MIAMI, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Clinton Portis scored the first three touchdowns of the game Saturday night and Ken Dorsey threw three touchdown passes to move the No. 1 Miami Hurricanes closer to a berth in the national championship contest with a 65-7 blasting of 12th-ranked Washington.
Miami avoided the upset bug which bit at the top of the college football rankings this weekend. Second-ranked Nebraska lost to Colorado on Friday and fourth-ranked Oklahoma fell to Oklahoma State Saturday, dramatically changing the national title picture.
Miami (10-0) was never in danger, scoring 30 points in the second quarter, racing to a 37-0 halftime lead and extending the nation's longest winning streak to 20 games. A win over Virginia Tech next Saturday will put the Hurricanes in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 3.
The last team to defeat the Hurricanes was Washington, which posted a 34-29 win in Seattle last season. A year later, Washington (8-3) was no match for a Miami team that more than made amends with yet another lopsided victory.
The Huskies allowed the second-highest point total in school history, exceeded only by a 72-3 setback to California in 1921.
It was the sixth time this season Miami has won by at least 31 points. The Hurricanes have scored 124 points in their last two games and posted their highest point total since a 66-17 win over East Tennessee State in 1998.
The Huskies (8-3), who lost for the second time in three games and will play in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 28, avoided a shutout on a five-yard run by Rich Alexis in the third quarter.
Cody Pickett had a long evening, throwing five interceptions and completing 14 of 29 passes for 157 yards.
It fell apart early for the Huskies when linebacker Jonathan Vilma intercepted a pass from Pickett on the opening drive of the game and Portis scored on a seven-yard run just 67 seconds into the contest.
On the first play of the second quarter, Portis raced 30 yards for a score to make it 14-0. Portis carried 12 times for 105 yards.
Dorsey soon joined the party, throwing a five-yard touchdown pass to Portis four minutes later. Dorsey was 14 of 21 for 189 yards.
Special teams also collapsed for Washington. Punter Derek McLaughlin could not handle a snap and was tackled in the end zone for a safety.
Phillip Buchanon returned the ensuing kickoff 60 yards and Dorsey followed with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Najeh Davenport to make it 30-0.
The defense later joined in on the scoring when defensive end Jerome McDougle intercepted a pass from Pickett and ran 14 yards for a score.
Aftrer halftime, Miami kept up the pressure on a one-yard touchdown run by Davenport and a three-yard scoring pass from Dorsey to Andre Johnson.
In the fourth quarter, Frank Gore scored on a one-yard run and backup Derrick Crudup threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jason Geathers.
Washington was making its first trip to the Orange Bowl since 1994, when it ended Miami's NCAA record 58-game home winning streak with a 38-20 win.
