60-Year Nole Anniversary: FSU Gets First Ever Win Over Miami

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, few college football rivalries drew more excitement than Florida State and Miami. The teams first started playing in 1951 — long before either was a blip on the national radar.

The Hurricanes managed to take the first five contests in the series before FSU finally broke through with a 17-6 victory on Nov. 7, 1958. The Seminoles’ first-ever win over Miami came on this day six decades ago in the Orange Bowl.

Florida State managed just one offensive touchdown, but that was enough as Joe Majors got the scoring started on a 42-yard interception return of a pass from Miami’s Bonnie Yarbrough midway through the first quarter. It would be one of six turnovers forced by the FSU defense.

The Hurricanes would answer with their only touchdown of the game, but the 2-point conversion failed and FSU held a 7-6 lead after a quarter. The lone offensive score of the day for FSU came with under 10 minutes to play in the second quarter when Vic Prinzi hit Fred Pickard on an 8-yard scoring strike to give the Seminoles a 14-6 lead.

That score would remain until the final quarter when Johnny Sheppard’s 22-yard field goal extended the lead to 11 and capped the scoring. FSU won despite just 176 yards of offense, but limited the turnovers to two. In addition to Majors, Ramon Rogers and Bobby Renn also came away with interceptions in the victory.

It would be five years later before Florida State defeated Miami again, but that one would start a 7-game winning streak and turn a lopsided series into a rivalry. The first victory for FSU in the series however, came on this day 60 years ago.

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