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| Thursday, August 31 'Canes back in national title picture | |||||
By Bill Doherty Special to ESPN.com Miami Hurricanes 1999 record: 9-4 (6-1 Big East) Coach: Butch Davis Returning starters: 14 (6 offense, 8 defense) Outlook Davis has a national power on his hands as he welcomes back eight defensive starters, led by senior middle linebacker Dan Morgan (394 career tackles). The 6-3, 230-pound Morgan is a legit All-American candidate. A strong defensive line will be anchored senior tackle Damione Lewis, a three-year starter and future NFL player, while the entire secondary returns intact. The offense should be high-octane, thanks to the return of such talented skill players as senior tailback James Jackson (782 yards rushing), sophomore tailback Clinton Portis (838 yards, 8 TDs) and game-altering wide receiver Santana Moss (54 receptions, 899 yards, 6 TDs). Keep an eye on ... True freshman linebacker D.J. Williams. Fox football analyst John Madden once said that the 6-1, 232-pound Williams was the only player he's ever seen who could go straight from high school football to the NFL. That's a stretch to be sure, but figure on Williams (4.49 speed in the 40) being a four-year starter at linebacker, a la current Hurricanes senior Dan Morgan. The reason? Williams is an unbelievable playmaker (130 tackles on defense, 42 TDs on offense as a senior at De LaSalle High in Concord, Calif.) and an unmatched winner, having not lost a football game since his Pop Warner days. It's a good season if ... Sophomore quarterback Ken Dorsey proves to be the man from the get-go, particularly in Week 2 at Washington on Sept. 9. The Hurricanes have tons of talent at running back and wide receiver. The only question is whether Dorsey can replace 1999 starting QB Kenny Kelly, who left Miami to pursue a pro baseball career. Helping to speed Dorsey's transition is the fact that he started three games in 1999 and played in last year's Gator Bowl, thanks to injuries to Kelly. Dorsey completed over 60 percent of his passes for 807 yards, 10 TDs and just two INTs. If he gets hurt though, the Canes' dreams of finishing with a top-5 national ranking and in a big-time bowl game could go up in smoke, because his backup is converted wide receiver Ethenic Sands, a completely untested sophomore. Bill Doherty covers Big East football for ESPN.com |
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