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FSU blows by Hurricanes

MIAMI - It was the best of halves, it was the worst of halves.

After a relatively dry first half, the Seminoles took a 24-3 lead into the locker room at halftime. And after allowing only 23 second half points in the first four games of the year combined, Bobby Bowden's Seminoles looked poised to roll over the Hurricanes Saturday.

Antone Smith heads for a TD.

Then again, that just wouldn't be a Florida State (4-1, 1-1) vs. Miami (2-3, 0-2) game.

The second half brought torrential rains and 36 second-half Hurricane points as FSU held onto 41-39 victory.

And while the second half was dramatic, the game was all but won in the closing seconds of the first half.

Senior kicker Graham Gano kicked a 53-yard field goal, the longest of his career. Those three points turned out to be the difference in the game.

Last week in Jacksonville, Bowden said, "half the coaches were screaming kick and half of them were screaming punt" before sending Gano out to kick a 52-yard field goal against Colorado.

"He's just dadgum good," Bowden said of Gano's performance.

Several other players also had career games Saturday.

Sophomore quarterback Christian Ponder completed 14 of 31 passes for only 159 yards including a touchdown and two interceptions. However, he also ran for 144 yards.

He faced third and long three times during the game and converted all of them rushing.

"Ponder has played about like we hoped he would," Bowden said. "And he's just going to get better and better. And I think his and D'Vontrey's (Richardson) best play is ahead of them."

This was the first time an FSU quarterback has run for more than 100 yards since Heismen-trophy winning quarterback Charlie Ward did it in 1992. That was also the first national championship for the Noles.

Senior running back Antone Smith, who had three touchdowns on the ground last week put the ball into the end zone four times Saturday. He carried the ball 27 times for 92 yards.

When the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) first started, ABC scheduled the Miami - Florida State game as a Monday Night Football game to start the season. And that game's winner would go on to be one of the two teams to play in the national championship game.

While both programs have fallen on hard times and Saturday's game wasn't a battle for number one in the nation, it was still Seminoles vs. Hurricanes.

With less than eight minutes left in the game the Hurricanes' Sean Spence ran an interception back eight yards for a touchdown bringing the Canes within two points at 34-32.

And after trailing by three scores at the break Miami held the momentum and looked ready to pull their eight win out of the last ten games from FSU.

Ponder mounted a four minute drive through the blinding rain for the Seminoles late in the game.

Facing third and goal from the Miami 15-yard-line, Ponder tossed a ball high into the corner of the end zone.

Senior wide receiver Greg Carr reached up with one hand and tipped the ball back into the air. With a Miami defender wrapped around his feet, Carr was able to reel in the ball, again with only one hand, for what appeared to be the death knell for the Hurricanes.

However, in what will be one of the best highlight-reel catches to not count, the play was called back on a false start penalty called on FSU.

The Seminoles, facing third and goal from the 20, handed the ball to Smith for his final score of the game, a 20-yard scamper down the middle of the field through the heart of the Miami defense.

This was Bowden's 377th victory. Penn State beat Purdue 20-6 Saturday giving Joe Paterno his 378th win.

The Noles are off next week and travel to North Carolina State October 18.