College football

Florida St. finally gets a break vs. Miami

No. 9 'Canes miss game-tying FG, No. 14 'Noles get 1st series win since '99

Doug Benc / Getty Images

Florida State's Kyler Hall celebrates after knocking down a pass against Miami. Hall and the Seminoles beat their in-state rival Hurricanes for the first time since '99.

updated 2:30 a.m. ET Sept. 6, 2005

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Miami looked ready to break Florida State’s heart again, lining up for a tying 28-yard field goal in the waning minutes.

And with the history of the series and the way the Seminoles were playing offense, it was hard not to like the Miami’s chances in overtime.

But Florida State finally caught a break against Miami.

After six straight years of frustrating finishes, the Seminoles found some good fortune against their rivals when the Hurricanes botched that potential tying kick to give Florida State a 10-7 victory Monday night.

“We finally stole one from them like they’ve been stealing them from us,” Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said. “It’s about time.”

In a series that has seen countless missed field goals by Florida State decide games, Miami missed two and couldn’t even get off the biggest one of the game.

Jon Peattie lined up for the 28-yarder with about 2:30 left, but holder Brian Monroe dropped a low snap that bounced off his hands and rolled back into the pile, never giving Peattie a chance to try the kick.

“It was like, ’Did that really just happen. That’s supposed to happen to us,”’ Florida State running back Lorenzo Booker said, laughing at the irony.

With No. 9 Miami out of timeouts, No. 14 Florida State simply needed to run out the clock to secure its first victory over the Hurricanes since 1999 and maybe take some of the sting out of all those wide rights and lefts, some that might have cost Florida State national titles.

“It made up for a lot of them but not all of them,” said Bowden, who improved to 12-19 against Miami with FSU.

Florida State overcame its own inept offense (170 total yards) with a defense that registered nine sacks by seven players and some solid special teams plays.

Both Florida State’s Drew Weatherford and Miami’s Kyle Wright were making their first collegiate starts at quarterback and, at times, neither looked ready to lead a team to victory in one of college football’s fiercest rivalries.

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Weatherford was awful, going 7-for-24 for 67 yards with an interception. He was pulled early in the fourth, but fellow redshirt freshman Xavier Lee had no luck moving the ’Noles, either.

“The only thing I didn’t like was that our freshman quarterbacks couldn’t hit a receiver,” Bowden said.

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Wright wasn’t much better until the final Miami drive, when he completed six passes and converted three third downs to put the Hurricanes in position to beat the Noles’ for the seventh straight time.

Wright hooked up with tight end Greg Olsen four times in the 19-play drive that started on the Miami 3 and got the Hurricanes to the Florida State 3. But the Seminoles’ ninth sack pushed Miami back and forced the Hurricanes to settle for the field goal attempt.

Wright finished 16-for-28 for 232 yards and a touchdown pass. Olsen caught eight passes for 137 yards.

“I don’t mean to say anything bad about Florida State,” Wright said. “But I don’t think the better team won.”

So, it came down to the defenses and special teams, and even when those units set up their offenses with prime field position, it was no sure thing they’d capitalize. The Seminoles wasted a first-and-goal from the 1 in the third quarter.

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