ORANGE BOWL Midseason changes help key Miami run

The Hurricanes won their last three games to earn a share of the Big East title.
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- The Miami Hurricanes look very little like the team that won 34 games in a row and played for consecutive national titles.
Different quarterback, different running backs, different receivers -- and much different results.
The Hurricanes lost twice this season and fell out of the national championship picture for the first time since 1999, prompting coach Larry Coker to make some significant offensive changes.
Although they may have been tough for Miami fans to watch, the modifications worked. No. 10 Miami won its final three games, earned a share of the Big East title and a berth in the Orange Bowl against ninth-ranked Florida State on Thursday.
"It looks like they corrected whatever they needed to correct," Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden said Saturday.
Florida State also was forced to audible after leading receiver Craphonso Thorpe broke his right leg Nov. 15 against North Carolina State and missed the regular-season finale against Florida.
Thorpe had 51 receptions for 994 yards and 11 touchdowns before the injury. Without him, the Seminoles turned to P.K. Sam and Dominic Robinson.
Sam caught three passes for 84 yards against the Gators, including a twisting, turning 53-yard touchdown that gave the Seminoles a 38-34 victory. Robinson had a 24-yard reception on fourth-and-14 that set up the winning score.
"They've lost an outstanding receiver, but they've had an opportunity to groom other players and get comfortable with their other players," Coker said.
Miami's transition was much less fluid.
It started at quarterback when Coker benched Brock Berlin after the junior threw 14 interceptions, fumbled three times and lost twice in the first nine games.
Hoping to minimize the turnovers, Coker went with a more conservative, run-oriented approach against Syracuse. The game plan called for running backs Jarrett Payton and freshman Tyrone Moss to carry the load while the Hurricanes relied on a stout defense that ranks third in the nation in total yards and fifth in scoring.
Miami beat Syracuse 17-10 behind backup quarterback Derrick Crudup, who completed just five of 13 passes for 80 yards. He was more effective with his legs, gaining 29 yards, but Coker was not impressed with what he called "scramble ball."