MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Warren Sapp motored past bystanders on the sideline in his electric scooter, while Ed Reed and Clinton Portis smiled and hugged. More than 300 former players came back for this, joining a full, raucous crowd so desperate to see Miami not only take down Notre Dame, but claim a spot among the college football elite once again.
What they saw, was not only a return but an awakening. No. 7 Miami (9-0) played a near-perfect game Saturday night with a devastatingly dominant performance that featured a swarming, aggressive, fast, athletic defense and an offense that made plays when it had to, particularly off turnovers.