No. 3 Miami comes out of its bye week with one clear objective: keep rolling and keep Florida State at arm’s length.
The Hurricanes host the Seminoles on Saturday night in an ACC matchup that brings together a 5-0 Miami team and a Florida State squad trying to steady itself after a rough stretch. Miami has won the last two meetings and will be chasing a third straight victory in the rivalry.
Florida State, meanwhile, enters after its most lopsided defeat of the season, a 44-20 loss at Louisville last Friday. That result has only added to the noise around the program and intensified the speculation about coach Mike Norvell’s job security.
“Nobody was happy with Friday night,” Norvell said on Monday, referring to the loss to the Cardinals. “Extremely disappointed in what that was.
I understand that this process for us is about the best of Florida State football showing up and consistently playing to an extremely high level. When you have an outcome like we did the other night, man, that's, nobody's happy with that.”
The road has been a problem for the Seminoles, who have lost 11 straight away from home since beating Florida on Nov. 25, 2023. They are also 10-20 overall since beating Louisville in the 2023 ACC Championship Game.
Miami coach Mario Cristobal said Monday he doesn’t expect his team to get caught looking past the Seminoles, calling it “the greatest rivalry in sports.”
He pointed to how quickly games can swing in college football.
“A fourth-and-two conversion [for FSU] makes it 21-0 [against Louisville], and the game's practically over. A 21-6 lead at Alabama and a seven-point game with 4 1/2 minutes left is real,” Cristobal said, referring to the Seminoles having leads slip away in losses to Alabama and Louisville.
"... So, football nowadays, everybody has really, really good talent."
One of the biggest battlegrounds should be the run game. Miami and Florida State rank third and fourth, respectively, in rushing offense in the ACC, so both sides should get tested up front.
Florida State quarterback Ashton Daniels has rushed for a conference-best 10 touchdowns, while Ousmane Kromah ranks second in the ACC with 565 rushing yards. But the Seminoles were gashed on the ground against Louisville, giving up 397 rushing yards and 235 to Isaac Brown.
Miami counters with a deep backfield led by Mark Fletcher Jr. and Javian Mallory, who have combined for 596 rushing yards. The Hurricanes also bring a passing attack powered by Heisman Trophy candidates Darian Mensah at quarterback and Malachi Toney at wide receiver.
Florida State will try to answer with a pass rush that has been one of its strengths. The Seminoles rank second in the ACC with 18 sacks, and Rylan Kennedy leads the way with five.
“They make it tough to zero in on what they're doing, and the guys they have up front are really, really explosive football players,” Cristobal said. “They have experience returning, but they've also picked up a couple guys in the portal that have played really well for them, and have certainly made a difference.”
Miami’s defense is in strong form as well, allowing an ACC-low 9.8 points per game. It should be healthier this week, too, with Cristobal saying cornerback Xavier Lucas is expected to return, along with linebacker Ezekiel Marcelin.
Florida State also made a roster move Tuesday, announcing that freshman cornerback Chuck Kennon has been dismissed from the football program for “conduct detrimental to the team.”
Kennon was the Seminoles’ top-ranked recruit in the 2026 class.
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The timing matters because reinforcements may be on the way, with Xavier Lucas expected back for the upcoming game against Florida State. Even so, Fitzgeralds emergence gives Miami something it can carry into a rivalry game and beyond, especially if the Hurricanes want more flexibility when injuries force them to keep shuffling the back end. [Read more 🡒]
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For Miami, the appeal is easy to see. Tonata has said he is interested in attending an East Coast school, and he has singled out the Hurricanes coaching staff and facilities in his look at the program. Miami also currently sits at the top of the recruiting prediction metrics for Tonata, which makes this one worth tracking as the process develops. [Read more 🡒]