The 17th ranked Miami Hurricanes (5-1, 2-0) rallied to a comeback of the ages, stunning Florida State (3-3, 1-3) 28-27 on Saturday afternoon in Miami Gardens.
The game had the usual fare that comes with this rivalry: A pregame shout fest after warmups, the entire Miami roster getting an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for running across the field to come to the aid of injured receiver Jeff Thomas after he got pulled down by his face mask and was shaken up near a raucous Florida State sideline, and missed field goals by both teams in the final quarter.
But Miami's comeback was most unusual.
The Hurricanes, down 27-7, scored two touchdowns in a span of 42 seconds to get right back into the game, and then Perry connected with Brevin Jordan with 11:52 left for what became the winning score - the one that would give Miami its first home victory over FSU since 2004.
The Seminoles had build the lead with a DJ Matthews 74-yard punt return for a touchdown in the third quarter that pushed the lead to 27-7. However, in the fourth quarter, Gerald Willis III picked up a fumble for Miami to set up a 20-yard drive where Perry connected with Darrell Langhamon a fourth-down throw for a touchdown. Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois was intercepted by Miami's Michael Pinckney two plays later, and the Hurricanes cashed in on their next snap when Hurricanes QB K'Nosi Perry hit wideout Jeff Thomas hooked up for a 17-yard score.
With just those plays Miami turned a 27-7 game into a 27-21 game, and scored the game winning touchdown when Perry hit Brevin Jordan for a 41-yard touchdown pass. From there, the Hurricanes were able to make the necessary stops to complete one of the most improbable comebacks in the history of this great rivalry.
The Hurricanes return to action when they go on the road to battle Virginia next Saturday at 7 PM. Meanwhile, Florida State will be back on the football field in two weeks - after a bye next week, the Seminoles play host to Wake Forest on October 20th.