Last call for the Orange Bowl

Miami has played home games at the Orange Bowl for 70 years and 467 games, but No. 468 will be the last.

The Hurricanes are moving to Dolphin Stadium next season and the Orange Bowl, scene of many of college football’s most memorable moments -- including 11 games that decided national championships -- will be demolished.

The Hurricanes won three national titles on their home field, all when the Orange Bowl game was played in the Orange Bowl Stadium. They won a record 58 consecutive games there during one stretch, yet also were victimized by plays forever known as the “Florida Flop” and “Hail Flutie.”

The stadium has NFL history, too. The Dolphins played their 17-0 perfect season there in 1972, and it’s also where Joe Namath made good on his guarantee to win Super Bowl III.

Florida International is playing its home games at the Orange Bowl this season while its on-campus stadium gets rebuilt and has three home games remaining. But in the minds of many in the Miami area, the era ends tonight.

Miami has invited all former players back to form the pre-game tunnel for players to run through as they emerge from the locker room. A special halftime ceremony is planned, and there’ll be post-game events as well.

“We’re playing for all the millions of people who’ve walked through that Orange Bowl and saw a game and all the old players, whether they’re still here or not,” Miami quarterback Kyle Wright said. “We’re playing for a lot. It’s going to be a special night.”

--

No competition

Maybe Les Miles was right when he said the Southeastern Conference provided stiffer competition than the Pacific 10 and other conferences. But when it comes to playing out of conference, SEC teams clearly seek out cupcakes.

SEC teams this season are playing only 14 of 48 nonconference games against teams from other Bowl Championship Series conferences.

By comparison, the Atlantic Coast Conference is playing 22 of 48 nonconference games against BCS opponents; the Big East is playing 15 of 40; and the Pac-10 11 of 30.

So far, SEC teams are 5-5 against teams from other BCS conferences. That trails the Big Ten (9-4), ACC (9-8) and Pac-10 (6-4).

“I can understand the reluctance to schedule other national powers, because week in and week out this conference is very competitive,” said Miles, whose team will face out-manned Louisiana Tech today. “Sometimes if you play an early opponent that’s a national team, it requires every effort to get a victory and it may well slow the momentum of your season if you misfire.”

--

Shucking Cornhuskers

Nebraska’s Cornhuskers may be at their lowest point in a half century, but their Division II state mates have never been better.

Chadron State is No. 2 in the national rankings. Nebraska-Omaha is No. 3. Both are unbeaten and, along with Wayne State, are in position to win conference championships. Nebraska-Kearney also is having a winning season.

Coaches at those schools credit Nebraska Coach Bill Callahan’s changes to the Cornhuskers walk-on program for leaving a bevy of high-quality homegrown players available for the small schools.

Nebraska’s squad numbered near 200 players during the walk-on program’s heyday, the Tom Osborne era. Callahan took 12 this year.

“All I know is that we get a couple kids a year that we never would have had a shot at,” Chadron State’s Bill O’Boyle said.

Of course, that could change, uh, next year.

--

Old news

Steve Spurrier will forever be linked to Florida, but the ol’ ball coach, now at South Carolina, says it’s time to retire the talk about him facing his former team.

“The story line is over, really,” said Spurrier, whose Gamecocks play Florida today. “I’ve been here three years, and their coach has been there three years. It’s not a story.”

Spurrier, who coached at Florida for 12 seasons and won the 1996 national title there, is more concerned this week with a three-game losing streak that’s stricken his team, once 6-1 and ranked No. 6 in the nation.

A loss to the Gators would give Spurrier a fourth straight defeat for only the second time in his college coaching career, matching a four-game slide during his debut season at Duke 20 years ago.

--

Legendary nemesis

Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer will try to fill one of the few holes in his coaching resume today when his No. 11 Hokies play Florida State.

Beamer, third among active coaches with 205 victories, has never defeated Florida State or Seminoles Coach Bobby Bowden.

Two of the losses came in two of the biggest games Virginia Tech has ever played: The 1999 Sugar Bowl for the national championship, and the inaugural ACC championship game in 2005.

Bowden’s career record against Virginia Tech is 15-0, and the all-time coaching victories leader with 372 is going for his 300th with Florida State.

“I guess we have the ‘Curse of the Bambino,’ or the curse of Bowden, ‘The Bowdeno,’ going on,” Hokies quarterback Sean Glennon joked.

--

Over the Rainbows

Hawaii resumes its pursuit of a coveted BCS bowl berth tonight against Fresno State.

The Warriors (8-0) are one of three unbeaten teams -- along with Ohio State and Kansas -- but are No. 16 in the BCS standings and need to be No. 12 or better to earn a spot in a major bowl.

Not that Fresno State cares.

“Personally, I would love to knock them out of the BCS standings,” Bulldogs receiver Bear Pascoe said.

The Warriors are trying to start 9-0 for the first time since 1925, when they were a club team called the Rainbows and beat up teams from nearby military bases.

Hawaii finished 10-0 that year, with two victories coming on the same day.

-- Compiled by Peter Yoon

--

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Sweet memories

Some of the memorable college football moments in Orange Bowl history:

* Jan. 1, 1975 -- In Ara Parseghian’s final game as Notre Dame coach, the Fighting Irish denied Alabama’s national championship bid with a 13-11 win in the Orange Bowl game.

* Jan. 1, 1984 -- Miami wins its first national championship, beating Nebraska, 31-30, after

the Cornhuskers fail on a two-point conversion in the final minute in the Orange Bowl game.

* Nov. 23, 1984 -- Hail Flutie. Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie finds Gerard Phelan with

a desperation pass on the final play of the game, giving the Eagles a stunning 47-45 win over Miami.

* Nov. 30, 1985 -- Miami beats Notre Dame, 58-7, the worst loss in Fighting Irish history.

* Jan. 1, 1994 -- Florida State beats Nebraska, 18-16, in an epic game for the national title.

* Sept. 20, 1994 -- Washington comes into the Orange Bowl and beats Miami, 38-20, ending the Hurricanes’ NCAA-record 58-game home winning streak.

* Nov. 24, 2001 -- Perhaps still mindful of the 1994 loss, Miami easily beats Washington, 65-7, on the way to winning the national championship in Larry Coker’s first season as head coach.

Source: Associated Press