By CRAIG HANDEL
The (Fort Myers, Fla.) News-Press

NEW YORK - Miami quarterback Ken Dorsey said Saturday night that he and his teammates were snubbed by voters for the postseason awards. Only center Brett Romberg received an honor, the Rimington Award.

Southern California quarterback Carson Palmer won the Heisman. Hurricanes tailback Willis McGahee finished fourth and Dorsey was fifth in the voting.

"It seems there's almost a level of respect we have to earn," Dorsey said. "You don't see too often on the ESPN College Football Awards Show where the No. 1 team gets left out of everything. We almost feel there's a very big lack of respect for the University of Miami and we have to earn it back."

Dorsey, often criticized despite being quarterback of a No. 1 team that has won 34 consecutive games, said he bit his tongue most of the time because he wanted to be a good role model.

"I coach Pop Warner and If they say you're the worst quarterback in the country and I start berating you, a little kid in Pop Warner, when a coach tries to teach them, and he sees me yelling at people, that's not good."

Palmer said concerns that he was not seen much by Heisman voters this season was more of a positive than a negative. And when he threw for 425 yards and four TDs against Notre Dame on Nov. 30, that seemed to seal his victory.

"I didn't have the extra pressure Kenny was talking about," Palmer said. "He played great all season and because of all the hype, people saw him play every game. I didn't have that. I made a ton of mistakes early, but a lot of people didn't see that."

Playing against 10 bowl teams, Palmer threw for 3,639 yards during the season with 32 touchdowns and 2,676 yards and 27 TDs in his last eight games. He threw for at least two TDs in nine of his games and four in five of his last six.

While Palmer became the fifth USC player to win the award, he was the first Trojans' quarterback to win the Heisman. Previously, running backs Mike Garrett, O.J. Simpson, Charles White and Marcus Allen won.

Palmer became the first West Coast player since Allen in 1981 to take home the trophy. Quarterbacks hold a 22-21 edge over running backs as Heisman winners.

If there's one positive for Miami, it's that Dorsey and McGahee can focus on repeating as national champions at the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 3 against Ohio State.

"The Heisman Trophy is a great award," McGahee said. "But there's not too many people who can say they played for a Division I-A national championship back-to-back. That would be my choice."