Miami ? Former Kansas University coach Don Fambrough electrified the crowd Wednesday night at the WaMu Fan Fest.

With a quote that can only be described as not suitable for a family newspaper, Fambrough convinced the crowd that they were going to beat Virginia Tech in tonight’s Orange Bowl game. He was accompanied on stage by six other Jayhawks, five from the ’69 Orange Bowl team and one member of the ’48 Orange Bowl squad.

“Let’s get ready to play,” he said. “This group of people behind me, I’d go to war with them any day.”

A family divided

The Perez family – Vic, Karen, Caroline and Nic – might be the only group of Orange Bowl fans with team allegiances separated by generation.

Vic and Karen are both alumni of Virginia Tech. Vic even played football there. But their son and daughter, Nic and Caroline, are both graduates of KU.

All around Miami this week, the family has been wearing their individual colors. But for the game?

“My wife suggested making a combined KU-Virginia Tech T-shirt,” Vic said. “Nic would have none of that.”

Fans arrive

Kansas fans poured into Miami on New Year’s Day, with flights from Kansas City full of Jayhawks.

While the drive from Lawrence to Miami takes every bit of 23 hours, the Hokies’ drive took a mere 14 hours, and Wednesday was the day for Hokies to arrive.

Driving down Interstate 95, dozens of cars were decked out in Hokie decorations. The beaches, though, were another story.

South Beach was the land of Jayhawks. Several groups of Jayhawk fans enjoyed the moderately warm weather – a high of about 57 – by digging in the sand and enjoying the clear, blue water.