Saturday’s football game against the Seminoles left many Miami fans feeling more relieved than happy. Truth be told, we should have lost the game. We were beaten up and down the field. Our run defense, offense and pass rush were nonexistent; the turnover ratio and clock control were against us, yet somehow we still won. Well, in all fairness, we didn’t really win; the Seminoles just lost.
I left the game with three distinct feelings. First, I felt elation at the unbelievable turn of events. Second, I felt pangs of doubt set in about our team. We haven’t really played like the nation’s number one team in since the mauling in Gainesville, and the dismal performance against our biggest rival in our home stadium did not speak to our top-ranked status. Third, I wondered, where is the real Ken Dorsey, and who have they replaced him with?
Dorsey’s performance this season has been unstable. He did finish Saturday’s game with 362 yards passing, but I don’t know where all those yards came from. From the stands, it was like watching a rerun of the past few games. There was another litany of passes thrown too high or too low and at least three near-interceptions. In Dorsey’s defense, there were also too many dropped passes, and a huge pass play was called back because of a questionable penalty against the Hurricanes. However, our passing game seems to have some adjusting to do.
In saying this, I am not trying to criticize Ken Dorsey, nor do I want to be a negative voice against our team. After all, he has been rushed more this season and some key players have left. It happens to the best of teams; we’ll work it out.
However, I think the media has not given credit where credit is due. Every radio station and newspaper talked of how our quarterback kept his cool under pressure and made the plays that needed to be made. Nobody talked about how in the first of the fourth-quarter touchdown drives, Dorsey threw a five yard pass to McGahee and watched as brilliant blocks were thrown to allow McGahee to run another 63 yards. No one talked about Geathers capitalizing with an 11-yard touchdown run. No one spoke of their unfailing focus under pressure.
And it has been this way all season. Why don’t the sports reporters mention that our running back has saved us in at least two games this season? Where are the stories about our offensive line creating room for him to run? It seems wrong that these people are not allowed to share the spotlight. It is not Dorsey’s fault that reporters focus on him almost exclusively, but I want to thank the players who keep the play going after the pass. They are the reason we are still undefeated.
Travis Atria is a junior majoring in English Literature.