Miami Takes an Easy Rout

Clinton Portis scored on three short runs set up by Ken Dorsey’s precision passing and No. 1-ranked Miami, showing no rust from a nearly three-week layoff, came out with its accustomed first-quarter flurry and defeated Pittsburgh, 43-21, Thursday night at Pittsburgh.

“I think this team would like to score 100 points and shut everybody out, but that’s not realistic,” Miami Coach Larry Coker said.

This victory--Miami’s 12th in its last 13 meetings against Pittsburgh--came fast and furious during a 20-point first quarter, with Portis scoring twice and Dorsey throwing an 18-yard touchdown pass to Andre Johnson on a fade pattern one play after a Panther (1-2, 0-1 in the Big East) fumble.

Portis, constantly eluding defenders with his cutback running, ran for 131 yards in 24 carries, with touchdown runs of one and four yards.

Dorsey failed to throw for 300 yards for the first time in three games and missed a few open receivers, but was 19 of 33 for 223 yards and a touchdown.

“We were able to do some things early and that made them a little confused,” Dorsey said. “I don’t think the layoff hurt us. We played pretty well out there, I thought.”

Miami (3-0, 2-0) led, 43-7, in the fourth quarter before backup quarterback Rod Rutherford, who accounted for all three Panther scores, threw for a touchdown and ran for another in the closing minutes.

Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel said Steve Bellisari, under fire after completing only five of 23 passes in a 13-6 loss to UCLA, will start at quarterback against Indiana.

Chris Woods, a defensive tackle at Florida State, is quitting football because of chronic pain in his surgically repaired ankles.