TALLAHASSEE, Fla. _ The curse is over. The streak is snapped. The Hurricanes can breath again.
After seven consecutive losses to Florida State, No. 13 Miami prevailed, 24-20, Saturday on a 23-yard touchdown completion from Malik Rosier to Darrell Langham with six seconds left at Doak Campbell Stadium in front of 78,169 crazed fans.
The touchdown came on UM's last-gasp drive _ after Seminoles freshman quarterback James Blackman connected with receiver Auden Tate for a late, fourth-quarter touchdown for the second week in a row to put the Seminoles ahead, 20-17.
Between both teams, there were 31 points scored in the final quarter after 13 combined in the first three.
Senior receiver Braxton Berrios had eight catches for 90 yards, a career-long 44-yard punt return and two crucial touchdown catches _ one with 5:09 left in the game and the other that put UM ahead with 6:57 left in the third quarter.
The Hurricanes (4-1, 2-0 ACC) had not beaten unranked FSU (1-3, 1-2) since 2009.
With Miami leading 10-3 in the final quarter of the gritty, hard-hitting game, Florida State scored 10 consecutive points.
Ricky Aguayo's 38-yard field goal with 6:55 left gave FSU a 13-10 lead after Miami had scored 10 points in the third quarter to rally from a 3-0 deficit.
FSU quarterback James Blackman threw a 15-yard touchdown to tight end Ryan Izzo to cap a 77-yard drive and tie the score at 10-10 with 12:17 left before Aguayo's field goal.
Rosier completed 19 of 44 passes for 254 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.
Blackman was 17 of 28 for 203 yards, two touchdowns and two picks.
UM was held to 83 yards rushing, only 25 of them by Mark Walton, who for the third straight week went down late with what appeared to be a leg or ankle injury.
The Hurricanes discovered immediately that FSU was a whole different animal from what they faced in their three wins over Bethune-Cookman, Toledo and Duke _ one with a defense that snarled and bit and put a smothering smackdown on Miami.
Except for surrendering a couple long runs to Jacques Patrick (33 and 30 yards apiece) early in the game, UM's defense also was dominant. The Canes' D saved its initially hapless offense, though a debilitating penalty by cornerback Michael Jackson led to FSU's only first-half points, a 27-yard field goal.
In the first quarter, Miami generated 24 yards _ 15 rushing and 9 passing, with Rosier completing two of six passes for 6 yards. Mark Walton adding nine yards rushing on four carries _ a 2.2-yard-per-carry average for the man who entered the game second in the nation with 9.1 yards per rush.
By the half, the Canes were up to 57 total yards _ 23 yards rushing and 34 passing.
The Seminoles meanwhile generated 124 yards in the initial quarter _ 96 rushing and 28 passing by Blackman. But it was enough to come away with the three points by Aguayo at 4:20. The field goal came six plays after Jackson was flagged for roughing the passer after he tipped a third-down Blackman pass that was incomplete and would have given UM the ball otherwise.
But Jackson came to the rescue with 1:02 remaining in the first half when he intercepted a pass intended for FSU's Auden Tate. He ran off the field, had the gold Turnover Chain draped around his neck and sprinted in glee along the UM bench. Officials determined during a replay that the interception was good, but that was about as happy as UM would get in the first half.
The Canes took over on their own 32 and were smothered again by the FSU defense, which forced them to punt for the seventh time of the half.
Florida State went into the locker room at halftime with 163 yards _ 111 rushing and 52 passing. Running back Jacques Patrick led with 84 yards on eight carries at that point _ but the Canes held FSU to only 39 yards in the second quarter.
