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J.T. gets another crack at Miami
MIAMI (AP) � Had the circumstances not
changed, John Thompson could have faced Miami a week ago. And he probably
would have been given a better chance to win.
A defensive coordinator at Florida last season, Thompson took the head
coaching job at East Carolina in December. He returns to the Sunshine State
on Saturday night to face the No. 2 Hurricanes at the Orange Bowl, where
Miami has the nation's longest current home winning streak at 23 games.
Thompson's former team almost ended the run last week. Now, Thompson gets
his shot with the struggling Pirates (0-2), who have been outscored 88-10
this season and rank last in the nation in rushing defense.
"Miami's a very, very talented football team," Thompson said. "There's
probably not a team in the country with more talent or more confidence.
They're a team without weakness."
Thompson would know. The Hurricanes (2-0) shredded his defense in
Gainesville a year ago, running for 306 yards and totaling 508 yards of
offense in a 41-16 blowout.
He remembers watching Miami before, during and after the game and saying:
"That's as good a looking team as I've ever seen."
But without Ken Dorsey, Willis McGahee, Andre Johnson and several offensive
and defensive linemen, the 'Canes have looked somewhat vulnerable this
season.
The receiving corps has dropped nearly a dozen passes. The revamped
offensive line has been pushed around. Brock Berlin has as many turnovers
(four) as touchdown passes. And defensively, Miami has given up more big
plays in two games that it did in the last two seasons.
That could be cause for concern.
But when the Hurricanes rallied from a 23-point deficit to beat the Gators
38-33, they looked every bit as dominant as the team that won 34 consecutive
games before losing to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl last season.
Berlin completed 18 of his final 21 passes for 269 yards, Frank Gore ran
with power and confidence, and receiver Kevin Beard got open on nearly every
play. The result was four straight touchdowns. The defense sealed the
comeback by forcing Florida to punt on three straight possessions, then
intercepting a pass on the final drive.
"It's really fun to watch unless you're getting ready to compete against
them," Thompson said.
Miami coach Larry Coker expects the Gators to help Thompson and his staff
prepare for the game, possibly by giving them notes, video tapes and schemes
or plays that worked.
"I'm sure they'll share a lot of information," Coker said. "Nobody would
mind seeing us get beat. (Florida's) not going to hold back to help us."
Even so, it probably won't be enough. The Hurricanes are a 41-point favorite
for good reason.
The Pirates - the last unranked team to beat Miami, winning 27-23 in 1999 -
gave up 361 yards on the ground against Cincinnati in the opener and then
another 361 yards rushing against West Virginia last week.
"It's a situation right now where they're learning the new system and are
going to get better and better," Miami offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski
said. "Once those guys get grooved into what they're doing, it's going to
give teams lots of problems."
The defensive woes and rough start have been difficult for the 47-year-old
Thompson, who spent nearly two decades as a defensive coordinator with stops
at Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, Memphis and Southern Mississippi.
With the players still learning a defense based largely on movement before
the snap and unpredictability, Thompson finds himself in a position similar
to the one in Gainesville last season when he faced the Hurricanes. This
time, though, he probably has less talent.
"We've got our work cut out for us," Thompson said.
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