Hurricanes Lunchtime List: Top Five Numbers from 2011 UM Season

Every day (well, every weekday), we’ll bring you a Hurricanes top five list at lunchtime. It’s something to look forward to.

Mondays: Answers to Top 5 Game Preview from Friday
Tuesdays: Top 5 in the ACC
Wednesdays: Unique Top 5 List
Thursdays: Unique Top 5 List
Fridays: Unique Top 5 List

5. Six: The number of games in which quarterback Jacory Harris did not throw an interception this season, after going interception-free in only six games the last two seasons combined. Harris took tremendous strides this season, tossing only five interceptions through his first ten games before a four-interception performance in the season finale against Boston College. He had only two games of multiple interceptions (Ohio State and Boston College).

Six is also the number of interceptions the Hurricanes defense came up with over the course of the season. They tied for the 11th fewest interceptions in the country. After improving in 2010 with 16 interceptions after finishing with nine in 2009 and an FBS-worst four picks in 2008, the defense backslid in the interception department.

4. 42.70: Some love to the punter. True freshman Dalton Botts averaged 42.70 yards per punt in 2011, which was the fifth best average in school history. He was 27th in the country in punting average, and second in the ACC.

3. 176: Tommy Streeter became a household name in the Thursday night loss to Virginia with 176 receiving yards. It was the ninth most receiving yards in a single game in school history. He caught two touchdowns in the effort, and came up with receptions of 57, 51 (TD), 26, 20, and 13 yards. He finished the year with 46 receptions for 811 yards and eight touchdowns.

2. 150.61: Harris’ quarterback rating for 2011. It was marred somewhat by his four interceptions in the Boston College game, but he finished the regular season ranked 20th in passing efficiency, and the mark was 10 points higher than his previous career high set in 2009 (140.1). He threw 17 picks in ’09, though, and his quarterback rating was helped in large by 866 more passing yards and four more touchdown passes than this season.

1. 1,272: The number of rushing yards accumulated by Lamar Miller this season. Miller became the first Hurricane to rush for 1,000 yards in a season since Willis McGahee set the school record with 1,753 in 2002. The 1,272 yards were the third most in a season in school history. With 114 yards against Boston College, Miller passed Clinton Portis‘ 1,200 rushing yards (2001) and Ottis Anderson‘s 1,266 rushing yards (1978) to move into third. Edgerrin James‘ 1,416 rushing yards in 1998 are second on the all-time list.