Miami native Dalvin Cook played the role of hero for the second straight year as No. 12 Florida State extended its winning streak over Miami to six games with a 29-24 victory at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday night.
Cook’s 23-yard touchdown and third of the night with 6:44 remaining put the Seminoles (5-0, 3-0 ACC) ahead for good. Cook scored each of FSU’s three touchdowns which included a 72-yard run and a 36-yard reception — the first receiving touchdown of his career.
FSU raced to a 17-3 lead, but missed opportunities allowed Miami (3-2, 0-1 ACC) to stay in the game. Miami’s Brad Kaaya passed for 405 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.
Kaaya’s first touchdown toss of the night was a 58-yard pass to Rashawn Scott, which narrowly missed being intercepted by Florida State safety Lamarcus Brutus. The score cut the FSU lead to 17-10 before a Roberto Aguayo field goal padded the first half lead for FSU to 20-10.
A short touchdown pass from Kaaya to running back Joseph Yearby with 5:36 in the third quarter made it a 20-17 game. After Aguayo’s third field goal of the night put the Seminoles back up by six, Kaaya found junior Stacy Coley from 29 yards out to give the Hurricanes their first lead of the night, 24-23 with just over 10 minutes to play.
The Seminoles proceeded to go 84 yards in eight plays with a 20-yard completion from FSU quarterback to Everett Golson on 3rd-and-8 keeping the drive alive. Golson later converted a short third down with his legs before consecutive 23-yard runs by Cook put the Seminoles ahead for good.
Trailing 29-24, Miami had two possessions to try to get in the end zone, but were turned away each time. On 4th-and-3 with about a minute to play, Kaaya’s fourth down pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage before falling innocently to the grass.
After leaving last week’s game against Wake Forest with a hamstring injury, Cook finished the night with 269 yards of offense, including 222 on 22 carries on the ground. Golson, a senior transfer, had arguably his best game as a Seminole since the season-opener against Texas State. Golson was 25-for-33 passing for 291 yards and a score.
Neither team turned the ball over in the contest. An FSU offense that had struggled in each of its first two ACC games, finished with 539 yards on the evening. The Florida State defense held the Hurricanes to just 20 yards rushing on 19 carries, but Kaaya’s passing allowed Miami to convert eight of 16 third downs.
FSU safety Trey Marshall was ejected in the first half for targeting. Defensive end DeMarcus Walker had an outstanding defensive performance for the Seminoles, finishing with two sacks.
Florida State will look to improve to 6-0 for the third straight year as it hosts Louisville on Saturday. Miami will return home to face Virginia Tech.
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