Miami hasn’t played anywhere near it’s potential this season and while Florida State hasn’t either, the Canes are the ones with their backs to the wall, while the Noles continue rolling with their find-a-way abilities.
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Florida State’s Dalvin Cook scores against Miami in the first… Cook blew by the Miami defense for a 72-yard touchdown run on his first touch of the night. With Cook nursing that hamstring injury this is a game where Golson is going to need to show that he has what it takes to carry the Seminoles offense on his own.
Florida State also rallied to beat Miami past year.
A Miami native who went to high school just 15 miles north of UM’s campus, Cook’s status for the game was uncertain thanks to a hamstring pull suffered last week at Wake Forest. Stacy Coley would haul in a 29-yard touchdown catch with 10 minutes to go, giving Miami the 24-23 lead, stunning everyone in attendance in Tallahassee.
With a team as talented as Florida State, the Hurricanes cant afford to help them put by not wrapping up ballcarriers when they have them in their grasp.
“Heck no!” Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher said with a bit of fire in his voice Monday when asked if the new breed of Seminoles needed to be reminded of the bitter history these two teams share.
And Orlando, most observers believe, would be anything but neutral for a game between the two programs: Florida fans and alumni populate much of Central Florida, while Miami fans are concentrated in South Florida.
This time, it was Cook catching a pass from Everett Golson and going 36 yards for a touchdown that extended FSU’s lead to 14-3 after Roberto Aguayo’s extra point.
The Seminoles seemed on the verge of a blowout with what looked like a touchdown on the second quarter’s initial play.
Golson has completed 64.2 percent of his passes and has seven touchdowns but the biggest improvement he has made is not turning the ball over.
Miami (3-1, 0-0 ACC) is coming off a 34-23 loss at Cincinnati for their seventh loss in their last nine away from Sun Life Stadium.
Miami narrowed the gap to 17-10 with a 58-yard touchdown toss from Kaaya to Rashawn Scott.
Following last year’s loss, Miami dropped its next three games to end the season with a 6-7 record.
In any case, a neutral-site game about two hours from Gainesville against a hated rival in which the crowd can be expected to favor Florida is just about the next best thing to a big home game for the Gators.
Cook returned the next series and marched the Seminoles into scoring territory once again. The Hurricanes could only score a field goal on a Seminoles defense that allowed -3 rushing yards in the first quarter. Aguayo missed a 49-yard field goal to end the half, and FSU went into the break ahead 20-10.
Miami’s offense caught fire to start the second half.
The Canes came out with a ideal start to the second half. This game was so long ago that UM (13th) was actually the higher-ranked team in the game (FSU, 23rd). Miami stopped running back Johnathan Vickers short of the line and the Hurricanes took over.
Miami and Florida could be playing each other in 2019. Quarterback Brad Kaaya’s pass on fourth-and-four with 1:19 remaining was deflected at the line of scrimmage by defensive tackle Giorgio Newberry, sealing the win for Florida State.
Winning ways inevitably bring on lethargy and complacency and watching the Noles early on this season-the hunger and drive of the past few years doesn’t appear there.
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December 29 at Florida – As the perennial also ran in this in-state basketball rivalry, it’s important for the Seminoles to deal the Gators a blow while they’re still reeling.
