In a drastic change of pace from its last two weeks, Florida State started strong against Miami in the first quarter, holding the Hurricanes to three straight three-and-outs to build a 3-0 lead.
James Blackman threw the ball 8 times, completing three passes for 28 yards, getting a good amount of time in the pocket but missing open receivers a few times. Jacques Patrick was the early MVP, racking up 77 yards on six carries.
His first rush was a big 34-yarder, but Florida State failed to convert it to points. A Ricky Aguayo field goal came on FSU’s third drive of the game, with the Seminoles using double-digit yard runs from Blackman and Patrick to score the first points of the game.
Defensively, Florida State overwhelmed the Hurricanes early, using great field position from Logan Tyler punts to keep Miami in check. In the first quarter, Malik Rosier and the Hurricanes went 1-4 on third down, only putting up 18 yards total.