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No. 3 Florida State escapes Miami, 30-26

Florida State's Dalvin Cook runs past Miami's Nantambu-Akil Fentress to score the winning touchdown Saturday at Sun Life Stadium.
(Joel Auerbach / Getty Images)
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Dalvin Cook ran for two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score late in the fourth, and No. 3 Florida State continued its season of rallies by erasing a 16-point deficit and topping Miami, 30-26, on Saturday night.

Jameis Winston completed 25 of 42 passes for 304 yards for the Seminoles (10-0, 7-0 Atlantic Coast Conference, No. 3 CFP), who extended their winning streak to 26 games and beat Miami for the fifth straight time.

The Seminoles clinched the ACC’s Atlantic Division title earlier in the day when Clemson lost. They were down 16-0 and 23-7 before outscoring the Hurricanes, 23-3, in the final 2 1/2 quarters.

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Brad Kaaya threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns for Miami, which got to the Florida State 43 on their final drive but fell short when Jalen Ramsey intercepted a fourth-down pass with 39 seconds left.

Duke Johnson rushed for 130 yards and a touchdown for the Hurricanes (6-4, 3-3), who were eliminated from the ACC’s Coastal race. Phillip Dorsett and Clive Walford caught scoring passes for Miami.

With that, the cardiac `Noles saw their chances of a second straight unbeaten run to a national title live on.

The stadium was packed — a rarity for Miami — and filled with star power. Former Miami coach Howard Schnellenberger was on the sideline pregame, as was Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton.

They all got what they came to see: another Miami-FSU classic.

Down 13 at the half, Florida State got a huge break to make it a one-possession game.

Facing a third down at the Miami 11, Winston dropped back and had his throw deflected by the Hurricanes’ Tyriq McCord, whose hand sent the ball flying high into the night.

Karlos Williams caught the carom in stride, waltzed into the end zone and just like that it was a one-possession game, Miami’s lead down to 23-17.

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The Hurricanes rolled up 320 yards in the first half, then got just about nothing going after halftime, with two punts and a fumble on their first three possessions after returning from the locker room.

Meanwhile, Florida State chipped away. Aguyao connected from 37 to get the Seminoles within three, and after Michael Badgley tacked a field goal on for Miami, Aguayo answered again with a 53-yarder.

Cook’s go-ahead run came with 3:05 left, the first and only time FSU would lead all night.

Trouble signs were there early for Florida State, which punted twice in the game’s first three minutes. Then again, early issues are commonplace for the Seminoles, who have faced second-quarter deficits in seven of their last eight games.

By now, that’s no big deal for Florida State.

Kaaya found Dorsett with a perfect 27-yard strike that opened the scoring, Johnson got in from a yard out late in the first and Badgley’s field goal on the next Hurricane possession pushed the lead to 16-0. It was Miami’s biggest lead over Florida State since 2003.

And even after Florida State got back into it on Cook’s 44-yard scoring run, Miami wasn’t fazed.

Kaaya needed only four plays to answer, connecting with Walford on a 61-yard catch-and-run for another Miami score and the Hurricanes would eventually take a 23-10 lead into the half.

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