The Miami Hurricanes are not ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time in almost seven years. After losing to Louisville 31-7, Miami (1-2) plunged from the No. 17 spot all the way out of the rankings.
The Hurricanes had held the nation’s longest streak as a part of the Top 25, at 107 straight weeks.
After last season, rumors surfaced that Miami coach Larry Coker’s job was in jeopardy after going 9-3. Coker held onto the job, but replaced some of his assistant coaches. In their last five games against Division I-A teams, the Hurricanes are 1-4.
Still, Coker isn’t putting all that much stock in this week’s rankings.
“That doesn’t really change anything,” Miami coach Larry Coker told reporters Sunday. “The poll didn’t help us yesterday, and the poll won’t help us tomorrow.”
Saturday at Louisville, the Hurricanes got on the board with a Tyrone Moss touchdown run in the first quarter and were held scoreless for the final 53 minutes and 12 seconds.
Tommy Bowden tops Pops again
There are still four ACC teams in the Top 25 after Clemson clawed its way back by upsetting Florida State in Tallahassee.
Though the 27-20 score looks normal, the teams played a crazy first half that included two blocked kicks.
After the Tigers scored a touchdown late in the first quarter, Seminole cornerback Tony Carter returned a blocked extra point to make the score 6-2. It was an eerie reminder for Clemson of its Week 2 loss to Boston College, when a blocked extra point cost the Tigers the game in overtime.
But then it turned scary for Clemson. A second-quarter field goal attempt was also blocked and Carter took it 69 yards to the house to give Florida State the lead. And even though his Tigers took back the lead before halftime, coach Tommy Bowden said on ESPN he wouldn’t kick for the rest of the night.
Bowden almost held true to that statement. When Clemson scored a touchdown early in the third quarter, it successfully completed the two-point conversion. But with the kicking problems behind them, the Tigers won the game with eight seconds left on a 1-yard James Davis touchdown run.
Winning a second straight game against his father, Bobby, Tommy Bowden broke a 17-year streak of Tiger losses at Doak Campbell Stadium.
“To come down here and win is awfully difficult,” Tommy Bowden told reporters after the game.
-Compiled by senior staff writer Stephen Whyno
