Stephen Morris shines as Canes squeeze past Yellow Jackets

It definitely was a game of scoring streaks and big numbers for
Hurricanes quarterback Stephen Morris and running back Mike James.

Morris passed for a career-high 436 yards, fifth-most in Miami history, James scored four touchdowns and the Hurricanes (3-1, 2-0 ACC) beat Tech (2-2, 1-2) for the fourth straight time by scoring the game's first 19 points and the final 23.

The Yellow Jackets scored 36 straight in between. That might have been enough if the Hurricanes hadn't stuffed Tech quarterback Tevin Washington on fourth-and-inches at the Miami 1 in overtime.

James countered with a 25-yard scoring run two plays later to set off a raucous celebration among the visitors.

“My whole body was numb,” Morris said after completing 31 of 52 passes, including two touchdown throws.
“I was so excited and so happy for the program. Everything we've been going through for the past couple years . . . and to have a big win like that was huge.”

Miami is under NCAA investigation in connection with the athletic department's relationship with former booster Nevin Shapiro. He is in prison after pleading guilty to money laundering and security fraud in connection with a Ponzi scheme.
Perhaps a zero was Morris' biggest number.

He wasn't sacked and rarely was pressured, especially while he led an eight-play, 91-yard drive in just 1:33 to force overtime. His 10-yard pass to James knotted the score at 36 with 27 seconds left in regulation.

Morris completed 6 of 8 passes on that drive to put Miami in position to hand Tech its second overtime loss of the season.

“They just manhandled us and out-executed us,” Tech linebacker Brandon Watts said after Miami gained 609 yards of total offense and made 30 first downs to the

Jackets' 18. “I felt like we weren't prepared.”

The Hurricanes take on North Carolina State during Family Weekend Saturday at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens.