FSU football: Seminoles' dominant win over Miami Hurricanes not that surprising

MIAMI GARDENS – Florida State defensive end Jared Verse had a specific celebration in mind coming into the Miami game.

So when Verse found an opportunity against the Hurricanes, he took advantage.

The sequence started with Verse sacking quarterback Jacurri Brown, beating banged up left tackle John Campbell Jr. off the edge on the play. Verse then formed a U with his hands – only to emphatically snap Miami’s signature symbol across his left knee.

What a way to epitomize how the Seminoles (6-3, 4-3 ACC) fractured the Hurricanes (4-5, 2-3) in their 45-3 win on Saturday, which came before a crowd of 66,200 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

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And the lopsided result is not that surprising, at least not to anyone paying attention to both programs.

Since FSU defeated Miami last season, 31-28, the gap between both teams has significantly widened. Verse is not the first player to taunt the Hurricanes with that specific gesture this season. 

“It was definitely something I had seen on TV a lot,” Verse said. “I saw a couple people do it and thought, ‘That’s kind of cool. I might steal that really quick.’”

The most dramatic difference between these programs is with their offenses, which became even more apparent in this game.

The Seminoles continued to look like one of the nation’s most explosive attacks. They tallied seven plays of 20-plus yards, including a 65-yard reception from running back Lawrance Toafili, a 56-yard touchdown catch from wide receiver Ontaria Wilson and a 42-yard run from running back Trey Benson.

Quarterback Jordan Travis only attempted 12 passes, completing 10 of them for 202 yards and three touchdowns with an interception. FSU heavily leaned on its ground game instead, turning 49 carries into 229 yards and three scores.

With their fourth straight 200-yard rushing performance, the Seminoles remain on pace to average more rushing yards per game than any team in program history since 1996. And Travis recorded a career-high in passing efficiency (209.6) when attempting at least seven passes.

“We were able to dominate that game with the true character of what this team is all about,” said FSU coach Mike Norvell, who now has this team bowl eligible for the first time since 2019.

Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke permanently left the game in the first half after reaggravating his throwing-shoulder injury. But even when Van Dyke has been healthy this season, the Hurricane offense still struggled.

Without a healthy Van Dyke, Miami has not scored a touchdown in its last two games. The Hurricanes were held to just 62 passing yards and 188 overall Saturday.

“Obviously a poor performance by our program. As a head coach, you’ve got to take responsibility for that,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

The biggest blowout that the Seminoles have suffered under Norvell came on their last trip to Hard Rock Stadium, in 2020. While Norvell watched in isolation as he battled with COVID-19, Miami won 52-10.

Two years later, the Seminoles flipped a 42-point loss into a 42-point victory.

It’s the largest road win in this rivalry’s storied history. It’s the first time the Hurricanes have suffered four straight home losses in the same season since 1973. And it’s FSU’s largest victory over Miami since 47-0 in 1997.

“It was a pretty terrible night,” said Norvell about the 2020 loss. “But between then and now, it’s given us an opportunity to have a night like this. And that’s what makes this game special.”

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One promising sign for the Seminoles

FSU finally played a complete game.

And not just in the sense that its offense and defense played well.

The Seminoles also rarely committed glaring mistakes against the Hurricanes. They had struggled with self-inflicted errors all season, especially throughout their three-game losing streak to Wake Forest, NC State and Clemson.

On offense, FSU showed much better execution and efficiency in the red zone. The Seminoles converted all six of their red-zone opportunities into points, and five of them were touchdowns. They entered the game ranked No. 104 nationally in red zone conversion rate (76.3%).

On defense, FSU forced four turnovers via two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. The Seminoles came in at No. 110 in turnovers gained, forcing only eight takeaways through as many games to start the season.

Not to mention that for the first time since September, FSU did not allow a touchdown on its opening defensive possession of the second half. The Seminoles forced a three-and-out on that drive this time.

Whether FSU can turn those sudden improvements into trends in its final three games will be worth monitoring.

“None of the games we lost was because the opponent was better than us,” Verse said. “This was not our best game. We made our mistakes. We’ve got a lot to fix. But this was one step closer to that. 

“If we put together a full game, I don’t think anyone can beat us.”

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Can FSU take advantage on the recruiting trail?

How much a win like this could benefit FSU on the recruiting trail remains to be seen.

The Seminoles certainly will need to keep their foot on the gas, though, with how well Florida and Miami are recruiting under first-year coaches Billy Napier and Cristobal.

The Hurricanes have the highest-ranked 2023 recruiting class out of any program in the state, coming in at No. 7 (Rivals and 247Sports) and No. 8 (On3) nationally via the three major recruiting services.

FSU has the lowest-ranked 2023 class among the three programs, coming in at No. 17 (247Sports and On3) and No. 25 (Rivals). But the Seminoles are recruiting at a high level in the 2024 class, ranking No. 3 (247Sports and Rivals) and No. 7 (On3) with six verbal commits.

In September, FSU beat Miami for five-star receiver recruit Hykeem Williams. He's from Stranahan High in Fort Lauderdale. Maybe with a win this convincing, the Seminoles could build recruiting momentum in the 2024 class and beyond and land more top high school players in the state like Williams.

“This is a special game,” Norvell said. “To be able to come down, back home for so many guys that are on our team and to see them play well. Because guys that come from South Florida, they come up to Florida State, they grow, they develop and they do what they did tonight. 

“That's exciting for them to be able to put that on display. That's exciting for us in recruiting.”

UP NEXT

Who: FSU (6-3, 4-3 ACC) at Syracuse (6-3, 4-2)

When/Where: Saturday, 8 p.m., JMA Wireless Dome

TV: ACC Network 

Reach Carter Karels at ckarels@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @CarterKarels. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).

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