Five Greatest Miami-Florida State Games That Have Defined The Rivalry

There was a time when the road to a national championship almost inevitably ran through the state of Florida.

More specifically, it ran through Miami or Tallahassee.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Miami and Florida State weren’t simply two programs competing for bragging rights. They were college football royalty, producing NFL talent at an astonishing rate while routinely determining who would compete for national championships.

Bobby Bowden built the Florida State Seminoles into a national powerhouse. Miami, under coaches Howard Schnellenberger, Jimmy Johnson, Dennis Erickson and eventually Butch Davis, developed a dynasty with an unmistakable swagger.

When these programs met, the stakes were enormous.

The rivalry produced unforgettable comebacks, stunning upsets and enough missed field goals to traumatize generations of Seminoles fans.

Here are the five games that best capture an era when Miami-Florida State was arguably college football’s greatest rivalry.

No. 2 Miami 19, No. 3 Florida State 16

The Hurricanes entered the 1992 meeting riding a 20-game winning streak, but their narrow 8-7 escape against Arizona the previous week created questions about their vulnerability.

Many believed Florida State had beaten itself in 1991 and that the Seminoles were positioned to finally overcome Miami.

Instead, history repeated itself.

In another matchup featuring national championship implications, Florida State battled Miami throughout the afternoon at the Orange Bowl.

Trailing 19-16, the Seminoles mounted one final drive, positioning kicker Dan Mowrey for a 39-yard field goal attempt that would have forced a tie - overtime did not exist in major college football at the time. 

Mowrey pushed the attempt wide right as time expired.

For the second consecutive season, Florida State’s championship aspirations suffered a devastating blow against its biggest rival.

Miami’s victory reinforced something that was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

The Hurricanes knew how to survive these moments. Florida State was still learning.  

No. 9 Florida State 24, No. 2 Miami 10

Sometimes the greatest rivalry games aren’t decided by last-second heroics.

Sometimes they’re remembered because they fundamentally alter a season.

Miami arrived in Tallahassee undefeated and ranked second nationally, looking every bit like another national championship contender.

Florida State had other plans.

“In the Miami game of ’89, Miami ended up finishing the year No. 1 in the nation. We got off to a bad start that year, losing our first two games, but we won the rest of them. We played Miami, and we knocked them off,” Bowden said reflecting on the game.

The Seminoles intercepted Miami quarterback Gino Torretta on the Hurricanes’ opening offensive play, setting up a 37-yard touchdown run by Dexter Carter.

It established the tone for an evening Miami would rather forget.

Torretta threw four interceptions, and the Hurricanes committed six turnovers. Florida State repeatedly frustrated Miami near the goal line, preventing the Hurricanes from capitalizing on promising opportunities.

Carter finished with 142 rushing yards as Florida State secured a 24-10 victory.

It would be Miami’s only defeat of the season.

For Bowden, the victory represented something bigger than ending a losing streak against Miami.

It demonstrated that Florida State could physically dominate a program that had repeatedly stood between the Seminoles and national championship opportunities.  

“Again, they went on to win the national championship. Had we not lost one of those earlier games, we probably would have been national champions. But it was a great game.”

No. 7 Miami 27, No. 1 Florida State 24

By 2000, Florida State had become the defending national champion, while Miami was attempting to reclaim its place among college football’s elite.

What followed was another remarkable chapter in the rivalry’s history.

Miami controlled much of the afternoon before Florida State quarterback Chris Weinke engineered a fourth-quarter comeback.

The Seminoles eventually took a 24-20 lead, seemingly positioning themselves for another crucial victory.

But Miami quarterback Ken Dorsey responded.

Dorsey found tight end Jeremy Shockey for the go-ahead touchdown, giving Miami a 27-24 advantage.

Florida State still had one opportunity.

Weinke moved the Seminoles into field goal range, setting up Matt Munyon for a 49-yard attempt to force overtime.

The kick sailed wide right.

Again.

Miami celebrated, but the season ultimately delivered another twist. Florida State received the opportunity to play Oklahoma for the national championship despite losing the head-to-head matchup.

It remains one of the rivalry’s most consequential games, both on the field and in the debate surrounding college football’s championship selection process.  

No. 2 Miami 17, No. 1 Florida State 16

Before the phrase became synonymous with Florida State heartbreak, there was November 16, 1991.

Top-ranked Florida State hosted second-ranked Miami in a matchup that felt like a national championship game disguised as a regular-season contest.

The Seminoles entered undefeated, believing this was finally their opportunity to overcome the Hurricanes.

Florida State led 16-7 entering the fourth quarter.

Miami, however, refused to disappear.

The Hurricanes scored 10 unanswered points, taking a 17-16 lead and forcing Florida State into one final desperate possession.

The Seminoles drove into field goal range, giving Gerry Thomas an opportunity to deliver one of the biggest victories in program history.

His 34-yard attempt drifted wide right.

Miami survived and eventually claimed a share of the national championship.

For Florida State, the defeat was devastating because the Seminoles had seemingly done everything necessary to win.

Everything except finish.

The missed kick became the defining image of a rivalry that repeatedly tested Florida State’s ability to overcome Miami when the stakes were highest.  

No. 3 Miami 26, No. 4 Florida State 25

No game better represents the audacity, talent and heartbreak of Miami-Florida State than their 1987 showdown.

Florida State appeared destined for a monumental victory.

Leading 19-3 late in the third quarter, the Seminoles had thoroughly frustrated Miami quarterback Steve Walsh and the Hurricanes’ offense.

Then everything changed.

Walsh connected with Melvin Bratton for a 49-yard touchdown before finding Michael Irvin for two more scores, including a spectacular 73-yard touchdown that gave Miami a 26-19 lead.

Florida State answered.

With 42 seconds remaining, quarterback Danny McManus connected with Ronald Lewis for a touchdown, pulling the Seminoles within 26-25.

Bowden faced a decision.

Kick the extra point and settle for a tie, or attempt a two-point conversion and win the game.

Bowden chose victory.

McManus looked for Pat Carter, but the pass fell incomplete.

Miami escaped with a one-point victory and eventually captured the national championship.

Florida State finished 11-1.

The decision embodied Bowden’s philosophy and the rivalry itself.

Playing not to lose wasn’t enough.

Against Miami, Florida State wanted to win everything.

And sometimes, that ambition came at a heartbreaking price.