This Date in College Football Belt History – October 7

The top-ranked ranked, 5-0 Florida State Seminoles of coach Bobby Bowden battled the 7^th ranked, 3-1 Miami Hurricanes of coach Butch Davis.  The teams had a history of playing close games with Florida State holding a recent edge winning the past five games.  Miami liked to focus on the 1991 & 1992 games that came to be known as “Wide Right I” & “Wide Right II” when Florida State kickers missed late field goals that would have won the games.  The Hurricanes got 2 touchdown passes from All-Big East QB Ken Dorsey & survived another missed field goal attempt by a Florida State kicker to claim The Belt with a 27-24 victory.  Miami controlled the first half with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Dorsey to RB Najeh Davenport in the 1^st quarter, a 1-yard score from RB D.J. Williams & 31-yard field goal from PK Todd Sievers giving the Hurricanes a 17-0 halftime edge.  Florida State rallied in the 3^rd quarter as PK Matt Munyon hit a field goal from 18 yards & Heisman Trophy winning, All-ACC QB Chris Weinke found WR Anquan Boldin for a 48-yard touchdown making the score Miami 17 Florida State 10.  Sievers added a 37-yard Hurricane field goal, as Miami went to the 4^th quarter with a 20-10 lead.  Most of the quarter saw the teams trade field position but with 3:15 to play, Weinke hit Boldin on a 2-yard touchdown pass.  The Seminoles got a break when LB Brian Allen recovered a Davenport fumble at the Miami 48-yard line.  Florida State took advantage of the break when Weinke hit WR Atrews Bell from 29 yards for a touchdown to give the Seminoles a 24-20 lead with 1:37 left in the game.  Miami got the ball back at their own 32-yard line & Dorsey went to work.  Hitting 6 of 7 passes on the drive, Dorsey connected with All-Big East TE Jeremy Shockey on a 13-yard touchdown pass with 0:46 to play.  Weinke was able to get the Seminoles in position for a tying field goal try but, as time expired, Munyon’s 49-yard kick sailed to the right of the upright & “Wide Right III” was born with the 27-24 Miami victory.  It was Miami’s second Belt reign & first since 1984.  For the Seminoles, Weinke finished with 496 yards passing with 3 touchdowns but 2 interceptions both inside the Miami 5-yard line while All-American WR Marvin “Snoop” Minnis had 7 catches for 145 yards, Bell had 6 catches for 146 yards, & Boldin had 6 catches for 108 yards with 2 touchdowns.  Miami’s Dorsey threw for 328 yards with 2 touchdowns & All-American WR Santana Moss had 7 catches for 115 yards.  The Seminoles finished the season 11-2; ACC Champions, ranked 5^th nationally while the Hurricanes finished 11-1, Big East Champions, & ranked 2^nd nationally in Davis’ final season.  Florida State would play for The Belt again in 2001.

The College Football Belt