Miami Hurricanes Pinstripe Bowl loss comparable to Clemson 58-0
The measuring stick for any loss in Miami Hurricanes history is the 58-0 debacle to Clemson in 2015. That game got Al Golden fired, is the worst home loss in program history and set records for futility for UM’s offense. The Pinstripe Bowl loss to Wisconsin came close.
The 34-3 shellacking by Wisconsin set or were close to a number of Miami Hurricanes team records for futility in a bowl game. The six first downs were the lowest Miami had in any game since the 2015 loss to Clemson and one off the school bowl game record that Miami set in the 1952 Orange Bowl, also against Clemson.
The 48 passing yards in a game are the fewest in the 21st Century of Hurricanes Football. It was Miami’s worst performance through the air in a bowl game since they had no passing yards in a 13-6 victory over Holy Cross in the 1946 Orange Bowl.
The offensive performance by Miami against Wisconsin could be compared to what the Hurricanes did in their first bowl game appearance in a 26-0 loss to Bucknell in the 1935 Orange Bowl. According to the official Orange Bowl website “The Bison defense held Miami to just four first downs and 28 yards total offense.”
The four interceptions thrown by N’Kosi Perry and Malik Rosier were one off the Hurricanes team record for a bowl game set in the 1935 loss to Bucknell and the infamous 1987 Fiesta Bowl loss, 14-7 to Penn State for the National Championship. The Hurricanes defense was at least able to keep that game close.
The futility on both offense and defense was eerily similar to the 2015, 58-0 annihilation by Clemson. A deeper examination of the stats despite the 26 point difference in the margin is disheartening.
Miami had six first downs total and less than 100 yards passing in both games. The Tigers held Miami to 93 passing yards in their 2015 victory. The Hurricanes had 169 total yards against Wisconsin and 146 against Clemson.
Like the loss to Wisconsin, Rosier played a majority of the loss to the Tigers. He came in as a Redshirt Freshman after Sophomore starting QB Brad Kaaya was knocked out with a concussion. Rosier finished 7-22 for 42 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Rosier went 5-12-3 for 46 yards versus Wisconsin.
In fairness to Rosier, he played exceptionally well the following week in Miami’s Miracle in Durham victory at Duke. Including the 2015 victory over Duke and the first ten games of 2015, Rosier won the first ten starts of his career.
The Miami defense was extremely poor in the 2015 loss to Clemson and the Pinstripe Bowl loss to Wisconsin. Clemson ran for 416 yards in their victory over the Hurricanes. Wisconsin had 333 rushing yards against Miami.
The Badgers total on the ground was the most by a Hurricanes’ opponent in a bowl game. North Carolina State had the previous high with 297 yards rushing in the 1998 Mirco PC Bowl.
If there is one positive to take out of the comparison between two of the worst losses in Miami Hurricanes football history it is the loss to Wisconsin is not the worst in a bowl game like the loss to Clemson stands as the worst in program history. Miami’s 40-3 loss to LSU in the 2005 Peach Bowl holds that record.