Labor Day College Classic: Miami at Florida State Preview
Even without Antone Smith, the Florida State Seminoles coaching staff still has faith in the guys currently holding down skill positions. (AP Images)
Remember when Miami and Florida State was must-see TV and arguably the most anticipated game of the year? Well, both schools have fallen on some hard times in recent years, but both are stocked with young talent and seemingly back on the rise. This Labor Day night matchup will be the first meeting between the two that one team has been ranked (FSU is No. 18) since 2006.
The Seminoles are 6 ½-point home favorites on Bodog, but one thing you can be almost sure of Monday night is the team that runs the ball best will win. In a 13-game stretch beginning in 1988, the team that had the most rushing yards in the game won all but once (in fairness, the team that had fewer rushing yards won in 2006 and 2007). Last year, the Noles gashed Miami for 281 yards on the ground in a 41-39 victory. QB Christian Ponder had 144 yards rushing that day, the first FSU QB to reach triple-digits since 1992, and he is back this year. All of FSU's starting offensive linemen are back as well. The Noles are going to need to run, because they lost their top two receivers (and leading rusher) from last year and have big-time questions there.
Miami has the potential advantage of the unknown. First off, new starting QB Jacory Harris didn't play much in last year's game. And the Canes also will have a new offensive and defensive coordinator from the last time these two played. To prepare for Miami's new looks, FSU studied film of Miami's spring game and watched tape of teams that Mark Whipple (offense) and John Lovett (defense) coached years ago.
"It's awfully hard," long-time FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews said to reporters. "Not having seen them in a game.”
In addition, the Canes might have the not-so-secret weapon if all else is equal in receiver/returner Travis Benjamin. He had 274 all-purpose yards and two TDs in last year's game, doing his best Devin Hester impression. It was the most all-purpose yardage for a UM player since 1998. One UM coach calls Benjamin the "X-Factor" in this game, and I couldn't agree more. If Benjamin finds the end zone once, UM wins. If he doesn't, FSU wins. I say he does.
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