The Hurricanes dominated this game for the first minute and then for a good portion of the last three minutes. Those other 56? Pure agony.
Sam Shields returned the kickoff for an 84-yard touchdown, only to have it called back to the 16 on an illegal block penalty. It didn't matter. Graig Cooper ran it into the end zone again on the very next play.
That minute was full of sweet swagger that filled fans' heads with fantasies of total domination not only for the entire game but also into next season as well. Unfortunately, that swagger didn't carry through to the rest of the game. With the loss of Jason Fox to an injury, Miami's O-line barely showed up, and Wisconsin's D put pressure on Jacory Harris all night. He got sacked five times. The Canes managed only two third-down conversions and failed at two attempts on fourth down.
Wisconsin had possession nearly twice as much as Miami. Their QB, Scott Tolzien, had a nasty habit of throwing completions right as the Canes' D was about to take him down. Meanwhile, MVP John Clay rushed for 121 yards.
Harris was able to get it together in the final minutes, throwing a touchdown pass to Thearon Collier with 1:22 left on the clock. The Canes were able to recover their own punt immediately after a tricky play, but it was three-and-out again, allowing Wisconsin to take a knee and the game with a 20-14 win.
