Washington Is Atop Miami in College Polls

The Washington Huskies moved into first place in the Associated Press poll Sunday without lifting a finger, but Coach Don James knows the top spot could last only as long as the next game.

Miami’s close call against Arizona--the Hurricanes won, 8-7, when the Wildcats just missed a 51-yard field goal attempt on the final play--lifted the idle Huskies over Miami in the poll.

“I’m surprised,” James said of the balloting. “It wasn’t as a result of anything we did. It’s because of something Arizona and Miami did. I know it will motivate two groups of people. I know it will motivate our opponents, and I hope it will motivate our team.

“It’s hard to respond with anything colorful because it doesn’t mean anything until the end of the year. We still have to go out and beat USC this week.”

The last team to lose its No. 1 ranking after winning a game was Oklahoma in 1987. Nebraska replaced Oklahoma after the Sooners struggled to beat Missouri, 17-13, in their next-to-last game.

Washington received 44 first-place votes compared to 12 for Miami. Last week, Miami had the big advantage in first-place votes (43-15).

The Huskies also moved past Miami in the coaches’ poll with 43 first-place votes to the Hurricanes’ 16.

Miami Coach Dennis Erickson wasn’t surprised that the Hurricanes fell to No. 2.

“That’s probably how I would have voted, too,” he said. “We should have dropped in the polls playing a game like that.”

It’s the first time Washington has been atop the AP poll since 1984, when it was ranked No. 1 for four weeks.