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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
MIAMI (AP) -- Miami coach Butch Davis refused to run up the score
Saturday against Pittsburgh. It could hurt the No. 2 Hurricanes in
the Bowl Championship Series rankings.
|  | | Miami's Phillip Buchanon had two interceptions Saturday, including a 71-yard return for a TD. |
Ken Dorsey threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score
as Miami overcame a slow start to beat the Panthers 35-7 and remain
in the hunt for the national championship.
"Crucify me, but it would have been much worse if we had lost
Ken Dorsey or Damione Lewis to an injury with the game out of
reach," Davis said. "You'd like to think that 35-7 was enough.
Everybody says that winning by 20 points is enough, that they don't
give you any more for 20 than they do for a 1,000."
Dorsey was sharp, completing 22 of 35 passes for 264 yards. So
was Miami's defense, which forced three turnovers, had two sacks
and held Antonio Bryant, the nation's leading receiver, to 31 yards
on four catches.
"Offensively we made some mistakes," Pittsburgh coach Walt
Harris said. "To have a chance to win against one of the best
teams in the nation, we had to play the way we were coached and we
didn't do it."
Even though Miami (8-1, 5-0 Big East) needed to make up ground
in the eight Bowl Championship Series computer polls, seven of
which factor in margin of victory, Davis pulled most of his
offensive starters midway through the fourth quarter and ran the
ball extensively.
The Hurricanes are third in the latest BCS rankings, a little
more than three-tenths of a point behind Florida State. The top two
teams in the final BCS standings will play in the Orange Bowl on
Jan. 3. Miami finishes the season at Syracuse and at home against
Boston College.
"We're just going to play and hope things go our way,"
cornerback Phillip Buchanon said.
Players and coaches received updates of No. 1 Oklahoma's game at
Texas A&M. A side judge told Davis the halftime score, and then a
Miami official updated him after Miami's win, telling him the
Aggies were leading by 10 in the fourth quarter.
Davis responded: "Go get 'em Aggies."
Unfortunately for Miami, Oklahoma rallied for a 35-31 win.
"The BCS is going to be the BCS whether we win or lose, so we
don't worry about," receiver Santana Moss said.
The Hurricanes failed to score twice inside Pittsburgh's 15 in
the first half. The Panthers (5-4, 2-3 Big East) moved the ball
well before halftime, gaining 148 yards.
But John Turman threw two first-half interceptions, including
one that was returned 71 yards by Buchanon for a score.
Turman's 4-yard TD pass to Kris Wilson in the second quarter
gave Pittsburgh a 7-6 lead. The Hurricanes, though, scored 29
unanswered points after missing two good early scoring
opportunities. Dorsey's 1-yard run gave Miami a 13-7 halftime lead
and started the scoring.
The 'Canes were stopped on a fourth-and-2 from Pittsburgh's 12
and a fourth-and-goal from the 1 in the closing seconds of the
half.
"There were times in the first half that it seemed we were out
of sync," Davis said. "I was disappointed that we left some
opportunities to score out there on the field. But we got stronger
and stronger as the game went on."
Miami rebounded by scoring touchdowns on three of its first four
second-half possessions.
Mike Rumph caused Pittsburgh's Kevan Barlow to fumble on the
first play of the second half, and Miami scored six plays later.
"We took off from there and never looked back," linebacker Dan
Morgan said.
Dorsey hit a wide open Ivan Mercer for the score, then found
Reggie Wayne on a slant pass on the next possession. James
Jackson's 7-yard run capped the scoring early in the fourth
quarter.
Jackson ran for 89 yards on 19 carries. Moss caught six passes
for 100 yards and set the school record for career receiving yards.
Moss broke Michael Irvin's mark of 2,423 yards set in 1987. Moss
has 2,462 yards receiving. Morgan also became Miami's all-time
leading tackler, breaking George Mira Jr.'s mark of 490.
"It's nice to have that over with," said Morgan, who finished
with 13 tackles. "It's been fun leading up to it."
Turman was 17-of-31 for the Panthers. Bryant, who entered the
game as the nation's leading receiver at 149 yards per game, was
held in check. Buchanon had both interceptions for Miami.
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ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
Miami (Fla.) Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Miami's Phillip Buchanon returns an interception 71 yards for the TD.
avi: 1184 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Pittsburgh's John Turman connects with Kris Wilson for a touchdown.
avi: 506 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Miami's Kenny Dorsey finds Ivan Mercer all alone in the end zone for six.
avi: 823 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
The Hurricane's James Jackson finds a hole and scores.
avi: 927 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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