Miami vs. Florida State re-visited: 1996
By Jack Crosby
The 1996 battle between the Florida State Seminoles and the Miami Hurricanes wasn’t a close affair on the scoreboard by any means, but it did hold some bit of significance.
Played on Oc. 12 of that year, the Seminoles’ 34-16 victory over the Hurricanes marked the first time in 12 years that Florida State had emerged from the Orange Bowl victorious over their rival.
75,913 people in attendance that day were treated to one of the classic phenomenal performances by maybe the best running back in Florida State University history, Warrick Dunn, who rushed the ball 22 times for 163 yards, including an 80-yard scamper in the first quarter to give the ‘Noles a 17-0 lead at the time.
In the second quarter, Miami did fight back and pulled the score to within three points at 20-16, but Florida State scored 14 unanswered points in the second half to run away with the victory.
Florida State would go on to finish the regular season of that year undefeated, but were defeated by another in-state rival, the Florida Gators, 52-20 in the Sugar Bowl and were denied their second national championship in four seasons after winning it all in 1993.