HURRICANES Miami's Dorsey raises bar at nation's 'Quarterback U.'

Partying doesn't hold many thrills for the team's homebody.
By JAY HEATER
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Miami quarterback Ken Dorsey, college football's consummate homebody, strode through the lobby of the Scottsdale Plaza Resort on Sunday morning when he spotted his teammate, offensive lineman Sherko Haji-Rasouli.
Dorsey, who will attempt to lead the Hurricanes to their second consecutive national championship tonight when they face Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, knew that Haji-Rasouli had gone out on the town the night before and wanted a full report.
"I wasn't going to tell him anything," Haji-Rasouli said. "At least not until we got on the bus.
"I said, 'You're not going to live vicariously through me. What were you doing, playing video games in your room?' "
It's hard to picture Dorsey, the former Miramonte High School star, cruising the streets of Tempe looking for the best happy hour in town. He gets his high from winning football games, lots of them.
Whether it's preparing for the national championship or studying for a game against Rutgers, Dorsey has locked himself away, making sure nothing comes between him and victory. Perhaps that is why Miami has put together a national-best 34-game win streak.
"He's not a recluse," Haji-Rasouli said. "But he likes to stay at home. He's got that cat, and he lays around and plays video games. He doesn't want to come with us when we go and do crazy things."
Rare outing
Dorsey's teammates see him away from the field so seldom that wide receiver Andre Johnson couldn't pass up an opportunity to play golf with him last summer.
"The guy never does anything," Johnson said. "I don't even play golf, but I had to go."
It didn't take long for Johnson to discover that Dorsey the golfer is much like Dorsey the football player.
"When he is not doing well, he gets real mad," Johnson said. "I saw him throw a few clubs that day."
Dorsey won't argue that he's a poor loser.
"I go storming out of the room when I lose at video games," he said.
It's probably a good thing, then, that the Hurricanes have gone 38-1 when Dorsey starts a game. Two losses might have been too much to bear.
"I hate losing, that's for sure," Dorsey said. "So I appreciate all the time I've been here [at Miami]. I wouldn't change a decision I've made here."
Satisfied
Miami fans are happy with Dorsey's decisions. In addition to the victories, he has posted 11 team records, including most passing yardage (9,269), most total offense (8,888) and most touchdown passes (84).
Not bad for a kid who might not have made it to Miami if Cal had taken a greater interest in him during his senior year at Miramonte.
"Naturally, I would have wanted to stay home," said Dorsey, who was offered a scholarship by schools such as Tennessee and USC.
Looking back on his decision now, going to Miami was a no-brainer. The school had produced quarterbacks such as Bernie Kosar, Vinny Testaverde, Steve Walsh, Craig Erickson, Jim Kelly and Gino Torretta.
"I really didn't know about [Miami's history with quarterbacks] in high school," he said. "When I found out, it was overwhelming."
"One thing is for sure," Haji-Rasouli said. "Dorsey has raised the bar at Quarterback U."