No. 24 Miami Puts On Offensive Show in a 46-23 Victory

Look out, college football. The Miami Hurricanes are blowing through opponents again.

Edgerrin James and James Jackson each ran for two touchdowns as the 24th-ranked Hurricanes routed North Carolina State, 46-23, Tuesday night in the Micron PC Bowl.

Scott Covington threw for 320 yards and two TDs, including an 80-yarder to Santana Moss, as Miami (9-3) rolled up 594 yards of offense to cap its comeback from three years of NCAA sanctions.

James, expected to forego his final season of eligibility and declare for the NFL draft, rushed for 156 yards in 20 carries, his seventh consecutive 100-yard game. His two touchdowns gave him 19, 15 in that seven-game span.

Miami’s defense also limited All-America wide receiver Torry Holt, who had eight 100-yard receiving games this year, to only 52 yards in seven catches.

North Carolina State (7-5) did manage 498 yards of offense, including 201 yards passing by Jamie Barnette. But two potential scoring drives were thwarted deep in Miami territory, one on Danny Deskevich’s first missed kick of the season and another on an interception of a pass that bounced off an official’s head.

The Hurricanes came up with five interceptions, including two in a span of four plays.

Barnette ran one yard for a first-half TD and passed to Chris Coleman for a seven-yard scoring play in the fourth quarter. Rahshon Spikes led the Wolfpack with 176 yards rushing, including a 30-yard TD. Coleman picked up some of the receiving slack with six catches for 98 yards.

The 69 points were a record for the nine-year-old bowl, previously played under the Blockbuster and Carquest monikers. Miami’s 46 points tied a school bowl record.

The Hurricanes, who won four national titles between 1983 and 1991, were penalized more than 30 scholarships in 1995 for the misuse of Pell Grant funds in the early 1990s.

Things bottomed out last year when Miami went 5-6, its first losing season since 1979. The Hurricanes bounced back this year to finish second in the Big East and upset previously unbeaten UCLA, 49-45, in the regular-season finale.