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Miami winning streak now at 30
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PISCATAWAY, N.J. _ The University of Miami made history Saturday at Rutgers, the birthplace of college football.
With their 42-17 victory, the Hurricanes won their 30th consecutive game, surpassing their school record of 29 and tying Texas’ 30 consecutive victories from 1968-70.
“I just want to keep the streak going, whatever it is,” Miami coach Larry Coker said.
Oklahoma owns the longest win streak of 47, accomplished from 1953-57, when there were no scholarship restrictions.
“I don’t want to be comfortable where we are,” Coker said. “If we’re comfortable where we are, we’re in trouble. We really don’t talk about the streak.
“What 30 in a row says is that my little toddler grandsons are coming here, and when they’re 12, we’ll kick back and talk about it. And the players will do the same thing. But for now, it’s one in a row. That’s where it starts. We want to win, but not for the streak itself.”
Oklahoma (1948-50), Pittsburgh (1914-18) and Pennsylvania (1896-98) are the teams UM would tie next week if the Hurricanes win their 31st consecutive game by defeating Tennessee.
“We’re really not concentrating on the win streak,” said UM center Brett Romberg, “but deep down in your heart, it’s awesome to be a part of such a winning program _ to kind of forget what it feels like to lose a football game around here. I hope it stays that way.”
What does the 30-game streak mean to linebacker Jonathan Vilma? “Nothing,” Vilma said in the locker room. “Except that we’re one game closer to winning the championship.”
Other Miami streaks extended Saturday: 15 victories on the road.21 Big East victories.
As far as Rutgers’ place in history, the Scarlet Knights won the first college game, beating Princeton 6-4 in 1869 at New Brunswick, N.J.
McGahee tops 1,000
On a 7-yard run, Willis McGahee reached the 1,000-yard milestone for the season with about 11 minutes left in the third quarter. The sophomore ended the game with 187 yards _ 147 in the first half _ on 23 carries.
McGahee, who had 200 all-purpose yards Saturday, became the seventh UM back to rush for 1,000 or more in a season. He has 1,034.
He also scored two rushing touchdowns Saturday to bring his season total to 16, moving him closer to Edgerrin James’ UM single-season record for rushing scores (17 in 1998).
“I feel happy,” McGahee said. “It’s a relief. I think I was trying too hard to get 1,000, and I was missing some of my reads.”
Earlier in the season, McGahee said his goal was to reach 1,200 yards.
“My priority is to get a national championship,” he said Saturday. “If 1,200 comes, it comes.”
McGahee said the turf toe on the underside of his right big toe was “bruised real bad” Saturday, “but I had to suck it up and do my job.”
Rutgers strikes first
The Scarlet Knights became the first team to score first against the Hurricanes this season when tailback Clarence Pittman capped an 80-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.
Next Dorsey record
Ken Dorsey’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Kellen Winslow Jr. with 10:13 remaining in the game was the 78th of his career and broke former Syracuse quarterback Donovan McNabb’s Big East mark.
Dorsey’s 20-yard touchdown pass to Andre Johnson with 13:56 remaining was Dorsey’s 77th career touchdown pass, tying McNabb for the record.
Dorsey was replaced by Derrick Crudup with about six minutes left in the game.
Scott, Dorsey hurt
Defensive back James Scott went down with a concussion during kickoff coverage late in the fourth quarter…Dorsey fell on his left hand late in the third quarter and went into the locker room to get it examined, but missed only one play. He said it was “fine.”
Susan Miller Degnan, Knight Ridder Newspapers