MIAMI (Ticker) -- Florida State's agony against Miami now
extends to both goalposts.
Xavier Beitia was wide left on a 43-yard field goal attempt as
time expired as top-ranked Miami rallied from a 13-point deficit
in the fourth quarter and escaped with a 28-27 victory over the
12th-ranked Seminoles.
Jason Geathers scored on an 11-yard run with 5:17 left to give
the Hurricanes a one-point lead. Willis McGahee, who carried 26
times for 96 yards, rambled 68 yards with a screen pass from
Ken Dorsey on the previous play.
The Seminoles were not done and moved into position for a
game-winning field goal following a three-yard punt by Freddie
Capshaw. But Beitia, who connected earlier from 45 and 42
yards, hooked his kick to the left, adding another almost
identical chapter to one of college football's best rivalries.
"I can't believe we lost the game like this again. I thought we
had it," Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said. "I went out to
shake (Beitia's) hand. I thought he hit it. I've had that
picture so many times before in my career. I can't stand it.
Our kids did not deserve to lose this game."
Florida State lost close games to Miami in 1991 and 1992 as
shorter field goal attempts sailed wide right in the final
seconds.
Two years ago, a 49-yard attempt also was wide right, giving the
Hurricanes a three-point win. Beitia joined Gerry Thomas, Dan
Mowrey and Matt Munyon in Florida State lore as kickers who
failed in the final seconds against the Hurricanes.
"What was going through my head? I was not nervous," Beitia
said. "I was thinking, `Just make the kick, just make the
kick,' the same thing that always goes through my head. Was it
a bad snap or a bad hold? I don't know the answer. It's a
blur."
Despite a sluggish performance in which it was penalized 14
times for 109 yards, Miami (6-0) extended the nation's longest
winning streak to 28 games and won for the 20th straight time at
the Orange Bowl.
The Hurricanes overcame a huge game by Florida State's Greg
Jones, who carried 31 times for 189 yards and a score.
"We got exactly what we wanted out of him today," Bowden said.
"Whatever we did today we did right because we had a chance to
win at the end."
But it was not enough as Florida State (5-2), which hoped to
return to college football's elite with a win, lost to Miami for
the third straight time.
Dorsey was the victim of several dropped passes but still threw
for 362 yards, completing 20-of-42 passes with two
interceptions. He took control when the Hurricanes needed him
most, throwing a two-yard TD pass to Kevin Beard with 8:10 left
to cut the deficit to 27-21.
"I think we realized the game was in jeopardy and we took it
upon ourselves to make something happen," Dorsey said.
"Thankfully, the defense came up big."
Florida State rolled up 296 yards on the ground behind Jones,
who scored on a 12-yard run to increase the Seminoles' lead to
27-14 with 11:44 left.
The Hurricanes have won their first 18 games under Larry Coker,
who is off to the best start by any coach in the modern era
(post-1950). Miami, which topped Florida last month, passed yet
another stiff test. Its next major challenge likely will come
November 9 at Tennessee.
"This was a great team victory and we'll remember it for a long
time," Coker said. "We never gave up. We made a lot of
mistakes. Florida State, as we know, is an excellent football
team. They came to play, as we knew they would."
"I know we made a lot more mistakes than Florida State did, but
I know a lot of us gave an effort," Miami center Brett Romberg
added. "I kind of think we earned it. Some of us think we
earned it."
The Hurricanes looked impressive on their opening drive,
marching 91 yards in 13 plays and taking nearly eight minutes
off the clock before McGahee broke several tackles and scored on
a four-yard run.
The teams committed turnovers on consecutive plays in the second
quarter when Leon Washington fumbled a punt and Dorsey
immediately fumbled. The Seminoles moved downfield and Nick
Maddox scored on a 30-yard run to tie it at 7-7.
Beitia kicked a 45-yard field goal to give the Seminoles their
first lead.
Florida State continued to move the ball on the ground, as runs
of 14 yards by Jones and 17 yards by Maddox set up a 10-yard
touchdown pass over the middle from Chris Rix to Talman Gardner.
"I'm speechless. I've never been so tired in all my life," said
Rix, who completed just 8-of-19 passes for 83 yards. "One play
and we had this game. 'Any given Sunday,' as Al Pacino says.
It's a game of inches. That's how we lost, by inches. It's a
tough way to lose."
Miami cut it to 17-14 at halftime on a five-yard TD toss from
Dorsey to Kellen Winslow with 26 seconds left in the second
quarter.
But even with the touchdown, Miami trailed at the half for the
first time under Coker.
The Hurricanes were sluggish in the third quarter, where the
only scoring was a 42-yard field goal by Beitia. Dorsey had a
52-yard pass to Roscoe Parrish called back by a chop block
penalty.
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