Wildcats' game against Miami to net Bethune-Cookman $400,000

B-CU at Miami
KICKOFF: 3:30 p.m. today
SITE; Sun Life Stadium
TV: ESPNU
RADIO: WELE (1380-AM)

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman University's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rivals have been scooping cash from the well-stocked Division I Football Bowl Subdivision vault for years.

The Wildcats will join the party today. B-CU will visit Miami at 3:30 p.m. in the Wildcats' first "guarantee" football game. The game will be televised live by ESPNU.

B-CU (2-1) is guaranteed a payday of slightly more than $400,000 to travel to South Florida, athletic director Lynn Thompson said. Thompson, though, hopes the Wildcats' players stay injury-free and don't get demoralized.

The Hurricanes (1-2), on the other hand, are pretty much guaranteed a victory. While Football Championship Subdivision teams are winning more and more games against FBS teams since Appalachian State's stunning upset of No. 5 Michigan in 2007, an MEAC team has yet to upend one of the big boys.








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Miami Hurricanes open season in dominating fashion against Florida A&M

The Miami Hurricanes snacked on some Rattlers in their season opener, filling up fast and furiously en route to a 45-0 victory Thursday night over Florida A&M at Sun Life Stadium. They now await the main course -- the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes nine days away in Columbus, Ohio. "Great victory for us to start the season," UM coach Randy Shannon said, thrilled with the crowd of 53,674. "Enjoy the night."

The Canes promised not to overlook FAMU in anticipation of their first meeting with the Buckeyes since losing a controversial national title game in the Fiesta Bowl that ended the 2002 season. Judging by their performance, they kept their promise.

Using speed, strength, an early no-huddle offense led by a new-and-improved Jacory Harris and the sure hands of gifted receiver Leonard Hankerson, No. 13 UM bullied Florida A&M up and down the field. By the end of the first half, the Canes led 35-0 against the Rattlers, a member of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA).




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Hall Returns to Savannah State Tigers Football Staff

Alan Hall will return to the Savannah State University football coaching staff as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, interim athletics director Marilynn Suggs announced. Hall’s first day at SSU will be March 1, 2010. “We are excited about Coach Hall rejoining our football staff,” said Suggs. “He did a great job as offensive coordinator for us in 2008 and we are confident that he will pick up where he left off.”

While at Savannah State in 2008, Hall served as offensive coordinator/ quarterbacks coach and helped the Tigers win five games, the most since 1999. The year before Hall arrived, SSU averaged 8.4 points per game and 189 yards per game. In 2008, Savannah State averaged 314 yards per game and 19.2 points a game. “I am happy to be back at Savannah State. I really enjoyed my time here,” Hall said. “When I was at SSU, I grew very close with many of the players. I thank the administration for the opportunity to work with the team again.” Hall served as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Winston-Salem State during the 2009 season. The Tampa, Florida native has worked on the college level since 1998.

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#11 Miami (FL) 48, Florida A&M Rattlers 16

Hurricanes not rattled

UM manhandled Florida A&M, beating the Rattlers for the seventh time in a row. Six Hurricanes scored one touchdown apiece, and 12 Canes caught at least one pass in the rout.

The FAMU Marching 100 did not disappoint. The No. 11 Miami Hurricanes did pretty well, too. Though the biggest cheers Saturday night went to Florida A&M's famed marching band for its tribute to Michael Jackson, the University of Miami showcased plenty of its own young talent in a 48-16 victory against the Rattlers. Starting quarterback Jacory Harris played the first half and completed 16 of 24 passes for 217 yards and touchdowns to wide receiver Leonard Hankerson and tight end Jimmy Graham. Harris did enough to power UM (4-1) to a 31-3 halftime lead, but he was pressured more than usual and did a good deal of scrambling. Harris threw two interceptions.

Watch ESPN's 360 FAMU Rattlers vs. Miami Hurricanes Game Replay

Junior tailback Damien Berry got the first carries of his career and made them count. Berry rushed for 162 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries. It marked the most rushing yards by a Hurricane since Tyrone Moss had 195 yards in 2005 at the Orange Bowl. ``I was a little nervous,'' Berry said. ``My heart was going 150 miles an hour. After I got in and I got used to it, everything went great.'' Berry scored UM's final touchdown on a 35-yard run down the left side in the fourth quarter.

Rattlers get good experience by playing Hurricanes

MIAMI GARDENS — Jacory Harris had already engineered six touchdown drives and yet the Miami crowd kept cheering for more. They rooted a little louder each time that FAMU's defenders found one of the few gaps to put pressure on Harris. Linebacker Greg Boler quieted them for a moment. He sacked the Hurricanes' star quarterback, briefly disrupting yet another drive that still ended with a Miami touchdown on the way to a 48-16 victory. The Rattlers defense didn't have too many other shots at Harris or any other Miami playmakers for that matter, but the unit showed some encouraging signs. The defensive front created enough of an opening to pressure Harris into two mistakes that resulted in interceptions for Fabian Wilson and Curtis Holcomb.

The interceptions were the first by the defense in five games. That they came against a BCS team is a statement — however small — for the defense. "The experience was good," FAMU coach Joe Taylor said. "We will be better as a result. That was some good competition and we competed. It's definitely going to make us better for the rest of the way."



Photo Galleries: UM vs. FAMU Oct. 10, 2009
Game stats UM 48, FAMU 16
Blog FAMU postgame notes, thoughts

Miami Hurricanes backup AJ Highsmith has strong debut

Somewhere, former Hurricane Alonzo Highsmith was sweating bullets Saturday night. His son, UM freshman quarterback A.J. Highsmith, saw his first action of the season in the second half against Florida A&M. And he didn't disappoint the Canes -- or his dad. After going three-and-out on his opening series, Highsmith completed his first pass -- a 4-yarder to redshirt freshman fullback John Calhoun -- then led UM to a field goal on his next drive. Along the way, Highsmith rolled out of the pocket and completed a 29-yard pass to Tommy Streeter, who was wide open along the sideline. Highsmith finished 3 of 3 for 36 yards and ran once for a 2-yard loss. More importantly, he didn't fumble and didn't make any bad decisions.

Attendance: 47,859 @ Land Shark Stadium, Miami, FL

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Florida A&M at #11 Miami (FL)

Miami awaits with high anticipation for the FAMU Marching 100 Band.

Enjoy the telecast on the Internet at 7 p.m. ET, at ESPN360.com

UM aware of Rattlers' talent

The University of Miami aired radio commercials promoting Saturday's football game by touting the famed Florida A&M Marching 100 band's 15-minute, postgame show at Land Shark Stadium. The 60-minute main event that precedes it, however, could be a lot more interesting than some might expect. This is not the same FAMU team that UM defeated 51-10 in 2006. The undefeated 2009 Rattlers (4-0) come into Miami Gardens ranked No. 22 in the Football Championship Subdivision Coaches' Poll. The Rattlers last were ranked nationally in 2001.

If you are imagining that UM coach Randy Shannon reminded the Hurricanes that former Division I-AA Appalachian State defeated Michigan in 2007, or even more relevant, that two fellow Atlantic Coast Conference teams have fallen this season to FCS teams (Richmond defeated Duke 24-16 and William & Mary defeated Virginia 26-14) -- you are right. "They're excellent players,'' said UM cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke, who played at Miami Pace with FAMU left guard Anthony Collins and defensive tackle Demtris Lane. ``All those guys at FAMU are real good. Demtris had Division I offers, and Anthony Collins did, too." Seventeen Rattlers grew up in South Florida.

Around FCS: FAMU looks to upset Miami again

Florida A&M fans remember the coaching tenure of Rudy Hubbard fondly, if for nothing more than two games. Taking over in 1974, Hubbard rebuilt a FAMU squad that had fallen into disrepair after the legendary Jake Gaither retired in 1969. By the end of the decade, Hubbard had led the Rattlers to the first NCAA I-AA Football Championship in 1978 with a 35-28 victory over Massachusetts.

That capped off back-to-back seasons where the Rattlers finished 11-0 and then 12-1, a stretch of success that FAMU hasn't duplicated since. But few people could have expected what would happen the following year. Playing Miami for the first time, Florida A&M pulled off one of the biggest upsets Football Championship Subdivision history, beating the Hurricanes 16-13 before a crowd of 34,743 fans at Florida State's Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, FL.

After 30 years, Miami upset still fresh in famu's mind

Howard Schnellenberger couldn't remember too much of the details. After all, it was exactly 30 years to the day, as he was trying to recall how his Miami Hurricanes were shocked by FAMU.
"We knew we were playing a great football team that had more talent than we did," Schnellenberger's voice boomed over the phone. "We just wanted to kick the field goal and get the tie." But instead, Dan Miller's 20-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left, securing a 16-13 victory for FAMU in its first meeting with the Hurricanes. Lost in all of the hoopla and history written on that day at Doak Campbell Stadium was the biggest moment in the career of FAMU defensive tackle Algie Hendrieth.

Thirty years later, Hendrieth is probably better remembered locally as a football coach at Rickards and Lincoln high schools. But it was his one big play in that game so long ago that made sure that the Rattlers would have earned no worse than a tie against a Miami team that was ranked 10th in the nation at the time. On third-and-goal from FAMU's 3-yard line, Hendrieth swatted away quarterback Mike Rodrique's pass, forcing the failed field-goal attempt. It was the second straight bat-away for the Rattlers, who on the first play of the series had stopped Hurricane running back Lorenzo Roan for no gain.

FAMU QB Curtis Pulley is on the Payton Watch List along with KR LeRoy Vann.







Game preview: Florida A & M at No. 11 Miami

Quick slantAfter facing four straight ranked opponents, the Hurricanes (3-1) play the first of two consecutive non-conference opponents (the Hurricanes visit UCF next week). The Rattlers (4-0) are off to their best start in 12 years and ranked No. 24 in Division I-AA. UM hasn't lost a game in the series since the opener in 1979.

About FAMUThe Rattlers have two candidates for the Walter Payton Award, given to the nation's best Division I-AA player. QB Curtis Pulley has thrown for 877 yards and seven touchdowns with one interception. Special-teams player LeRoy Vann has scored on four punt returns and is the I-AA career leader in kickoff-return yardage. Vann has twice been named national player of the week. FAMU has outscored its opponents 134-44. The defense, led by LB Bryan Parker, has yet to allow more than 12 points in a game this season. Parker has 31 tackles, including 4.5 for losses.

Famed band may steal the show at Miami-FAMU game against Florida A&M,

Hurricanes coach Randy Shannon will hurry off the field. And then he'll hurry right back out. For many in the stands Saturday night, the matchup between No. 11 Miami (3-1) and Florida A&M (4-0) will serve only as a warm-up act. The best show may very well come from FAMU's fabled "Marching 100" band, which will perform for seven minutes at halftime, then hit the turf again for another 15-minute set postgame.
The beat of the drums, the blasts from the horns, synched with dance moves ... Shannon simply can't wait.

"I'll be watching it," said Shannon, who helped hatch the idea for the after-game festivities. "It's very rare that you get an opportunity to play a team like Florida A&M. And then you get a band to perform that everybody knows about. After enjoying a game and coaching in a game like that, you can't miss out on enjoying that band." His players don't want to miss out, either.

As soon as word spread that FAMU's band was playing postgame -- it'll be a tribute to Michael Jackson -- much of the Hurricanes' locker room starting buzzing. "They make the average band look so subpar," said Miami cornerback Ryan Hill, a native of Tallahassee, where Florida A&M is based. The band's name is a misnomer: There's actually more than 400 membe

UM announces 2009 football schedule

Excerpt:

Greensboro, N.C. – The Atlantic Coast Conference released the 2009 football schedule today and the University of Miami football team will again play one of the toughest schedules nationally in head coach Randy Shannon’s third season. The Hurricanes will play six homes games at Dolphin Stadium including a match up with BCS National Championship Game participant Oklahoma. Miami opens its season with a nationally televised game at instate rival Florida State on Labor Day night. Game times have yet to be announced.

Eight of Miami’s 12 opponents played in postseason games in 2008. The Hurricanes, annually one of college football's top television ratings draws, have two games already scheduled for national telecast – a Labor Day Monday night meeting with instate rival Florida State on Sept. 7 to open the season and a Thursday night home meeting with Georgia Tech on Sept. 17. For the first time since joining the ACC in 2004, UM opens the season with three consecutive games against ACC opponents. Besides the season opener against Florida State and week two match up with Georgia Tech, Miami will travel to defending ACC champion Virginia Tech on Sept. 26.

The Hurricanes will host Florida A&M on Saturday, Oct. 10 in the eighth meeting between the schools. Miami has won all seven previous meetings. The two teams last met in 2006, a 51-10 victory for Miami. Last season, the Rattlers finished 9-3 and second in the MEAC conference. Florida A&M is the only Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team on the UM schedule in 2009.

Day/Date Opponent (2008 Record) TV ’08 Polls 2008 Bowl Game
Mon., Sept. 7 at Florida State* (9-4) ESPN 21/23 Champs Sports Bowl (W, 42-13)
Thurs., Sept. 17 Georgia Tech* (9-4) ESPN 22/22 Chick Fil-A vs. LSU (L, 3-38)
Sat., Sept. 26 at Virginia Tech* (10-4) TBD 15/14 Orange vs. Cincinnati (W, 20-7)
Sat., Oct. 3 Oklahoma (12-2) TBD 5/5 BCS National Title Game vs. Florida (L, 24-14
Sat., Sept. 10 Florida A&M (9-3) TBD
Sat., Oct. 17 at UCF (4-8) TBD
Sat., Oct. 24 Clemson* (7-6) TBD Gator vs. Nebraska (L, 21-26)
Sat., Oct. 31 at Wake Forest* (8-5) TBD EagleBank vs. Navy (W, 29-19)
Sat., Nov. 7 Virginia* (5-7) TBD
Sat., Nov. 14 at North Carolina* (8-5) TBD Meineke Car Care vs. WVU (L, 30-31)
Sat. Nov. 21 Duke* (4-8) TBD
Sat., Nov. 28 at USF (8-5) TBD Magic Jack St. Petersburg vs. Memphis (W, 41-14)

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How soon they want to forget...One of the most notable wins in FAMU football history came when the Rattlers defeated the University of Miami in the series opener (16-13) in 1979. Following a perfect season in 1977, Rudy Hubbard’s Rattlers won the first-ever Division 1-AA national championship en route to a 11-1 season in 1978. You cannot erase history...

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FAMU will play Miami this season

Three years after their last meeting and three decades since FAMU's stunning victory over the University of Miami, both teams will meet this season at Pro Players Stadium. The Oct. 10 match-up will be the fifth game on the Rattlers' 2009 football schedule, which was announced Wednesday. The Rattlers open the season on Sept. 5 against Delaware State, one of four games they will play at Bragg Stadium. The annual classics against Tennessee State and Bethune-Cookman University are scheduled for Sept. 26 and Nov. 21, respectively.

A specific date for homecoming hasn't been decided, although a Nov. 7 date with North Carolina A&T is most likely. The other option is Oct. 24 against Norfolk State, said sports information director Alvin Hollins. The date will be determined after FSU releases its schedule in order to avoid a potential crunch for hotel rooms. FSU can't announce its schedule until the Atlantic Coast Conference releases it.

"It's frustrating for our fans," Hollins said. The Miami game is the first of a two-year contract between the two schools. The deal, which athletic director Bill Hayes said guarantees FAMU more than $500,000, calls for the teams to meet in consecutive seasons. The back-to-back games are a first since the 1979 and 1980 seasons. FAMU opened that agreement by beating the Hurricanes in Tallahassee, but this time both games will be played in Miami.

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2009 Florida A&M FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 5 vs. Delaware State
Sept. 12 at Winston-Salem State
Sept. 19 vs. Howard*
Sept. 26 vs. Tennessee State
Oct. 10 at Miami
Oct. 17 at S.C. State.
Oct. 24 vs. Norfolk State*
Oct. 31 at Morgan State
Nov. 7 vs. N.C. A&T
Nov. 14 at Hampton
Nov. 21 BCU
Nov. 28 - NCAA FCS Playoffs -1st Round
Dec 5 - NCAA FCS Playoffs - TBD
Dec 12- NCAA FCS Playoffs - TBD

*—Conference games; @—Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic at Georgia Dome in Atlanta; #—Possible homecoming dates; $—Florida Classic at Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

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Top-seeded Miami Defeats Bethune-Cookman, 7-4 in NCAA Regional Opener

Coral Gables, Fla. - Blake Tekotte had a big two-run single in the seventh inning to help top-seeded University of Miami--the nation's top-ranked team, win a 7-4 contest against Bethune-Cookman University in the NCAA Coral Gables Regional opener at Mark Light Stadium.

Leading 5-4 in the seventh inning, the Hurricanes (48-8) Ryan Jackson was hit by a pitch to start off the at-bat. He then advanced to second on a passed ball before Dave DiNatale and Adan Severino took back-to-back walks to load the bases. That's when Blake Tekotte stepped up and delivered a bloop single to centerfield that squeezed between B-CU (36-21) second baseman Mark Brooks and centerfielder José Ortiz.

The single scored two runs to push the Hurricanes lead out to 7-4 ... thus the final score. "I was just trying to put it in play," Tekotte said. "We knew we had our work cut out for us. This was the best fourth-seeded team in the nation."

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Three-Run 8th Inning Rallies No. 2 Miami Past BCU Wildcats, 7-6

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Freshman catcher Yasmani Grandal drove in the game-winning run after junior Dave DiNatale hit a two-run game-tying single in the bottom of the eighth as No. 2 Miami rallied to defeat Bethune-Cookman, 7-6, Wednesday night at Mark Light Field. Junior right-hander Carlos Gutierrez tossed the final inning to record his fifth save for the Hurricanes, who improved to 19-2 on the season.

The Wildcats managed to the get the tying-run on base in the top of the ninth, but after back-to-back strikeouts by Carlos Gutierrez, Grandal threw out the baserunner trying to steal second to end the game.

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