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Writer's pictureDominic Ambrose

Hurricanes Surging Defensive Grit Leads Team in Rivalry Win

Hurricanes Surging
© Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

MIAMI — The sixth-ranked Miami Hurricanes (8-0, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) defeated the in-state and ACC rival Florida State Seminoles (1-7, 1-6 ACC) 36-14 at Hard Rock Stadium on Oct. 26. This was the 69th matchup between the two schools. While the Hurricanes have the overall lead 35-33, the Seminoles have won the last three in the series. While the two teams are on very different tracks this season, the nature of rivalry games means records are thrown out the window and anything can, and usually does, happen. The game was closer for longer than expected as the Hurricanes kept on surging.



What Happened in the Game

The Hurricanes opened the scoring by marching down the field 67 yards for a touchdown by running back Mark Fletcher for an early 7-0 lead. After exchanging punts, the Hurricanes added another touchdown when running back Damien Martinez ran for 18 yards to make the score 14-0. The Seminoles got a jolt for their offense when quarterback Luke Kromenhoek entered the game for Brock Glenn and drove the offense 78 yards for a touchdown. The drive was highlighted by Kromenhoek running 42 yards to set up the eventual touchdown to make the game 14-7.



As the third quarter concluded, the Hurricanes would add field goals by Andres Borregales of 42 and 45 yards to extend the lead to 23-7. The fourth quarter saw the Hurricanes in a commanding lead of 23-7 when with 4:32 left in the quarter, the Hurricanes opted for a bit of trickery when quarterback Cam Ward caught a pass from tight end Elijah Arroyo to make the game 29-7 after a failed two-point conversion. The Hurricanes would add a touchdown by running back Damien Martinez to make the score 35-7 as the fourth quarter entered the final two minutes. The Seminoles found the endzone in the last minute of the game to make the score 36-14.



Player of the Game

Cam Ward, Miami Hurricanes

As the nation's leader in passing yardage, 2,538, and passing touchdowns, 24, Ward's completing 22-of-35 passes for 208 yards and no passing touchdowns in the game was an outlier for the Heisman Trophy front-runner. In a different look for Ward and the Hurricanes, he was the receiver on the pass from Arroyo for a touchdown in a play similar to the "Philly Special." He remained composed throughout the game despite the Seminoles' defense being able to sack Ward four times.


What Does the Game Mean

For the Hurricanes, the win against the Seminoles moves them one step closer to the ACC Championship as they remain undefeated in the conference. The "Hurricanes Special" play when Ward caught the touchdown was a new wrinkle in an offense that entered the game averaging 48 points and 577 yards per game. The Hurricanes next play the Duke Blue Devils (6-1, 2-1) on Nov. 2. Head coach Mario Cristobal praised his defense for playing strong and setting the tone for the game. Led by linebackers Francisco Mauigoa and Wesley Bissainthe, the Hurricanes stifled the Seminoles holding them to 248 total yards in the game.



For the Seminoles, the movement and preparation for next season is underway. With the underclassmen taking center stage. despite neither quarterback gaining ground in the air, the Seminoles were held to 115 yards passing, Luke Kromenhoek (6-of-14 61 yards passing and 71 yards rushing on 11 carries) gave a spark to the offense that both sides of the ball were able to feed on. On defense, linebackers Omar Graham and Edwin Joseph were seemingly everywhere for the Seminoles and head coach Mike Norvell. The Seminoles next play the North Carolina Tar Heels on Nov. 2.





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