Miami Pulls One Past Oklahoma In Thriller

Miami Gardens-- On third-and-6 Miami quarterback Jacory Harris found tight end Dedrick Epps to convert the most important conversion of the game.

The pass was good for eight yards and allowed the No. 17 Miami Hurricanes (3-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) to eventually run out the clock in a 21-20 thrilling upset over the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners (2-2). 

“Great, huge win for us tonight against Oklahoma,” head coach Randy Shannon said in a news release.  “Huge for the University of Miami, South Florida and the
ACC conference going against a tough opponent in Oklahoma.

“You got to give credit to coach Bob Stoops’ guys. They kept coming back and kept fighting.” 

The final drive of the game defined how Miami played in the game.  All night long the Hurricanes kept backing up into a corner with penalties (12 for 115 yards) and missed assignments.  But when the team needed to they came up big.

The Sooners scored a 39-yard field goal with 4:18 left in the game to close Miami’s lead to one point.  Miami needed to get momentum back on their side one more time to run out the clock.

They turned to senior running back Javarris James, who made sure his performance that evening would count for something.  James had 15 carries for 150 yards in the game. 

“We went out there two years ago and got embarrassed,” James said in a news release.  “So when I fumbled the ball against them (then), it was a momentum swing.”

Miami lost 51-13 in 2007 to Oklahoma in Norman in their last meeting.

“But this year we came here, played at home and took advantage,” he said.
“Playing against four ranked opponents is big for us and it showed what kind of team we are.”

Miami started the season with one-of-the-most difficult schedules in the nation facing four consecitve ranked teams.  Washington was the last team to accomplish this feat in 1994.  many prognosticators had Miami losing all four games before the season began.

Wins at No. 18 Florida State, a home win No. 14 Georgia Tech catapulted them to the Top 10.  A loss at No. 11 Virginia Tech last week dropped them to No. 17.

James had four carries for 38 yards on the final drive, as the Hurricanes were able move the ball down the field from their own 27-yard line eventually to the Sooners 16-yard line. 

In that critical drive Aldarius Johnson caught a 12-yard pass to move the chains.  James would carry for 21 yards taking Miami into Oklahoma territory.  Following two rushes Miami faced a third-and-six and Epps all but assured them they were in control with a first down reception. Miami was 8-of-13 on third down conversions. 

From there James rushed for a 13-yard first down that sealed Oklahoma’s fate.  With no timeouts left, ball on the 15-yard line, the Hurricanes huddled up before the snap and hugged and congratulated each other for the long journey this game proved to be.

Two kneels later and Miami celebrated their victory with 61,790 clad in orange and green at Land Shark Stadium on Saturday night.

Through their first four-games they won three-of-their-four meetings against ranked teams.

Miami won the coin toss and elected to receive the ball in an attempt to get the offense going.  In the team’s first drive Oklahoma defensive back Dominique Franks intercepted Harris’ pass at the Oklahoma four-yard line. 

The Sooners would go on to score on the ensuing drive, marching 84-yards down the field for a 7-0 lead.  Quarterback Landry Jones found receiver Cameron Kenney for a 16-yard touchdown pass.  Jones was 18 for 30 for 188 yards and one touchdown.

On the second drive Harris threw another interception this time to defensive back Brian Jackson at the Oklahoma 7-yard line.

The Sooners added to their score at the beginning of the second quarter with a 21-yard field goal from kicker Jimmy Stevens.  The Hurricanes trailed 10-0 but responded with their own score.

James ran for 50 yards giving Miami a chance at the Oklahoma 13-yard line narrow the 10-point deficit.  Two plays later Harris would find tight end Jimmy Graham for an 18-yard touchdown with 8:20 left in the half.  Harris was 19 of 28 for 202 yards and three touchdowns. Graham streaked across the middle of the field and went untouched into the end zone.

Graham dropped two momentum changing passes last week in a 31-7 loss at Virginia Tech.  The Hurricanes were at the Hokies 30-yard line with 11:51 left after scoring a touchdown to narrow the score to 21-7.  He dropped a pass on first-and-10 and third-and-13.

"The offense came out there and executed,” Harris said in a news release.  “The offensive line made big blocks in the last four-minute drive and we just took care of business."

Harris found 11 different targets in the passing game which helped spread out the Oklahoma defense.

Trailing 10-7 at the half Miami came out possessed to start the third quarter.  It only took one play for them to take momentum of the game.  On second-and-11 cornerback Brandon Harris sacked Oklahoma Jones forcing a fumble that was recovered by defensive lineman Joe Joseph at the 11-yard line. 

On first down Harris found Epps in the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown.  Miami led for the first time 14-10 with only 43 seconds coming off of the clock. 

Harris threw for his third touchdown of the game when he found a wide-open Travis Benjamin for 38-yards with 6:54 left in the third quarter, making it 21 unanswered points for Miami.

Oklahoma’s 40-game winning streak when scoring the first 10 points came to an end.  The streak started November 2002.

Miami amassed 342 yards of total offense, one more yard than Oklahoma, 341. 

On the defensive side of the ball linebacker Sean Spence led all Hurricanes with 10 total tackles.  But it was linebacker Colin McCarthy that made the big plays running all over the field.  He added seven tackles.

Defensive back Ray Ray Armstrong played well in the secondary adding seven tackles of his own.  Armostrong also had a Sean-Taylor like tackle that sent the crowd into a frenzy in the first quarter.

“I brought a lot of energy tonight,” Armstrong said in a news release.  “I just wanted to come out and play hard. I tried my best to help to my team.”

The Hurricanes made adjustments in the second half.  Defensive back Sam Shields was exposed most of the night and was substituted to limit offensive threats late in the game. 

The loss continued Oklahoma’s woes at Land Shark; they are 1-3 since head coach Bob Stoops became head coach in 1999.

“We did a lot of good things,” Shannon said.  “We’re excited about this game – tough first four games, but now we got to get ready.  We’ll enjoy now – don’t think we won’t enjoy it, but we got to get ready for the next one, which is Florida A&M next week.”