Florida State-Miami: Seminoles Reduce Hurricanes to a Wind Gust, Win 45-17

In front of a stunned crowd of better than 75,000, the Florida State Seminoles annihilated the Miami Hurricanes 45-17, adding yet another surprise result to this storied rivalry.

Prior to kickoff, most observers were primed for another nail-biting, back-and-forth slugfest that probably wouldn’t be decided until the final minute of the contest.

Instead, America watched in shock as the Seminoles simply dominated from start to finish and physically beat up a smaller, softer Hurricanes team.

FSU jumped out to an early 21-0 lead that left Miami and its fans scratching their heads, wondering where this ferocious, efficient Noles team came from.

For years, the Noles have played Mickey Andrews’ man-to-man scheme on defense.  It has always been an easy scheme to call an offense for, and coupling that with FSU’s pathetic pass rush in recent years, it’s possible Miami thought their offense would cruise Saturday night. That simply wasn’t going to happen.

The Seminole defense laid gruesome hits on the Canes all night. It seemed every time a receiver came across the middle or a running back tried to gain any yardage between the tackles, a Seminole or two were there to crush Miami’s skill position players. The physical beating took its toll. UM players needed extra breathers on the sideline throughout the contest, especially in the second half.

Early on, FSU’s secondary made it a point to hammer Leonard Hankerson, Miami’s most productive receiver this season. Hankerson got knocked around all night, especially by FSU safety Nick Moody, who has laid opponents out with vicious hits all season.

By the third quarter, Hankerson was hearing footsteps and was short-arming passes time and time again. He and the other Miami wideouts dropped more passes than UM coaches could count.

On the ground, Damien Berry had respectable numbers but took a heavyweight beating, as the Noles punished him every time he carried the ball. FSU linebacker Mister Alexander pounded on him and other Miami players any chance he could. Graig Cooper spelled Berry numerous times. To Berry’s credit, he did some of his best running in the second half while being beaten and battered.

In the past, FSU’s defense has been maligned for missed tackles, missed assignments, stupid penalties, bad coverage, soft hits, and an unhealthy habit for giving up the big play.

Saturday night, all those bad habits were nonexistent. Mark Stoops' defense didn’t miss a tackle until the fourth quarter.

Making matters worse for the Hurricanes, Jacory Harris aggravated an early season groin injury, and it noticeably bothered him throughout the second half.

At the game’s onset, both teams had opportunities to get into the end zone.

Miami took the first quarter’s opening drive right down the field, but the drive stalled at the FSU 10-yard line, and Canes kicker Matt Bosher missed an easy field goal, hooking it wide to the left.

FSU would also drive the ball down the field. On their second drive of the game, Noles quarterback Christian Ponder tossed a middle screen down to Jermaine Thomas, who weaved in and out of traffic for a 17-yard touchdown for the game’s first score.

The second quarter was a nightmare for Miami. Down 7-0, Canes running back Damien Berry was hammered by FSU defender and Miami native Mike Harris and fumbled. The ball was scooped up by safety Nick Moody, who took the ball down to the Miami 1-yard line. 

The Noles' Jermaine Thomas carried the ball into the end zone for a touchdown on first down, as the score quickly swelled to 14-0.

After a Miami three-and-out, FSU would move down the field again. Thomas would find the end zone for the third time in the half on a winding, impressive 6-yard run. Thomas gained 63 yards on nine carries in the half.

Twenty minutes into the game the Seminoles were up 21-0, and the Miami players, coaches, and fans found themselves wondering the same thing Vince Lombardi wondered 50 years ago...

“What the hell is going on out there?!”

The Hurricanes stopped the bleeding with a tough 80-yard drive of their own. They found the end zone but were trailing 24-7 at the intermission.

The teams were fairly even in total yards at the end of the half (FSU gained 193, Miami 208), but it was the Canes' turnover, costly penalties (four for 31 yards), and Jacory Harris’ inability to complete passes (17 first half incompletions) that explained the discrepancy on the scoreboard.

Ponder was incredibly efficient. He only completed eight first half passes, but he spread the ball around to seven different receivers, and his completions averaged 14 yards per play.

Six different Seminoles carried the ball, totaling 85 yards. The Noles offense seemed to be firing on all cylinders.

As has been the case all season, the FSU defense was stingy against the run. The Canes couldn’t seem to move the ball on the ground, as Harris led the ground attack for UM with 23 yards.

Miami was able to gain 143 yards through the air in the first half, but the drops that have plagued the Canes this season reared their ugly heads early and often Saturday night.

In 2008, FSU watched a 24-3 halftime lead evaporate in the third quarter thanks to mistakes, turnovers, and a relentless Miami team that refused to look up at the scoreboard or get discouraged.

This is a different Noles team in 2010, though. FSU took the opening drive of the second half and marched right down the field. Fullback Lonnie Pryor scored a touchdown on a 16-yard run, and three minutes into the period it was 31-7.

Miami would spend the rest of the quarter playing catchup. Despite their shortcomings, running back Damien Berry was determined to get his team back into the contest. He would score on a 26-yard run, and a late Matt Bosher field goal would get the Canes to within 14. FSU led 31-17 going into the fourth.

Other than the Miami field goal, both teams exchanged punts from the midway point of the third quarter until that same point in the fourth. FSU finally broke the trend and put a decent drive together that would end with a touchdown.

Ponder hit Miami-born Rodney Smith with an 18-yard lob pass to the corner of the end zone. Smith’s catch was of the highlight reel variety, and the score all but put the game out of reach.

Miami would continue their three-and-outs as the stadium emptied out. The Noles weren’t done yet, though.

With just over four minutes left to play, FSU tried to keep the ball on the ground and milk the clock. Speedster Chris Thompson took a handoff, burst through the line, and raced up the sideline for what would have been an 80-yard touchdown run if it weren’t for an FSU holding penalty.

The penalty yardage was marched off, and the ball was then placed at the FSU 10-yard line. The Noles would run the same exact play, and Chris Thompson again—this time untouched—would race up the sideline, this time for a 90-yard touchdown. Thompson gained 158 yards on the evening on only 14 carries.

The play was the longest touchdown run Miami has ever allowed in school history.

No matter the score, Miami has always been able to rally late in games against the Seminoles, especially in recent years. On Saturday night, though, Miami’s final four drives yielded no points (three punts and an interception).

In the end, both teams managed better than 400 yards of offense. Miami posted 235 yards through the air, while FSU registered 289 on the ground. But despite running 23 more offensive plays than the Noles, the Hurricanes just couldn’t get points on the board.

Jacory Harris’ numbers were pedestrian by Miami’s standards: (19-of-47, 225 yards, no TDs, one INT). Most startling were his 28 incompletions.

Ponder had an efficient game (12-of-21, 173 yards, two TDs, one INT), but it was the FSU running backs who opened eyes all night. Thompson, Thomas, and Pryor combined for 270 yards and four TDs on 33 carries.

Earlier in the week, former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden was asked who he thought would win this weekend’s matchup. Carefully, Bowden predicted the Canes would win, if only because the game was in Miami. 

Knowing full well the visitors have won the last four games in this rivalry, there was probably something more to his answer that he wasn’t saying. Maybe it was resentment, fear, or Bowden’s own “white whale,” but uncle Bobby never seemed to have any confidence he could beat the Canes, and he didn’t think Jimbo Fisher’s team could do it either; or maybe he didn’t want them to.

It’s amazing what has changed in Tallahassee since Bowden, Andrews, and Chuck Amato have left. This team plays smart, tough, and consistent. In fact, if they were to change their uniforms, many would say this is a completely different team.

These changes came full circle Saturday night. Year after year the Noles would jump out to a lead, only to see their game plan self-destruct. They’d watch the Canes sneak back into the game, take it over, and eventually win it. It was almost as if Bowden’s “Oh no, it’s happening again” attitude struck the entire team and crippled it.

Time and time again, a good FSU team stumbled into mistakes and miscues and gave games away. Let’s not take everything away from Miami—they’ve outplayed the Noles many times in this rivalry. It’s just that on the occasions when FSU has dominated on the stat sheet, they’ve still found a way to lose.

Not this year. Not this team. As much as FSU fans, alum, and players loved Bowden, Andrews, and Amato, the changing of the guard has yielded immediate results.

Not since 1997—when UM was on probation—has FSU handled the Canes so soundly, beaten them so badly, and routed them so embarrassingly.

We may never know what happened out in Norman, Oklahoma a month ago. What we do know is this FSU team is for real and is only getting better every week. The Noles are in position to take the ACC back.

The Miami coaching staff has its own issues in light of Saturday’s loss. It’s hard not to notice that, given the results, the 2010 Hurricanes looked eerily similar to the 2009 Seminoles. Their mistakes, miscues, bad coaching, and bad tackling cost them the game. But the talent is there; they just need to find the end zone on a regular basis.

Miami will go back to the drawing board while Florida State prepares for an ACC title run.