How the “Miami Muff” Shifted Heartbreak in the FSU-Miami Rivalry

Florida State defensive end DeMarcus Walker’s blocked extra point on Saturday night preserved a 20-19 victory for the Seminoles over Miami — their seventh straight in the series. The last three however, have come by just a combined total of 10 points and all in gut-wrenching fashion.

Losing on a blocked PAT wasn’t the only heartbreaking aspect of Miami’s loss to FSU on Saturday night, but there was also the fact that the Hurricanes had blown a 13-0 lead and let a chance to make it a 3-score game slip away early in the third quarter.

In 2014, Miami let a pair of 16-point leads slip away in a 30-26 home loss to the Seminoles as then freshman running back Dalvin Cook’s 26-yard touchdown scamper with 3:05 remaining put FSU ahead for good. Last season in Tallahassee, Miami fought back from an early 10-point deficit to take a fourth quarter lead, only to watch Cook do it again — this time from 23 yards out with under seven minutes to go — in a 29-24 FSU victory.

It wasn’t that long ago however, that all the heartbreakers in the series used to end in Miami’s favor and against the Seminoles. The date when the football gods seemed to switch teams was on Labor Day 2005.

Heading into the Sept. 5, 2005 contest, FSU had lost six straight to Miami. Two of those losses (2000, 2002) had come on missed field goals as time expired. After losing to the Hurricanes in Tallahassee during the 2003 regular season, the Seminoles got a shot at revenge in the Orange Bowl, only to lose 16-14 thanks to a missed kick with under six minutes to play. In 2004, FSU let a 10-0 lead slip away as Miami scored the tying touchdown with 30 seconds to play before winning in overtime, 16-10.

That doesn’t include the most famous FSU losses to Miami in 1991 and 1992 as kickers Gerry Thomas and Dan Mowrey each missed in the final seconds of contests between top 3 teams or the 1987 contest between top 5 teams where Miami rallied from a 19-3 deficit, only to win 26-25 by stopping an FSU 2-point conversion.

In 2005, Florida State raced to a 10-0 lead early, but as usual, Miami seemed destined to rip the Seminoles’ heart out one more time. As FSU clung to a 10-7 fourth quarter lead, the Hurricanes had drove 19 plays from deep in their own territory to the FSU 2-yard-line, taking more than nine minutes off the clock.

Fortunately for the Seminoles, the defense was able to hold Miami to a short field goal attempt. For a second straight season, the contest looked destined for overtime. With momentum squarely on Miami’s side, it seemed like a forgone conclusion that the Hurricanes were going to beat the Seminoles for a seventh straight time…until they didn’t.

For the Hurricanes, it wasn’t a kick that sailed wide right like Thomas’, Mowrey’s or Matt Munyon’s did in 1991, 1992 or 2000. It didn’t sail wide left like Xavier Beitia’s kick did in 2002. It didn’t sail at all.

With Jon Peattie on to try a 28-yard field goal, punter and holder Brian Monroe wasn’t able to handle a low snap before FSU swarmed to take over on downs. Much like Saturday night, the Seminoles were able to seal the win by picking up a first down and running out the clock for a 10-7 win.

Including that victory, the Seminoles have managed to win 10 of 12 in the series with seven of those wins coming by five points or less. That’s not to say the two losses to Miami in that span weren’t hard to swallow.

In 2007, FSU watched Kirby Freeman take Miami 83 yards in a minute and a half before finding Dedrick Epps in the end zoneto put Miami in front 30-29 with 1:15 to go. Miami linebacker Colin McCarthy put the exclamation point on the 37-29 win by returning a fumble for a touchdown 11 seconds later. In 2009, FSU wide receiver Jarmon Fortson dropped the game-winning touchdown on the final play of the game as the Seminoles fell 38-34.

Compared to years past however, the last 12 years have been a breeze for Florida State fans when it comes to the rivalry with Miami. Prior to the “Miami Muff” in 2005, the Seminoles had lost 15 straight games decided by a single score to the Hurricanes.

Read that again.

From 1972 until Labor Day 2005, FSU and Miami played every season. In 2003, the teams played twice. Not once in that span did the Seminoles win a game between the teams that was decided by eight points or less.

That statistic is remarkable considering the magnitude of so many of the games between the schools in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. From 1987-2000, both teams were ranked in the top 10 for nine of the 14 meetings. The teams split the 14 meetings with four of the seven Miami wins coming by three points or less.

Though the teams haven’t seemed to both be on top at the same time over the last 15 years, the games have still been wildly entertaining nail-biters. Fortunately for FSU since the “Miami Muff”, cruel fate has switched sidelines. You can thank modern medicine or advances in technology, but if life expectancy in Tallahassee has risen even slightly over the last decade-plus, this might be the real reason why.

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