20-14 win over the then-No.

The Hurricanes had a then-school record 12 players from the 1987 team selected in the following spring's NFL draft, including Irvin and Bennie Blades, but with Walsh returning in 1988, the team gained the number one ranking with a season-opening 31-0 shutout of then-No. 1 Florida State at the Orange Bowl. The following week, Miami scored 17 points in the final 5 minutes and 23 seconds to top No. 4 Michigan 31-30 at Michigan Stadium. Hopes of a repeat national championship were dashed, however, in the so-called Catholics vs.

The Erickson Era and the Fourth National Title

Dennis Erickson of Washington State was named UM’s 18th head coach on March 5, 1989. In 1989, Erickson became just the second Division I head coach to win a national championship in his first season at a school. Erickson's 1989 team, led by Craig Erickson (no relation) at quarterback, rebounded from a 24-10 mid-season loss at Florida State and moved back into the national championship picture with a 27-10 win over then-top-ranked Notre Dame in the final regular-season game. Miami's 33-25 win over No. 7 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, combined with No.

On October 28, 1989, Miami mascot Sebastian the Ibis was tackled by a group of police officers for attempting to put out Chief Osceola's flaming spear prior to Miami's game against long-standing rival Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. Sebastian was wearing a fireman's helmet and yellow raincoat and holding a fire extinguisher. When a police officer attempted to grab the fire extinguisher, the officer was sprayed in the chest. Sebastian was handcuffed by four officers but ultimately released.

Miami entered the following season as the number one team in the country, but a 28-21 upset loss to Ty Detmer and No. 16 BYU in the opener derailed both the team's national championship chances and Craig Erickson's nascent Heisman campaign. Later in the year, the Hurricanes lost to Notre Dame 29-20 in a game dubbed the "Final Conflict", as Notre Dame had decided to discontinue the 27-game rivalry, feeling the intensity of the series had reached an unhealthy level. Miami ended the season with a 46-3 Cotton Bowl Classic victory over No.

The 1991 Hurricanes finished 12-0 and captured the program's fourth national championship in nine years behind quarterback Gino Torretta and a linebacking corps that featured Jessie Armstead and Micheal Barrow. Miami's toughest test came in mid-November at then-No. 1 Florida State in the initial Wide Right game; with the No. 2 Hurricanes leading 17-16 in the final minute of the game, Florida State kicker Gerry Thomas' potential game-winning field goal attempt sailed "wide right" of the uprights. Miami completed the second undefeated season in school history with a 22-0 shutout of No.

The Aftermath of Hurricane Andrew and Torretta's Heisman

Hurricane Andrew devastated much of South Florida in August 1992, causing the program to relocate its preseason practice sessions north to Dodgertown in Vero Beach. That season, Miami went 11-0 against the second-toughest schedule in the country, topping No. 3 Florida State in Wide Right II and No. 7 Penn State the following week in Beaver Stadium. Meanwhile, Torretta became the second Hurricane to win the Heisman Trophy, throwing for 19 touchdowns and 3,060 yards on the season and setting 11 school passing records during his career.

Miami earned a trip to the 1993 Sugar Bowl, where the top-ranked and heavily favored Hurricanes were denied a repeat national championship by No. 2 Alabama, 34-13. The Sugar Bowl loss ended the program's 29-game winning streak, which dated to 1990. The Hurricanes were frequently thrown off their rhythm by Alabama's 11-man fronts. Although it was not apparent at the time, the Sugar Bowl loss marked the start of a downturn in Miami's fortunes.

The Mid-1990s: A Period of Transition

In 1994, Miami defeated Georgia Southern in the season opener for its 58th consecutive home win, setting an NCAA record. The streak, which began in 1985, was snapped two weeks later when Washington defeated the Hurricanes 38-20 at the Orange Bowl. Led by All-American defensive tackle Warren Sapp and sophomore linebacker Ray Lewis, the team rebounded to earn a berth in the 1995 Orange Bowl, where No.

Butch Davis returned to Coral Gables following six seasons as an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys in January of 1995. The Hurricanes finished Davis's first season with a record of 8-3. However, on December 20, 1995, the NCAA announced that Miami would be subject to severe sanctions for numerous infractions within the athletic department. The Hurricanes were forced to sit out postseason play for the first time since 1982 and docked 31 scholarships from 1996 to 1998.

NCAA Sanctions and Rebuilding

Miami had actually self-reported the violations in 1991. However, when the Department of Education got word that school officials helped athletes fraudulently obtain Pell Grants, it asked Miami to stop its own investigation while it conducted its own. In 1994, Tony Russell, a former University of Miami academic advisor, pleaded guilty to helping more than 80 student athletes, 57 of whom were football players, falsify Pell Grant applications in exchange for kickbacks from the players themselves. The scandal dated all the way back to 1989 and fraudulently secured more than $220,000 in federal grants. In late 1995, the NCAA concluded that, in …

By mid-October, Miami found itself with a 1-3 record, including a 0-1 mark in conference play, Miami regrouped and reeled off seven straight wins to finish the season with an 8-3 record. The 1997 Hurricanes became the first team in the history of the program to put together three consecutive games of rushing for more than 300 yards. Miami accomplished the feat in wins over Boston College, Temple, and Arkansas State.

The Late 1990s: Return to Prominence

In 1998, the Hurricanes began their ascent back to the top of college football. A team that featured 71 sophomores and freshmen battled to a Big East Conference title showdown with Syracuse in the conference finale. Miami rebounded from a bitter defeat at Syracuse to ruin UCLA’s national title hopes in the regular-season finale. In a game that was originally scheduled to be played in the Orange Bowl on September 26 but was rescheduled for December 5 as Hurricane Georges set its sights on South Florida, Miami hosted the third-ranked Bruins and their 20-game winning streak. When Cade McNown’s “Hail Mary” pass fell through the back of the end zone as time expired, fans stormed the Orange Bowl field to celebrate UM’s dramatic 49-45 victory. The Hurricanes had sent notice to the college football world that the program was headed back in the right direction. Miami finished 1998 with a 9-3 mark and a No.

The Coker Era and the Fifth National Title

Larry Coker was named as UM’s 19th head football coach on February 3, 001. The 2000 Hurricanes tallied big victories over top-ranked Florida State and No. 2-ranked Virginia Tech on their way to being acknowledged nationally as college football’s hottest team at season’s end, but were not given a chance to play for the national championship. The Hurricanes produced the largest comeback in UM history at Boston College in 1999, erasing a 28-0 third quarter deficit to win, 31-28. That win provided UM with momentum as the Canes would win seven of their final eight games, the only loss coming to No.

The 2001 season started with Coker facing coaching legend Joe Paterno and the Penn State Nittany Lions. A crowd of 109,313 - the largest ever for a Miami game - watched the Hurricanes open the season with a resounding statement. Miami raced to a 30-0 halftime lead on the way to a 33-7 victory before a national television audience. The Seminoles were riding a 54-game home unbeaten streak (37 straight wins), and had not lost on their home turf since a UM victory in 1991. Miami’s mission to “Break History and Make History” was accomplished in spectacular fashion with a 49-27 defeat of the Seminoles. Another national television audience watched the Hurricanes’ defense cause six FSU turnovers.

The Rose Bowl game hosted the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) title game for the first time, the first time in 56 years that teams from conferences other than the Pacific Ten Conference and the Big Ten Conference were competing in the game. Miami left little doubt about which team was college football’s best, racing to a 34-0 halftime lead behind a huge first half performance by game co-MVPs Dorsey and Andre Johnson. Dorsey and Johnson connected for two touchdowns and 199 yards in the game with Dorsey throwing for a career-best 362 yards. Portis added another score on a brilliant 39-yard touchdown run and the Hurricanes were able to enjoy the second half of their national title victory.

Miami’s fifth national title team in 19 years ranked among its most dominating, setting a school and Big East record with 475 points in the regular season. Miami’s 37-point outburst in the Rose Bowl gave the team 512 points overall. In Big East games, the 2001 Hurricanes scored 290 points, second to 2000’s 310. During the 2001 regular season, UM outscored its opponents by an average margin of 43.2 to 9.4. Coker became the first rookie head coach to lead his team to a national title since 1948.

The early 2000s

The first regular-season meeting between UM and UF in 16 years was a matchup of a pair of teams ranked in the nation’s top 10 in 2002. The top-ranked Hurricanes dominated the sixth-ranked Gators with an impressive show of offensive versatility and defensive force in a stunningly easy 41-16 victory. The outcome was the most lopsided UF home loss in more than 20 years. Just Shy of No. The Hurricanes had earned a shot at their sixth national title with a berth in the 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl where they would face Ohio State in Tempe, Ariz., and the matchup provided one of college football’s most dramatic games. Miami overcame a 17-7 second-half deficit to tie the game when Todd Sievers nailed a 40-yard field goal as time expired. Miami took the lead 24-17 in the first overtime when Dorsey connected with tight end Kellen Winslow for a score. Ohio State responded with a touchdown to send it to a second overtime, a score made possible by a controversial pass interference call in the end zone on a fourth-down play that kept the Buckeyes’ drive alive.

Miami opened with Florida in 2004 and fell behind the Gators 33-10 midway through the third quarter. A packed house at the Orange Bowl was in disbelief but the Hurricanes rallied behind the hot hand of quarterback Brock Berlin who compiled one of the most amazing performances in Miami history in the second half. Miami closed its season in the FedEx Orange Bowl against rival Florida State. The unusual rematch played out much like the first meeting after Miami fell behind early. After trailing 14-3 early in the second quarter, Miami physically took over the game with its running game to mount a co…

Recent Years and the Cristobal Era

Since 2008, the University of Miami has played its home games at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, roughly 22 miles (35 km) north of the university's primary campus in Coral Gables. In December 2021, the University of Miami announced the appointment of Mario Cristobal as the team's new coach.

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