Miami vs. Florida State: 10 Little-Known Facts About Sunshine State Rivalry

Miami vs. Florida State has long been a must-see, annual rivalry, but even with millions of eyes glued to each installment of the series, a lot of little-known facts get overlooked.

Specific games stand out to college football fans. There have been unforgettable moments within these meetings that evoke strong emotions from the alum and supporters of these institutions.

However, the overall trends are genuinely interesting, too.

As another edition of Hurricanes/Seminoles football approaches, here are 10 facts you ought to keep in mind.

Miami Feels Right at Home in Tallahassee

Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee is located in the heart of the Florida State University campus. So why does it appear that the Miami Hurricanes own the place?

The 'Canes don't have to pay for seating expansions or upkeep of the facility, but history shows that they have made themselves feel right at home at "Doak." They have posted a dominant 14-7 record when facing the Seminoles there despite being nearly 500 miles from the U.

The venue has hosted the rivalry in every odd-numbered year since 1973.

Hurricane Head Coaches Don't Fare Well in Their Debuts

Miami's program has had surprising irregularity at the head coaching position, despite the team's overall success. Since becoming relevant in the early 1980s, the 'Canes have had seven head football coaches; Florida State has had two in that same time span.

Al Golden—current head honcho at Miami—shouldn't be too optimistic.

Four of his predecessors—Howard Schnellenberger, Jimmy Johnson, Dennis Erickson and Butch Davis—lost in their debuts against FSU.

Larry Coker won convincingly in 2001, but anybody could have done the same with that magnificent roster.

Randy Shannon came away with a victory in 2007. On the other hand, the Hurricanes lost four straight after that.

Florida State Has Outscored Miami in the Series

These programs have met on 55 occasions and Miami leads the all-time series, 31-24.

However, the scoring has been nearly identical—1135 to 1129—and Florida State's total is the higher one!

This statistic can easily be explained: Miami wins the close games, while FSU has executed more blow-outs.

In the last 16 years, for example, the 'Canes have won against their rival eight times, but only once by double-digits. Meanwhile, the 'Noles annihilated them 45-17 in the 2010 matchup.

They Get These Meetings Out of the Way Early

These superpowers typically meet early in the regular season, including 12 consecutive times in October between 1992 and 2003.

Considering the latitudes of the home stadiums, cool temperatures are usually an impossibility in the Miami/Florida State rivalry.

But the schedule-makers have switched it up in 2011 with a mid-November clash under the Tallahassee stars. It will be the latest that these teams have faced each other in a calendar year since 1991!

If you'll be at Doak on Saturday, I advise you to leave the flip flops at home.

FSU Has Been Better Off Without Bobby Bowden

Longtime Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden is a Seminoles legend.

Perhaps FSU fans wouldn't think of him so fondly if they realized how badly he struggled against Miami.

Before his hiring in 1976 and since his retirement after the 2009 season, Florida State and Miami have split 20 head-to-head matchups. Under Bowden, the Seminoles were a mediocre 14-21 in the series.

To be fair, Miami was arguably the most consistent team in the nation during those years.

The Kicking Has Been Great Lately

It's simply hilarious that something so mundane as placekicking has been the biggest difference in this superb rivalry.

Florida State has lost a handful of nail-biting games to Miami in the past 20 years on last-second field goal attempts that went awry.

However, both programs have been very clean in that facet of the game recently.

Since 2007, the Hurricanes and Seminoles have combined to nail 16 out of 17 against one another.

There Are Big Plays Every Year

Historically, this is not a high-scoring rivalry. A bit of math using figures from earlier in this slideshow reveals that there is an average of 41 points to be had in a typical Miami-Florida State game.

Lately, though, that hasn't held true.

These teams have combined for at least 62 in each of their last four meetings.

Big plays are mostly responsible. There has been one or more of 50-plus yards in all those games.

In 2009, it took a kick return to continue the streak, and in 2010 there was a 90-yard touchdown run.

First and Latest Installments of This Rivalry Share a Bloodline

So much has changed in the 60 years since this rivalry began, but not everything.

Aside from the two universities and a desire to win, the initial 1951 Miami/Florida State game is linked to this year's showdown by one name: Chickillo.

Third-generation Miami Hurricane Anthony Chickillo will take part in the same tradition that his grandfather helped inaugurate.

Nick Chickillo—the man whose picture is in this picture—was a starter for the 'Canes in the early 1950s.

Anthony also wears No. 71.

The Stakes Haven't Been This Low Since 1975!

Not too long ago, this annual matchup would be circled in the preseason by college football enthusiasts of all allegiances.

After all, everybody enjoys watching top programs duke it out. In the 1990s and early 2000s, both Miami and Florida State were always ranked among the nation's best.

In 2011, however, neither team is in the AP Top 25 or getting love from the BCS computers.

For the first time in any season since 1975, the Hurricanes—5-4, 3-3 in ACC—and Seminoles—6-3, 4-2 in ACC—have each lost three games before taking the field against one another.

Both are already out of national title contention and long-shots to win their own divisions!

Hurricanes/Seminoles Is College Football's Most Popular Rivalry

Even with its combatants limping through somber campaigns, this year's Miami/Florida State battle will be heavily predicted, watched and discussed.

Why? Because that has always been the case.

This Sunshine State rivalry has produced three of the five highest-rated college football games in the history of ESPN—in terms of Nielsen television ratings.

These programs have combined to win seven national championships over the past 29 seasons, only seven because the loser is always hard-pressed to stay in the title hunt.

Anyway, be glad they'll be going head-to-head on November 12.

Nine of the last 10 meetings have been decided by a single possession, and the history of this rivalry teaches us to expect the unexpected.