It’s going to look different, but plenty at stake when Canes, Seminoles renew their rivalry/

Coronavirus limiting stadium attendance, ’Noles minus Norvell

Different years bring different kinds of matchups of the classic rivalry between the Miami Hurricanes and Florida State Seminoles.

Known mostly, of course, for the installments when both teams are elite — and some missed field goals — some years one team is up while the other is down, and sometimes both are only a fraction of their former selves.

In 2020, the 65th installment is unique for far different reasons.

The trademark atmosphere this series brings every year won’t nearly be the same. Playing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Hard Rock Stadium will be limited to 13,000 fans — about one-fifth of stadium capacity — when No. 12 Miami (2-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) hosts Florida State (0-1, 0-1) on Saturday night.

“It’s hard to predict,” said UM coach Manny Diaz of what the atmosphere will feel like as the Hurricanes play in a second consecutive prime-time game on ABC with ESPN’s “College GameDay” featuring the matchup. ‘

“I thought Louisville had a really good atmosphere. I suspect it’ll be a little juicier than it was for the [opener against] UAB. I will say this: The fans that go, we need them.

“It felt like a game at Louisville on Saturday night, big-time atmosphere, the ABC national telecast. However many they let in, make all the noise they can. I think it’ll benefit our team.”

Players vow, regardless of the decibel level at Hard Rock Stadium they’ll be ready because of the meaning of the rivalry — something even those new to it understand.

“The game is going to take care of itself,” said Hurricanes quarterback D’Eriq King, playing in the rivalry for the first time after transferring from Houston. “I know they’re going to be ready. I know we’re going to be ready.

“It’s still the biggest game — one of the biggest games — for us every single year. When you look at the schedule, everybody looks at the Florida State game.”

Said safety Amari Carter, who is part of a Miami senior class looking to go 4-0 against FSU: “It’s still going to be 22 people on the field, 11 on both sides, and it’s going to be a football game.”

Leading the all-time series 34-30 and with a three-game winning streak in hand (FSU won seven straight prior to that), UM is confident going in. Looking impressive in the 47-34 win at Louisville and after the Seminoles, who will be without coach Mike Norvell due to a positive COVID-19 test, dropped their opener to Georgia Tech, oddsmakers agree as the Hurricanes are 11-point favorites.

“All I know is Miami Hurricanes, and they don’t lose to Florida State,” said junior cornerback DJ Ivey, bringing some of the juice to the rivalry this week. “That’s all Coach Diaz preached: We don’t lose to Florida State, and we’re going to continue to beat Florida State. “I’m 2-0. I plan to be 4-0.”

But in the grand scheme the Hurricanes also understand there have been other times where they’ve shown glimpses of being “back” that didn’t fully come to fruition. And they’re not ready to go that far just yet.

“We’re 120 minutes into this deal,” Diaz said. “I’m not going to run up a hill and put a flag in the ground and say, ‘This is who we are now.’ That is all still to be determined, but I do like the spirit that this team plays with early on.”

And failing to approach FSU week the right way, no matter how the Seminoles look, could lead to an undesirable outcome. Miami has kept itself from being complacent this week.

“It doesn’t matter what happened the week before, it doesn’t matter what the records are,” Diaz said. “The intensity of that game, the stakes in that game, the unlikely heroes, at times, that that game produces, I think that’s why we all love to watch it, and it’s certainly an honor to be a part of it.”

Without Norvell, who helped FSU prepare for the game remotely, the Hurricanes don’t anticipate a vastly different offensive scheme from the Seminoles under tight ends coach and deputy head coach Chris Thomsen.

“At their core, they’re going to be who they are,” UM defensive coordinator Blake Baker said. “It’s kind of hard to change completely in seven days.”

Miami offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee is familiar with FSU defensive coordinator Adam Fuller from facing off in the American Athletic Conference, with Norvell and Fuller at Memphis and Lashlee at SMU.

Lashlee, King and a running game spearheaded by junior back Cam’Ron Harris will look to maneuver against an FSU defense that still has talented playmakers like senior defensive tackle Marvin Wilson and junior cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., who intercepted two passes against the Yellow Jackets.