Miami vs. Florida State: Game Grades, Analysis for Hurricanes and Seminoles
For the second straight year, Miami came just short of knocking off an undefeated Florida State team.
The Hurricanes (3-2) had rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to take a 24-23 lead late in the fourth quarter, but the Seminoles came up with a clutch eight-play, 84-yard, go-ahead touchdown drive to seal a 29-24 victory.
Here's how both teams graded out from Saturday's close five-point game.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
| Pass Offense | A | A |
| Run Offense | F | F |
| Pass Defense | C- | D |
| Run Defense | F | F |
| Special Teams | B | B |
| Coaching | C- | B- |
Pass Offense
Brad Kaaya started the game on point, finding his receivers with precision passes down the field, but his pass-catchers let him down with multiple dropped passes early. The highlight of the first half was a beautiful play by Rashawn Scott, who caught a contested pass and broke a tackle on his way to a 58-yard touchdown. The Hurricanes finished the first half with 176 yards through the air.
Kaaya caught fire in the second half, torching a solid Florida State secondary with a number of huge plays. He finished the game with 405 passing yards and three touchdowns against no interceptions.
Run Offense
Miami's run offense was the biggest disappointment of the game.
The rushing attack was ordinary coming into the game, averaging 174.8 yards per game, which ranked 62nd nationally. But the Seminoles absolutely shut down the Hurricanes, especially in the first half, when they netted just two yards on 10 carries.
The second half wasn't any better as Miami finished with just 20 yards on 19 carries.
Pass Defense
A week after Cincinnati quarterback Hayden Moore sliced up its secondary, Miami gave up another big game to Everett Golson.
The former Notre Dame signal-caller was comfortable in the first half against the Hurricanes, throwing for 191 yards and a touchdown. He finished the game completing 75.8 percent of his passes for 291 yards and a touchdown.
Run Defense
It's not a fun task trying to stop Florida State running back Dalvin Cook.
Miami was on the unfortunate side of that assignment Saturday night, and with the nation's 57th-ranked run defense, it went about as well as one would have expected.
The Seminoles had their way with the Hurricanes' front seven in the first half, bullying their way to 167 yards on 17 carries and averaging nearly 10 yards per attempt. The Hurricanes did a much better job in the third quarter, but Cook got loose in the fourth as the Seminoles finished with 248 rushing yards on 36 carries.
Special Teams
It was a quiet night for Miami's special teams, which was both good and bad.
Michael Badgley connected on a 30-yard field goal, and Justin Vogel had a solid night, averaging 41.3 yards on six punts. But the Hurricanes didn't have any game-breaking plays on special teams, which can be the difference for underdogs on the road.
Coaching
Jimbo Fisher outcoached Miami's Al Golden in the first half, but the adjustments Golden made at halftime were flawless. The Hurricanes mixed the hurry-up offense and methodical play-calling to perfection, which flipped the momentum in a big way in the second half. But Cook just proved to be too much for them to handle down the stretch of the fourth quarter, which wasn't a coaching issue.
| Pass Offense | A | A |
| Run Offense | A+ | A+ |
| Pass Defense | C | F |
| Run Defense | A+ | A+ |
| Special Teams | C | B- |
| Coaching | B | B |
Pass Offense
Golson's first four games at Florida State were solid as he took care of the ball and managed the offense, but he hadn't put together a dominant performance.
It looked like he was on his way to that in the first half when he completed 14 of 19 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown. Kermit Whitfield was a reliable outlet, and the offense was clicking with Cook bringing balance on the ground.
The offense in general faded in the fourth quarter, but Golson finished with a great line, completing 25 of 33 passes for 291 yards and a touchdown.
Run Offense
Cook gashed Miami in the first half, and it started early when he took a perfectly executed option play 72 yards for the score. That set up a big half for Cook, who ran for 137 yards on just nine carries through two quarters.
The Hurricanes did a good job against the Seminoles offense in the third quarter, but Cook turned it back on in the fourth. He finished with 222 yards, which included the game-clinching 23-yard touchdown run.
Pass Defense
Florida State was fortunate that Miami dropped a number of passes in the first half, but that fortune turned significantly in the second half.
Kaaya torched Jalen Ramsey and the Seminoles secondary, throwing for an incredible 405 yards and three touchdowns. Kaaya distributed it well too, finding 10 different receivers—two of whom (Stacy Coley and Rashawn Scott) eclipsed the 100-yard mark.
Run Defense
Florida State's defensive line didn't generate much of a pass rush, but it dominated the trenches in the run game.
Miami managed just 20 yards on the ground on 19 carries, averaging just a hair over one yard per attempt. Joseph Yearby came into the game riding a three-game streak with at least 100 rushing yards, but he was shut down by the Seminoles, gaining just 33 yards on 15 carries.
Special Teams
Like Miami, Florida State had a quiet night on special teams.
The big surprise came in the first half when Roberto Aguayo missed on a 44-yard field goal that could have been the difference in a close game. Kermit Whitfield had an unspectacular night in the return game, but Cason Beatty was spectacular, averaging 57 yards on two punts.
Coaching
Florida State looked like a team with a plan in the first half, and that was on display on the first offensive drive of the game. The Seminoles broke tendency and ran the option, which was perfectly executed by Golson and Cook, who raced 72 yards for the opening score of the game.
The Hurricanes made a strong second-half surge, but the Seminoles stayed calm and executed their game plan.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
