This year’s showdown between in-state rivals FSU, Miami is Top 25 matchup

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — When No. 18 Florida State and No. 3 Miami meet Saturday in their annual intrastate and Atlantic Coast Conference rivalry game, the contest will be one of only two Top 25 matchups of the day.

As if the intense rivalry between the teams is not enough, that status brings with it significance in the College Football Playoff picture, and the programs have a history of ending each other’s national title hopes.

The undefeated Hurricanes are looking to build upon their already strong start to the season, which includes victories against then-No. 6 Notre Dame and Florida, to try to make a run at the national championship. They have not won in Tallahassee since 2019, but Miami quarterback Carson Beck is 4-0 against Florida State and Florida.

The Seminoles are coming off a stunning, double-overtime loss to Virginia on Saturday, ending their unbeaten run after defeating Alabama in their opener and pounding East Texas A&M and Kent State. The defeat in its ACC opener knocked FSU down 10 spots in The Associated Press Top 25 rankings.

If they hope to get back into the CFP hunt, the Seminoles need a victory against the Hurricanes on Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee.

“We lost the first conference game. We have nothing but an opportunity in front of us this next week in a huge game for us, for our program, for our university,” FSU coach Mike Norvell said.

In the eyes of Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal, conference games are playoff games, and he pointed out this week that league matchups tend to be tighter than many non-conference contests. 

“Everybody’s alive, everybody’s vying for a spot,” Cristobal said. “So the margins for error, the margins between winning and not winning, become smaller and smaller. … I think that’s the best part of college football at this time of year. You’re getting everybody’s best, and you’re giving everybody your best.”

FSU rushed for 256 yards against Virginia, but it also surrendered 211 yards on the ground. The Cavaliers converted seven of 13 third-down attempts. The Seminoles also had two early turnovers that led to the Cavaliers’ first two touchdowns.

Despite the loss to the Cavaliers, the Seminoles had positive moments that they might look to carry into the matchup with the Hurricanes. They erased a 14-0 deficit against the Cavaliers, and quarterback Tommy Castellanos threw a tying 11-yard touchdown pass to Randy Pittman Jr. with 36 seconds left in regulation.

Castellanos appeared to throw a tying 22-yard touchdown pass to Duce Robinson in the second overtime. But Robinson juggled the ball as he ran through the back of the end zone. After the play was initially ruled a score, it was reversed on replay. On the next play, Castellanos heaved a desperation pass to the corner of the end zone intended for Squirrel White. He was intercepted by Ja’Son Prevard, closing it out for the Cavaliers.

“I know our guys will respond,” Norvell said. “We have to go put everything we have into this week.”

He said he believes FSU could get a boost from playing at home.

“You’ll see a sold-out Doak Campbell Stadium, nighttime, prime time,” Norvell said. “A wonderful stage to be able to show this team who we are, what we’re about, and the response that we’re going to have.”

Beck is not worried about the crowd noise.

“In all these loud stadiums and big-time matchups, I think you can see that throughout these first five weeks of college football,” Beck said. “But for us, if we just have elite communication, we can just kind of block that crowd out and just execute and do what we do.”

In the end, the outcome could come down to which team’s strengths prevail.

FSU running back Gavin Sawchuk (234 yards rushing) and Castellanos (217 yards rushing) lead the Seminoles’ ground attack, which ranks second in the Football Bowl Subdivision at 336.3 yards a game. Miami is tied for eighth in the FBS in rushing defense at 76.3 yards a game.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.