When Miami and Florida State line up Saturday night for the 71st meeting in this in-state series, the rivalry’s defining memories still come back to one strange, unforgettable theme: missed field goals that veered wide right, then wide left.
The matchup has had plenty of big moments, but these four games helped give the rivalry its own identity.
The first came on Nov. 16, 1991, when the No. 1 Seminoles and No.
2 Hurricanes both arrived undefeated and played a tight one all the way down to the finish. Florida State had opened up a 16-7 lead entering the first quarter, then Miami answered with 10 unanswered points.
With one last chance to win it, the Seminoles sent Gerry Thomas out for a 34-yard field goal. He pushed it far right.
A year later, the script looked eerily familiar. Again, both teams were unbeaten, and again the game came down to the final moments.
This time the No. 2 Hurricanes were up 19-16, and No.
3 Florida State had a chance to force overtime. Dan Mowrey’s 39-yard try also went far right, and Miami escaped with the win.
The Hurricanes went on to win the next seven games, but their bid for back-to-back national titles ended with a 34-13 loss to Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
Then came Wide Right III in 2000. Florida State was the defending champion this time, and the game had a little more offense than the first two classics.
Miami, ranked No. 7, jumped out to a 17-0 lead by halftime. The No.
1 Seminoles answered with 13 unanswered points in the third quarter and grabbed a 24-20 lead in the fourth. Ken Dorsey then hit freshman tight end Jeremy Shockey on a 13-yard touchdown pass to swing it back to Miami.
Still, Florida State had one more shot. Matt Munyon lined up for a 49-yard field goal to send it to overtime, but the kick sailed far right.
The Hurricanes won 27-24. The defending champs later made it back to the big stage, only to lose to Oklahoma 13-2.
The latest of the signature misses came on Oct. 12, 2002.
Miami entered as the No. 1 team and the defending national champion, while No. 9 Florida State came in as the underdog.
After a back-and-forth battle, the Hurricanes went ahead 28-27 in the fourth quarter. The Seminoles still had time, and a 49-yard field goal would have given them the win.
Xavier Beitia’s kick went far left.
That was Wide Left I, and it completed a stretch of rivalry moments that still defines this series as the two programs get ready to meet again.
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Sophomores Seuseu Alofaituli and Jackson Cantwell are in the mix, along with redshirt junior Jamal Meriweather, giving Miami a blend of upside and experience to weigh at a critical moment. The staff still has time to settle on a starter before the rivalry game, but this is the kind of late-week decision that can shape everything from protection to run-game rhythm. [Read more 🡒]