2003 - Robbery in the Desert

Hurricanes get ROBBED by the Buckeyes!

As most recall, that 2002 National Title game, the Fiesta Bowl ended up being quite a game.  It also had one of the most controversial calls in all of sports.

Ohio State and Miami were tied at 17 at the end of regulation even though it felt like Miami was controlling most of the game.  Ohio State had hung tough and was proving they belonged.  Most people felt that Miami would somehow take control and pull away from their inferior opponent and claim their second straight national title, but Ohio State just wouldn’t let that happen as they took the game into overtime.  With Ohio State down to their last play, 4th down and 3 at the Miami 5 yard line. It came down to one last play for the Buckeyes.  Score and the game goes to the second OT; fail and the ‘Canes are National Champs again. 4th down and 3. OSU QB Craig Krenzel attempts a pass to Chris Gamble in the corner of the endzone, but the ball was knocked down by the Miami DB. It looked as if the play had been called an incomplete pass. It looked like a great defensive play, game over, Hurricanes win ... but wait ...

The team begins to rush the field, fireworks start to go off, the Hurricanes were now back to back national champions. Then, seemingly out of nowhere and several seconds later, a flag was spotted, laying on the ground in the endzone. The penalty was defensive pass interference, called on Miami defender Glen Sharpe by referee Terry Porter.  Due to the penalty, Ohio State received the ball on the 2 yard line with an automatic first down. With a fresh set of downs, Krenzel rushed for a 1 yard touchdown on 3rd down. The kick was good and tied the score at 24 sending the game into a double overtime. The rest was history and Ohio State was National Champs; 31-24,  And Miami fans were in disbelief. 

To them it was clearly ROBBERY ... Robbery in the Desert!  Cane fans were beyond mad and they needed a shirt.  Something that would allow them to show their anger.  So Robbery in the Desert was born ... and it ended up being a shirt that Miami fans just had to have, something that helped them show the world that they got robbed!