MIAMI -- Miami quarterbacks have accomplished many things, but no one -- not Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar, Vinnie Testaverde or Gino Torretta -- has ever beaten Florida State three times in a career.

Ken Dorsey could become the first on Saturday when the top-ranked Hurricanes meet the No. 12 Seminoles in the Orange Bowl.

Dorsey has owned FSU to date, completing 41-of-69 passes (59.5 percent) for 577 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in two games.

	Miami QB Ken Dorsey is 31-1 as a starter, including 27 straight wins.

"I think he comes alive when the pressure is on," said Miami coach Larry Coker of Dorsey's success against the Seminoles. "He just seems to have that knack of being able to win the big game and make the plays happen when they need to happen."

The defining moment of Dorsey's career came two years ago against FSU. The Hurricanes and Dorsey were still reeling from a loss to No. 15 Washington a month earlier when they faced the top-ranked Seminoles in the Orange Bowl.

Trailing 24-20 with 1:37 to play, Dorsey engineered a 7-play, 68-yard drive that culminated with the sophomore quarterback throwing a game-winning 13-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Shockey with 51 seconds remaining.

"It got a lot of the question marks off my back," Dorsey said. "That changed around my career. If we lose to two ranked teams, all of a sudden (the perception is) you can't beat a ranked team. That was a huge."

The Hurricanes have gone on to win 27 consecutive games. If Miami beats FSU then follows it up with wins against West Virginia and Rutgers, it will break the school record of 29 straight wins, including bowl games, set between the 1990 and 1993 seasons.

Dorsey has started every game during the current streak and enters Saturday's showdown with a career 31-1 (.969) record.

This season, Dorsey has completed 76-of-132 passes for 1,044 yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions while leading the Hurricanes to five consecutive blow-out victories.

Still, Dorsey hasn't been able to completely avoid criticism or controversy.

After an unspectacular performance against Boston College three weeks ago, a South Florida columnist mocked Dorsey's credentials for this year's Heisman Trophy, writing that the senior quarterback wasn't even the best player in his own backfield. That reference was to Willis McGahee, the nation's seventh-leading rusher with a 133.2 rushing average.

In truth, Dorsey's numbers aren't far off what he had at a similar stage last season when he finished third in the Heisman balloting behind Nebraska's Eric Crouch and Florida's Rex Grossman. Through the first five games in 2001, Dorsey had thrown for more yards (1,415) but had fewer touchdown passes (11).

"Whoever wrote that doesn't know anything about football," said Dan Werner, Miami's quarterback coach. "If you ask every (Miami) player who our most valuable player is, to a man, it would be Ken Dorsey. Any other player on the team, we could probably do without, except for him."

Said Coker: "We got that a little bit last year, You know, '(Former Miami offensive tackle) Bryant McKinnie is the best player on the field.' Obviously, Bryant was a great player. But you ask any of the nine (Miami assistant) coaches, who do you want to have? There's no doubt all of them would pick No. 11."

Dorsey has become more vocal this season and it's gotten him into a bit of trouble.

Since the season opener, Dorsey has become involved a series of verbal confrontations with opponents.

It reached a peak against Boston College, when Dorsey went helmet to helmet with several Boston College players, culminating with a brief shoving match in which a referee was knocked down. No penalties were called.

A few days after the game, Dorsey told reporters, "I hate Boston College" and indicated the Eagles were guilty of borderline tactics.

Dorsey later softened his stance and called Boston College coach Tom O'Brien to apologize.

That didn't keep Dorsey from yapping. Last week against Connecticut, Dorsey was penalized for taunting a UConn player.

Dorsey insists that he's more often the victim than instigator.

"A lot of people are trying to knock me out of the game," Dorsey said. "Let's be real. That's the goal of a lot of players."

And, maybe, the only way to beat Dorsey and Miami.

Jorge Milian covers college football for the Palm Beach Post.