The State Rivalry Continues: Florida State at No. 3 Miami

It is arguably one of the best rivalries in college football. The Florida State Seminoles (3-3) and the Miami Hurricanes (5-0) face off on Saturday night in Miami Gardens, Florida. The Hurricanes have defeated the Seminoles the last two times they have met, and have won six of the last 10 meetings.

Florida State has the dubious distinction of having lost 11 consecutive road games, coming off a 44-20 defeat at Louisville last week.

Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET

Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

TV: ESPN

Betting Odds: Miami -21.5-point favorite

The Seminoles have not experienced the thrill of victory on the road, with losses at Alabama (50-36) and Louisville. In both of those games, Florida State had a substantial lead. But the Seminoles defense suffered epic collapses and could not recover.

The Hurricanes are 28-6 over their last 34 games, with three different starting quarterbacks. Miami was the national runner-up last season after posting a 13-3 record. Through five games, Miami has played dominant and winning football.

Miami is No. 1 in the country in total offense (554 yards/game) and scoring offense (49 points/game). They also are ranked No. 1 in rushing defense (42 yards/game).

The Hurricanes have not allowed an opponent to rush for over 100 yards this season. Further, they have allowed only one rushing touchdown and less than two yards per carry.

RB Mark Fletcher Jr. is a veteran of this rivalry game. This will be his fourth matchup against the Seminoles. He has gained 158 yards rushing and one touchdown in the previous three meetings.

The Seminoles can win if they put together a complete game for entire 60 minutes. A repeat performance of the Virginia game would be nice: 10 sacks and 12 tackles for loss in a 38-7 victory.

A balanced attack is needed. Take the punches in the mouth and keep on coming. They have to answer Miami and not play from behind.

The Mensah to Toney quarterback/receiver duo is the best in college football. Toney has caught a touchdown pass in four of the five games played. Miami has a lot of firepower on offense and a lot of stopping power on defense.

During the years of Bobby Bowden, and later Jimbo Fisher, this game was a war. And it was played on scorched earth. However, over the last decade, it has been relatively one-sided.