Miami Seeking Something It Hasn't Had Many of Lately - A Road Win

Miami is a one-touchdown favorite to win in Chapel Hill

College Football Preview: Week 6

> The Red Zone | Tape It Up | Strike The Pose | Breaking The Code

> B.J.: Lessons For Professors  |  Amsinger: Picks  |  Sorenson: 10 Questions  |  Shake-Up Saturday
> Braff: Some Upsets Not So Surprising  |  Hart: Making Sense - And A Ballot - Out Of It All
> Trev: Don't Hate On South Florida  |  LSU The Weekend Pick

| Blackburn: Rivalry Seeing Red
> Caparell: Polled Over | Crystal Ball: Weekend Predictions

| B.J.: Quit Spinning, Texas

> Sorenson: 10 Most Underrated Things About College Football | Caparell: Meyer�s Seen This Before

Oct. 4, 2007

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) - Only a few seasons ago, the Miami Hurricanes were simply unbeatable when they ventured out for road games.

That is hardly the case these days.

From Sept. 23, 2000, through Oct. 11, 2003, the Hurricanes played 18 road regular-season games and won them all - most in blowouts. Miami outscored rivals by an average of 25 points in those contests, with only one game decided by less than eight points.

It was one of the defining traits of Miami's last stretch of dominance.

Now, it is hard enough for the Hurricanes to get even one road win. Miami (4-1, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) has dropped five of its last six regular-season games away from the confines of the Orange Bowl, a trend it would like to reverse Saturday at North Carolina (1-4, 0-2) against former coach Butch Davis.

"If you start off and you win on the road, that means the guys have confidence in what you're doing," Miami coach Randy Shannon said. "The last couple games have been a confidence boost for this team."

Yes, but those last few games he's referring to - three straight wins over Florida International, Texas A&M and Duke - all came at home.

Miami's lone road game this season was a debacle; the Hurricanes lost 51-13 at Oklahoma. And Miami lost its last three ACC games away from home last season, too, all by seven points or less.

Since the start of last season, the Hurricanes have won only one regular-season road game: 20-15 at Duke midway through 2006. They have been outscored 143-63 in their five other trips, not counting last season's neutral-site 21-20 bowl win over Nevada.

"It's a good chance to put it all behind us," offensive lineman Derrick Morse said.

Miami is a one-touchdown favorite to win in Chapel Hill on Saturday, but the Hurricanes learned three seasons ago that the Tar Heels do not necessarily mind being underdogs. Miami was off to a 3-0 start in its first ACC season and ranked No. 4 in the country when it visited Carolina on Oct. 30, 2004; the Hurricanes lost that game 31-28 on a last-second field goal.

Maybe it is just coincidence, but that game seemed to linger with Miami for a long time: Starting with that loss, the Hurricanes are a mediocre 12-10 in conference games.

"When it's time to play Miami, everybody always brings their 'A' game. Everybody is going to come out and want to give you their best," Hurricanes safety Randy Phillips said. "They're going to want to be on TV. They want to show up for the scouts. ... Everybody is going to hit you with their strongest punch."

Shannon is telling his team to expect the same from North Carolina.

The Tar Heels' lone win in Davis' first season back in college since he left Miami following the 2000 season, is against James Madison, a Football Championship Subdivision (or formerly Division I-AA) team. They have lost four straight since - although three of those losses are by a combined 12 points.

"They are not a bad football team," Shannon said. "They play hard and they keep games close. They play hard and keep fighting down to the wire."