MIAMI GARDENS – This year’s Miami-Florida State showdown was effectively over shortly after it started last night (Sept. 26) at Hard Rock Stadium.
In the Hurricanes 52-10 home win over the Seminoles, quarterback D’Eriq King had another great performance, as he completed 29 of 40 passes for 267 yards and 2 touchdowns, while adding 8 carries for 65 yards (332 total yards).
Impressively, the majority of King’s action came in the first half of play.
King wasted no time in the early going, as he found tight end Brevin Jordan for a 24-yard touchdown pass at the 9:53 mark.
With an extra point by kicker Jose Borregales, No. 12 Miami (3-0; 2-0 ACC) took a 7-0 lead over Florida State (0-2; 0-2 ACC).
For a good portion of the first quarter, Florida State quarterbacks James Blackman and Jordan Travis combined to lead their team on a spirited drive toward the end zone. It ended with a 26-yard field goal by kicker Ryan Fitzgerald, which cut Miami’s lead to 7-3 at the 5:12 mark.
But the game’s close margin did not last for long, as running back Cam’Ron Harris reached the end zone on a 3-yard touchdown run with 19 seconds left in the first. Another extra point by Borregales extended Miami’s lead to 14-3.
The second quarter was all Miami, both literally and figuratively.
It took only three plays for the Hurricanes to extend their lead to 21-3, as Harris (12 carries, 43 yards, 2 touchdowns) found the end zone on a 12-yard run at the 12:36 mark.
On defence, the Hurricanes came through as they caught an interception on a Florida State offensive drive. Defensive lineman Jaelan Phillips picked off a pass from Travis with 11:21 left in the second quarter, which put his team’s momentum into overdrive.
On the ensuing possession, King found wide receiver Dee Wiggins for a 40-yard touchdown pass to get the home team to a 28-3 lead at the 10:17 mark.
And then the game was effectively over when freshman running back Don Chaney Jr. found the end zone on a 2-yard run with 3:37 left in the second quarter, giving Miami a 35-3 lead over Florida State.
The second quarter officially ended with a 30-yard field goal by Borregales, who gave Miami a 38-3 halftime lead.
In the second half, Blackman got into a groove for at least one drive, as he led the Seminoles to their first touchdown of the game. The Glades Central (Belle Glade) alum found tight end Camren McDonald for a 12-yard touchdown pass, cutting Miami’s lead to 38-10 with 10:57 left in the third.
The final two scores of the game came from Miami, both of which came in the fourth quarter. Chaney scored again on a 5-yard run to the end zone with 14:57 left, while backup quarterback N’Kosi Perry connected with wide receiver Michael Redding III for a 7-yard touchdown pass with 6:30 left.
FUN FACT: This is the first 50-point performance from either side in this storied UM-FSU rivalry. It will go down as a historic win for Miami simply from that standpoint.
FOUR STRAIGHT: This is Miami’s fourth straight win over Florida State in this storied rivalry (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020).
TOTAL YARDS: Miami – 517 (317 pass, 200 rush); Florida State – 330 (179 pass, 151 rush)
LOCAL PERFORMANCES: MIAMI
Safety Amari Carter: Tied for team lead with 6 tackles
- Linebacker Zach McCloud: 5 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack
- Safety Gurvan Hall Jr.: 2 tackles
LOCAL PERFORMANCES: FLORIDA STATE
- Quarterback James Blackman: 16-26, 120 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
- Quarterback Jordan Travis: 1-2, 12 yards, 1 interception; 7 carries, 52 yards; 1 catch, 5 yards
- Cornerback Akeem Dent: 4 tackles
NEXT GAME FOR MIAMI: Road game at No. 1 Clemson (2-0) on Saturday, Oct. 10 – Kickoff time TBD
NEXT GAME FOR FLORIDA STATE:
Home against Jacksonville State (0-0) on Saturday, Oct. 3 – 4 p.m. kickoffPHOTO CREDITS: Canes Football
