There was a moment in the middle of Miami’s 1999 season when the whole thing looked like it might crack.
The Hurricanes had lost three straight and walked into Boston College already teetering. For most of the night in Chestnut Hill, they looked like a team on the edge of a bad collapse, trailing 28-0 late in the third quarter and staring straight at a 2-4 record before the heart of the Big East schedule even arrived.
Then Miami turned the game on its head.
The Hurricanes pulled off the biggest comeback in school history, pouring in 24 points in the fourth quarter and finishing the job with Andy Crossland’s field goal in the final seconds. James Jackson, Bubba Franks and Kenny Kelly helped drive the rally on offense, and the defense finally settled in and clamped down when it mattered most.
That win mattered for more than just the scoreline. It may have helped save the path to the 2001 team that followed.
There’s an alternate version of events in which the great 2001 Miami Hurricanes never fully takes shape. That sounds almost impossible now, but the middle of the 1999 season was a real danger zone for the program Butch Davis was building, even if Larry Coker would later coach the finished product.
Davis had already weathered one rough year, going 5-6 in 1997 when NCAA sanctions hit hardest and scholarships were limited. Miami responded with an 8-3 season in 1998, including a win over an undefeated UCLA team, and there was real optimism as the roster situation started to normalize.
The 1999 season began with promise. Miami beat Ohio State 23-12 at Giants Stadium, then reached a top-10 matchup with Penn State in Week 3.
That game slipped away late when the Nittany Lions hit a long touchdown pass to win 27-23. After that came a loss to an inspired East Carolina team in Raleigh, with the Pirates displaced by Hurricane Floyd, and then another setback at Doak Campbell Stadium.
No. 1 Florida State rallied from a 21-14 deficit and handed Miami a 31-21 defeat.
A fourth straight loss could have sent that season in a very different direction for a young team still learning how to win. Instead, the comeback against Boston College changed everything. Miami won six of its final seven games, capped by a 28-13 victory over Georgia Tech in the Gator Bowl, and finished ranked in the top 15.
In Other News...
Miami Suddenly Has A Fall Camp Battle Fans Can't Ignore
Special teams has become one of the more intriguing parts of Miamis fall camp, and the spotlight is falling on a kicking competition that is still very much unresolved. The Hurricanes brought in two transfer options to sort it out, with one coming from Northwestern and the other from FSU, and Mario Cristobal has pointed to the unit as an area he feels good about as camp moves along.
Cristobal also spent time talking about Jordan Lyle, whose recovery and improved conditioning have been part of the programs broader August conversation. The coaching staff clearly believes there is value in having him healthier and better prepared entering the season, but for now the kicking job remains one of the quieter battles that could end up mattering a lot once the games start. [Read more 🡒]
Miami May Be Unlocking Even More From Transfer WR Cooper Barkate
Cooper Barkate has spent the second week of Miamis fall camp trying to turn a promising addition into something more complete. The senior transfer wide receiver has talked about sharpening his physicality and rounding out his game, which fits the tone of a Miami pass-catching group that seems to be pushing itself daily. Barkate has also pointed to the competition in the Hurricanes receiver room as a real advantage, saying the environment around him is helping bring out more from his own development.
For Miami, that matters because the Hurricanes are not just looking for another body at receiver, they are looking for players who can raise the level of the room and give the offense more options. Barkate appears to believe there is still another gear to find, and his optimism extends beyond this season to the idea that a stronger year in Coral Gables could improve his NFL Draft standing. The interesting part is how much more the Hurricanes can unlock before camp gives way to the real test. [Read more 🡒]
Former Miami Standout Could Reopen A Hurricanes Roster Debate
Malik Reneaus name is back in the college basketball conversation, and for Miami fans it brings a familiar what-if back into focus. After three years at Indiana, Reneau transferred to Miami and put together a career season, earning All-Atlantic Coast Conference First Team honors while giving the Hurricanes the kind of frontcourt production that can reshape a roster discussion in a hurry.
Now, after going undrafted and signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Orlando Magic, Reneau is pursuing the possibility of another college season following a recent court ruling that opened the door for certain athletes to regain eligibility. The move raises an intriguing question for Miami circles: if that path stays open, would the Hurricanes have a place for a player who already proved he can change the look of a team in one year? [Read more 🡒]