Florida State–Miami football rivalry: Difference between revisions

The Florida State–Miami football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Florida State Seminoles football team of Florida State University and Miami Hurricanes football team of the University of Miami.

Miami leads the series 31–28, with Florida State having won the last five.^[1] Since the late 1980s, one or both squads have often been highly ranked coming into the game, adding national championship implications to an already heated rivalry. Kicks have played an important role in the series with many wide right, wide left, blocks and other mistakes that would have won the game for the fallen.

The series has consistently drawn very high television ratings with the 2006 game being the most-watched college football game—regular-season or postseason—in ESPN history, and the 2009 and 1994 meetings being the second- and fifth-most watched regular season games, respectively.^[2]

Notable games

1963: Seminoles Stun Mira and Gus' Dream Team

In one of the season's biggest shockers, FSU stunned Miami 24–0, in the season opener for both squads. Miami quarterback, George Mira, had been the cover boy for Sports Illustrated's 1963 college football preseason preview. Miami head coach Andy Gustafson, who had been named athletic director in the spring, put off retirement for a year to coach what most pro scouts believed was the best quarterback in all of college football. On this night, however, Steve Tensi and Fred Biletnikoff were the stars and Florida State made its first real appearance on the national stage. This win marked the first of seven straight wins by the Seminoles and the longest winning streak in the series. All of the Seminoles wins came on Miami's home turf, the Orange Bowl.

1987: Going for the win

FSU and Miami played an epic game in 1987. Both teams were ranked in the top 4. FSU jumped out to a 19–3 lead. FSU led until Miami came back in the 4th quarter to take a 26–19 lead. FSU scored a touchdown with 42 seconds left. FSU could tie with the extra point, but Bowden decided to go for the win. The pass was broken up and the Noles lost 26–25 to the Canes. Miami would go on to win the program's second national championship.

1989: FSU Beats the National Champions

Florida State beat Miami 24–10 as Miami was missing their starting QB and was forced to play freshman Gino Toretta (Gino went on to win the National Championship in '91 & Heisman trophy in '92). Miami went on to win the National Championship upon Craig Erickson's return. FSU did not compete for it, as they suffered two losses at the beginning of the season to a Brett Favre led Southern Miss and Clemson.

1991: Wide Right I

After being called a "key persona" by Keith Jackson for hitting his third field goal of the game, Florida State kicker Gerry Thomas missed a field goal to the right with less than a minute left, and the top-ranked Seminoles lost in Tallahassee to the second-ranked Hurricanes, 17–16. Miami went on to split the national championship with the University of Washington, and Florida State finished the season 11–2, ending it by winning the Cotton Bowl Classic against Texas A&M University.

1992: Wide Right II

Seminole placekicker Dan Mowrey missed a field goal to the right, and the 1992 Seminoles lost to the Hurricanes in Miami, 19–16. Miami took an undefeated record to the Sugar Bowl, but lost the national championship to Alabama Crimson Tide. Florida State did not lose again, and finished the season ranked second, after Alabama, in both major polls.

2000: Wide Right III

Miami took a 27–24 lead after a Ken Dorsey touchdown pass to Jeremy Shockey, but Seminole quarterback and 2000 Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke moved the Seminoles into field goal range during a last minute drive in Miami's Orange Bowl stadium. Florida State kicker Matt Munyon missed a field goal attempt again to the right to seal the Hurricanes' victory. Controversy erupted later in the season when the Seminoles were ranked higher by the BCS and picked to play in the Orange Bowl against Oklahoma for the national championship despite Miami being ranked higher in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll. The Seminoles lost to the Sooners 13–2, while the Hurricanes defeated Florida 37–20 in the Sugar Bowl. Miami would finish #2 in the polls that year.

2002: Wide Left

The defending champion Hurricanes staged a comeback against the underdog Seminoles to take a 28–27 lead with only minutes remaining in the game in Miami. The Seminoles drove down the field to give kicker Xavier Beitia a chance to win the game with a last second field goal. Beitia missed the kick to the left, giving Miami the victory. FSU went on to win the Atlantic Coast Conference title with a 9–5 overall record, but lost in the Sugar Bowl to Georgia. Miami would finish the regular season undefeated and then lose in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl to Ohio State, in what is considered to be one of the greatest games in college football history.

2004 Orange Bowl: Wide Right IV

This contest, a rematch of the regular season game won by Miami, took place in the 2004 Orange Bowl. In this contest, Beitia missed a field goal—wide right—that could have given the Seminoles the lead with about 5 minutes left. This game was of lesser importance on a national scale compared to the other Wide Right games, but continued the streak of Florida State losses determined by a single kick. With the win, Miami would finish #5 in the polls that year. It also marked the first time in NCAA History a Quarterback had lost 5 times to the same team, as FSU Quarterback Chris Rix had started and played in all 5 losses going back to 2001. It was the only bowl meeting between the rivals, as Miami's move to the ACC the next season would make the schools intra-conference rivals and reduce the possibility of the teams ever meeting in a bowl game again.

2005: The Miami Muff

Miami was ranked No. 9 and FSU No. 14 in what proved to be a defensive struggle. Trailing 10–7, and with one last chance to tie the score to extend it into overtime, the Hurricanes drove down the field to set up a game-tying field goal with 2:16 left. When the ball was snapped, it was mishandled by holder Brian Monroe and the ball never reached the kicker's foot. It would be the Hurricanes' turn to suffer a defeat at the hands of a kicking team mistake. The Seminoles kept the ball for remaining two minutes and finally ended their six-game losing streak against the Hurricanes and gained their first victory in the rivalry since 1999.

2010-present: The Jimbo Fisher Era

Florida State is undefeated against Miami under Jimbo Fisher, winning the five games by a margin of 172 to 96.

Game results

Florida State victories are shaded ██ garnet. Miami victories are shaded ██ green.

See also

• Florida Cup
• Florida–Florida State football rivalry
• Florida–Miami football rivalry

References