Low Point...High Times

All the Miami Hurricanes can do now is wait.

Ken Dorsey threw a career-high five touchdown passes and Santana Moss broke Miami’s career all-purpose yardage record, leading the Hurricanes--No. 2 in the Associated Press poll and No. 3 in the BCS rankings--to a 52-6 victory over Boston College on Saturday and their first Big East title since 1996.

More importantly, Miami, 10-1 overall and 7-0 in the Big East, strengthened its chances of claiming a fifth national championship.

“I don’t see what else we could have done,” Dorsey said. “That’s probably the most we could do.”

The Hurricanes--third in the Bowl Championship Series rankings--still might need help. Even after the strong outing against Boston College (6-5, 3-4 in the Big East), it may not be enough for them to move past Florida State, which leads Miami by a little more than half a point in the BCS rankings. The top two teams in the BCS will play in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 3.

Miami, which has won nine in a row, beat then-No. 1 Florida State last month and also beat then-No. 2 Virginia Tech four weeks later.

“There’s no doubt in my mind we should play for the national championship,” linebacker Dan Morgan said. “It’s plain and simple: We deserve it.”

With No. 1 Oklahoma’s 12-7 win over Oklahoma State, Miami’s best chance at making the championship game would be if the Sooners lose next Saturday to Kansas State in the Big 12 Conference title game. If not, the Hurricanes probably will have to hope for a split national championship.

“Go, Wildcats!” receiver Reggie Wayne shouted. “Hopefully, they can pull it out for us. We’ll be watching.”

And waiting. In the meantime, the Hurricanes can revel in their first conference title in four years and first undefeated run through the Big East since 1994.

“This has been the goal since my freshman year, and each year it’s slipped away from us,” Morgan said. “To finally get it, it’s sweet.”

Dorsey completed 17 of 26 passes for 252 yards. His five touchdown passes also tied the school record held by Bernie Kosar (1984) and Steve Walsh (1988). Dorsey also fumbled twice, though both were recovered by Miami, and threw an interception.

Moss had 235 all-purpose yards against the Eagles, breaking Ottis Anderson’s career record set in 1978. Moss has 4,402 total yards.

Dorsey and Moss hooked up twice for touchdowns. The first one covered 23 yards and gave Miami its first lead, 10-6, in the second quarter. They added a 13-yarder in the third quarter on a perfectly thrown pass to the corner of the end zone.

Moss wasn’t finished, though. He returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown to give Miami a 44-6 lead in the third quarter. Even after two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, Todd Sievers added a 50-yard extra-point kick.

Everything seemed to go right for Miami. Well, everything except Oklahoma winning too.