Sports Editor

What scares Troy State assistant coach Wayne Bolt the most about Miami, isn’t that the Hurricanes utilize a complex offensive scheme, designed to give defensive coordinators such as Bolt bad dreams.

They don’t.

In fact, the No. 1 team in the land features one of the least complicated offenses around.

But they are the most diversified.

"They provide power in the running game and have a great quarterback (Ken Dorsey). They’ve also got two of the best offensive tackles in the country (Joaquin Gonzalez and Bryant McKinnie)," said Bolt. "They aren’t very complicated – basically a two-back, tight end offense – but they are simple at what they do and good at what they do."

Bolt, his staff and defensive unit, will get a chance to watch the Hurricanes this Thursday night when Miami travels to play Big East opponent Pittsburgh. The Trojans don’t play this Saturday and will spend much of this week and the next, as Bolt says, "continuing to get better."

"This will be a very fundamental-intensive week for us."

Dorsey will be the second bonafide Heisman Trophy candidate that the Troy State defense will have faced this season. Nebraska’s Eric Crouch is also a contender for college football’s highest individual honor.

Crouch had 157 all-purpose yards against the Trojans in the ‘Huskers 42-14 win on Sept. 1 and is primarily a running quarterback. Dorsey (6-5, 210) is a passer. The junior totalled 2,737 yards through the air last year, throwing 25 touchdowns against just five interceptions. Thus far in the season, Dorsey has thrown for 659 yards and has a 65.4 percent completion rate.

Surround Dorsey with a deep backfield that features junior Clinton Portis (averaging 6.9 yards per carry in 2001), running between offensive tackles Gonzalez (6-5, 292) and Mckinnie (6-9 335), and the term "power-running game" takes on a whole new meaning.

"They have the best personnel of any team in the nation and that is not debatable," said TSU head coach Larry Blakeney.

After spending last Saturday chasing two quarterbacks who liked to run in Nicholls State’s Josh Son and Roy Burchette, Troy State defensive lineman Davern Williams said he’s looking forward to the challenge of stopping the Hurricanes’ passing game.

"I enjoy playing against

a drop-back passing team, because the offensive linemen don’t do as much cut blocking," he said. "I’m looking forward to playing Miami, because it will give me a chance to practice my pass rush skills."