The Daily Nole

All About the U-Turn: Miami’s Post-FSU Woes Continue

Mitch White/FSU athletics

It’s well-documented that under head coach Jimbo Fisher, Florida State is a perfect 7-0 against rival Miami. During Fisher’s tenure (which began in 2010) however, the Seminoles have managed to not only ruin Miami’s night most seasons, but the remainder of the year.

In South Florida, there was some optimism that could change in 2016 under new head coach and Miami alum Mark Richt. When FSU and Miami met on Oct. 8, the Hurricanes arrived as field goal favorites, at home, undefeated and ranked in the top 10 while FSU was 0-2 in ACC play. Miami raced to a 13-0 lead, only to watch the Seminoles respond with 20 unanswered points before preserving a 20-19 win with a blocked extra point with fewer than two minutes to play.

After falling to North Carolina at home the following Saturday, Miami dropped its third straight contest on Thursday night with a 37-16 loss to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. The loss virtually eliminated the Hurricanes from an ACC Coastal division crown — something they still haven’t won since the conference went to divisions in 2005.

The loss for Miami on Thursday night is part of a continuing trend when it comes to playing games after FSU. Since 2010, the Hurricanes are 28-12 prior to their annual meeting with the Seminoles — a 70 percent winning mark. From FSU and beyond, the Hurricanes are just 15-24. Take away the seven straight losses to the Seminoles and they’re still 15-17.

As to why this happens, one can only make inferences. FSU fans might tell you that the annual rivalry contest is Miami’s “Super Bowl” and the Hurricanes are never really able to recover from losing it. Part of it could be that the losses to FSU in recent years have been in such gut-wrenching fashion.

One could probably make the case that teams schedule more cupcakes early in the year, but that isn’t necessarily true either. Prior to playing FSU over the years, Miami has faced plenty of quality competition, including Ohio State (2010 and 2011), Clemson (2010), Virginia Tech (2011), Kansas State (2012), Notre Dame (2012), Nebraska (2014 and 2015) and several others. It’s also worth noting that three of the last seven meetings between FSU and Miami have come in November.

Whatever the reason for Miami’s post-FSU swoon is, it’s looking like a trend that will take at least one more year to buck.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson

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