Miami wins a thriller in ACC; College football; Hurricanes QB Harris passes for 386 yards at No. 18 Florida State; College football.(Sports)

The Seattle Times (Seattle, WA) September 8, 2009 Byline: The Associated Press and Mcclatchy Newspapers TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Jacory Harris stood motionless on the Miami sideline with five seconds remaining, silently pleading for one more stop.

He had done his part. And after one last review, so did Miami’s defense.

Ailing arm and all, Harris passed for 386 yards — including a 40-yard pass over double coverage to Travis Benjamin that set up Graig Cooper’s 3-yard touchdown run with 1:53 left — and led the Hurricanes past No. 18 Florida State 38-34 in a wild, back-and-forth game Monday night.

“I was just thinking my team fought through this so long and so hard. All the preparation and it came down to this,” Harris said of watching the final series from the sideline. “Our defense, I know they was going to pull through at the end.” It went down to the last play, a pass Florida State’s Jarmon Fortson nearly scooped off the garnet-colored grass in the end zone as time expired. Fortson argued to no avail, replay officials confirmed he didn’t have the ball, and Miami (1-0 overall, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) flooded the field that bears Bobby Bowden’s name in celebration. go to web site florida state college

“Whew!” was the first sound Miami coach Randy Shannon made as he left the joyous locker room.

No other words were necessary. Miami did it to Florida State (0-1, 0-1) again, winning for the fourth time in its last five trips to Florida’s capital city and dealing Bowden another arduous defeat against the team that has vexed him more than any other.

“It was a great game, though,” Bowden said. “I guess it sounds funny to hear a losing coach say that.” Harris completed 21 of 34 passes for two touchdowns and two interceptions. He got hurt on the second of those turnovers; Harris was drilled by blitzing cornerback Greg Reid and his throw on that play resulted in nothing more than a pop fly that Markus White ran back 31 yards for a 31-24 Florida State lead with 11:45 remaining.

Harris connected with Cooper for a 24-yard score to tie the score at 31, and after Florida State took the lead again on Dustin Hopkins’ 45-yard field goal with 4:11 left, the ‘Canes went 59 yards in six plays for the winning TD. floridastatecollegenow.com florida state college

Florida State’s Christian Ponder was 24 of 41 for 294 yards and two touchdowns.

Other game Cincinnati 47, at Rutgers 15 Tony Pike threw for a career-high 362 yards and three touchdowns, and the Bearcats used a high-speed, no-huddle offense to hurry past the Scarlet Knights in a Big East Conference game that was the opener for both teams. Cincinnati, listed as a five-point underdog, is 4-0 against Rutgers since joining the Big East.

Pike completed 27 of 34 passes.

Rutgers QB Domenic Natale had three passes picked off in the first half. Highly touted freshman Tom Savage played the second half.

Notes * Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, who suffered a shoulder injury in Saturday’s 14-13 loss to Brigham Young, is likely to miss from two to four weeks, Sooners coach Bob Stoops said.

Bradford, last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, said he already has started his rehabilitation and is not considering having surgery.

* Boise State coach Chris Petersen defended his decision not to suspend Byron Hout for his taunting that led to LeGarrette Blount’s punch after the No. 14 Broncos’ victory over Oregon on Thursday. Petersen said the defensive end is being disciplined for yelling in Blount’s face and slapping him on the shoulder pad. But Petersen added he believes “we’ve done the right thing” in not suspending Hout for any games.

Meanwhile, Blount, who has been suspended for the season but is allowed to practice, wasn’t at Oregon’s workout Monday.