10 points in fourth, OT TD deny FSU

MIAMI -- New season, new conference, same result.

Frank Gore's 18-yard touchdown run in overtime gave No. 5 Miami

a 16-10 victory over No. 4 Florida State on Friday night.

The Hurricanes, playing their first game as a member of the

Atlantic Coast Conference, extended their winning streak over the

Seminoles to six games.

"Are all the games like this in the ACC?" Miami coach Larry

Coker said. "I may not like this league."

The Hurricanes, who used to be in the Big East, won this one

with defense.

The Seminoles' offense did little during regulation and even

less in overtime. After a holding call put Florida State in a

first-and-20, Antrel Rolle sniffed out a screen pass for an 8-yard

loss. Chris Rix connected with Craphonso Thorpe for a 15-yard gain

on second down, but Rix fumbled on third down and Miami's Thomas

Carroll recovered.

Gore scored on Miami's second play.

"We never got tired; we were hungry all the way to the end,"

Coker said. "It's a monumental experience, a game you'll remember

for the rest of your life. It was just a great finish, a great

finish."

The game was originally scheduled to be played last Monday but

was postponed four days because of Hurricane Frances. A grandson

and a former son-in-law of Florida State coach Bobby Bowden were

killed last Sunday when their car was hit a by a utility truck that

was helping to restore power outages caused by the hurricane.

Miami (1-0) scored 16 straight points in the fourth quarter

after Florida State (0-1) took a 10-0 lead by capitalizing on two

turnovers.

The Hurricanes also got some help from a missed field goal --

something that has defined this rivalry.

Florida State's Xavier Beitia had a 34-yarder blocked with 3:58

to play. The kick would have sealed a victory for the Seminoles.

Instead, it gave Miami the ball back with a chance to tie the game.

"We had our chance to put them away and we didn't," Bowden

said. "They had a chance to put us away and they did."

Brock Berlin drove the Hurricanes 80 yards in five plays and 52

seconds. He connected with Sinorice Moss for a 30-yard touchdown

with 30 seconds to play, and the extra point tied the game at 10.

After Miami tied the game, the Seminoles took a few shots deep,

but the game went to overtime.

It was the third meeting in less than 11 months for the in-state

rivals. And just like the last two, the embattled Rix did little to

help Florida State.

He threw two interceptions and fumbled twice, including the

crucial one in overtime. He finished 12-of-28 for 108 yards -- and

Bowden hinted that he might make a change.

"It wasn't good, it wasn't the performance I expected," Bowden

said of Rix. "But you don't want to blame it on one guy. It's

going to fall on the responsibility of the coaching staff to do the

right thing in regards to his play tonight."

Florida State couldn't run the ball, either, gaining just 57

yards -- the lowest in the series since 1994.

The Hurricanes had plenty of chances to win this one in

regulation.

Following Rix's second interception, Berlin hooked up with Moss

for a 63-yard gain early in the fourth quarter. Then Berlin

connected with Greg Olsen for another 22 yards, setting up a

first-and-goal at the 2. But the Hurricanes couldn't punch it in.

Gore was stuffed for no gain on first down, Berlin scrambled for

a yard on second and then misfired on third.

Jon Peattie hit the 19-yard chip shot early in the fourth for

Miami's first points.

Peattie also missed two field goal attempts earlier in the game.

He missed a 52-yarder as time expired in the first half and was

wide right on a 42-yarder late in the third quarter.

The Hurricanes had a chance to try another field goal in the

third, but Coker opted to go for it on fourth-and-4 from the 32.

Berlin threw an incomplete pass. It was something Miami saw much of

the night as Berlin misfired short and deep.

He finished 20-of-36 for 255 yards with a touchdown and an

interception. Gore ran 18 times for 89 yards.

Florida State's offense, meanwhile, was outmatched against

Miami's defense. The Seminoles lost for just the seventh time in

ACC play.

"Our defense just stayed with it, and our offense finally made

some big plays to give us a chance to win," Coker said.

No rivalry has affected the national championship picture as

much as Florida State-Miami over the last two decades.

Either the Seminoles or Hurricanes have played for the title 13

times in the last 21 years, including six of the last eight. And

only twice -- Miami in 1989 and Florida State in 2000 -- has the

series loser been able to play for it all.

Now the game could decide the ACC, too.

The Seminoles have won 11 of 12 league titles since joining the

conference in 1992. But they could find it tough to win this

season. They probably will need the Hurricanes to lose twice to

have a chance.