As Florida State and Miami prepare to clash again Saturday for the 68th meeting between these storied programs, WPTV.com takes a look back at some of the most memorable — or forgettable, depending on allegiance — games in the history of the rivalry.
Here are five unforgettable Florida State victories.
Seminoles hand Hurricanes only loss of season
No. 9 Florida State (5-2) 24
No. 2 Miami (6-0) 10
Doak S. Campbell Stadium | Tallahassee, Florida
Oct. 28, 1989
The Seminoles made amends for their 31-0 flop a season prior, soundly defeating second-ranked Miami 24-10 to snap a four-game losing streak in the rivalry.
On paper, Miami was the better team. The Hurricanes had won 13 consecutive games dating to the 1988 season and entered the game as the nation's top-ranked total defense. But that didn't seem to bother the Seminoles, who scored the first touchdown of the game in less than a minute.
On the first play from scrimmage, FSU All-American safety-turned-cornerback LeRoy Butler intercepted Miami quarterback Gino Torretta — subbing for an injured Craig Erickson — to give the Seminoles possession of the football on the Hurricanes' side of the field. Then on FSU's first play, running back Dexter Carter sprinted down the sideline for a 37-yard touchdown to take an early 7-0 lead.
Torretta connected with wide receiver Randal Hill for an 8-yard touchdown to tie the game midway through the first quarter, but that was as close as the Hurricanes came to catching FSU.
After Edgar Bennett scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to give FSU a 14-7 lead, Miami kicker Carlos Huerta cut the score to within four on a 44-yard field goal. The Seminoles never trailed, leading 14-10 at halftime and holding the Hurricanes scoreless through the final three quarters.
FSU's defense dominated, forcing six Miami turnovers, including four picks by Torretta, and stifling the Hurricanes with a critical third-quarter goal-line stand. Miami had first-and-goal at the FSU 2-yard line when fullback Shannon Crowley fumbled on third down and FSU linebacker Kirk Carruthers recovered. The Seminoles then marched 99 yards down the field, capping the drive on a 1-yard touchdown run by Amp Lee for a 21-10 lead.
A 41-yard field goal by Richie Andrews in the fourth quarter provided some insurance for the Seminoles, who tallied 220 rushing yards.
One of the most defining moments of the rivalry occurred in this game when Carter, who led the team in rushing with 142 yards on 21 carries, placed a penalty flag on Miami linebacker Bernard Clark's head after Clark was called for clipping.
The game was the lone blemish on Miami's path to the national championship.
Miami muff ends 6-game losing streak
No. 14 Florida State Seminoles 10
No. 9 Miami Hurricanes 7
Bobby Bowden Field at Doak S. Campbell Stadium | Tallahassee, Florida
Sept. 5, 2005
Florida State finally caught a break against Miami.
Both teams were breaking in new quarterbacks — redshirt freshman Drew Weatherford for the Seminoles and sophomore Kyle Wright for the Hurricanes — making their first collegiate starts. It showed, taking nearly nine minutes for either team to complete a pass.
An early interception for the Seminoles set up the first score of the game — a 1-yard plunge from junior fullback James Coleman — and freshman kicker Gary Cismesia made the first field goal of his career from 37 yards out a few minutes later to give FSU a 10-0 lead. Miami cut FSU's lead before halftime when Wright threw a 34-yard touchdown to junior wide receiver Ryan Moore in the second quarter.
FSU sophomore linebacker Lawrence Timmons blocked a Miami punt in the third quarter that gave the Seminoles first-and-goal at the 1-yard line, but it didn't result in any points. After three runs lost 3 yards and a false start pushed FSU back another 5, Cismesia hooked a short field-goal try to the left.
Miami had its own kicking problems, as junior Jon Peattie missed two field-goal attempts. He got another chance late in the fourth quarter after the Hurricanes marched down the field on a 19-play, 81-yard drive to set up a potential game-tying field goal in the closing minutes, but holder Brian Monroe botched the snap. The football bounced off his hands and rolled back into the pile. Miami had no more timeouts and FSU was able to run out the clock to beat the Hurricanes for the first time since 1999.
The 10-7 win ended a six-game skid against the Hurricanes. "Maybe it was just Florida State's time," Miami head coach Larry Coker said after the game.
Final game at Orange Bowl
No. 11 Florida State Seminoles 13
No. 12 Miami Hurricanes 10
Miami Orange Bowl
Sept. 4, 2006
The final game in the Orange Bowl between the rivals is likely memorable for Florida State fans and forgettable for Miami fans. The Seminoles trailed Miami 10-3 at halftime but held Miami scoreless in the second half.
Florida State scored the tying touchdown on a 1-yard run by junior fullback Joe Surratt in the fourth quarter and took the lead with a 33-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Gary Cismesia with 8:06 left to play.
The Seminoles preserved the win when cornerback Michael Ray Garvin intercepted Miami quarterback Kyle Wright with 29 seconds remaining.
The Hurricanes managed only 17 second-half yards, and their 2 rushing yards on 26 carries was the second-lowest total in school history. That was actually better than FSU, which finished with 1 yard on one less carry.
Nevertheless, FSU fans walked out of the Orange Bowl victorious against the Hurricanes one last time, winning in Miami for the first time since 1998.
'Block at the Rock'
No. 23 Florida State Seminoles (3-2) 20
No. 10 Miami Hurricanes (4-0) 19
Hard Rock Stadium | Miami Gardens, Florida
Oct. 8, 2016
Miami entered the game unbeaten and ranked 10th in the country. Florida State, meanwhile, was coming off a crushing loss to North Carolina that ended its nation-leading 22-game home winning streak.
The Hurricanes led 13-0 in the first half, but Florida State cut the lead with a 31-yard field goal just before halftime. Miami junior quarterback Brad Kaaya threw an interception in the end zone and lost a molar on a helmet-to-helmet hit in the third quarter as the Seminoles mounted a comeback.
Florida State scored on three consecutive possessions, including a pair of touchdown catches from junior running back Dalvin Cook and senior wide receiver Kermit Whitfield in the third quarter, to take a 20-13 lead.
The Hurricanes were in position to tie the game after Kaaya connected with senior wide receiver Stacy Coley on an 11-yard touchdown pass with 1:38 remaining, but FSU senior defensive end DeMarcus Walker pushed through the line and blocked Miami kicker Michael Badgley's point-after attempt. The game-sealing play was affectionately coined by fans as the "Block at the Rock."
Walker went on to become the Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year, and his 15 sacks tied for the national lead. FSU's 20-19 win was its seventh in a row against the Hurricanes.
'4th and 14'
Florida State Seminoles (3-6) 31
Miami Hurricanes (5-4) 28
Bobby Bowden Field at Doak S. Campbell Stadium | Tallahassee, Florida
Nov. 13, 2021
The Seminoles led at halftime but had to battle back in the fourth quarter to defeat Miami 31-28, snapping a four-game losing streak in the rivalry.
Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis completed a fourth-and-14 pass to wide receiver Andrew Parchment with less than a minute remaining to give the Seminoles a fresh set of downs at Miami's 1-yard line and then crossed the end zone two plays later for the game-winning touchdown and two-point conversion with 26 seconds left.
The Seminoles blew a 20-7 halftime lead and were trailing by eight before Travis took over. Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke threw four touchdown passes to rally the Hurricanes from a 17-point deficit, including the go-ahead 35-yard pass to Jaylan Knighton that gave Miami a 28-20 lead with 11:04 to play.
Florida State forced three turnovers in the first quarter to take an early 14-0 lead. A 22-yard field goal by Ryan Fitzpatrick extended the lead to 17-0 in the second quarter before Van Dyke found Key'Shawn Smith on a 5-yard pass to get on the scoreboard. Fitzgerald's 27-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter gave the Seminoles a two-score lead at halftime, but the Hurricanes stormed back with 21 unanswered points.
The game ended when Van Dyke attempted to spike the ball to get the Hurricanes into field-goal range, but because fewer than three seconds were remaining, by NCAA rule, time expired and the game was over.
Travis threw for a career-high 274 yards and also ran the ball 22 times for 62 yards and two scores.
Rivalry at a glance
First meeting: Miami Hurricanes 35, Florida State Seminoles 13 | Oct. 5, 1951
All-time series: Miami Hurricanes 35, Florida State Seminoles 32 (annually since 1969)
Longest win streak: Florida State Seminoles, 2010-16 (7)
Current win streak: Florida State Seminoles, 2021-22 (2)
