COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Florida State Drops Miami With a Thud : Nonconference: Dunn gains 184 yards in 41-17 rout of once-dreaded Hurricanes, off to their worst start since 1975.

Florida State again came up big with its little man Dunn.

Warrick Dunn, a 175-pound junior tailback, ran for a career-high 184 yards and a touchdown and Danny Kanell threw three scoring passes Saturday night as the top-ranked Seminoles shook off a sluggish start and trounced longtime nemesis Miami, 41-17.

“This year I really wanted to be a factor in the game,” said Dunn, who was held to 32 yards in eight carries a year ago. “It was motivation to come out and play well.”

Dunn, who has 698 yards in 67 carries, is averaging a gaudy 10.3 per run.

Florida State (5-0) rolled up 495 yards offense and the defense turned in its best effort, limiting Miami to 223 yards and making sophomore Ryan Clement’s first collegiate start miserable.

Clement completed 10 of 23 passes for 96 yards with two interceptions.

“Obviously the outcome came as no surprise,” Miami Coach Butch Davis said. “We’re not pleased. We’re going to get better.

“We gave up too many big plays. That was inexcusable.”

The Seminoles extended their unbeaten string to 12 in a row since losing, 34-20, last year at Miami. It was Florida State’s largest victory margin over the Hurricanes since a 38-3 win in 1984 and only its third victory in their last 11 meetings.

Miami (1-3) is off to its poorest start since an 0-4 beginning in 1975. The Hurricanes didn’t move into Florida State territory in the first half and managed only five first downs and 69 yards offense by halftime while the Seminoles rolled up 302 yards and 18 first downs.

Plagued for much of the half by penalties and inconsistent play, the Seminoles led only 10-7 until Kanell hooked up with Andre Cooper on plays covering eight and 26 yards in the final 3:49 of the half for a 24-7 lead.

Kanell also benefited from a leaping catch by Phillip Riley on a 23-yard scoring play early in the fourth quarter that gave the Seminoles a 38-10 lead.

“We did what we wanted to,” Kanell said. “We ran the ball successfully and passed a little bit too.”