Saturday night’s Florida State vs Miami game was one of the best matchups of the week, but who came out on top?
Coming into the season, it looked as if the Miami Hurricanes would present as an upset-worthy opponent for Florida State. However, after a 3-2 start to the year by the Seminoles, Miami entered the Week 6 bout as the favorite, ranked No. 10.
The Seminoles looked to be headed for their third loss of the season in the first six weeks, but Florida State responded positively despite heading into the locker room with a 13-3 deficit.
Florida State came out firing in the second half, scoring two touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 17-13 lead. Deondre Francois was playing like the quarterback who led the Seminoles on a comeback against Ole Miss. He passed for both touchdowns in the third quarter.
After kicking a field goal in the fourth to make it a 20-13 Seminoles lead, the game had the feeling of a down-to-the-wire instant classic. There was a crazy finish brewing and it was only a matter of time before the Hurricanes would make a late push to tie it up.
Miami scored a touchdown thanks to a Brad Kaaya pass after a Braxton Berrios 43-yard punt return. However, the extra point was blocked by Florida State and the score remained 20-19 until the clock hit 0:00.
Three Stars
1. Dalvin Cook: The junior running back was the most explosive weapon for either side. He finished with 150 yards on 27 carries as well as a 59-yard touchdown reception.
2. Deondre Francois: Leading the Seminoles to comeback victories seems to be Francois’ thing. He responded positively to a 13-3 deficit at halftime and he finished 20-of-31 with 234 yards and two touchdowns.
3. Brad Kaaya: In a losing effort, Brady Kaaya did his best to give the Hurricanes a chance to tie it up with under two minutes left, but the blocked PAT killed those hopes. He finished with 214 yards and two touchdowns on 19-of-32 completions.
Highlights
Dalvin Cook is my favorite RB pic.twitter.com/XPLrpKPE8F
— Eric (@EIizondo) October 9, 2016
@TheRealRambush @speters25001 @_Jimbo_Slice_79 @Champ_Dawg9 @NathanZegura what a throw by Kaaya - perfect pic.twitter.com/wJT8xYTZmL
— PrayerHarbor (@PrayerHarbor) October 9, 2016
Dalvin Cook streaking down field to put FSU within 3 of the hurricanes.. https://t.co/fZM3Ru5hvL
— Casey Jones (@___caseyjones) October 9, 2016
Terrible decision by Brad Kaaya here, especially given score, down & distance. https://t.co/02dIDGOPh3
— Rob Rang (@RobRang) October 9, 2016
bbornstein33: FSU receiver takes nasty hit. Targeting called ABC Eyewitness News https://t.co/ef8fbbXs2b pic.twitter.com/Y3yXDXAMay
— FanNewsClips (@FanNewsClips) October 9, 2016
What’s Next?
Florida State will host Wake Forest next week. It will be a nice warm-up game before the Seminoles head into the heart of ACC play. Miami will host North Carolina who had a tough week against Virginia Tech.