Florida State finished the athletics year strong over the weekend.
At the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the FSU men put together their best finish in a decade. The Seminoles finished in fourth place with Trey Cunningham’s national championship in the 110-meter hurdles headlining the trip to Eugene, Ore. The FSU women also finished in the top 25.
With the 2021-22 year in the rear view, FSU managed to claim ACC titles in men’s outdoor track and field, soccer and softball. FSU soccer claimed its third national championship while FSU beach volleyball won the CCSA title and finished as national runner-up.
One thing that will always be important to fans, coaches and athletes alike is how a school fares against its rivals. Here’s a look at what FSU did this past season across all sports against Florida and Miami:
vs. Miami
Across the major men’s sports, FSU claimed bragging rights over its southernmost rivals. Against Miami, FSU snapped a 4-game losing streak on the gridiron with a thrilling 31-28 victory at Doak Campbell Stadium in November. Jordan Travis’ quarterback sneak accounted for the winning touchdown following a critical 4th-and-14 conversion just two plays earlier.
On the hardwood, the FSU men notched a pair of 1-point victories over Miami. The Seminoles have won nine straight over Miami in men’s hoops.
Another sport where FSU has had the upper hand over Miami in recent years is baseball. After going a perfect 4-0 against Miami last season, FSU bounced back from a series-opening loss in Tallahassee to win the final two games of a 3-game set by identical 6-4 scores.
While FSU dominated Miami in the major sports, the Hurricanes made up for it in the other sports. The Hurricanes completed season sweeps in women’s basketball and volleyball. Miami also had the upper hand on the tennis court, winning in the lone meetings between the men and the women. FSU collected wins in soccer and women’s swimming and diving.
vs. Florida
Against Florida, FSU was not as successful this athletic year. While FSU claimed bragging rights over Miami in the major men’s sports, the Gators own those in the other rivalry.
Florida took two of three from the Seminoles on the baseball diamond, held off FSU on the gridiron and snapped a 7-game losing streak in men’s hoops. Despite that, FSU and Florida were close to even if women’s tennis is excluded. The Gators topped the Seminoles three times, including in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Florida also got the better of the Seminoles in men’s tennis and women’s basketball. Four of FSU’s five victories over Florida came in women’s sports.
The most notable was FSU sweeping the season series in softball. The Seminoles won both games in their final at-bat to top Florida.
Sydney Sherrill put FSU ahead for good with a 10th-inning home run in a 4-2 win in Gainesville on March 16. Less than a month later, Jahni Kerr’s walk-off blast in the seventh lifted FSU to a 2-1 victory in Tallahassee. It marked the first time since 2006 that FSU swept the season series.
FSU volleyball claimed a 3-1 victory over Florida in Tallahassee in September. The lone win for an FSU men’s team over Florida came on the baseball diamond as Jonah Scolaro, Conner Whittaker, Wyatt Crowell and Davis Hare combined to throw a 2-hit shutout in a 5-0 win at Dick Howser Stadium on April 12.
Looking Ahead to 2022-23
With the exception of football, athletic schedules have not been released for the 2022-23 athletic year. On the gridiron, however, meetings against Miami and Florida will each come in November.
The Seminoles open the month against Miami on Nov. 5 as they look for their first win at Hard Rock Stadium since 2016. FSU and Florida will meet in Tallahassee for the first time since 2018 and for the first time, on a Friday night. They’ll square off on Nov. 25.
For a number of sports such as men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball, FSU and Miami will meet twice with both playing once at home. FSU and Florida meet three times in baseball with each hosting a game in addition to a neutral-site contest. The two softball programs will meet twice with each hosting one contest.
On the hardwood, the scene will shift to Tallahassee this season. Florida has not won at the Donald L. Tucker Center in men’s basketball since 2012 and not in women’s hoops since 2008.
When it comes to taking on Miami, men’s and women’s tennis, and swimming and diving are all slated to host the Hurricanes this upcoming year. FSU baseball and soccer will visit Miami this academic year.
Florida and FSU typically meet in Lake Nona for men’s and women’s tennis matches. FSU will visit the Gators for soccer and volleyball.
Mike Ferguson is the lead writer for Double Fries No Slaw. Be sure to follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeWFerguson. Follow all of Mike’s work by liking his Facebook page.
