FSU’s Top 10 Moments vs. Miami — Part II

It’s that time of year again as Florida State and Miami get set to renew their rivalry. The Seminoles and Hurricanes have played a number of big games with national implications over the last 30 years or so and narrowing the top moments for FSU down to five this week seemed like too tall of a task.

Instead, we’ll be breaking up the series into two parts with each containing five moments. We previously looked at Nos. 6 through 10 for the first part of our series.

Here’s a look at the top five moments:

5. Defense Preserves Shutout
Oct. 4, 1997
Miami 0, (4) Florida State 47

The only thing Florida State had left to do as the clock ticked away on the first Saturday in October in 1997 was preserve the shutout. Thanks to two Thad Busby touchdown passes, two touchdown rushes from Travis Minor and a defense that held Miami to less than 150 total yards, FSU led 47-0, but the Hurricanes threatened to score late. With the ball inside the FSU 15, defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews elected to put his starters back in to try to preserve the 47-0 shutout. The defense proceeded to do just that as Samari Rolle made a diving interception — his second of the day — of a Ryan Covington pass to keep the goose egg on the scoreboard and secure the most lopsided victory for FSU in series history.

4. Cook Rumbles In
Nov. 15, 2014
Miami 26, (2) Florida State 30

The largest deficit ever overcome for a Florida State victory in the history of the rivalry came in 2014 as the Seminoles rallied from a pair of 16-point holes. Freshman running back Dalvin Cook got the Seminoles on the board before fellow running back Karlos Williams made it a 1-score game with a touchdown reception off a fortuitous bounce on an ill-advised throw from Jameis Winston. With over three minutes to go, Cook made multiple Miami defenders miss on his way to a 26-yard touchdown to give FSU its first lead at 30-26. Jale Ramsey would seal the victory on the ensuing Miami possession by intercepting quarterback Brad Kaaya with 39 seconds remaining.

3. The Miami Muff
Sept. 5, 2005
(9) Miami 7, (14) Florida State 10

Florida State had lost six straight games to Miami entering the Labor Day contest in 2005 and the Hurricanes appeared on the verge of ripping the Seminoles’ collective hearts out again. On a drive that went for nearly 20 plays and ran off more than nine minutes off the clock, Miami reached the FSU 2-yard-line trailing 10-7. Thanks to a ninth sack on the evening, the Seminoles held Miami to a short field goal attempt that looked as though it would inevitably tie the game and send it to overtime for a second straight year with the Hurricanes owning all the momentum. Given all of the late misses that had cost Florida State contests, what happened next seemed like poetic justice. What would have been a 28-yard field goal attempt for Jon Peattie never got off the ground. The snap was mishandled by holder Brian Monroe and FSU took over with 2:16 to play. FSU proceeded to pick up one first down and melt the clock to snap a 6-game skid to the rival Hurricanes.

2. Cook Does it Again
Oct. 10, 2015
Miami 24, (12) Florida State 29

One year after scoring the game-winning touchdown in South Florida, Miami native Dalvin Cook had the opportunity to carve up the rivals from his hometown yet again. Cook scored all three FSU touchdowns in Florida State’s 29-24 win in 2015, including the game-winner with less than seven minutes to go. FSU led most of the way in the contest before the Hurricanes took their first lead on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Brad Kaaya to Stacy Coley. FSU would proceed to go 84 yards on the ensuing drive with quarterback Everett Golson twice coming up big on third down. The drive was capped with consecutive 23-yard runs by Cook, including the game’s final score. The FSU defense would twice hold Miami as Cook finished the night with 222 yards rushing, 47 yards receiving and three total scores.

1. The Block at the Rock
Oct. 8, 2016
(23) Florida State 20, (10) Miami 19

What was once a 13-0 lead for Miami had subsided. FSU scored 20 unanswered points, thanks to Deondre Francois touchdown passes to Dalvin Cook and Kermit Whitfield and two Ricky Aguayo field goals, but with less than two minutes to play, the Seminoles weren’t out of the woods yet. After a long punt return by Braxton Berrios, Miami faced a 4th-and-5 from the FSU 11-yard-line. As they had earlier in the game and in the fourth quarter the year before, Brad Kaaya and Stacy Coley hooked up for the touchdown — this time with 1:38 to play. Kicker Michael Badgley had made 72 straight extra points and 73 seemed like a sure thing, but FSU defensive end DeMarcus Walker had other plans. Walker was able to get penetration and get a hand on the football causing it to veer from its path and fall no good. FSU was able to pick up a first down on the ensuing drive and run out the clock to preserve a seventh straight victory over the Hurricanes.

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