Miami Hurricanes count on bowl victory to propel next year's squad

BY SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN / The Miami Herald

The curtain will rise for the Miami Hurricanes on Tuesday night for the final time in 2009. But what transpires against Wisconsin at the Champs Sports Bowl will be all about the future.

A victory would give the Hurricanes their first 10-win season since 2003, catapulting them into the company of college football's elite.

A victory would mean that coach Randy Shannon has gone from five wins his first season to seven wins his second to double-digits his third.

A victory would mean that the No. 14 Canes (9-3) -- unranked at the start of 2009 and 3 ½-point bowl favorites -- would almost surely begin the 2010 season ranked in the top 10.

"It means everything," said UM defensive line coach Clint Hurtt. "To get that 10th win is a huge step. It's difficult to get 10 wins in college football nowadays. It allows you to make a big run the next season, and we expect to."

The No. 24 Badgers (9-3) will not be easy prey. The two teams are in nearly identical situations as they look ahead to what should be bright futures, and look behind at positive, if not perfect, seasons.

Both teams have the same overall records and same records in their perspective leagues -- Wisconsin at 5-3 in the Big Ten and UM at 5-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Both teams lost their bowl games last season. The Hurricanes fell to California in the Emerald Bowl; the Badgers lost to Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl.

Both teams have coaches who are former defensive coordinators. Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema, at 39 the sixth-youngest head coach in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, is in his fourth year leading the Badgers.

Shannon, 43, took over in 2007.

"Randy and I know each other because I recruited South Florida for a long time," Bielema said. "Both of us play good defense and share a lot of concepts.

"Everyone talks about our Midwestern size and Miami's speed, but these two teams are probably a lot more similar than they are different."

The Hurricanes are loaded with talent and youth in the skill positions. Only three seniors are starting the bowl game on offense (though two juniors might turn pro), and four on defense.

PROLIFIC PASSING GAME
Led by sophomore quarterback Jacory Harris, who will play with the thumb on his throwing hand still very sore because of a previous injury, the Canes have a prolific passing game that utilizes a bunch of young, hungry receivers. Seventeen players have caught passes this season.

"The thing that jumps out at me is Miami has so much speed and rotates lots of guys, so they're fresh all the time," said Wisconsin safety Chris Maragos, who has four interceptions this season. "They play tough, play hard and play passionately."
Harris has thrown for 3,164 yards and 23 touchdowns, but he also has 17 interceptions.

"They'll want to throw deep," Maragos said, "and when that happens, balls can get tipped around. Hopefully we'll come up with some."

The Badgers' strength: one of the best rushing games in the nation -- and one of the best defenses.

UM will attempt to contain Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year John Clay, who has rushed for 1,396 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2009. Quarterback Scott Tolzien (2,445 yards and 16 touchdowns, with 10 interceptions) says that's fine with him.

"All I do is hand the ball off to him," Tolzien said. "He deserves all the credit. Everyone begins their game plan with John. It takes a lot of pressure off me."

Defensively, the Badgers rank eighth against the rush. They have not allowed a team to run for 100 yards or more since Sept. 19. Defensive end O'Brien Schofield is tied for second in the country with 22.5 tackles for loss, and has 10 sacks.

This game will be especially meaningful for the seniors. The Hurricanes have helped rebuild a program that began to falter by the time they were freshmen.

BITTERSWEET' ENDING
"This is bittersweet," fifth-year defensive tackle Joe Joseph said. "I've been here so long. It's hard to leave everything behind, but it's time to move on with our lives. It's the last time I'm going to put on my uniform, and it means a lot."

Team captain Randy Phillips, a fifth-year safety, has given as much as anyone to the program. He played most of the season with severe pain in his shoulder and still ranked fourth on the team with 46 tackles. He had two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

"We had a lot of ups and downs, bumps in the road," Phillips said recently, "but it's where you start and where you finish, and you let the road throughout the journey make you a better person.

"No matter what the journey is," he concluded, "you can always finish at the top."

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