Florida State’s annual matchup with Miami arrives with the Seminoles still searching for something Mike Norvell has not seen enough of this season: a full four quarters of clean football.
That was the message from Norvell on Wednesday as FSU turned its attention to Saturday’s road test against the No. 3 team in the country. He made it clear the rivalry always carries weight, but this one demands even more because of the level Miami is playing at on both sides of the ball.
Norvell also pointed to the mix of experience and fresh faces around the program when he asked the players who had taken part in the rivalry before to raise their hands earlier this week.
“This will be a game that you remember forever,” Norvell said.
For Florida State, the timing of that reminder matters. The Seminoles have spent too much of the season riding momentum one stretch and losing it the next, and that kind of swing cannot survive against a Miami team that brings the No.1 scoring offense and defense in the country.
That problem showed up again last week when Louisville erased a 14-point deficit against FSU. The same thing happened earlier in the year against Alabama. Those lapses have been costly, and Norvell knows Miami can punish them in a hurry.
“There are times that you can be riding high, and you just take the next play as the next play," Norvell continued. "But if you don’t put everything you have towards it, things can flip quickly."
The Seminoles’ best example of putting it together came in Week 5, when they beat Virginia 38-7. Ashton Daniels set multiple records in that game with five rushing touchdowns, and the defense came up with 10 sacks. That is the kind of complete effort Florida State will need again if it wants to come out of Miami Gardens with its second ACC win.
Even then, Norvell said the team still has not delivered the kind of finish he’s looking for.
“Even in games where we played at a very high level, we still have yet to see the 60-minute execution,” Norvell said.
The task is steep. FSU has shown flashes on offense, but it will need those moments to last much longer against a Miami team led by Heisman Trophy candidate Darian Mensah and a deep group of playmakers around him. The Seminoles have to stay on schedule, get stops when they need them, and score enough to keep pace.
A strong start would help, but another road setback would deepen the pressure around Norvell and drop Florida State to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the ACC.
In Other News...
Former Miami Tight End Could Soon Shake Up The Big Ten Race
Alex Baumans path from Miami to Michigan took another turn this week after the former Hurricanes tight end won a legal injunction that allowed him to enter the transfer portal and head to the Wolverines. For a Michigan team looking for answers on offense, the timing matters. The Wolverines have been trying to stabilize a unit that has not found its footing, and adding Bauman gives them another piece to work with as they try to sharpen that side of the ball.
Michigan plans to bring Bauman in along with another player, and his debut is expected soon. For Miami fans, it is another reminder of how quickly a former player can surface in a new conference and potentially matter in a big way. For the Wolverines, it is less about the headline and more about whether Bauman can help provide the kind of boost their offense has been missing as the Big Ten race tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Defense Has Florida State Facing A Dangerous Quarterback Problem
Florida State arrives with a quarterback who can make things interesting in a hurry, and Ashton Daniels has already shown why. According to Pro Football Focus, he has the longest average time to throw in the country at 3.63 seconds, a style that can create explosive plays but also leaves plenty of room for sacks and interceptions when the pocket starts to close. For Miami, that kind of quarterback profile is familiar territory, because this defense has long been built to punish hesitation and force offenses to live with the consequences.
Daniels tendency to hold the ball puts the Seminoles in a tricky spot against a Hurricanes front that has historically done a good job of shrinking the impact of quarterbacks who need extra time. Miami has been especially effective at limiting those passers both through the air and on the ground, and that makes the matchup feel less about flash and more about who blinks first. If Daniels is forced into long-developing reads again, the Hurricanes will like their chances of turning pressure into problems. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Heads Into Florida State With One Big Protection Concern
Miami is getting ready to host Florida State in a rivalry game that always seems to bring a little extra edge, but this week the conversation around Coral Gables has centered as much on health as on matchup prep. Malachi Toney is dealing with a shoulder injury, and the offensive line picture has been complicated further by Max Buchanans surgery, leaving protection as a clear point of concern heading into a game where pass rush pressure can quickly change everything.
The encouraging news for Miami is that the secondary has started to get some bodies back, and the defense still enters this one ranked among the nations best. Even so, the Hurricanes know that against Florida State, the line of scrimmage can dictate the night, and how well they hold up up front may end up being the difference between controlling the rivalry and spending the evening on the back foot. [Read more 🡒]