Top 5 Games in the Miami-FSU Rivalry

5. 2009 – Miami 38, Florida State 34: The season opener for both teams in 2009, this instant classic saw 6 lead changes and the outcome coming down to the final play of the game.  The unranked Hurricanes, led by sophomore QB Jacory Harris, took a 14-10 lead into halftime.  FSU took over in the 3rd quarter and led by 11.  After Miami came back to take the lead, things went from bad to worse for the Canes.  Markus White’s INT return for a touchdown not only put FSU up by 7 with 11:45 left, but it knocked Harris out of the game.  With only a true freshman backing him up, Miami seemed doomed.  Harris showed guts and poise, however, and came back to lead Miami on two 4th quarter scoring drives of 73 and 59 yards.  Set up by Harris’ picturesque bomb to Travis Benjamin into double coverage, Graig Cooper’s TD with 1:53 left put Miami ahead.  The onus would fall upon the defense to win this game.  FSU drove to the Miami 2 yard line with 14 seconds remaining.  After two incompletions, there was time for one more play.  FSU quarterback Christian Ponder rolled to his right and spotted an open Jarmon Forston in the end zone.  Forston dropped to his knees to adjust to the low pass and tried to get his arms under the ball.  With the clock reading 00:00, the ball squirted loose and Miami emerged victorious.

4. 1992 – Miami 19, Florida State 16: Just a few months after Hurricane Andrew, the #3 Seminoles came into town to take on the 2nd ranked Hurricanes.  Florida State WR Tamarick Vanover sucked the air out of the Orange Bowl by returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown.  The Canes clawed back and the game was tied 10-10 at the half.  Trailing 16-10 in the fourth quarter, Miami QB Gino Toretta got drilled as he heaved a lob pass down field for Lamar Thomas.  LT got under it and took it in for the go ahead score.  After a safety made the game 19-16, FSU QB Charlie Ward drove the Noles down the field and set up a 39 yard field goal attempt by Dan Mowry.  And just like the game in Tallahassee the year prior, the field goal attempt sailed wide right, securing the victory for the Canes in a game that would forever be known as ‘Wide Right II.’

3. 1987 – Miami 26, FSU 25: Bobby Bowden called this the best game he’s coached in his lifetime.  That’s a lot of games.  #3 Miami headed into this October match up against #4 Florida State on a mission.  After losing in the national title game the previous year to Penn State, the Hurricanes had beaten two top 20 teams prior to this showdown in Tallahassee.  Florida State dominated early.  The Hurricanes found themselves down 19-3 late in the 3rd quarter.  Melvin Bratton’s 49 yard touchdown cut the margin by six, and Brian Blades’ two point conversion pulled Miami with 8.  The Playmaker, Michael Irvin, then took over in the 4th quarter.  His 26 yard TD reception combined with Warren Williams’ 2 point conversion tied the game.  Faced with a 3rd and 7 from its own 27, Miami quarterback Steve Walsh sees the safety cheating and calls an audible to Irvin.  Irvin gets behind the safety as he catches Walsh’s pass in stride and streaks down the sideline for one of the most memorable plays in UM history.  With plenty of time left, FSU marches down the field and scores on Ronald Lewis’ 18 yard TD catch to pull within one.  After much hesitation, Bowden decides to go for two and Bubba McDowell breaks up Danny McManus’ pass attempt to seal the victory.

2. 2000 – Miami 27, FSU 24: Wide Right III.  It’s hard not to rank this classic as #1 given all the intangibles heading into this game.  Florida State, with a nation leading 17 game win streak, was the defending national champion.  The Seminoles (5-0) were averaging 42 points per game to their opponents’ 9 and were listed as a 7 point favorite at the Orange Bowl.  The stage was set for Miami (4-1) to try and emerge from years of mediocrity resulting from NCAA sanctions.  Having lost to Washington a few weeks prior, not many were giving the young Hurricanes a chance to beat the defending champs.  Remember, the Hurricanes had lost at least three games a season for the past five years heading into the 2000 season.  They had not beaten FSU since 1994 and, simply put, would not be considered ‘back’ until they beat their in state rival.  It looked like we were in store for an FSU blowout as they recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff.  But the young Hurricane team held on a 4 and out and scored the game’s first two touchdowns to take an early lead.  FSU stormed back in the second half, taking a 24-20 lead on an Atrews Bell 29 yard TD reception with 1:37 left in the game.  Sophomore QB Ken Dorsey then took over at his own 27 yard line for what is now known as ‘The Drive.’  Completing all but one of his passes, Dorsey hit Jeremy Shockey with 46 seconds left to give Miami the lead.  FSU was able to drive to the Miami 32 yard line for Matt Munyon to attempt a 49 yard field goal as time expired.  With plenty of distance the ball sailed, you guessed it, wide right.

1. 1991 – Miami 17, FSU 16: Dubbed ‘Wide Right’ this instant classic pitted the #1 ranked Florida State Seminoles (10-0) versus the #2 ranked Miami Hurricanes (8-0) at Doak Campbell Stadium.  Truly deserving of its ‘Game of the Century’ moniker, this game was the most anticipated regular season match up in twenty years.  The loser of this November game would be eliminated from the national title hunt.  The Seminoles’ offense was potent, having blown out #4 ranked Michigan 51-31 earlier in the season.  Miami, on the other hand, boasted a defense that had surrendered a mere 58 points in 8 games, having yet to yield a first half touchdown.  Having scored on the opening drive, Miami saw FSU take leads into halftime and the fourth quarter.  Larry Jones’ 1 yard plunge with 3:01 left in the game gave Miami a 17-16 lead.  FSU drove the ball to the Miami 17 as FSU quarterback Casey Weldon spiked the ball on 2nd down and 9, leaving 29 seconds on the clock.  Without timeouts, FSU coach Bobby Bowden elected to attempt the 34 yard field goal instead of trying to run another play.  And, well, you know the rest.  Keith Jackson’s voice still echoes to this day: “The snap is back.  The ball is down. Here we go…it is…wide to the right! Wide to the right!”