MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Cam Ward is one of many key Miami players who have never been part of a rivalry game against Florida State.
The significance didn’t need much explaining. They already knew.
No. 6 Miami (7-0, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) plays its annual showdown against Florida State (1-6, 1-5) on Saturday night, the Hurricanes looking to stay in the ACC title and College Football Playoff pictures — and the reeling Seminoles getting a chance to play spoiler.
“You’d be surprised how many guys you think wouldn’t be familiar with it but are familiar with it,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “I think it’s important that we always educate our players on the history of the University of Miami and such an insanely awesome rivalry like we’ve always had with Florida State.”
Ward enters the week as the nation’s top quarterback in a number of categories — yards and touchdowns among them. He gifted his teammates new custom headphones this week as part of his sponsorship deal with Bose, was introduced as an Adidas endorser this week as well, and is among the Heisman Trophy favorites according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
“I’m just excited to finally get to play one of these games. … We get to go play a good football team on Saturday,” Ward said. “What else could you ask for?”
His view of Florida State was shared by everyone in the Miami camp this week. On paper, a 1-6 record looks awful. On film, the Hurricanes see plenty of talent on the other side. And Miami needs only to go back to last year for proof about how odds don’t matter at all in this series.
The Hurricanes were 14-point underdogs last season at Tallahassee — against an unbeaten Florida State team — and had the ball with a chance to tie in the final minutes before falling 27-20. This year, it’s Florida State as 21-point underdogs on the road against an unbeaten Miami team. And no, nobody would be surprised if this game is much closer.
“I’m not one of those coaches that say every game is the same. No. I love these games,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell said. “I love the fact we get to be a part of it. No matter what, people will remember this game. … This game is the tradition, rivalry. You go back throughout all the years and no matter where you’re from, the country is going to still be watching what happens in this game.”
FSU cannot score …
There are 661 teams in all divisions of NCAA football — FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and reclassifying.
Of those, only 25 have yet to score more than 21 points in a game this season. Florida State is the only FBS school in that club; 18 of the other 24 are Division III.
And FSU hasn’t managed more than 16 points in any of its last eight games on U.S. soil, going back to last season; the 21-point effort was in Ireland against Georgia Tech to open this season.
… but everyone scores against Miami
The Hurricanes have given up at least 34 points in three straight games, the first time any Miami team has done that since November 2013.
That team went 0-3 in those contests; this team has gone 3-0.
Miami also had three-game streaks of giving up 34 or more in 1984 ( including “Hail Flutie” ), 1952 and 1944. The Hurricanes went 0-3 in all three of those stretches.
Biggest win disparity ever
This is the 69th Miami-Florida State game between the schools and there’s never been a six-win disparity between the programs entering any of those contests — that is, until now, with Miami 7-0 and Florida State 1-6.
There have been two games where the teams were separated by five wins: Miami was 5-2 and Florida State was 0-8 going into the 1974 game (FSU pulled off a 21-14 upset) and Florida State was 6-2 against a 1-4 Miami team in 1958 (FSU won that year, 17-6).
For the state championship
A win on Saturday would make Miami 4-0 against in-state competition this season, with wins already over Florida, Florida A&M and South Florida.
Miami hasn’t gone 4-0 against Sunshine State opponents in a season since 2009.
Florida State has yet to face an in-state rival this season. Miami will be the first and a Nov. 30 home game against Florida ends the Seminoles’ regular-season slate.
What a difference a year makes
The Seminoles had 322 yards last year against Miami. Most of the players responsible for those yards are no longer at Florida State.
The only yard-contributors from that game who should play Saturday for Florida State are RB Lawrance Toafili (nine rushing yards), WR Ja’Khi Douglas (three catches, 69 yards) and TE Kyle Morlock (one catch, 11 yards).
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