HURRICANES 2-3 OVERALL, 0-2 ACC COASTAL

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1 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001 Sports Media Relations/Contacts: Mark Pray, Kerwin Lonzo-Main Football Contact Rob Dunning Sports Information Office, University of Miami, 5821 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL (305) , (305) FAX, MIAMI (2-3, 0-2 ACC Coastal) Date Opponent (TV) Time/Result Aug. 28 CHARLESTON SOUTHERN ESPN360.com W, 52-7 Sept. 6 at (5) Florida ESPN L, 3-26 Sept. 20 at Texas A&M ABC W, Sept. 27 NORTH CAROLINA* ESPN2 L, Oct. 4 FLORIDA STATE* ABC/ESPN2 L, Oct. 11 UCF* ESPNU 3:45 p.m. Oct. 18 at Duke* ESPNU 3:30 p.m. Oct. 25 (21) WAKE FOREST* TBA Nov. 1 at Virginia* TBA Nov. 13 (18) VIRGINIA TECH* ESPN 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20 at Georgia Tech* ESPN 7:30 p.m. Nov. 29 at NC State* TBA *ACC game; all times Eastern; Coaches poll rankings in () UCF (2-3, 1-1 C-USA East) Date Opponent TV Time/Result Aug. 30 SOUTH CAROLINASTATE W, 17-0 Sept. 6 (17) USF ESPN2 L, Sept. 20 at Boston College ESPNU L, 7-34 Sept. 27 at UTEP* CBS C L, Oct. 4 SMU* CBS C W, Oct. 11 at Miami ESPNU 3:45 p.m. Oct. 26 at Tulsa* ESPN 7 p.m. Nov. 2 EAST CAROLINA* ESPN 7:15 p.m. Nov. 8 SOUTHERN MISS* 1 p.m. Nov. 15 at Marshall* CSS 3:30 p.m. Nov. 22 at Memphis* 1 p.m. Nov. 29 UAB* 1 p.m. *ACC game; all times Eastern; Coaches poll rankings in () 2008 STATISTICAL COMPARISON Offense Miami UCF Scoring Points per game First Downs Rush-pass-pen Total offense Average per play Average per game Rushing yards Yards per rush Yards per game Passing yards Pass att.-cmp.-int Yards per pass Yards per catch Yards per game Completion pct Defense Total points allowed Points per game First downs allowed Rush-pass-pen Total offense allowed Yards per game Rushing yards allowed Yards per carry Yards per game Passing yards allowed Pass att.-cmp.-int Yards per pass Yards per catch Yards per game MIAMI HURRICANES 2-3 OVERALL, 0-2 ACC COASTAL GAME 6 Date: Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008 Location: Dolphin Stadium - Prescription AthleticTurf (Natural Grass), (74,916) in Miami Gardens, Fla. Kickoff: 3:49 p.m. (ET) TV: The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU, with Doug Bell(play by play), Charles Arbuckle (color analyst), and Melissa Knowles (Sideline reporter). Tape Delay Telecast: On CSS, Tuesday Oct. 14 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., with announcers Jason Solodkin (play-by-play) and K.C. Jones (color). Local Radio: The Hurricanes Radio Network (WQAM 560 AM) will carry the game live with Joe Zagacki UCF KNIGHTS 2-3 OVERALL, 1-1 C-USA East (play by play), Don Bailey Jr. (analysis) and Brian London (sideline reporter). Fans can also listen online at The game can also be heard on the UM student station WVUM (90.5 FM) with Andrew Green, Ian Hest and Justin Antweil calling the game and Michael Menendez on the pre-game and postgame show. Radio En Espanol: The game will broadcast in Spanish on 1450 ESPN Deportes (1450 AM) with Joe Pujala (play by play) and Joe Martinez (analysis). Websites: Miami ( and UCF ( THE GAME Miami wraps up its three-game homestand Saturday when the Hurricanes host UCF in a nationally-televised game on ESPNU. The Hurricanes will return to Atlantic Coast Conference play Saturday, Oct. 18 at Duke. The Hurricanes are coming off a loss to instate rival Florida State. Freshman wide receiver Travis Benjamin accounted for 274 all-purpose yards including third highest kickoff return yardage in school history - six returns for 165 yards. Redshirt freshman quarterback Robert Marve will make his fifth collegiate start and third at Dolphin Stadium. Marve has five touchdown tosses on the season and has completed 57.0 percent (61-of- 107) of his passes for 538 yards. The Hurricanes are 34th nationally in overall defense (314.4 yards per game). Miami s return game has been producing field position lately. Freshman Travis Benjamin is 10th nationally in kickoff returns (29.9 yards per return) and 11th nationally in punt return yards (17.7 yds per return). UCF ranks eighth as a team nationally in kickoff returns led by defensive back Joe Burnett who is tied for 13th in the nation. The Knights are 14th nationally in punt returns (18.07 yards per return), also led by Burnett, who ranks 10th nationally. This will be the first ever meeting between UCF and Miami. The Hurricanes are 8-1 all-time against Conference USA teams, which includes wins over USF and Louisville before both moved to the Big East. THE OPPONENT UCF defeated SMU, 31-17, last Saturday at home to move to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in Conference USA. Back-up quarterback Michael Greco came off the bench to throw two touchdown passes and redshirt freshman running back Ronnie Weaver rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown. On the season, Greco has thrown for 426 yards and four touchdowns. He s been intercepted three times. Weaver is the team s leading rusher with 328 yards (3.7 yards per carry). UCF s rushing defense is 26th overall nationally led by leading tackler Jason Venson. Venson, the Knights starting free safety has 29 tackles. The Knights have 36 tackles for loss - six coming from defensive lineman Torrell Troup and another five coming from linebacker Lawrence Young. DID YOU KNOW? Of the 23 seniors on this year's squad, 13 have already earned degrees, while the remaining 10 are all on course to graduate either in December of 2008 or May of Last spring, the NCAA released its annual Academic Progress Report (APR) and the Hurricane football team scored a 969, the eighth-highest mark out of the 119 Bowl Sub-division football programs. Miami's score - also the third-highest mark in the 12-team Atlantic Coast Conference - put the team in the 80th-90th percentile nationally based on its performance in the classroom. Running back Graig Cooper (5 TDs) needs just one more touchdown this season to have recorded the most TDs in a single season since Tyrone Moss and Sinorice Moss scored 12 and six touchdowns respectively in 2005.

2 2008 GAME NOTES UCF WEEK MEDIA SCHEDULE Covering the Hurricanes For the Florida State game, players are available up to the end of practice on Wednesday. Interviews with players and coaches must be arranged at least 24 hours in advance. Practices are open to the media from the start through stretch. Head coach Randy Shannon will address the media following each practice. Note the changes in this week s schedule. Players day off. Monday Tuesday Weekly Press Conference 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Edgerrin James Team Meeting Room. Coach Shannon conducts a weekly press conference at 11:30 and is followed by selected players including quarterbacks from Noon to 1 p.m. Practice 2:45 p.m. at Greentree Practice Fields. Players and coaches are available after practice. Wednesday ACC Teleconference Call (Contact UM Media Relations for the phone number) 10:30 Jim Grobe, Wake Forest 10:40 Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech 10:50 Al Groh, Virginia 11:00 Tom O Brien, North Carolina State 11:10 Butch Davis, North Carolina 11:20 Randy Shannon, Miami 11:30 Ralph Friedgen, Maryland 11:40 Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech 11:50 Bobby Bowden, Florida State 12:00 David Cutcliffe, Duke 12:10 Tommy Bowden, Clemson 12:20 Jeff Jagodzinski, Boston College THE COACHES Randy Shannon is 7-10 overall and is in his second season at Miami. UCF s George O Leary is overall in five seasons at UCF. HURRICANES EXCELLING IN THE CLASS ROOM Miami's APR score in 2008 was a slight improvement over its mark of 966 in 2007 when the team was ranked 10th nationally in academic success. Of the 23 seniors on this year's squad, 13 have already earned degrees, while the remaining 10 are all on course to graduate either in December of 2008 or May of The 13 players that have already earned degrees include: Carlos Armour (Sports Administration), Tyrone Byrd (Liberal Arts), Glenn Cook (Marketing and Business Management, Sports Management master's candidate), Romeo Davis (Liberal Arts), Dwayne Hendricks (Business Management), Khalil Jones (Sports Administration), Joe Joseph (Sports Administration), Eric Moncur (Liberal Arts), Anthony Reddick (Liberal Arts), Chris Rutledge (Liberal Arts), Xavier Shannon (Enrollment Management master's candidate), Derron Thomas (Sports Administration) and Chris Zellner (Geography). Last season, Miami had 12 early graduates - the second-highest total nationally behind fellow ACC member Boston College and in 2006, Miami had an ACC-high eight players named to the All-ACC Academic Football Team. NUMBER OF PLAYERS WHO HAVE OBTAINED UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES ON 2008 ROSTERS 13 Miami 10 Boston College, Virginia Tech 9 Maryland 8 Auburn, Clemson, Pittsburgh 7 Arizona State, Memphis, Ohio State, Penn State 6 Northwestern 5 Baylor, Louisiana Tech, Ole Miss, Syracuse, UCF 4 Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, Northern Illinois, Oregon State, San Diego State, Texas Tech 3 Georgia Tech, Louisville, Notre Dame, TCU, Virginia 2 Colorado, FAU, San Jose State, Troy, Utah 1 Wake Forest, Western Michigan Practice 3:30 p.m. at Greentree Practice Fields. Players and coaches are available after practice. Thursday Practice 6:30 a.m. at Greentree Practice Fields. Only Coach Shannon is available after practice. Friday Practice Closed walk-through. (No media availability.) Saturday Miami vs. UCF 3:45 p.m. ET (ESPNU). Sunday Game Recap 11 a.m. in the Edgerrin James Room with Coach Shannon. Miami Football Media Relations Mark Pray Assistant AD/Communications Kerwin Lonzo....Associate SID/Football Contact Rob Dunning Assistant SID Phone (305) Fax (305) Top Football Academic Progress Report Scores (includes BCS, C-USA and independent schools) 1. Stanford Navy 979 3t. Duke 977 Rutgers Air Force Rice Boston College 972 8t. Miami 969 Northwestern 969 Notre Dame APR Rankings Among All D-I Football Programs in Florida 1. Miami Florida Florida State UCF USF FAU FIU 887 PAGE 2

3 2008 GAME NOTES The University of Miami currently has 46 players on NFL rosters - easily the most of any college football program in the country. There are nine more Hurricanes in the NFL than any other school, with Florida State ranking second with 37 and Georgia, Michigan and Ohio State in a tie for third with 36. Here is a list of schools with at least 10 former players currently on NFL rosters: School Total Miami Florida State Georgia Michigan Ohio State Louisiana State Tennessee Texas Southern California Florida Notre Dame Auburn California Virginia Tech Nebraska Maryland Boston College Michigan State Penn State North Carolina Purdue Iowa Arizona State Georgia Tech Louisville Texas A&M Alabama Kansas State North Carolina State Oklahoma UCLA Virginia Fresno State Illinois Wisconsin Arizona Arkansas Mississippi State Oregon Colorado Hawaii Minnesota South Carolina Mississippi Pittsburgh San Diego State Syracuse Washington Brigham Young Clemson Washington State Indiana Stanford Utah Wake Forest Central Florida Oregon State Rutgers Boise State Oklahoma State Vanderbilt ITS ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS Freshman receiver/returner Travis Benjamin had his best game of his young career this past weekend against rival FSU, collecting an impressive 274 all-purpose yards against the Seminoles. Benjamin, who had 183 all-purpose yards through Miami s first four games (45.75 ypg), finished with 185 yards on kick returns, 71 yards receiving and 18 yards rushing in an increased role against FSU. Here are some other notes about Benjamin s success this season: His 274 all-purpose yards against FSU was the most by a Hurricane since Edgerrin James had 310 allpurpose yards (299 rushing, 11 receiving) against UCLA in He scored his first two touchdowns of his career against the Seminoles with an 18-yard rushing TD and a 51-yard receiving TD on a pass from running back Graig Cooper. For the season, Benjamin now leads the team with 457 all-purpose yards, just ahead of Cooper s 448 yards. Benjamin s 91.4 yards per game ranks 10th in the Atlantic Coast Conference through last weekend s games. Benjamin leads the ACC and ranks 10th nationally in kick return average (29.9) while ranking second in league and 11th nationally in punt return average (17.7). He also owns the team s longest kickoff return (57 yards) and reception (51) in addition to owning the highest single-game receiving yards total (71). UNCOMMON SPENCE With the injury to linebacker Colin McCarthy, freshman linebacker Sean Spence is likely to take on an increased role the remainder of the season. Spence, who ranks fourth on the team with 21 tackles, has shown big play ability early in his career. His first career sack came against 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, while his first career touchdown came last weekend on a seven-yard interception return of a pass thrown by FSU s Christian Ponder. YOUTH IS SERVED Five of Miami s top six performers in terms of all-purpose yards gained this season are either in their first or second year in the UM program. Freshman Travis Benjamin leads the team with 457 all-purpose yards, while sophomore Graig Cooper and senior Kayne Farquharson - a junior college transfer last year - rank second and third with 448 and 140 yards respectively. Another freshman - Thearon Collier - ranks fourth on the team with 134 all-purpose yards despite missing the FSU game, fellow freshman Aldarius Johnson ranks fifth with 111 yards. Senior Derron Thomas (fourth with 126 yards) is the only UM player with at least two full seasons of Division I playing experience currently ranked in the team s top five in terms of all-purpose yards gained through the season s first five contests. COUNTING COOPER Sophomore running back Graig Cooper has a team-high five touchdowns this season (three rushing, one receiving, one punt return). With one more touchdown this season, Cooper will have scored the most touchdowns in a season at UM since 2005 when Tyrone Moss and Sinorice Moss scored 12 and six touchdowns respectively. Last season, Cooper led the team with five touchdowns, while in 2006, then-freshman Javarris James also led the Canes with five touchdowns. MULTIFACETED MATT Sophomore punter/kicker Matt Bosher is one of just a handful of players nationally that handles all of his team s field goals, punts and kickoffs. Despite the difficutly of taking on so many tasks, Bosher has been one of the best specialists in the ACC the first half of the season. He ranks third in the league in overall scoring (8.6 points per game) - trailing only Sam Swank of Wake Forest among kickers - in addition to ranking third in punting (42.1), third in field goals (1.6 per game) and fourth in field goal percentage (88.9). He is also tied with Clemson s Mark Buchholz for a league-high 19 extra points and against FSU he showed even more versatility in converting a crucial fake punt with a nine-yard run on a 4th-and-4 to keep a UM drive alive late in the contest. FORECASTING FOURTEEN Thirteen Hurricanes - including five true freshmen - have already reached the end zone through Miami s first five games. Graig Cooper (5), Kayne Farquharson (2), Travis Benjamin (2), Derron Thomas (1), Leonard Hankerson (1), Jacory Harris (1), Jason Fox (1), Shawnbrey McNeal (1), Javarris James (1), Aldarius Johnson (1), Thearon Collier (1), Sean Spence (1) and Glenn Cook (1) have all reached paydirt at least once this season. A number of players who see regular action will be looking for their first touchdown of the season on Saturday, including junior tight end Dedrick Epps, junior wide receiver Sam Shields, freshman wide reciever Laron Byrd and senior wide receiver Khalil Jones, among others. Each of the last two seasons, UM had only seven players with touchdowns five games in, and in both seasons only 14 players had scored a touchdown by the end of the year. In 2005, only 12 players scored touchdowns (six at the five-game mark), while in 2004, 11 players had a TD at the five-game mark with 16 eventually scoring by the end of the season. PAGE 3

4 2008 GAME NOTES COACHES SHOW UM s coaches show, Hurricane Game Day With Randy Shannon airs twice weekly on CSS, at 4 p.m. Fridays and 11 a.m. Saturdays. The show is hosted by Joe Zagacki and Don Bailey and features Hurricanes players as coach Shannon s guests HURRICANES RADIO NETWORK Miami football games can be heard throughout the state of Florida on the Hurricane Sports Network, anchored by WQAM (560 AM). The games are also broadcast in Spanish on 1450 ESPN Deportes (1450 AM). FLAGSHIP STATIONS Miami/Fort Lauderdale University of Miami PAGE 4 WQAM (560 AM) WVUM (90.5 FM) AFFILIATES Daytona Beach WPUL (1590 AM) Ft. Myers/Naples WWCN (770 AM) Jacksonville ESPN (1460) Jupiter ESPN Radio (760 AM) Key West WKWF (1600 AM) Lakeland WWAB (1330 AM) Live Oak WLVO (106.1 FM) Marathon WFFG (1300 AM) Melbourne ESPN Radio (1060 AM) Orlando WAMT (1190 AM) Stuart WSTU (1450 AM) Tallahassee ESPN Radio (1410 AM) Tampa WHBO (1470 AM) West Palm Beach ESPN Radio (760 AM) MIAMI MEDIA POLICIES Releases Available Via Media members interested in receiving Miami football releases via should send requests to Football SID Kerwin Lonzo at klonzo@miami.edu. Game Day Press Policies Only working press will be admitted to the Dolphin Stadium press box. Seats will be issued according to the following criteria: 1. State newspapers by circulation, wire services, national publications, newspapers from opponent s area, and student newspapers from UM and opponent s schools. 2. Other daily newspapers, with preference to those that regularly cover UM. 3. Radio and television personnel not broadcasting, but considered reporting. 4. Non-daily newspapers, with preference to those which regularly cover UM. 5. Scouts. Freelance and/or non-daily writers may be asked to produce copies of actual publications in which their work has appeared. In some cases, these materials will be required as verification of the writers status. Conference Road Game Credentials Writers covering UM on a regular basis should make all requests for conference road credentials directly with the home team. Non-Conference Road Game Credentials Writers covering UM on a regular basis may make requests for non-conference road credentials with the UM Sports Information Office. Credential requests are faxed to the opponent school by Monday two weeks prior to the contest. LOCKER ROOM LEVERAGE Through Miami s first five games, the Hurricanes are out-scoring opponents 99-to-55 in the first and third quarters combined. UM s most-effective quarter is the first, where it is out-scoring opponents 49-24, for an average of 9.8-to-4.8 heading into the second quarter. The Canes are an even 26 for, 26 against in the second quarter before heading into the locker room at the half. When UM returns to the field for the second half however, the Hurricanes again have an edge over their opponents, out-scoring teams 51-to-31 in the third quarter. MATURATION OF MARVE Anytime a team starts a freshman at quarterback, it will likely take some time for everyone on offense to develop a rhythm together, especially when it comes to throwing the football. Through redshirt freshman QB Robert Marve s first four games, the positives far out-weigh the negatives heading into this weekend s game against UCF. Marve, who played in his first collegiate game at No. 5 Florida, is 61-for-107 for 538 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions this season. After attempting 18 passes at Florida, Marve s role in the offense continues to develop as he attempted 22 passes at Texas A&M, 27 passes two weeks ago against North Carolina, and a career-high 40 passes against Florida State this past weekend. TURNING POINT After creating just three turnovers its first four games, the Hurricanes returned to their usual ways last weekend against the FSU, forcing four turnovers (two interceptions, two fumbles) against the Seminoles. FSU s Christian Ponder was picked off twice - once by senior cornerback Bruce Johnson (his first of the season) and once by freshman linebacker Sean Spence (his first career pick). A pair of FSU fumbles were also recovered by senior saftey Ryan Hill (his second recovery this year) and redshirt freshman Adewale Ojomo (his first career). In addition to those turnovers, UM caused more havoc on special teams, forcing two FSU botched punts that resulted in a safety on the first and better field position on the second. MISSING MCCARTHY When it was determined that junior linebacker Colin McCarthy will miss the rest of the 2008 season with a shoulder injury, Miami s defense suffered a serious blow. McCarthy, who played in the season s first four games before injuring his shoulder in practice leading up to the Florida State game, leaves a big void in the in the linebacking core, and maybe just as importantly, on special teams. No UM defender has more tackles than McCarthy over the last year-and-a-half, with the Clearwater native collecting 74 last season and 17 this year in UM s first four games. In addition to his play on the defensive side of the football, McCarthy has been a key contributer on special teams, setting several crucial blocks for UM return men on punt and kickoff returns. Freshman linebacker Sean Spence, who started in his place against FSU after thriving as a second-teamer early in the season, will likely remain a starter at outside linebacker the remainder of the season. MISSING MORE In addition to loss of McCarthy, the UM defense has suffered a number of injury setbacks through the season s first two months. The team has yet to start the same 11 players twice on defense, while a number of expected starters could potentially miss most, if not all of the remainder of the season. Below are some of the main setbacks the UM defense has suffered through the first five games. Senior defensive end Eric Moncur missed the season-opener, was limited in the next three games, and left early against Florida State. Senior safety Randy Phillips was injured early on in the Texas A&M contest and hasn t played since. Senior safety Lovon Ponder missed two games (UF, TAMU) with an injury. Senior linebacker Romeo Davis was inactive for the FSU game. Sophomore defensive end Allen Bailey missed the opener and has slowly worked his way back. Freshman defensive tackle Marcus Forston missed the UNC game. Freshman safety Vaughn Telemaque missed UM s last two games. GATORS, HEELS AND NOLES The Hurricanes three losses this season have come against teams with a combined record of Six points are the difference between Miami s current 2-3 record and a possible 4-1 start for the Hurricanes. After a 26-3 loss at No. 5 Florida, UM dropped a pair of close battles with UNC (28-24) and FSU (41-39) the last two weeks at home. In the latest AP poll, Florida is ranked No. 11, UNC came in at No. 22 and FSU is receiving votes just outside of the Top 25. STARTING SIX Whether it be be because injuries or constant competition on both sides of the ball, only six Hurricanes have started all five games this season. Seniors Glenn Cook, Bruce Johnson and Xavier Shannon, juniors Jason Fox and Darryl Sharpton, and sophomore Steven Wesley are the only Hurricanes to have taken the first snap in every contest through the first five games. A total of eight Hurricanes have started four of five games.

5 2008 GAME NOTES USA TODAY COACHES TOP 25 Oct. 5, 2008 No Team Record Pts. LW 1. Oklahoma (5-0) Missouri (5-0) LSU (4-0) Alabama (6-0) Texas (5-0) Penn State (6-0) Texas Tech (5-0) Brigham Young (5-0) USC (3-1) Georgia (4-1) (tie) 11. Ohio State (5-1) Florida (4-1) Utah (6-0) Vanderbilt (5-0) Kansas (4-1) Boise State (4-0) Oklahoma State (5-0) Virginia Tech (5-1) Michigan State (5-1) 273 NR 20. South Florida (5-1) (tie) 21. Wake Forest (3-1) Northwestern (5-0) 231 NR 23. Auburn (4-2) Wisconsin (3-2) California (4-1) 98 NR ARV: North Carolina (4-1) 88; TCU (5-1) 84; Tulsa (5-0) 76; Ball State (6-0) 75; Florida State (4-1) 61; Georgia Tech (4-1) 56; Kentucky (4-1) 51; Pittsburgh (4-1) 32; Illinois (3-2) 25; Fresno State (3-2) 19; Cincinnati (4-1) 18; Arizona (4-1) 16; Oregon (4-2) 15; Notre Dame (4-1) 11; Connecticut (5-1) 8; Maryland (4-2) 7; Boston College (4-1) 6; Duke (3-2) 1; Minnesota (5-1) 1; South Carolina (4-2) 1. ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25 Oct. 6, 2008 No Team Record Pts. LW 1. Oklahoma (51) Alabama (13) Missouri (1) LSU Texas Penn St Texas Tech Southern Cal BYU Georgia Florida Ohio St Vanderbilt Utah Boise St Kansas Oklahoma St Virginia Tech South Florida Auburn Wake Forest North Carolina NR 23. Michigan St NR 24. Pittsburgh NR 25. Ball St NR ARV: Wisconsin 96, Tulsa 85, Illinois 81, California 80, Northwestern 78, TCU 70, Georgia Tech 59, Kentucky 49, Florida St. 36, Notre Dame 6, Arizona 5, Fresno St. 5, Oregon 4, Boston College 3. ALWAYS ALDARIUS Freshman Aldarius Johnson is the lone Hurricane to have caught at least one pass in every contest this season. After catching one ball in each of UM s first two games (14-yard reception vs. Charleston Southern; 11-yard reception at No. 5 Florida), Johnson has caught 10 balls the last three games, catching three for 19 yards at Texas A&M, two for 12 yards and a touchdown against North Carolina, and a career-high five for 55 against Florida State last weekend. Junior tight end Dedrick Epps, junior wide receiver Sam Shields and freshman wide reciever Laron Byrd have caught a pass in four of five contests thus far. Johnson currently leads the team with 12 catches, while he ranks third in receiving yards with 111, behind Kayne Farquharson (140 yards) and Thearon Collier (113). FOX IN THE FLAT Miami s anchor on the offensive line - left tackle Jason Fox - is one of a number of players on the UM roster that played multiple positions in high school. Fox, who stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 307 pounds, was recruited as an offensive lineman but also spent time as a tight end during his prep playing days. His versatility was on display late in the Florida State game when, after quarterback Robert Marve rolled right, Fox slid back behind Marve on the left side, caught a backwards pass, and ran it in for a five-yard touchdown. FOURTH DOWN FORTUNE Miami ranks third nationally in fourth-down efficiency on defense among teams who have defended more than five fourth down attempts. The Hurricanes, who trail only Connecticut (7-for-7) and Michigan State (7-for-8), have stopped their opponents six out of seven times on fourth down. On the flip side, the UM offense is tied for 11th nationally among teams who have attempted at least five fourth-downs, converting on six of eight attempts (75%). Texas and Fresno State are both a perfect 5-for-5 on fourth down while Kansas State (64.3%) and Eastern Michigan (56.3%) lead the nation with nine conversions apiece. UM OFFENSE IN THE RED ZONE The Hurricanes are a near-perfect 19-of-21 in the red zone on offense, converting 12 touchdowns and seven field goals this season.the Canes rank third in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 90.5 percent conversion rate. Florida State and Boston College rank in a tie for first in the league with a 90.9 conversion rate, with both teams converting 20-of-22 opportunities. DON T BLINK NOW When Miami s offense gets the ball in its hands, you better not get up out of your seat or you might miss something. Eleven of UM s 16 offensive touchdowns this season have come on drives of three minutes or shorter, with seven of those nine TDs coming in under a minute. In fact, UM s longest touchdown drive in terms of used game clock was a 9-play, 43-yard drive that lasted only 4:19 and resulted in a Javarris James 7-yard touchdown run in the season opener against Charleston Southern. The team s quick-strike ability was on display in College Station three weeks ago, when three offensive TD drives lasted 35 seconds, 27 seconds and eight seconds respectively. This past weekend, UM had two touchdown drives of less than 30 seconds, with Travis Benjamin reaching the endzone on both. His first touchdown was the lone play of a seven second drive that saw him score on a run early in the second half. His second came on another one-play drive that lasted just 21 seconds with running back Graig Cooper hooking up with Benjamin on a 51-yard touchdown pass. Below is a list of UM s TD drives this season: Opponent Touchdown Drive Time CSU Jacory Harris 30-yard run :37 CSU Javarris James 7-yard run :19 CSU Leonard Hankerson 7-yard pass from Jacory Harris :15 CSU Graig Cooper 14-yard run :12 CSU Derron Thomas 5-yard run :55 CSU Shawnbrey McNeal 1-yard run :44 TAMU......Graig Cooper 19-yard run :44 TAMU......Graig Cooper 51-yard run :35 TAMU......Thearon Collier 26-yard pass from Robert Marve :27 TAMU......Kayne Farquharson 15-yard pass from Robert Marve :08 UNC Kayne Farquharson 9-yard pass from Robert Marve :58 UNC Graig Cooper 11-yard pass from Robert Marve :50 UNC Aldarius Johnson 4-yard pass from Robert Marve :00 FSU Travis Benjamin 18-yard run :07 FSU Travis Benjamin 51-yard pass from Graig Cooper :21 FSU Jason Fox 5-yard run :43 PAGE 5

6 2008 GAME NOTES UM-UCF PLAYER CONNECTIONS There are a number of connections between the University of Miami and the University of Central Florida football teams. A total of 17 current UM players hail from the same high school as a UCF player. CENTRAL CATHOLIC HS (CLEARWATER) Colin McCarthy JR LB UM A.J. Trump JR C/G UM Jordan Becker R-FR DB......UCF CHAMINADE-MADONNA PREP (MIAMI) Glenn Cook SR LB UM Jordan Futch FR LB UM Kamar Aiken SOPH WR......UCF CORAL REEF HS (MIAMI) Eric Houston SR FB UM Jack Carter R-FR LB......UCF GLADES CENTRAL HS (BELLE GLADES) Travis Benjamin FR WR UM Damien Berry SOPH RB UM Randy Phillips SR DB UM Jarien Moreland FR OL......UCF HARGRAVE MILITARY ACADEMY (CHATHAM, VIRGINIA) Cannon Smith FR QB UM Jordan Richards R-JR LB......UCF HIALEAH HS (HIALEAH) Adewale Ojomo R-FR DL UM Rashidi Haughton R-SO DE......UCF HIGHTOWER HS (MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS) Tyrone Byrd SR OL UM Theo Goins FR DT......UCF HOMESTEAD HS (HOMESTEAD) Kayne Farquharson SR WR UM JoJo Nicolas SOPH DB UM Marcus Robinson FR DE UM A.J. Guyton SOPH WR......UCF Omar Hansborough R-FR DB......UCF NAPLES HS (NAPLES) Spencer Adkins SR LB UM Corey Hogue SR LB......UCF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS HS (FT. LAUDERDALE) Anthony Reddick SR DB UM Leonard Hankerson SOPH WR UM Nick Pieschel R-FR OL......UCF HURRICANES DOMINATE SUNSHINE STATE IN NEW MILLENIUM Miami has won 16-of-20 games against teams from the state of Florida since 2000, including a 10-2 record at home. The only four losses against teams from the state of Florida since the turn of the century were season openers against Florida State in 2005 and 2006 and two defeats this season at the hands of then-no. 5 Florida and FSU last weekend. Since 1985, the Hurricanes have won 29 of their last 41 games (.707) against Sunshine State opponents. Miami s last 20 games against in-state opponents: Florida State 41, Miami 39 Oct. 4, 2008 Dolphin Stadium Florida 26, Miami 3 Sept. 6, 2008 Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Miami 37, Florida State 29 Oct. 20, 2007 Doak Campbell Stadium Miami 23, Florida International 9 Sept. 15, 2007 Orange Bowl Miami 35, Florida International 0 Oct. 14, 2006 Orange Bowl Miami 51, Florida A&M 10 Sept. 9, 2006 Orange Bowl Florida State 13, Miami 10 Sept. 4, 2006 Orange Bowl Miami 27, South Florida 7 Oct. 1, 2005 Orange Bowl Florida State 10, Miami 7 Sept. 5, 2005 Doak Campbell Stadium Miami 27, Florida 10 Dec. 31, 2004 Georgia Dome Miami 16, Florida State 10 (OT) Sept. 10, 2004 Orange Bowl Miami 16, Florida State 14 Jan. 1, 2004 Pro Player Stadium Miami 22, Florida State 14 Oct. 11, 2003 Doak Campbell Stadium Miami 38, Florida 33 Sept. 6, 2003 Orange Bowl Miami 28, Florida State 27 Oct. 12, 2002 Orange Bowl Miami 41, Florida 16 Sept. 7, 2002 Florida Field Miami 63, Florida A&M 17 Aug. 31, 2002 Orange Bowl Miami 49, Florida State 27 Oct. 13, 2001 Doak Campbell Stadium Miami 37, Florida 20 Jan. 2, 2001 Louisiana Superdome Miami 27, Florida State 24 Oct. 7, 2000 Orange Bowl MIAMI VERSUS GEORGE O LEARY While this is the first time that Miami and UCF have met on the gridiron, today s game will mark the second time UM has gone up against a George O Leary-coached club. At the conclusion of the 1999 season, Miami faced O Leary s Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the 2000 Gator Bowl on Jan. 1 in Jacksonville, Fla. UM beat Georgia Tech, 28-13, behind a strong defensive performance that held the Joe Hamilton-led Yellow Jackets to a season-low 13 points. Linebacker Nate Webster led UM with 14 tackles en route to being named the MVP of the game. Hamilton was picked off twice, was held without a touchdown pass for the first time in 14 games and freshman running back Clinton Portis had a 73-yard touchdown run for the Hurricanes. FIRST IMPRESSIONS Today s game against UCF will be the first meeting all-time between the Hurricanes and the Knights, despite the schoolsbeing located about 240 miles apart. UCF will be the 151st team Miami will have played in its 82 seasons of football. The Hurricanes are (.620) in first-ever meetings with their opponents, including nine straight wins in inaugural meetings with teams. Since 1991, the Hurricanes are 14-1 in their first meetings with schools and have outscored those 13 opponents by an average of First Games Since 1991 Year School Result Score UCF TBD TBD Charleston Southern W Marshall W Florida International W South Florida W Connecticut W Troy State W McNeese State W Arkansas State W vs. Virginia W Washington L at Arizona State W Rutgers W at Arizona W Long Beach State W Oklahoma State W 40-3 Totals (.789) PAGE 6

7 2008 GAME NOTES HURRICANES VS. CONFERENCE USA Miami is 7-1 all-time against Conference USA opponents. Since the year C-USA was established, the Hurricanes have out-scored oppoents that were C-USA members at the time, 253-to-, for an average of 31.6-to UM s only loss against a C-USA opponent came in 1999, when the Canes lost to East Carolina, 27-24, in Raleigh, N.C. The last time the Hurricanes played a C-USA opponent was last year in the season-opener when UM beat Marshall, UM All-Time vs. C-USA Year School...Result....Score Marshall W Houston W Louisville W Houston W East Carolina W East Carolina L Cincinnati W HURRICANES VS. NON-BCS TEAMS Since the current Bowl Championship Series format was put in place in 1998, Miami is 21-1 against teams in non-bcs conferences. The Hurricanes only lost against a team that wasn t a member of the ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 or SEC at the time came against Conference USA member East Carolina in 1999, when the Pirates beat the Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C. UM All-Time vs. C-USA Year School...Result....Score Charleston Southern W FIU W Marshall W Nevada W FIU W Houston W Florida A&M W Temple W Louisville W Houston W Louisiana Tech W East Carolina W Louisiana Tech W Connecticut W Florida A&M W Troy State W Louisiana Tech W McNeese State W East Carolina L Florida A&M W Cincinnati W East Tennessee St W HURRICANES AT DOLPHIN STADIUM Miami is 4-2 all-time in games played in Dolphin Stadium. The Canes are 1-2 this season in their new home, with a season-opening 52-7 win over Charleston Southern on Aug. 28 prior to a pair of losses to ACC Coastal foe North Carolina (28-24) and rival Florida (41-39) this past weekend. Before this season, the Hurricanes defeated Virginia, 31-21, in the Carquest Bowl in 1996; NC State, 46-23, in 1998 in the Micron PC Bowl and FSU, 16-14, in the 2003 Orange Bowl. DOLPHIN STADIUM CROWDS The following is a game-by game list of the attendance figures at Miami s first three games in its new home, Dolphin Stadium: Date Opponent Result Attendance Aug Charleston Southern...W, ,119 Sept North Carolina L, ,830 Oct Florida State L, ,786 Average ,911 BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK Today s game marks the final game of Miami s current three-game homestand. After opening the season at home against Charleston Southern on Aug. 28, Miami had 30 days between home contests with a trip to Gainesville, a bye and a trip to College Station before the Hurricanes returned to Dolphin Stadium for the North Carolina game on Sept. 27. Next weekend, UM hits the road again as it returns to league play with a game against Duke in Durham on Oct. 18. MIAMI LEADS THE NATION IN SCORES BY RETURNS THIS DECADE Since the turn of the century, no team has scored more touchdowns than Miami on various returns. The Hurricanes, tied with Virginia Tech heading into last weekend s game against Florida State, got an interception return for a touchdown by freshman linebacker Sean Spence to push the Canes one score ahead of the Hokies since UM has three total this season while Virginia Tech has one. Kansas State, a team with six already this season, sits in third with 57 scores. Here s the list: Most Touchdowns Via Returns Since 2000 School Bwls Tot. Miami Virginia Tech Kansas State Texas Florida State NC State Fresno State Nebraska Colorado Notre Dame East Carolina Texas Tech Wake Forest TAKIN IT AWAY The University of Miami has always taken pride in creating turnovers. Since 2001, the Hurricanes have created at least 20 turnovers every season, including a national-high of 45 in During that seven-plus year span, UM ranks in a tie for seventh nationally with 209 turnovers (28.7 per season through 2007). Bowl Subdivision - Turnovers Forced Since 2001 Rk Team Total 1. Southern Cal Virginia Tech Oklahoma West Virginia Oregon State Washington State t. Miami Southern Miss Texas USF PAGE 7

8 2008 GAME NOTES HURRICANES IN THE NFL The University of Miami has more former player currently in the NFL than any other college. Presently, there are 46 former Hurricanes on NFL rosters. The Ravens, Texans and Giants lead the league with four Hurricanes apeice, while the Cardinals, Bears, Browns and Redskins each have three former UM players. ARIZONA CARDINALS Calais Campbell Defensive Lineman Edgerrin James Running Back Antrel Rolle Defensive Back BALTIMORE RAVENS Ray Lewis Linebacker Tavares Gooden Linebacker Willis McGahee Running Back Ed Reed Defensive Back BUFFALO BILLS Roscoe Parrish Wide Receiver CAROLINA PANTHERS Jon Beason Linebacker Damione Lewis Defensive Lineman CHICAGO BEARS Devin Hester WR/Kick Returner Darrell McClover Linebacker Greg Olsen Tight End CINCINNATI BENGALS Orien Harris Defensive Tackle CLEVELAND BROWNS Ken Dorsey Quarterback Leon Williams LInebacker Kellen Winslow Tight End DENVER BRONCOS Nate Webster Linebacker D.J. Williams Linebacker HOUSTON TEXANS Rashad Butler Offensive Tackle Andre Johnson Wide Receiver Chris Myers Offensive Lineman Eric Winston Offensive Tackle INDIANAPOLIS COLTS Reggie Wayne Wide Receiver MIAMI DOLPHINS Vernon Carey Offensive Lineman MINNESOTA VIKINGS Bryant McKinnie Offensive Tackle NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS Brandon Meriweather Safety Vince Wilfork Defensive Tackle NEW ORLEANS SAINTS Jeremy Shockey Tight End Jonathan Vilma Linebacker NEW YORK GIANTS Jeff Feagles Punter Jerome McDougle Defensive Lineman Sinorice Moss Wide Receiver Kenny Phillips Safety NEW YORK JETS Kareem Brown Defensive Tackle Bubba Franks Tight End PITTSBURGH STEELERS Najeh Davenport Running Back ST. LOUIS RAMS Brock Berlin Quarterback Brett Romberg Center SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS Frank Gore Running back SEATTLE SEAHAWKS Baraka Atkins Defensive end Kelly Jennings Cornerback TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS Phillip Buchanon Defensive back WASHINGTON REDSKINS Rocky McIntosh Linebacker Santana Moss Wide Receiver Clinton Portis Running back PAGE 8 OCTOBER SUCCESS Since the turn of the century, Miami is 24-7 in the month of October. UM has faced 12 ACC opponents in the month of September since joining the league back in 2004, holding a record of 7-5 advantage over that time. HURRICANES IN THE ACC The following is a list of where UM ranks as a team and individually in the Atlantic Coast Conference through Oct. 5: Team Individual Scoring Offense - 3rd (31.8) Graig Cooper Rushing - 9th (64.4) Scoring Defense - 10th (25.0) TD Scoring - t-64th (6.0) Pass Offense - 10th (177.8) Matt Bosher Punting - 3rd (42.1) Pass Defense - 9th (202.6) Overall Scoring - 3rd (8.6) Rush Offense - 7th (126.0) Kick Scoring - 2nd (8.6) Rush Defense - 3rd (108.2) Field Goals - 3rd (1.60) Total Offense - 9th (303.8) PAT Kicking Percentage - t-1st (100.0) Total Defense - 6th (314.4) FG Percentage - 4th (88.9) Pass Efficiency - 9th (111.1) Jacory Harris Passing Efficiency - 9th (110.7) Kickoff Returns - 10th (19.4) Travis Benjamin Punt Return Average - 2nd (17.7) Punting - 7th (34.6) Kick Return Average - 1st (29.9) Punt Return Average - 1st (18.8) All Purpose Yards - 10th (91.4) Turnover Margin - 8th (0.00) Glenn Cook Tackles - t-34th (5.4) First Downs - 10th (83) Colin McCarthy Tackles - t-47th (4.5) Opponent First Downs - 7th (86) Fumbles Forced - t-1st (0.50) Sacks By - 8th (9) Anthony Reddick Tackles - t-34th (5.4) Sacks Against - 6th (10) Eric Moncur Sacks - 10th (0.50) Penalties - 7th (52.6) Ryan Hill Fumbles Recovered - t-1st (0.40) Opponent Penalties - 5th (55.2) Robert Marve Passing Average - 8th (134.5) Pass Def. Efficiency - 10th (130.8) Total Offense - 10th (133.0) Third Down Conversions - 9th (37.1) Darryl Sharpton Tackles - t-37th (5.0) Opp. Third Down Conversions - 12th (50.0) Fourth Down Conversions - 2nd (75.0) Opp. Fourth Down Conversions - 1st (14.3) Field Goals - 3rd (.889) PAT Kicking - 1st (1.000) Kickoff Coverage - 8th (42.9) Time of Possession - 9th (28:16) Red Zone Offense - 3rd (90.5) Red Zone Defense - 12th (100.0) LINEBACKERS ASSERTING THEMSELVES EARLY ON The linebacking group of senior Glenn Cook, juniors Darryl Sharpton and Colin McCarthy and freshman Sean Spence make up four of UM s top five tacklers through the season s first five games. The foursome has combined for 91 tackles, or 30% of Miami s 303 total tackles this season. Cook leads the team with 28 total tackles (16 - UA, 12 - A) while Sharpton and Spence rank third and fourth with 25 and 21 total tackles respectively. Strong safety Anthony Reddick ranks second on the squad with 27 tackles while McCarthy, who missed the FSU game, is fifth with 17 stops. Spence has been a pleasant surprise coming off the bench in UM s first four games before starting against the Seminoles. So far this year he has recorded three-and-a-half tackles for losses (-16 yards), one pass break-up, an interception returned seven yards for a touchdown against FSU and recorded a nine-yard sack of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. Cook leads the team with five-and-a-half tackles for a loss, three quarterback hurries and is one of four players, along with McCarthy, defensive end Eric Moncur and safety Lovon Ponder to force a fumble this year. RUNNING WILD The University of Miami has developed a reputation as one of the top rushing teams nationally in recent years and this year appears to be no different. Through the season s first five games, Miami is out-rushing its opponents 630-to-541 for an average of 126-to per yards on the ground per game. This advantage is despite the fact that regular starting running back Javarris James has missed the last threeplus contests with a high-ankle sprain. Sophomore Graig Cooper is second on the team with 448 all-purpose yards (322 - rush, 45 - receiving, 81 - punt return) while senior back-up Derron Thomas (91 rush, 35 receiving) ranks fifth with 126 total yards. Cooper, who has two 100-plus yard performances on the ground this year vs. A&M and UNC, leads the team with five total touchdowns (three rush, one rec., one punt return) while UM s next three running backs -- Thomas, junior Javarris James and sophomore Shawnbrey McNeal all have a touchdown apiece.