Canes Head to Florida State for Rivalry Showdown
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – They’ve come out of their season-opening, four-game homestand with a perfect, unblemished record, enduring some ugly, rainy nights in the process.
They’ve beaten three in-state foes and handled the ups and downs of two hard-fought rivalry matchups. And they’ve done enough through the non-conference portion of their schedule to rise in the rankings and answer more than a few preseason questions about their team.
Now, the Hurricanes are set for a new test.
Their conference opener. Their first road game of the season. And a showdown against a rival they’ve faced every year since 1969, with more than a few of those meetings bearing championship implications.
Miami and Florida State.
One of the most highly anticipated games of the year has arrived. And in both Coral Gables and Tallahassee, expectations – and excitement – are high.
For the first time since 2016, both the Hurricanes and Seminoles are ranked entering the game, with Miami ascending to the No. 3 spot in the AP Top 25 after its 4-0 start and Florida State taking the No. 18 spot after opening the year 3-1.
The Hurricanes will look to open ACC play with a win, while Florida State is hoping to bounce back after opening conference play with a tough 46-38 double-overtime loss at Virginia.
It should be, as it typically is, a game with plenty of big hits, big plays and big emotions.
“I mean, college football is the best sport in the world, so the fact that people bring up historical moments and whatnot, it’s not surprising,” said Miami head coach Mario Cristobal, who was asked this week about his own experience playing in the rivalry game during his time as an offensive lineman for the Hurricanes. “I do think our players, alumni bases, fans, they all understand how intense this rivalry is. But I think our players, more importantly, understand the importance of practice and preparation and that’s what our focus is on.”
Said linebacker Wesley Bissainthe, “I mean, it is always exciting, man. The environment [at Doak Campbell Stadium] is definitely crazy and, man, I’m just glad I’ve got another opportunity to go out there and play the game I love. And just growing up a Miami kid, I’ve seen [these] rivalry games and it’s just a blessing to be part of it. You’ve just got to maximize your opportunity.”
For Miami to maximize this opportunity, the Hurricanes know they’ll have to not only contend with a raucous crowd, but with a Seminoles team hungry to get back on track after their loss to the Cavaliers.
Miami (4-0, 0-0 ACC) will also have to find ways to contain Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos and a high-powered offense that has put up some gaudy numbers in its first four games, including even the Virginia loss.
The Seminoles (4-1, 0-1) have topped the 500-yard mark in each of their last three games and had a school-record 775 yards in their 66-10 win over Kent State on Sept. 20. FSU is averaging 600.0 yards per game. That’s tops in the nation.
Meanwhile, Castellanos – a transfer from Boston College – has proven to be a true dual-threat quarterback completing 64 percent of his passes and throwing for 848 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for another 217 yards and four more scores.
He currently leads the nation in both yards per pass attempt (12.1) and yards per completion (18.8) and Miami’s defenders, who are coming off a stellar effort in the Hurricanes’ 26-9 win over Florida, say they know Castellanos will provide a challenge.
“I think he’s really talented. At any point you watch him, he’s had games where he throws the ball really well. He’s always a threat in the running game. … He gives you a lot of challenges on defense,” Miami defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman said of Castellanos. “We’ve got to do a great job up front. The line of scrimmage is going to be huge in this game. We’ve got to do a great job of winning at the point of attack, winning at the line of scrimmage. We have to make sure we tackle when we have our opportunities. We have to close gaps. We have to make sure we win our one-on-one [matchups]. We’ve got to make sure we tackle and get them down. He’s a challenging player, does a really good job.”
Offensively, Miami will counter with quarterback Carson Beck, one of the best offensive lines in college football and a stout running game that has helped the Hurricanes put together a series of methodical, time-consuming scoring drives in their four wins.
The Hurricanes rank 12th in the nation when it comes to time of possession, holding the ball for an average of 33:38.25 per game. And running back Mark Fletcher Jr. has posted back-to-back 100-yard performances.
More of that against the Seminoles would go a long way in helping the Hurricanes leave Tallahassee with another win.
“Execution’s at a premium, right, [in] games like this. One thing that really stands out across the country – and I might be a little bit off – but I believe there were over 20 games that were one-possession games [last] weekend and several of them were overtime games,” Cristobal said. “That’s because conference play has started. Conference play is basically playoff football. Everybody’s alive, everybody’s vying for a spot, and so the margins for error, the margins between winning and not winning are becoming smaller and smaller…I think that’s the best part of college football this time of year because you’re getting everybody’s best and they’re giving everybody their best.”
And more often than not, when Miami and Florida State meet, have given their best.
Seven of the last 11 games in the series have been decided by seven points or less and longtime fans of both teams know the pain of missed field goals, blocked extra points and coming up just short in a heated game. They know the joy, too, of walking away with a hard-fought win.
The Hurricanes expect Saturday night’s primetime showdown will bring more of those high-charged emotions, and they insist they’re ready for the challenge.
“The rivalry speaks for itself,” said Miami defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor. “I’m just excited to go out there and play another opponent, really. The rivalry, everybody knows about it. Everybody knows about it. It is what it is. I’m just focusing on going up there and going 1-0 every week.”
Added cornerback OJ Frederique, “The atmosphere is going to be great. There’s going to be a lot of fans and a lot of people, a lot of stuff going on. But we’re going there focused and trying to be 1-0. That’s the main thing.”
