Seminoles renew rivalry with Hurricanes
Florida State coaches and players don’t need any reminders as to the importance of this week’s game. Not only do the Seminoles face the enormous task of keeping their slim postseason hopes alive, but they’ll need to do so against rival Miami.
“If anybody has to get hyped up for this game, they should not be playing at Florida State,” said redshirt junior receiver Keyshawn Helton. “The reason we come to Florida State is to play in games like this.”
FSU (3-6, 2-4 ACC) has lost four straight games in the series, including a 52-10 blowout at Hard Rock Stadium last season. The margin of victory was the largest in the series since a 47-0 rout in 1976. The Seminoles need to win their remaining three games against Miami, Boston College and Florida to reach six wins and become bowl-eligible after missing out last year.
The Hurricanes (5-4, 3-2 ACC), meanwhile, have salvaged their season by winning three straight games and could become bowl-eligible for the ninth straight year with a win Saturday.
“Miami is clicking and they’re hot right now, so we’ve got to be ready when they come in here on Saturday,” said running back Jashaun Corbin. “We have to put a good week of preparation in.”
Mike Norvell missed out on last season’s game after testing positive for COVID-19, forcing the coach, then in his first season with the program, to watch from home.
“I’m excited about being a part of this game,” Norvell said Monday. “You come to Florida State and the first thing you think about are those games and what they mean not only to program but to the state, to your fan base and everybody involved.
“It was unfortunate last year that I wasn’t able to be there. It’s been a long time coming and there is a lot of excitement from our staff and our players to go and be able to compete.”
For McKenzie Milton, who arrived as a graduate transfer after starting his career at UCF, the chance to play in a rivalry such as this one remains special.
“You dream about, as a kid, a rivalry like this one and in a setting like Doak Campbell [Stadium],” said the quarterback, who earned his fourth start in a 28-14 loss to N.C. State.
Fellow transfer Keir Thomas knows FSU’s goals heading into the game.
“Win,” said Thomas, who had 2 sacks vs. the Wolfpack. “It would mean a lot to me and I know it would mean a lot to this organization. That’s the goal. We’ve got to win.”
The Seminoles are coming off consecutive losses, including 30-20 against Clemson two weeks ago. In the loss to the Wolfpack, FSU was without several key contributors because of a flu outbreak that hit the campus, including starting quarterback Jordan Travis.
Norvell is hopeful to have Travis back for the Hurricanes.
“He was in pretty tough shape this past week and it carried over to [Sunday],” said Norvell. “We’ll see as we progress throughout the week.
“It’s one of the greatest rivalries in college football. This is extremely important to those kids and our staff.”