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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 13, 2002)
Hurricanes blowing through 2002 season Kevin Tatum Knight Ridder Newspapers (KRT) PHILADELPHIA — When Temple football coach Bobby Wallace and Owls athletic director Bill Bradshaw paid a get-to-know-you visit to May or Street on Tuesday morning, they presented him with a Temple hat and a T-shirt that had the word “Coach” stenciled on it. “I told him he could wear it and coach the team on Saturday,” said Wallace, who was meeting the mayor, a Temple alumnus, for the first time. For the record, Street did not ac cept the offer. And who could blame him? Street’s mandate to fix all the problems in the city are nothing when compared to the challenge that Wallace faces Saturday. That is when the 1-1 Owls will host the de fending national champions Miami Hurricanes at Franklin Field in the Big East opener for both teams. Yes, those Miami Hurricanes. The 2-0 Hurricanes. The No. 1-ranked-in every-poll-there-is Hurricanes. The 24-victories-in-a-row Hurricanes. “I’ve had people ask me if I’m scared,” said Temple defensive end Tyrone Ditzell, with a laugh. Ditzell is not the type to be intimi dated. But could you blame him if he was? The Owls are 1-10 all-time against Miami, claiming their only victory in 1930 when these players’ grandfathers were wearing leather helmets and lugging a round ball. That year, Temple registered a 34 0 victory at an indoor game at the Atlantic City Convention Hall. In the five games the Owls and Hurricanes have played in Philadelphia since then, Miami has outscored Temple by 224-71. Now that is scary. “Every team in the nation wants ■ to play the No. 1 team,” Owls center Donny Klein said. That is what they said in Gainesville last Friday as the Florida Gators prepped for Saturday’s game with the Hurricanes. Miami won that game, 41-16, and Florida was ranked sixth in the nation then. “There’s so much (national) expo sure, and that challenge is there,” Klein said. “I’m excited. This is my last year, and that’s why I came to Temple. I came here to play against the best.” Klein will certainly get his wish. Miami racked up 508 yards of of fense against Florida, and, while Gators quarterback Rex Grossman, a Heisman Trophy candidate, was sacked only once, he completed just 19 for 45 passes for 191 yards with two interceptions. It was only the sixth time in 152 games, dating back to 1990, that a Florida quarterback did not throw a touchdown pass. Look up the word “best” in the dictionary, and there is a picture of a Hurricane next to the word. But the Owls are not afraid to think big. “Miami’s (defensive) line is, bar none, the best in the nation — but they are beatable,” said Temple run ning back Tanardo Sharps, who rushed for 95 yards on 22 carries in the Owls’ 35-3 loss to visiting Oregon State on Thursday. “We’re not going to back down from them.” Temple had that same goal last year when the Hurricanes won, 38-0, in Miami. The ‘Canes broke open the game with a couple of big plays in the third quarter after Temple hung around during a first half that ended with the Owls trailing by 14-0. So, the chances of Temple win ning may be long, but it is not impos sible for them to do so. i— Pits. Al Diaz Miami Herald (KRT) Miami's Ethenic Sands and the Hurricanes drove past Florida, and the'Canes look like they could repeat as national champions. Remember when Wallace guided Temple to a 28-24 road victory over No. 10 Virginia Tech in 1998, his first season with the Owls? That re sult went down as one of the biggest upsets in college-football history. Gan he do it again? And if he does, would the Temple campus withstand the uproar? “When you play Miami, you real ize that you’re just holding on,” Wallace said. “They can explode at any time.” Wallace hopes that the Hurricanes come up with a dud on Saturday. And if they do, and if Wallace can —r,,,w.w**.yi.......... somehow end the nation’s longest Division I winning streak, he may have Mayor Street coming to him with a job offer. © 2002, The Philadelphia Inquirer. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services. WELLS FARGO The Next Stage GET 50% OFF PLANE TICKETS MAKE A FRIEND PAY HALF. By the way, your friend gets to go too. Get a free airline companion ticket* with the purchase of a full fare ticket when you sign up for the Wells Fargo Student Combo Package The Wells Fargo Student Combo" Package: Free Student Checking Free Weils Fargo* ATM & Check Card1 Free Online Account Access Free Student Visa* card** ' Purchase an .wiloe ticks?»«! receive a second same flight ticket at no charge. Subject to rbstrfctiom, 4m bantm lor details. Offer good wH%4 su " Credit card issued by WefH Fargo Sank. Nevada. HA, and « subject to ,t redd qualification. Annual 'foe is Waived if the Issuance of the ATM & Check Card is subject to qualification, ’ ■ > ' 2002 WidlsF^ugo Banks, Alhighfs reserved.MernbessfDIC ; ,'1 * • l totealbn.
