There's an alternate universe where the great 2001 Miami Hurricanes team doesn't exist. It sounds strange to think that the squad, mostly constructed by Butch Davis but coached by Larry Coker, may not have come to fruition, but it's true that everything Davis was building was in danger in the middle of the 1999 season.
The Hurricanes came into Boston College on a three-game losing skid and for about 40 minutes in Chestnut Hill, Miami looked over matched and dead in the water. Trailing 28-0 late in the third quarter, the Hurricanes were staring at a 2-4 record before the heart of their Big East schedule.
Then Miami decided to fight back, and it made all the difference.
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#23 Miami vs Boston College (1999) pic.twitter.com/hesVRDBKmh
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The Hurricanes staged the biggest comeback in school history, scoring 24 points in the fourth quarter and winning on Andy Crossland's field goal with seconds remaining. James Jackson, who remains one of the most under appreciated Miami running backs, Bubba Franks and Kenny Kelly sparked the comeback on offense while the defense tightened up.
But why was this comeback a big deal? Let's break it down:
Butch Davis may have gotten fired after a bad season
It's been pointed out before, but it bears repeating: Davis only had one real bad season at Miami, when the Hurricanes went 5-6 in 1997. But that was the year the NCAA sanctions hit the hardest. Davis had limited resources and scholarships to put together the roster. But the Hurricanes bounced back to go 8-3 in 1998 (including a big win over an undefeated UCLA team) and there was legitimate buzz about Miami as the scholarship numbers were getting closer to normal.
The Hurricanes opened the season with a 23-12 win over Ohio State at Giants Stadium, and by Week 3, they were hosting Penn State in a top-10 showdown. Miami lost that game late when the Nittany Lions connected on a long touchdown pass for a 27-23 victory. A loss to an inspired East Carolina team in Raleigh followed after the Pirates were displaced by Hurricane Floyd.
Then a trip to Doak Campbell Stadium upped the loss total to three straight after the No. 1 Seminoles rallied from a 21-14 deficit to win 31-21.Â
(Side note: Miami played three top-10 teams in its non-conference schedule if you want to know exactly how soft college football has become.)
A fourth straight loss might have been too much for a young Miami team that was still learning how to win. The rally against Boston College completely flipped the script. Miami went on to win six of the final seven, including a 28-13 win over Georgia Tech in the Gator Bowl to finish with a top-15 ranking.
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