| | MIAMI -- Two college football games, one involving No. 24
Miami, and two major thoroughbred races were postponed Friday
because of Hurricane Irene.
The Miami Hurricanes rescheduled their Saturday game with Temple
because the Owls had trouble getting a flight to South Florida. The
game will be played Dec. 4.
"This is tremendously disappointing for us not to be able to
have a home football game this week," Miami athletics director
Paul Dee said. "Our first concern is for the safety of our
players, fans and opponent. Due to the storm conditions, it was
not possible for the Temple football team to arrive in Miami in
time to play this weekend."
It is the second straight season that a hurricane has forced the
postponement of a Hurricanes' home game. Last year, Miami had a
September contest with UCLA moved to December, when it shocked
the third-ranked and unbeaten Bruins 49-45.
Miami originally was scheduled to conclude its season at home
against Syracuse on Nov. 27. Temple will have two weeks off
to prepare for the Hurricanes after a Nov. 20 battle with
Virginia Tech.
Also Friday, Bethune-Cookman College postponed its game against South
Carolina State in Daytona Beach. The game, which had been scheduled
for Saturday night, will be played Thursday night.
Many high school games in South Florida were also postponed.
The Festival of the Sun, Calder Race Course's annual marquee
event, was postponed until Oct. 23. The festival includes two
$400,000 stakes races.
Central Florida bumped the start time of its game against
Nicholls State from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in hopes of missing most of
the effects of Irene. The rest of the state's college football
games remain unchanged.
Wake Forest at No. 1 Florida State and Greensboro College at
Jacksonville are scheduled to play Saturday. No. 7 Florida is
playing at Auburn.
Other sports events in the state are not expected to be affected
by the weather.
The Miami Heat played an exhibition game at the Orlando Magic on
Friday, and the Anaheim Mighty Ducks are in the state for games
against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday and against the Florida
Panthers on Saturday.
"Wind and rain doesn't bother Ducks," Anaheim coach Craig
Hartsburg said. "They've always said its good weather for a
duck."
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