Five Takeaways from Miami Hurricanes blowout win over Florida State Seminoles
MIAMI GARDENS — Florida State-Miami has been the most hotly contested rivalry in major college football the past 20 years, with 16 of their matchups being decided by a touchdown or less – most in the FBS.
It was evident early in the latest rendition of the rivalry Saturday night, though, that this one wouldn’t be a nail-biter. After No. 12 Miami scored the most points in any half by either school in the rivalry (38) and took a 35-point halftime lead, the only question was how many the Hurricanes would ultimately amass in what would end as a 52-10 rout of the Seminoles at Hard Rock Stadium.
The ‘Canes’ fourth consecutive win against the Seminoles marked not only their first four-game streak since winning six straight from 2000-04, but also the most points scored by either team in the history of the series.
It also illustrated how far the two 6-7 teams of last season have traveled in opposite directions. While the Seminoles fell to 0-2, the ‘Canes improved to 3-0 and will likely move into the top 10 in the newest national polls.
Here are five takeaways from Saturday night's game:
The UM offense crushed. Quarterback D’Eriq King looks like a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate. He completed passes to nine different receivers in the first quarter, surgically dissecting the Seminoles’ secondary while engineering two long touchdown drives.
In the second quarter, King calmly stood in the pocket and fired a 40-yard touchdown pass to Dee Wiggins even as 6-foot-5, 305-pound Marvin Wilson slammed into him and drove him to the turf. The ‘Canes scored touchdowns on their first five possessions, constructing three drives of at least 70 yards lasting 15, 13 and 11 plays, while taking only 64 and 59 seconds to reach the end zone the other times.
Cam’Ron Harris, who entered the game fifth in the nation in rushing with 268 yards on 26 carries, and Donald Chaney Jr., who also ran for two scores, combined to carry Miami’s rushing attack along with King, whose big plays included a 20-yard scramble.
Saturday marked the first time since 2013 that Miami has scored 45 or more points in back-to-back games. The ‘Canes offense hummed so well that backup N’Kosi Perry got to play nearly the entire fourth quarter of the blowout victory.
Phillips ecstatic, then ejected. It was a strange span of 86 seconds in the second quarter for defensive lineman Jaelan Phillips. After making an incredible acrobatic, juggling interception of Jordan Travis’ desperate throw, Phillips was flagged for excessive celebration. Undeterred, he donned the turnover chain on the sideline, and then took it off and passed it to teammate Nesta Silvera, who had blown up FSU’s attempted reverse in the backfield and smothered Travis.
On FSU’s next possession, Phillips received his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, and an automatic ejection, for kicking an FSU helmet after a play. He was escorted off the field by UM chief of staff Ed Reed, with both of them sporting smiles. Miami starting safety Gurvin Hall Jr., a former Palm Beach Gardens standout, was ejected in the third quarter for targeting –he must sit out the first half of Miami’s next game, against Clemson – and so was Wilson.
Rough homecoming for Blackman, Travis. FSU quarterbacks James Blackman, a Glades Central graduate, and Jordan Travis, from The Benjamin School, were under duress the entire night. On FSU’s last drive of the first half alone, the duo from Palm Beach County was sacked a combined four times – Blackman by Silvera, Bubba Bolden and Jared Harrison-Hunte for a loss of 29 yards and Travis by Quincy Roche.
Blackman started the game by completing his first four passes, and Travis rushed three times for 20 yards and had a 12-yard completion on FSU’s opening drive that led to a field goal. But neither was productive the rest of the half. Blackman did throw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Camren McDonald to start the third quarter, but he was intercepted in the red zone on FSU’s next drive.
Miami thrived on third downs. Last season, the ‘Canes ranked 129th of 130 FBS teams on third-down conversions (27 percent, 44-of-162). They’ve been dramatically better through the first three games of 2020. Against FSU, they converted eight of their first 11 third-down opportunities, including five of seven, and two fourth downs, on their first two drives.
King completed a 6-yard pass to Mike Harley on fourth-and-3 from FSU’s 36 and Harris bulldozed 5 yards on fourth-and-1 from the FSU 8. The ‘Canes were 13-for-30 on third downs (47 percent) their first two games, tying for 27th nationally in efficiency.
The jewelry was showcased often. Miami had plenty of opportunities to show off its gaudy touchdown rings and turnover chain on national television. In addition to the array of touchdowns, the ‘Canes’ defense produced three turnovers – Phillips, Bubba Bolden and Al Blades Jr. each snagged an interception. In the first half alone, the ‘Canes had nine tackles for loss and five sacks while limiting the Seminoles to 105 total yards.