Miami Tops Florida for No. 1 Spot in Poll

Larry Coker has more than just his first coaching victory at Miami. He has the No. 1 team in the nation.

After a dominating 33-7 victory over Penn State, the Hurricanes replaced the Florida Gators at No. 1 in The Associated Press media poll on Monday.

In this week’s USA Today/ESPN coaches’ poll, released Sunday, Florida remained No. 1 and Miami No. 2.

Miami, winner of four national titles, returned to the top spot in the AP poll for the first time in nine years. The Hurricanes were No. 1 at the end of the 1992 regular season and finished No. 3 after losing to Alabama in the ’93 Sugar Bowl.

While Florida also won its opener Saturday--49-14 against Marshall--the Gators entered the season with a 13-point edge and 12 fewer first-place votes than the Hurricanes.

“It’s very gratifying to be ranked No. 1 and it’s good to see the respect of the national media coming off the win over Penn State,” Coker said. “Obviously it speaks well for the reputation of the program and for the job the players and coaches have done here.”

Florida Coach Steve Spurrier wasn’t upset with his team’s drop to No. 2.

“They were more impressive. That’s OK,” he said Monday. “They probably deserved it. We’re not worried about that. No problem.”

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Dicenzo Miller had 167 total yards and two touchdowns and No. 18 Mississippi State scored on five consecutive second-half possessions to defeat Memphis, 30-10, at Starkville, Miss., in the season opener for both teams.

The Bulldogs defeated the Tigers for the eighth consecutive time, but were sloppy and careless for the first 35 minutes, turning the ball over three times and committing numerous penalties.

Glenn Sumter returned a Bulldog fumble 74 yards to set up Travis Anglin’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Bunkie Perkins that gave Memphis a 10-0 lead at 10:44 of the third quarter.

The Bulldogs, ranked in the preseason for the first time since 1993, finally responded two possessions later.

Wayne Madkin hit Miller sneaking out of the backfield without a Memphis defender in sight. Miller received a downfield escort from Clarence Parker and dived headlong into the end zone for a 49-yard score at 4:34 of the third.

Madkin, who lost two fumbles in the first half, was 12 of 21 for 174 yards and two touchdowns. Miller ran 12 times for 108 yards and caught two passes for 59.

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Before the season began, Oregon State Coach Dennis Erickson knew he didn’t have the best team in the country. When a certain national sports magazine labeled the Beavers No. 1, Erickson wasn’t impressed. He thought 12th or 13th sounded better.

Maybe he was aiming too high even then, because no one--certainly not Erickson or anyone else wearing orange and black Saturday night--expected the Beavers to crash-land as hard as they did against Fresno State.

“We need to find out what we’re all about,” Erickson said after the No. 10-ranked Beavers’ 44-24 loss at Bulldog Stadium. “They stopped our run, which I didn’t think they could do.”

Meanwhile, Fresno State (2-0) jumped into the Top 25 for the first time since 1993 at No. 19. The Beavers tumbled from No. 10 to No. 22.

“We still don’t get the respect we should,” Fresno State quarterback David Carr said. “We’ve been doing a lot of good things here for two years now, but we’re in the WAC, and it’s tough. If it was Florida that came out and did this to Oregon State, then you’d [hear] all about it.”

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Star Nevada quarterback David Neill, a former Newhall Hart High standout, has been suspended from Saturday’s game at Colorado State for violating unspecified team rules, Coach Chris Tormey announced. Tormey refused to provide details about the suspension. ... Washington Coach Rick Neuheisel has been given a 35% pay raise, bringing his annual salary and other compensation to $1.2 million. Athletic Director Barbara Hedges announced the increase, saying the contract was finalized sometime over the past two weeks. The 40-year-old Neuheisel could make up to $1.4 million with incentives for bowl appearances and a high graduation rate of players. “The reality is Rick has been here three years and he has done an exceptional job on the football field and in the community,” Hedges said. ... Tennessee receiver Donte Stallworth, one of four starters injured in Saturday’s win over Syracuse, will have surgery on his left wrist and be out five to six weeks. Coach Phillip Fulmer said after Monday’s practice that Stallworth will undergo surgery Wednesday or Thursday. “This is the right thing for Donte’s sake, for his long-term prospects in college and beyond, even outside of football,” Fulmer said.