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Sunday, September 02, 2001

By Ray Fittipaldo, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Everything happened on cue last night for Penn State.

	Penn State running back Larry Johnson is brought down by Miami's Markese Fitzgerald, bottom, and Kellen Winslow. (Lake Fong, Post-Gazette Photos)

Fallen teammate and inspirational figure Adam Taliaferro led the Nittany Lions onto the field against the University of Miami as 109,313 cheered the emotional return in newly refurbished Beaver Stadium.

But for all the emotion and feel-good vibes, a storybook ending was not in the cards for the Lions. The second-ranked Hurricanes blew past unranked Penn State, 33-7, in a show of might under first-year coach Larry Coker.

The loss means Penn State Coach Joe Paterno will have to wait until Sept. 13 at Virginia to try to tie Paul "Bear" Bryant for most career wins for a Division I-A coach.

Miami took any momentum away from the Lions early, scoring on six of its eight first-half possessions and running out to a 30-0 lead at halftime. It might have been worse had the Hurricanes not committed a litany of penalties that stalled drives and led to field goals.

Penn State didn't give fans much hope for optimism after last year's uncharacteristic 5-7 season. The defense blew two coverages that led to Miami touchdowns, and the offense showed little sign of improvement.

	More on Penn State: Penn State Report: 9/2/01 ...a word from our columnist Ron Cook Paterno should feel embarrassed

A Penn State quarterback did not complete a pass until less than two minutes remained before halftime. And that was a 1-yard gain to Bryant Johnson.

In the 28 minutes before that, Miami quarterback Ken Dorsey threw for 205 yards and three touchdowns against an inexperienced Penn State defensive backfield. Dorsey, a Heisman Trophy candidate, finished 20 for 27 for 344 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Miami running back Clinton Portis ran for 164 yards on 17 carries, as he and his backups ran at will over the left side of their line.

Miami's speed advantage was obvious from the start, as Hurricanes players accelerated past Lions defenders with ease. Penn State was outgained, 372-67, in the first half and failed to adequately protect quarterback Matt Senneca, who sustained injuries to his right (throwing) elbow twice and did not play after halftime. Redshirt freshman Zack Mills was thrown to the wolves and managed not to get injured. That was about the only positive for the Lions.

The only positive to come out of the second half was a 44-yard touchdown pass from Mills to Johnson with 9:51 left in the game as the Lions avoided becoming the first Paterno-coached team to be shut out at home. The defense somehow managed to limit the Hurricanes to three more points, though Miami had little problem going up and down the field.

It didn't take long for Miami to stop the Penn State's momentum. The Nittany Lions received the opening kickoff but stalled near midfield and punted away. The Hurricanes then marched p 50 yards in seven plays for the first score, a 35-yard field goal from Todd Sievers with 9:30 remaining in the first quarter.

There were two big plays on the drive, a 15-yard pass from Dorsey to Daryl Jones on the first play of the drive, and a 34-yard run by Portis on the third play that set up the Hurricanes on the Penn State 15. A holding penalty set them back and they had to settle for a field goal.

Penn State had a great chance to seize back the momentum, but some problems from last season came back to haunt the Lions on the next drive. Larry Johnson returned the kickoff 69 yards to the Miami 31. On the first play of the drive, Senneca threw to Bryant Johnson in the end zone, but Johnson dropped the pass, an eerie replay of many pass plays from last season. On the next play, Omar Easy was hit in the backfield on a draw play and fumbled, and James Lewis recovered on the Miami 42. Four plays later, Dorsey found a wide-open Ethenic Sands in the end zone for a 10-0 lead. Penn State's secondary had a broken coverage on the play.

	Miami's Jamaal Green sacks Penn State quarterback Matt Senneca last night in the second quarter.

And as fast as you can say Taliaferro, Penn State's home-field advantage was by the boards.

On the next series, Senneca's elbow was injured and he missed the next two series. Mills replaced him and was sacked on his first career snap.

After a Penn State 32-yard punt from David Royer -- his first punt was 20 yards -- Miami kicked another field goal after a personal-foul penalty stalled the drive. It was 13-0 at the end of the first quarter.

After another Penn State punt, Sievers booted his third field goal, a 37-yarder with 13:39 left in the second quarter made it 16-0.

Another blown coverage allowed Miami's second touchdown, a 28-yard pass from Dorsey to Najeh Davenport.

Davenport ran a simple flat route, but no one covered him, and he sauntered into the end zone for a 23-0 lead.

Dorsey completed the first-half scoring with his third touchdown pass, a 10-yarder to tight end Jeremy Shockey with 1:48 left before halftime.