The 2006 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Hurricanes' 81st season of football and 3rd as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Hurricanes were led by sixth-year head coach Larry Coker and played their home games at the Orange Bowl. They finished the season 7–6 overall and 3–5 in the ACC to finish in fourth place in the Coastal Division. They were invited to the MPC Computers Bowl where they defeated Nevada, 21–20.
Preseason Miami began the season ranked #11 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and #12 in the Associated Press Poll after going 9–3 (6–2 ACC) in 2005 with a #18 ranking in the USA Today Coaches Poll (#17 AP).
Junior quarterback Kyle Wright finished second to Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Calvin Johnson in voting for the ACC Preseason Player of the Year.
Earlier during the summer, head coach Larry Coker announced that running back Tyrone Moss, receiver Ryan Moore, linebacker James Bryant, and receiver Rashaun Jones would be suspended for the first game of the season against Florida State for violating team policy. On August 26, Coker announced that Moore's suspension would be extended indefinitely. Moore would eventually return for the final two regular season games.
After back-to-back 9–3 seasons at Miami, where expectations are to compete for a national championship every year, it was widely believed that Coker was on the proverbial hot seat and needed to take the Hurricanes to a BCS bowl to keep his job. In the wake of last year's Peach Bowl loss, Coker fired four assistant coaches. During the offseason, Coker hired Rich Olson as his new offensive coordinator in an attempt to reinvigorate the Hurricane offense. Olson had previously served as Miami's offensive coordinator during the early 1990s under then-head coach Dennis Erickson.
ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit picked Miami to win the 2006 national championship, predicting the Hurricanes would defeat Notre Dame in the national championship game.
See also 2006 NCAA Division I-A football rankings
Award candidates The following Hurricanes were named to preseason awards watch lists:
Kyle Wright - Maxwell Award Greg Olsen - Maxwell Award, John Mackey Award Brandon Meriweather - Bronko Nagurski Award, Chuck Bednarik Award, Jim Thorpe Award Kenny Phillips - Chuck Bednarik Award, Jim Thorpe Award Tyrone Moss - Maxwell Award Baraka Atkins - Bronko Nagurski Award Kareem Brown - Chuck Bednarik Award Anthony Reddick - Jim Thorpe Award
Schedule
Rankings
Personnel
Coaching staff Position Name Yrs. in current pos. (Total Yrs. at UM) Head coach Larry Coker 6 (12) Offensive coordinator Rich Olson 1 (4) Defensive coordinator Randy Shannon 6 (14) Special teams coordinator/TEs Joe Pannunzio 1 (1) Quarterbacks Todd Berry 1 (1) Offensive line Mario Cristobal 1 (6) Wide receivers Marques Mosley 1 (1) Defensive line John Palermo 1 (1) Asst. defensive line Clint Hurtt 1 (5) Defensive backs Tim Walton 3 (3) Strength & conditioning Andreu Swasey 6 (9)
Depth chart
Game recaps
Florida State
This was the third time in the last three years that archrivals Miami and Florida State opened the season against each other. The previous two games were also low-scoring defensive struggles, with the Hurricanes winning, 16–10, in overtime in 2004, and the Seminoles prevailing, 10–7, in 2005.
The game was the most-viewed college football game, regular season or bowl, in the history of ESPN, averaging 6,330,000 million households in viewership (6.9 rating). It was also the second-highest rated game in ESPN history, behind only the 1994 game between Miami and FSU, which notched a 7.7 rating
Florida A&M
This was the seventh meeting between Miami and Florida A&M. Miami continues to lead the all-time series, 6–1. The two teams had last met in 2002, with Miami winning, 63–17.
Louisville
This was the eleventh meeting between the schools. Prior to this game, Miami had never lost to Louisville, owning an all-time record of 9–0–1. Miami won the previous meeting in 2004, 41–38, in a game in which the Hurricanes had to rally late from a 17–point deficit. After this humiliating loss in the rain to Louisville, Miami became unranked for the first time in 107 weeks – the then-longest current streak in college football. The game was highlighted by a pre-game confrontation between the teams that was sparked when several Miami players provocatively stomped on the Louisville Cardinal bird logo located at mid-field of Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. Four other teams (East Carolina, South Florida, Cincinnati, and Rutgers) had stomped on the logo in the past, and each wound up losing the game.
Houston
In the eighteenth meeting between the schools, Miami extended the all-time series lead to 11–7. Miami won 14–13, after a 27-yard gain on 3rd and 24 which led to a touchdown pass by Kyle Wright to James Bryant and gave Miami the win. Freshman RB Javarris James set a school rushing record for freshman by posting 148 rushing yards, breaking the previous record of 147 rushing yards set by Clinton Portis. Prior to the game, a number of airplanes hired by Miami fans unhappy with the team's poor start circled over the Orange Bowl while carrying banners demanding the firing of the embattled Coker, as well as Athletic Director Paul Dee.
North Carolina
Freshman Javarris James further solidified his hold on the starting running back position by rushing for over 100 yards for the second consecutive week. James carried 16 times for 111 yards (6.9 ypc), including a dazzling 62-yard touchdown run in the third quarter which put the game out of reach. Tight end Greg Olsen had his best game of the season, catching 8 passes for 95 yards, while the Miami defense limited North Carolina to just 244 yards of total offense and forced 3 Tar Heel turnovers. The win gave Miami its first winning streak of the 2006 campaign as the Hurricanes improved to 3–2 overall. It was also Miami's first ACC win of the year, evening its conference record at 1–1.
Florida International
This was the first meeting between the Hurricanes and the crosstown Golden Panthers, who began active competition as a football program in 2002. Kyle Wright threw for three touchdowns, and the Miami defense held the Golden Panthers to 148 total yards.
However, this game would become one of the biggest embarrassments in the history of both schools. After trash-talk between players from both teams during the opening minutes, and an incident in which FIU wide receiver Chandler Williams dove helmet-first into a prone Kenny Phillips after Miami intercepted a pass, the game turned truly ugly in the third quarter.
After James Bryant caught Wright's second TD pass, he pointed to the FIU bench and bowed to the crowd, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his act. At the end of the ensuing conversion, FIU's Chris Smith wrestled Miami holder Matt Perelli to the ground and punched him. Another Golden Panther, Marshall McDuffie Jr., kicked Perelli on the ground. Players from each side joined the pile, and both benches quickly emptied, with fights breaking out in several parts of the field. Several players from both teams threw punches, Miami cornerback Brandon Meriweather was seen trying to stomp on FIU players, and another Golden Panther, Amod Ned, was seen swinging a crutch at Miami players. During the melee, Canes safety Anthony Reddick ran across the field and swung his helmet at FIU cornerback Robert Mitchell, hitting him.
Five Canes were ejected—Carlos Armour, Chris Barney, Bruce Johnson, Charlie Jones, and Derrick Morse. Eight Golden Panthers were ejected as well. Coach Larry Coker also indefinitely suspended Meriweather and Reddick for their parts in the fracas, plus Bryant for his taunting gesture that arguably triggered the melee.
In the aftermath, Coker called the brawl "disgraceful". adding the following day, "I don't have many bad days. This is a bad day. And last night was a bad night." For his part, FIU head coach Don Strock said "I can promise you that this will never happen again." Other officials from both universities also publicly apologized.
The day after the game, the ACC suspended a total of 13 Miami players, and the Sun Belt Conference suspended 18 FIU players.
Duke
Playing without 13 players who were suspended for their actions in the previous week's brawl with FIU, and missing starting tight end Greg Olsen and starting linebacker Jon Beason due to injury, the shorthanded 'Canes raced out to a 20–2 third quarter lead behind strong play from QB Kyle Wright. Underdog Duke would not give up, though, rallying to score two unanswered fourth-quarter touchdowns to trim Miami's lead to 20–15 (Duke failed to convert a two-point conversion attempt on the second touchdown). Meanwhile, the Duke defense put the clamps on Miami's running game, holding the Hurricanes to a paltry 37 yards rushing on 25 carries (1.5 ypc) for the game. Duke, however, could not capitalize on two opportunities to take the lead. After driving down to the Miami 29-yard line with less than 3:30 remaining in the game, Duke was stopped on a fourth down attempt and turned the ball over to Miami. Duke's defense would bend, as Miami drove down to the Duke 34, but Duke was able to stop Miami on third down. Faced with a 4th-and-2 from Duke's 34-yard line with inside 2:15 remaining, Miami head coach Larry Coker elected to punt and rely on his vaunted defense rather than go for it on fourth down or attempt a long field goal.
Duke took over from its own 11-yard line and strung together an impressive drive that brought the Blue Devils down to the Hurricanes' 6-yard line with :03 remaining in the game. On third down and with time expiring, Duke QB Thaddeus Lewis' threw a pass intended for wide receiver Eron Riley in the left side of the endzone. However, Miami safety Willie Cooper was lying in wait and was able to jump the route and intercept Lewis' pass at the goal line. Cooper returned the ball all the way to the Duke 15-yard line before voluntarily falling to the ground to end the game and deny Duke what would have been a momentous upset.
Wright completed 23 of 41 passes for 291 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Duke wide receiver Jomar Wright was impressive in defeat, catching 10 passes for 170 yards against Miami's makeshift secondary. Miami sophomore safety Kenny Phillips intercepted three passes, tying a school record. Phillips was named the ACC's Defensive Back of the Week for his stellar play.
Miami improved to 5–2 on the year with a 2–1 ACC record, setting up a showdown the next week with Georgia Tech for control of the ACC's Coastal Division.
Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech (5–2, 3–1 ACC) entered the game in first place in the ACC's Coastal Division, leading second-place Miami (5–2, 2–1 ACC) by 1/2 game in the standings. The winner of this showdown would gain control its own destiny and be able to assure itself of a berth in the ACC Championship by winning the remainder of its games.
Miami got on the board first when Georgia Tech quarterback Reggie Ball fumbled the ball at the Georgia Tech 18-yard line during the Yellow Jackets' opening drive. Miami linebacker Glenn Cook returned the fumble for a Miami touchdown. After Miami forced a punt on the Jackets next possession, Javarris James broke a 49-yard run that set up a 38-yard field goal from Jon Peattie, putting Miami ahead, 10–0. Georgia Tech answered with a 12-play, 53-yard drive on its ensuing possession, highlighted by a 43-yard pass from Ball to receiver Calvin Johnson that set up a 39-yard field goal from Travis Bell, cutting the Miami lead to 10–3 at the end of the first quarter.