Miami Knows the Importance of Saturday's Game
By David Villavicencio
HurricaneSports.com
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Streaks are meant to be broken.
On July 16, 1941, Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio went 0-for-4 against the Cleveland Indians and his legendary 56-game hitting streak came to an end.
The UConn Huskies women’s basketball team saw their 111-game winning streak snapped in the semifinals of the 2017 NCAA tournament.
The Miami Hurricanes’ collegiate record 58-game home winning streak, which spanned a decade of dominance at the Orange Bowl, ended in 1994.
The 2017 Canes, who have won eight consecutive games dating back to last season, head into Saturday’s matchup against the Florida State Seminoles looking to break a streak of seven losses against their in-state rival.
“Obviously there has been a streak and we are looking to stop that streak,” sophomore defensive lineman Joe Jackson said. “That’s the main thing. Although they’re just another opponent, it’s still a big game because that streak has been going on and we are trying to stop that streak. That victory is going to be so much better when you stop that streak.”
The Hurricanes lead the all-time series, 31-30, and had an eight-game lead over the Seminoles before Florida State’s recent stretch. The Canes have come close to snapping the streak in recent history, as the last three games between Miami and Florida State have been decided by a combined 10 points – including a 20-19 final score a year ago. Miami head coach Mark Richt is preparing his team for another tight battle this Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium.
“It’s just two great teams going at each other,” Richt said. “The series is lopsided [recently], but the scores haven’t really been that lopsided all the time. A lot of close games as of late, but not any that Miami has won, obviously. You prepare for a team that you know that you have to battle every snap. You have to scrap for everything you get. That’s kind of how we go into most all of our games.”
Nearly half of the Miami-Florida State games (30 of 61 previous meetings) have been decided by eight
points or fewer, including last year’s matchup. Eight games in the series have been decided by a single point and Miami is 7-1 in those games, dropping only the 2016 contest.
“It’s inexcusable, honestly, seven straight,” Berrios said. “It’s a great rivalry. We say it’s the best rivalry in football. Ohio State and Michigan is the second-best rivalry in football, so take it as you wish, but it’s inexcusable to have lost to them seven straight times and especially the ways we’ve lost and how close most of the games have been. At least when I was here, we’ve led in every single fourth quarter and so in one word it’s inexcusable.”
The Hurricanes are obviously aware of the streak and the significance of snapping it, but a win on Saturday will mean much more than their first victory over Florida State since 2009.
“The bottom line is we’re trying to win the Coastal [Division],” Richt said. “This game counts. When you have your goals set, your goal is to end up In Charlotte and play for the [ACC] Championship Game and win it. That’s what you set your sights on. But in order to do it, you have to have the best record in the league. This is a league game and that means a lot from the get-go. But we all know that it’s a rival game. There’s a reason we play them every year – it’s a rivalry. Rivalry games are important. They’re better rivalries when there’s some winning and losing on both sides, and that hasn’t happened lately.”
Saturday will mark the 29th time in the last 33 years that at least one team has entered the Miami-Florida State game unbeaten. In 2017, it’s the No. 13/12 Hurricanes (3-0, 1-0 ACC) that fit the bill, but they know facing an unranked Florida State (1-2, 1-1 ACC) team does not mean facing an untalented team.
“We don’t underestimate any opponent,” Jackson said. “That’s the first thing that will help you lose. We just focus. It’s still FSU to us. It’s still a game we haven’t won in seven years. Our mentality is to kick their behind. We don’t listen to all the talk outside. We just do our own thing.”
Miami is on the wrong side of the current streak, but the Hurricanes have had several impressive stretches against the Seminoles over the years. The Canes won the first five meetings in the all-time series in the 1950s and put together a six-game winning streak from 2000-2004. Defensive lineman RJ McIntosh knows Saturday’s game could be the start of a new streak in the series.
“It’s very important,” McIntosh said. “It’s time to change it around. It’s been time. This is a very big game for us and we’re looking forward to going up there and getting a W.”
