MIAMI, Fla. – The No. 3 Miami Hurricanes will meet the Florida State Seminoles on the football field on Saturday night for the 71st time in the in-state rivalry’s history, a matchup with several highlights and significant moments; however, none might compare to wide right and wide left.

It’s not often that a series of events in sports is connected to form its own identity.

The chapter started on Nov. 16, 1991, when two top National Contenders went down to the wire. Both programs entered the matchup with undefeated records. The No. 1 Seminoles led 16-7 entering the first quarter, but the No. 2 Hurricanes responded with 10 unanswered points. Before claiming victory, Florida State had one final chance to score. A 34-yard field goal by kicker Gerry Thomas would put the game away; instead, the football went far right.

After a 17-16 win, the Hurricanes went undefeated for the rest of the season and won the National Championship over Nebraska in a 22-0 shutout.

It was only the beginning.

The following year, the matchup delivered a similar storyline. Both programs were undefeated prior to kickoff and the game went down to the wire again. The No. 2 Hurricanes led 19-16, but the No.3 Seminoles had an opportunity to send the game to overtime. A 39-yard field goal attempt by kicker Dan Mowrey went far right, resulting in a sequel. The Hurricanes won the next seven consecutive games, but the quest for back-to-back National Championships was crushed by Alabama in a 34-13 loss in the Sugar Bowl.

Fast forward to 2000; this time, it was the Seminoles defending a title. However, unlike the last two matchups, the offense was more explosive. The No. 7 Hurricanes jumped to a 17-0 start by halftime; however, the No. 1 Seminoles scored 13 unanswered points in the third quarter. They took a 24-20 lead in the fourth quarter until quarterback Ken Dorsey responded with a 13-yard pass to then-freshman tight end Jeremy Shockey.

It wasn’t over yet.

Seminoles kicker Matt Munyon attempted a 49-yard field goal to send the game to overtime, but the football went far right; the Hurricanes won 27-24. Despite the loss, the defending champions returned to the big stage, only for the Oklahoma Sooners to dethrone them 13-2.

The final chapter of the historical events takes place on Oct. 12, 2002. The No. 1 Hurricanes were the defending National Champions. The No. 9 Seminoles were the underdogs, looking to pull off an upset. After several back-and-forth sequences, the Hurricanes took a 28-27 lead in the fourth quarter, but there was still time on the clock.

A 49-yard field goal would seal the victory; then Seminoles kicker Xavier Beitia went far left.

The Hurricanes returned to the National Championship game with hopes of going back-to-back, but Ohio State ended the journey with a 31-24 loss in the Fiesta Bowl, including a controversial pass interference call on corner back Glenn Sharpe.

A few missed kicks made up a ton of college football history.

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