Miami finds its offense just in time and makes its first ACC game count, as FSU's woes against the Canes continues. Sinorice Moss' 30-yard reception in the final minute ties it, and Frank Gore's 18-yard run ends it.
By BRIAN LANDMAN
Published September 11, 2004
[Times photos: Willie J. Allen]
Miami's Glenn Sharpe, left, and Greg Threat celebrate Threat's interception in the fourth, which led to a field goal. FSU's Chris Rix threw for only 108 yards.
Ray Willis stays on the bench after FSU lost to Miami for the sixth consecutive time.
MIAMI - The Miami Hurricanes just seem to find a way against Florida State.
Need a blocked field goal? No problem.
Need a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback against what had been a dominating defense? Got it.
Need a turnover in overtime? What do you think?
The No. 5-ranked 'Canes rallied to force overtime in the final seconds, stopped FSU's veteran, supposedly high-powered offense for the umpteenth time and completed the improbable comeback - at least for anyone else against any other opponent - on tailback Frank Gore's 18-yard touchdown run for a 16-10 win Friday night at the Orange Bowl.
"It seems like they always come out on top in the end," FSU coach Bobby Bowden said. "The close games, they win."
That's six straight losses to the 'Canes.
Beyond that domination, this game marked the first between Miami and No. 4 FSU as ACC rivals. With no league title game until next season, most folks viewed the winner of this ballyhooed showdown as the front-runner for a Bowl Championship Series berth.
"Are all the games like that in the ACC? I may not like this league," Miami coach Larry Coker said, joking. "It's a great way to start out, obviously. If we had been 0-1, (I would) not be as happy. But there's still a lot of games to play."
That might be the only solace for Bowden, who suffered through a dreadful week. His former son-in-law, John Madden, and 15-year-old grandson, Bowden Madden, died Sunday in an automobile accident Sunday. He had to maintain his focus and try to beat his archnemesis, a team he just saw in January's Orange Bowl.
The Seminoles (0-1) seemed poised to do that thanks to their young, largely untested defense.
A fumble recovery by linebacker A.J. Nicholson set up a 45-yard field goal by former Jesuit star Xavier Beitia late in the opening quarter. And cornerback Antonio Cromartie returned a fumble 61 yards for a touchdown midway through the second quarter for a 10-0 lead.
Of course, this was supposed to be a showcase for FSU's offense. In last season's Orange Bowl, Bowden and his staff showed, perhaps, too much respect for a veteran and talented Miami defense and, perhaps, not enough confidence in their mercurial quarterback. The game plan then was vanilla.
But UM's defense lost four first-round picks and three starters to the NFL. Most important, Bowden said quarterback Chris Rix, FSU's first four-year starter at the most important position, had matured and could handle the full playbook.
Rix, as he has done in his four previous losses to Miami, struggled throughout. He completed just 12 of 28 passes for 108 yards and two interceptions, which could spark talk of a quarterback competition.
It didn't help that the Seminoles had a patchwork offensive line with center David Castillo (chest injury) and guard Bobby Meeks (left ankle sprain) replaced in the starting lineup by the less experienced tandem of John Frady and Ron Lunford. In the second half, guard Matt Meinrod, from East Lake High, left with a right knee injury and Meeks had to come in for Lunford.
"It wasn't the performance I expected," Bowden said. "I don't blame it on one guy. It's really a shame. I feel bad for our kids. It comes down to our offense right now. They tried to do too many things and couldn't do anything."
That ineffectiveness gave the 'Canes something else they desperately needed ... a chance. Brock Berlin, who struggled for much of the game and drew boos from the crowd of 78,622 in the second half, got hot just in time.
After a diving interception by safety Greg Threat, Berlin hit Sinorice Moss for 63 yards that led to an 18-yard field goal by Jon Peattie, the former Countryside High star.
FSU, however, seemingly was ready to seal its win until Devin Hester blocked Beitia's 34-yard field goal with 3:58 left.
"It's amazing, our kicking game against Miami," Bowden said, referring to five missed field goals against UM since 1991. "They haven't blocked one before tonight. We would have won the darn game with that kick."
Even after that, Cromartie came up with an acrobatic, over-the-shoulder interception with 3:42 left. But FSU couldn't run out the clock and punted the ball back to Miami.
"We thought we had it, and we just didn't finish the game," Rix said. "We just had to execute, and we didn't execute. That's on the offense."
Berlin, starting at his 20 with 1:22 left, drove his team the length of the field in five plays, culminating with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Moss with 30 seconds left.
"We knew we were going to score," Berlin said, adding he could see it in everyone's eyes. "It always comes down to something crazy against these guys."
In the overtime, Rix fumbled a snap on third and 13 from the 28 in overtime that defensive end Thomas Carroll recovered to set up the dramatic, but for some, all too predictable end.
"I can't say enough about our defense," Coker said. "Even in the overtime, we just never seemed like a tired football team. We played very, very hard. (And) we just made plays."
