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Loss in Orange Bowl game a rarity for Miami Hurricanes

By Alan Rubenstein

MIAMI GARDENS, FL - DECEMBER 30: A detailed view of Capital One Orange Bowl signage on pylon before the game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Wisconsin Badgers at Hard Rock Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
MIAMI GARDENS, FL - DECEMBER 30: A detailed view of Capital One Orange Bowl signage on pylon before the game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Wisconsin Badgers at Hard Rock Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images) /
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Only a handful of teams have the potential of playing a bowl game in their home stadium. In the modern era of Miami Hurricanes football, a loss in the Orange Bowl game is a rarity.

The modern era of Miami Hurricanes football is regarded as Howard Schnellenberger taking over the program for the 1979 season. He led Miami to a National Championship by his fifth season and a dynasty was in its infancy.

The Miami Hurricanes defeated a heavily favored Nebraska Cornhuskers in the 1984 Orange Bowl in Schnellenberger’s fifth season. With two teams losing ahead of the fifth-ranked Miami Hurricanes they were able to move all the way up and capture their first National Championship.

Schnellenberger left for the USFL following the 1983 season and was replaced with Oklahoma State’s Jimmy Johnson. Johnson took the program to another level. It was under Johnson that the Miami Hurricanes swagger was born.

Miami got close to a National title in Johnson’s second and third seasons. The Hurricanes won Johnson’s first title after a 20-14 victory over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl on January 1, 1988. That capped off Miami’s first undefeated National Championship season.

The Hurricanes also played in the Orange Bowl in Johnson’s last game as Miami’s Head Coach. After losing a controversial game at Notre Dame in the Catholics vs Convicts game the Hurricanes received an Orange Bowl bid for the second straight season.

The 1989 game was a rematch of the 1984 game between Miami and Nebraska. The Hurricanes won the game convincingly 23-3. Johnson left after the win in the Orange Bowl to coach the Dallas Cowboys whom he led to Super Bowl titles following the 1992 and 93 seasons.

Dennis Erickson already had a1989 National Championship under his belt before he first brought his Miami Hurricanes to the Orange Bowl Game. Miami capped off their fourth championship overall and their second undefeated National Title when they defeated Nebraska for the third time in nine seasons in the 1992 Orange Bowl.

Miami was named the Associated Press National Champions. Undefeated Washington coached by former Hurricanes Quarterback Don James was named the Coaches Poll National Champions.

Miami’s defense shined in a 22-0 shutdown of the nation’s top offense Nebraska Cornhuskers. It was the first time Nebraska had been shutout in 221 games. The win gave Miami their fourth National Championship in nine seasons. it was Erickson’s second title in three seasons as Head Coach.

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    • Three seasons later Nebraska and Miami met for the fourth time in 12 seasons in the 1995 Orange Bowl. It was the second time in four seasons that Erickson and Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne matched up in the Orange Bowl.

    Miami was not able to hold on to a 17-7 lead late in the third quarter. Nebraska scored 17 unanswered points with 15 coming in the fourth quarter to give Osborne his first title.

    Miami only played in one more Orange Bowl between the 1995 game and the loss to Wisconsin. The Hurricanes finished in the top two in each season from 2000-02. Miami earned an Orange Bowl bid following the 2003 season after finished 9-2. It was also the Miami Hurricanes last game as a member of the Big East conference.

    The Hurricanes matched up with archrival Florida State for the second time that season. Miami rallied from a 14-3 second-quarter deficit to earn a 16-14 victory. A 51-yard Jon Peattie third-quarter field goal was the only scoring in the second half and gave the Hurricanes the victory.

    Early in Orange Bowl history, Miami lost two of their first three appearances. Miami lost the inaugural Orange Bowl in 1935 27-0 to Bucknell. They followed that up with a 13-6 victory over Holy Cross 11 years later. Miami’s final Orange Bowl until the epic 1984 win was a 15-14 loss to Clemson in the 1951 game.

    Next: Miami Hurricanes lose to Wisconsin 34-24 in Orange Bowl

    With Mark Richt steading the program, the Hurricanes loss to Wisconsin will likely not be their last game in this era of Miami Hurricanes football.

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