With Hurricanes set to face FSU, Miami blocking out noise that comes with rivalry
Mario Cristobal calls it “the best rivalry in football.”
He knows fully well just how important the Miami Hurricanes’ annual game against the Florida State Seminoles is for both fan bases. Regardless of either team’s record, where they are in the standings or the impact of the game on the college football scene overall, a meeting between Miami and Florida State almost always seems to live up to the hype.
But Cristobal also knows that for his team to get to where it wants to go — a trip to the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game and the College Football Playoff — it needs to find a way block out any external distractions that come its way.
It’s a balancing act for the coach as his third-ranked Hurricanes (4-0, 0-0 ACC) renew their rivalry with the No. 18 Seminoles (3-1, 0-1 ACC) on Saturday at Tallahassee’s Doak Campbell Stadium (7:30 p.m., ABC) to open conference play.
“There’s not a single bit of noise or hype, not a single member of the audience on TV or in the stadium that’s going to be able to make a play one way or the other,” Cristobal said. “It’ll be determined by those that are on the field playing and coaching. I think that’s something that our guys digest really, really well and understand well. We’re focused on making sure that we could do our job to the best of our ability.”
The Hurricanes have done that so far this season. They’re one of 19 undefeated teams left in the country and one of two teams among those 19 (along with the Oklahoma Sooners) with multiple wins against ranked opponents.
Their meeting on Saturday with FSU will be the latest test, one that comes with Miami on the road for the first time this season. A sold-out crowd is expected at Doak Campbell Stadium for the first ranked matchup between the Hurricanes and Seminoles since 2016 and one that will likely go a long way for both teams’ College Football Playoff aspirations.
“It’s always about football,” said Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck, who played in his share of big games at Georgia but is set to play in his first at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday. “I mean, their fans aren’t on the field, right? So just don’t let it affect you. Communication has to be elite. ... Sometimes with a good fan base that makes it loud, that can add seven points. I think a good fan base is worth seven points.
“If we just have elite communication, I think that we can just kind of block that crowd out and just execute and do what we do.”
The Seminoles, who opened the season with a convincing win against Alabama but are coming off a double-overtime loss at Virginia last week, enter the game with the nation’s best offense, leading the country in yards per game (600) and points per game (53) — although those numbers are propped up heavily by blowout wins over two lesser opponents in East Texas A&M and Kent State (a combined 143 points and 1,504 yards in those contests). They lead the nation with with 13 plays of 40-plus yards. It has been a massive turnaround so far for Mike Norvell’s squad after they went just 2-10 last season.
It will be a test on Miami’s defense, which has been vastly improved from a season ago under first-year defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman. The Hurricanes enter the game ranked among the top 15 nationally in third-down defense (tied for seventh, 24% conversion rate), rushing defense (tied for eighth, 76.3 yards allowed per game), points allowed per game (ninth, 11.5) and yards allowed per game (13th, 244.5).
“They’ve got a great squad over there, really good players,” said senior linebacker Wesley Bissainthe, a Miami native who went to Central High. “It just comes down to having your eyes in the right place and doing your job.”
Miami’s offense has shown it can win in multiple ways. Beck has had his bright spots, completing 73.2% of his passes (seventh nationally among quarterbacks with at least 90 pass attempts) for 972 yards and seven touchdowns against three interceptions through four games. But Miami’s stout run game, led by junior Mark Fletcher Jr. and redshirt sophomore CharMar “Marty” Brown, has shown it can take over a game and eat clock when the game dictates.
The Hurricanes rank 12th nationally in time of possession, holding onto the ball for an average of 33:38.25 per game.
“Execution’s at a premium,” Cristobal said.
That’s the case for Cristobal every week. As much as he doesn’t want to admit it publicly, it’s amplified even more for Miami this week if only because of the history of the rivalry with Florida State.
Since 2014, seven of the past 11 meetings have been one-score games. The Hurricanes also haven’t won in Tallahassee since 2019.
“Growing up a Miami kid, I’ve been seeing the rivalry games,” Bissainthe said. “It’s a blessing to be part of it. Just got to go maximize your opportunity.”
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