Miami Hosting Rival FSU Saturday at Dolphin Stadium
Sept. 30, 2008
FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES AT MIAMI HURRICANES
Date: Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008
Location: Dolphin Stadium – Prescription AthleticTurf (Natural Grass), (74,916) in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Kickoff: 3:37 p.m. (ET)
TV: The game will be broadcast nationally on ABC/ESPN2, with Brad Nessler (play by play), Bob Griese (analyst), Paul Maguire (analyst) and Stacey Dales (Sideline reporter).
Tape Delay Telecast: On CSS, Tuesday Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., with announcers Jason Solodkin (play-by-play) and K.C. Jones (color).
Local Radio: The Hurricanes Radio Network (WQAM 560 AM) will carry the game live with Joe Zagacki (play by play), Don Bailey Jr. (analysis) and Brian London (sideline reporter). Fans can also listen online at www.wqam.com. The game can also be heard on the UM student station WVUM (90.5 FM) with Alex Kushel and Alex Marguiles calling the game and Justin Antweil on the pre-game and post-game show.
National Radio: The ACC ISP Radio Network will have the national broadcast with Andy Demetra (paly-by-play) and Sonny Randle (color analyst).
Radio En Espanol: The game will broadcast in Spanish on 1450 ESPN Deportes (1450 AM) with Joe Pujala (play by play) and Joe Martinez (analysis).
Websites: Miami (www.hurricanesports.com) and Florida State (www.seminoles.com)
THE GAME
Miami continues a three-game homestand Saturday when the Hurricanes host instate rival Florida State in a nationally-televised game on ABC and ESPN2. The Hurricanes will play three of their next four games at Dolphin Stadium.
The Hurricanes suffered a heartbreaker to North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener last Saturday, falling 28-24 on a UNC TD pass with 46 seconds left.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Robert Marve will make his fourth collegiate start and second at Dolphin Stadium. Marve is fresh off a three-touchdown performance against UNC. He has five touchdown tosses on the season and has completed 65.7 percent (44-of-67) of his passes for 416 yards. He was the first Miami QB in two years to throw three touchdowns in a game – the last was Kyle Wright vs. FIU on Oct. 14, 2006.
The Hurricanes and the Seminoles both enter the contest as good run stoppers on defense. Miami ranks seventh nationally in rushing defense (65.0 yards per game) while FSU is eighth nationally in rushing defense (67.2).Miami is 21st nationally in overall defense (283 yards per game).
This will be the second meeting in Dolphin Stadium between the Hurricanes and the Seminoles. Miami won the 2003 Orange Bowl, 16-14.
THE OPPONENT
Florida State defeated Colorado, 39-21, last Saturday in Jacksonville, Fla. Antone Smith rushed for 154 yards on 25 carries and scored three touchdowns.
FSU ranks third nationally in both total defense (223.5 yards per game) and scoring defense (10 points per game). The Seminoles lead the ACC in scoring offense, total offense, total defense, kickoff returns, sacks and tackles for losses.
QB Christian Ponder has tossed six touchdown passes and is 40-of-79 for 547 yards and four interceptions. Antoine Smith has rushed for 302 yards on 53 carries. FSU’s defense has 13 sacks. Leading tackler Derek Nicholson has 5.5 tackles for loss and 25 total tackles. Defensive end Everette Brown has 6.5 tackles for a loss and a team-high three sacks.
THE SERIES
Miami leads the all-time series between the two schools, 30-22. Since Miami joined the ACC in 2004, UM and FSU have split four match-ups with the `Canes winning in 2004 and 2007. The series between the two programs dates back to 1951.
THE COACHES
Randy Shannon is 7-9 overall and is in his second season at Miami. Florida State’s Bobby Bowden is 376-120-4 overall as a head coach and 303-87-4 in 33 seasons with the Seminoles.
BACK HOME AGAIN
After going 30 days between home games – the team’s longest stretch away from home since a 40-day hiatus in 2002 – today’s game marks the second of three straight home games in a span of 15 days. UM has played two games on the road (at Florida and at Texas A&M) and now has two games (Charleston Southern and North Carolina) under its belt in its new home – Dolphin Stadium. Next weekend, the Hurricanes’ third and final home game of this current homestand will be against UCF on Saturday, Oct. 11. Following that contest, Miami returns to ACC play when it heads to Durham to face Duke on Oct.18.
AUBURN INFLUENCE
Miami offensive coordinator Patrick Nix is very familiar with a couple of coaches on the Florida State staff. Both offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher and assistant head coach/offensive line coach Rick Trickett had the pleasure of coaching Nix during his time as a quarterback at the Auburn University from 1992-95. Fisher, who served as Auburn’s quarterbacks coach from 1993-98 worked directly with Nix while Trickett was also involved in Nix’s development serving as the Tiger’s offensive line coach during the same six-year stretch when Terry Bowden was the team’s head coach.
OCTOBER SUCCESS
4Since the turn of the century, Miami is 24-6 in the month of October. UM has faced 11 ACC opponents in the month of September since joining the league back in 2004, holding a record of 7-4 advantage over that time. In the 24 regular season meetings between UM and FSU since 1985, 16 of the games were played in the month of October, with the `Canes holding a slight 9-7 advantage in those battles, including last year’s 37-29 win in Tallahassee on Oct. 4. The `Canes are 7-1 overall the first week of October since 2000.
THE TEAM THAT SCORES FIRST
4When Miami and Florida State play, the team that has scored first has won 15 of the last 17 meetings (the only two times it didn’t happen was 2004 and 2007) and 20 of the last 23. FSU scored first in 1992’s 19-16 Miami victory at the Orange Bowl, Miami’s 2004 16-10 overtime win in the Orange Bowl and last year’s 37-29 UM win in Tallahassee.
CLOSE CALLS FAVOR THE `CANES
If the Miami and Florida State final score is close, history has favored the Hurricanes. Since 1973, the Hurricanes are 10-2 against FSU in games decided by four points or fewer. However, FSU has won the last two close games, 10-7 in 2005 and 13-10 in 2006.
SUCCESS AGAINST THE SEMINOLES
4Thirteen of Florida State’s last 52 losses, dating back to 1987 have been to the Hurricanes. The 13 UM wins are the most by any team in the nation vs. Florida State over the last 20 seasons. Miami is one of only six schools to defeat the Seminoles more than once since 1987 (nine by Florida, five by NC State, three by Clemson and Wake Forest and two each by Maryland and Virginia). In addition, FSU has had eight one-loss seasons since 1987, with five of the losses coming at the hands of the Hurricanes.
DID YOU KNOW?
– Of the 23 seniors on this year’s squad, 13 have already earned degrees, while the remaining 10 are all on course to graduate either in December of 2008 or May of 2009. Miami’s 13 graduates currently on its roster is the most of any Division I program in the country.
– Last spring, the NCAA released its annual Academic Progress Report (APR) and the Hurricane football team scored a 969, the eighth-highest mark out of the 119 Bowl Sub-division football programs. Miami’s score – also the third-highest mark in the 12-team Atlantic Coast Conference – put the team in the 80th-90th percentile nationally based on its performance in the classroom.
– Running back Graig Cooper ran for over 100 yards for the second consecutive game last weekend, tallying 110 yards on 19 carries versus UNC just a week after going for 128 yards on 16 carries at Texas A&M.
