Football Falls In Heartbreaker, 30-26
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) – Dalvin Cook ran for two scores, including the go-ahead touchdown with 3:05 remaining and the second-ranked Seminoles (10-0, 7-0 Atlantic Coast Conference, No. 3 CFP) rallied from 16 points down to beat Miami 30-26 on Saturday night.
Jameis Winston completed 25 of 42 passes for 304 yards for the Seminoles, who clinched the ACC’s Atlantic Division title earlier in the day when Clemson lost.
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They were down 16-0 and 23-7 before outscoring the Hurricanes 23-3 in the final 2 1/2 quarters.
Brad Kaaya threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns for Miami, which got to the Florida State 43 on their final drive but fell short when Jalen Ramsey intercepted a fourth-down pass with 39 seconds left.
Duke Johnson rushed for 130 yards and a touchdown for the Hurricanes (6-4, 3-3), who were eliminated from the ACC’s Coastal race. Phillip Dorsett and Clive Walford caught scoring passes for Miami.
They all got what they came to see: another Miami-FSU classic.
”That’s what this game should be like,” Miami coach Al Golden said. ”This game should be like this every year.”
Down 13 at the half, Florida State got a huge break to get the comeback rolling.
Facing a third down at the Miami 11, Winston dropped back and had his throw deflected by the Hurricanes’ Tyriq McCord, whose hand sent the ball flying high into the night.
Karlos Williams caught the carom in stride, waltzed into the end zone and just like that it was a one-possession game, Miami’s lead down to 23-17.
The Hurricanes rolled up 320 yards in the first half, then got just about nothing going after halftime, with two punts and a fumble on their first three possessions after returning from the locker room.
Meanwhile, Florida State chipped away. Aguyao connected from 37 to get the Seminoles within three, and after Michael Badgley tacked a field goal on for Miami, Aguayo answered again with a 53-yarder.
Cook’s go-ahead run came with 3:05 left, the first and only time FSU would lead all night.
Trouble signs were there early for Florida State, which punted twice in the game’s first three minutes. Then again, early issues are commonplace for the Seminoles, who have faced second-quarter deficits in seven of their last eight games.
Kaaya found Dorsett with a perfect 27-yard strike that opened the scoring, Johnson got in from a yard out late in the first and Badgley’s field goal on the next Hurricane possession pushed the lead to 16-0. It was Miami’s biggest lead over Florida State since 2003.
