Florida State will look to even its record, the all-time series and pick up an eighth straight win over its rivals on Saturday as it plays host to 13th-ranked Miami. The Hurricanes come into the contest undefeated for a second straight year at 3-0 while the Seminoles come in 1-2 with the only victory being a last-second thriller over Wake Forest last week.
Miami will look to change its recent fortunes against Florida State as the school from Coral Gables has dropped seven straight in the series. Prior to settling in and watching the two ACC rivals kick it off at 3:30 p.m. EST, make sure you’re caught up on all there is to know coming in:
FSU Football: A First Look at Miami
Miami Contest Has Similar Feel to 2016 for FSU
Fisher: We Have to Eliminate the Negative Plays
Q&A with The Miami Herald’s Susan Miller Degnan on FSU-Miami
Preview: Hurricanes In Tallahassee (Again!)
Miami at FSU: Good Times, Bad Times
Staff Keys to the Game: Miami at FSU
Miami-FSU: Five Things to Watch
Staff Predictions for FSU-Miami
In what will be our final piece before kickoff, here are some quick, but relevant facts heading into Saturday’s rivalry showdown:
- Saturday’s contest, which begins at 3:30 p.m. EST, is the first between the schools not played in prime time since 2011. That one was also played at 3:30 p.m. with FSU winning, 23-19.
- FSU has handed Miami its first loss of the season four times since 2005. The most recent came last season at Hard Rock Stadium, 20-19.
- Currently at 1-2, FSU hasn’t started 1-3 since 1976 — the legendary Bobby Bowden’s first year as head coach.
- Miami is one of only two programs that Florida State has defeated every year under head coach Jimbo Fisher. The other is Boston College.
- Miami’s last win over FSU came in 2009 by a 38-34 score on Labor Day in Tallahassee.
- This is the first time that Miami was ranked and FSU was unranked for a meeting since 1983. The Hurricanes won that contest in Tallahassee on a last second field goal, 17-16.
- Mark Richt will try to become the first Miami head coach to win in his first trip to Tallahassee since Randy Shannon in 2007.
- The largest margin of victory for both teams in the series is 47. Miami won 47-0 in 1976. FSU won by an identical score in 1997.
- FSU has defeated Miami seven times in a row on two separate occasions — from 1963-72 and currently. That streak has never hit eight. Miami’s longest streak is six from 2000-04.
- The last win for FSU as an unranked team over a ranked team came against No. 18 West Virginia in the Gator Bowl to conclude the 2009 season.
- Miami currently leads the all-time series with FSU, 31-30. FSU hasn’t been even since tying the series at 9-9 with a 21-14 victory in 1974. The Seminoles have never led the series.
- In games decided by one score in the series, Florida State has won four straight and nine of the last 11. It had lost the previous 14.
- James Blackman looks to become the fifth straight FSU quarterback to win his first start against Miami. The last one not to was Xavier Lee in 2007.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
You must be logged in to post a comment Login