Covington’s Recent Success Eases Frustration

Scott Covington’s college career has been the kind of roller-coaster ride that would rival any amusement park.

The Miami fifth-year senior (who already has his degree in business management) has survived a hernia and a punctured lung as well as the frustration of not playing much and wanting to transfer.

Then came the Hurricanes’ 8-3 season in 1998. There was the abyss of a 66-13 thrashing by Big East-rival Syracuse, followed by the high of upsetting previously unbeaten and third-ranked UCLA.

“[The UCLA game] was my biggest win in college without a doubt,” said Covington, who will face North Carolina State in Tuesday’s Micron PC Bowl in Miami’s Pro Player Stadium.

Covington, who threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns in the UCLA game, said the most important thing was how the team kept bouncing back, especially after having been humiliated by Syracuse the week before.

“Instead of saying, ‘Oh, UCLA is up by 14 and they’re good,’ we put everything aside and kept punching,” Covington said. “Maybe the fact we fought with them from start to finish is something they hadn’t seen. We didn’t bow down when the game was in their favor.”

Upset victories aren’t new to Covington, who helped Dana Hills hand Mater Dei its first South Coast League loss in 1992 by throwing an 18-yard touchdown pass for the winning score in a 13-12 victory. The Monarchs have lost only one other South Coast League game since (to San Clemente in 1995).

“We were complete underdogs, and outmanned with the talent and numbers they had,” Covington said. “But after Mater Dei rolled off the bus and onto our field, we took it to them. I think it surprised them a little bit.”

Covington was recruited by then-Miami Coach Dennis Erickson, and enrolled in the fall of 1994. But Erickson left Miami to take the Seattle Seahawk coaching job. Butch Davis took over and Covington floundered.

He asked to be allowed to transfer in 1996, but Davis would not release him. Covington stewed but decided to hang in there.

Now he calls Davis’ decision to keep him a blessing in disguise.

“I’d have to say the biggest lesson I’ve learned in college is patience and preparation,” Covington said. “At the time I didn’t think I’d get the chance to show what I could do. But this year was my year to start.”

In 11 games, Covington completed 159 of 270 passes for 2,301 yards and 19 touchdowns (with eight interceptions). The touchdown total tied him with Steve Walsh (1987), Gino Torretta (1991) and Ryan Clement (1996) for seventh on Miami’s all-time single-season list.

A good game against North Carolina State could move him further along into some select company. Covington is 28 passing yards short of eclipsing Bernie Kosar’s 1983 total for 10th in Hurricane’s single-season record book. Likewise, his 58.9% completion rate is a tick behind Jim Kelly’s 1981 season effort, which is also 10th on the all-time Hurricane list.

The Wolfpack (7-4) will provide more than a token challenge. North Carolina State has beaten two of the three teams that defeated Miami: Florida State (the second-ranked Seminoles’ only loss this season) and Syracuse. Miami’s other loss was to Virginia Tech.

But should the 6-3, 220-pound Covington look sharp in the Micron PC Bowl and the Senior Bowl, he probably won’t need to put that business degree to work immediately because he expects to be a middle-round pick in the NFL draft.

“I feel people will be surprised where I do go,” Covington said. “I just want the opportunity, wherever it is. But I do feel the future is bright.”