MIAMI -- There was a time when the Orange Bowl frequently would almost fill to its 73,219-seat capacity and Miami was one of the toughest places in the country for a visitor to win.

The Orange Bowl was rocking again Saturday, where 62,106 turned out for the Hurricanes' final game in their 71-year home, but that has rarely been the case in recent years.

One week earlier, the Orange Bowl was less than half-full as a crowd announced at 34,261 watched N.C. State upset Miami 19-16 in overtime.

It's no surprise that Miami took the opportunity to move its games to the Fort Lauderdale area, where the Hurricanes will play at Dolphins Stadium, a much newer facility with luxury boxes and other amenities.

"The Orange Bowl has been around for a long time and the city of Miami is not going to put forth the money to renovate the Orange Bowl to that standard," first-year head coach Randy Shannon said earlier this week.

The city could put $150 million into the stadium and get little more than a paint job, Shannon added.

"It really would cost $300 million to [renovate] it," he said. "So, just for the University of Miami to play [football] there six times every year, I don't think that's right for either the University of Miami or the city of Miami."

Miami's average attendance in five home games prior to Saturday night's affair was 40,503.

The Hurricanes haven't had a sellout in years.

Poor attendance was a factor that contributed to the dismissal of Shannon's predecessor and former boss, Larry Coker, whose Hurricanes knocked Boston College out of the ACC title game last season before an Orange Bowl crowd of 23,308.

Once, Miami was unbeatable at the Orange Bowl, where it won 58 consecutive games under Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson between 1985-1994. The 'Canes entered Saturday night with four home losses in just the last two seasons.

"Change is difficult for everybody," Shannon said. "It's just an opportunity for us, as a program, to move to another venue and experience something different. It may be better facilities for us [and] help us get more recruits in here. Whenever you have better facilities, recruits tend to look at those things."

n The Virginia-Miami game will not be the final college game at the Orange Bowl. Florida International, which is building its own facility, will have home games at the Orange Bowl on each of the next three Saturdays. The last game will be Dec. 1, when North Texas visits FIU.

The Orange Bowl also will be the site of a high school all-star game in January.

Personnel

Promising Virginia linebacker John Bivens continues to experience knee problems after arthroscopic surgery in the spring and will not play again this season. Bivens, a redshirt freshman, was expected to back up Jon Copper but most of his playing time has come on special teams.

n Groh said that 6-foot-2, 240-pound walk-on Curt Orshoski has a chance to become the Cavaliers' fullback of the future. Orshoski is a true freshman from Culpeper High School, where he played at linebacker alongside UVa signee Terrence Fells-Danzer. Both are being redshirted.

Odds 'n' ends

Former Miami player Dwayne Johnson, best known as "The Rock" of wrestling fame, was able to do the introduction of the Miami seniors Saturday when his gig as host of Saturday Night Live was canceled by the writers' strike. ... Another Miami alumnus, recording artist John Secada, performed the national anthem.

Quote-unquote

Groh on Virginia's inability to score a touchdown in the third quarter of 14 consecutive games before Saturday: "We haven't scored enough in all of the quarters."

Virginia next week

The Cavaliers will enjoy an open date before entertaining Virginia Tech in the regular-season finale Nov. 24. This is the latest that Virginia has had a bye in the regular season since 1998, when the Cavs had an open date Nov. 21 before defeating then-No. 20 Virginia Tech 36-32 in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech entertains Miami next week.