Dolphin swimming pools and flying oranges: The historical past of Florida vs. Miami

Miami and No. Eight Florida meet Saturday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) for the primary time since 2013 to kick off the 150th season of school soccer.

Although it could be arduous to recollect, Miami vs. Florida was once the largest, and solely, in-state rivalry. The groups performed yearly between 1944 and 1987, till Florida determined to cease enjoying the sport yearly — a transfer that also irks Miami followers. As quickly as their rivalry stopped, the Miami-Florida State and Florida State-Florida matchups stuffed the void and grew in depth as all three packages rose to prominence and infrequently performed with championship stakes on the road.

When the rivalry was held yearly, the 2 groups performed for a trophy referred to as the Seminole Warfare Canoe, an precise canoe hand-carved out of a 200-year-old cypress tree. It at the moment resides on the College of Miami Sports activities Corridor of Fame, and there aren’t any plans for it to go wherever. Miami says the trophy was supposed to be awarded solely to the annual rivalry recreation winner, and since that is now not an annual rivalry recreation, the canoe stays in Miami. The Hurricanes gained the ultimate annual assembly with the Gators 31-Four in 1987.

With the renewal of their rivalry upon us, here’s a look again on the 5 most memorable moments within the historical past of the Miami-Florida recreation.

1971: The Gator Flop, and a dip within the dolphin pool

Florida quarterback John Reaves wanted 10 yards to interrupt Jim Plunkett’s NCAA profession passing report of seven,544 yards. With the sport winding down and the Gators main 45-Eight, Miami had the ball and was driving down the sphere. Florida used its timeouts, and it was right now Harvin Clark approached coach Doug Dickey and requested if they need to let Miami rating so Reaves might get the ball again. Lastly, Dickey agreed — however he had no thought what Harvin had in thoughts.

Harvin instructed ESPN in 2010, “So I went again within the huddle and stated, ‘Here is what we have to do. Now we have to get John again within the recreation. So once they hike the ball, I simply need everybody to fall on the bottom.’ And I bear in mind John Clifford, our free security, saying, ‘What? Now we have to play these guys subsequent 12 months.’ And I stated, ‘Come on now, John. I am the captain, and that is what we’re gonna do.'”

So the Gator Flop got here to be, as practically each participant on the Gators’ protection fell onto the sphere, permitting Miami quarterback John Hornibrook to attain a simple landing, giving the ball again to the Florida offense. Reaves set the report on a 15-yard go to Carlos Alvarez as time expired. Miami coach Fran Curci was so incensed, he referred to as it “the worst factor I’ve ever seen in soccer.” He refused to shake Dickey’s hand afterward. To rejoice, a number of Gators jumped into the dolphin pool within the east finish zone of the Orange Bowl, residence to the Miami Dolphins’ precise mascot, Flipper. (Flipper was not within the pool on the time.)

1980 (and 2008!): Flying oranges and last-second subject objectives

That was not the final time these groups had points working out the clock. In 1980, Florida followers began pelting Miami gamers with oranges after a late landing gave the Hurricanes a 28-7 lead. Then-Miami coach Howard Schnellenberger determined to do one thing about it. He referred to as a last-minute timeout so he might add a subject aim to the ultimate rating with 1 second remaining. Miami gained 31-7. Schnellenberger stated afterward, “I did that as a result of I needed the press to come back and ask me why I kicked the sphere aim.”

It took 28 years, however City Meyer returned the favor in 2008. Slightly than take a knee with 25 seconds left in a blowout, Florida kicked a subject aim to make it 26-Three. Miami coach Randy Shannon briskly walked previous Meyer and in his postgame feedback stated, “I will simply say this one assertion. Typically if you do issues, and folks see what kind of individual you actually are, you flip lots of people off. Now, no matter you need to get out of that, I will not say it once more. However it helped us. It helped us greater than you will ever know.”

1984: Kosar magic

The 1984 Florida-Miami recreation was one of many first televised on ESPN, and it ranks as among the best video games within the sequence. The groups met on the outdated Tampa Stadium in entrance of greater than 72,000 followers. It appeared as if Florida would possibly pull the upset on the defending nationwide champions. The Gators led 20-19 with 41 seconds remaining, however then Bernie Kosar delivered probably the most memorable performs in Miami historical past. He led Miami 72 yards in solely 29 seconds, capped off by a 12-yard landing go to Eddie Brown within the nook of the top zone with 7 seconds left, to go up 26-20. Florida’s final go went for a pick-six and Miami gained 32-20, giving the Hurricanes possession of the vaunted Seminole Warfare Canoe. It was Miami’s 13th consecutive victory, and first below new coach Jimmy Johnson, although the Hurricanes would lose the next week to Michigan. As for Florida, it was the Gators’ solely loss that season, however the 12 months was marred by NCAA violations that compelled the resignation of coach Charley Pell and led to Florida vacating its SEC championship.

2000: Bourbon Road brawl

Miami and Florida have been set to satisfy in New Orleans for the 2001 Sugar Bowl. What might probably go improper? Within the first recreation between the faculties since their sequence resulted in 1987, nostalgia was excessive — however so have been tensions. Days earlier than the sport, Miami and Florida gamers encountered one another on Bourbon Road simply previous 11 p.m. Predictably, it didn’t finish properly. Roughly 10-15 gamers from the 2 groups received right into a verbal altercation. Who began the struggle stays unclear to at the present time, since either side gave differing accounts to their coaches and police. Quickly, the struggle spilled over to a close-by pizza restaurant, the place one individual concerned within the struggle fell by way of a window. The proprietor of the pizza place instructed the South Florida Solar-Sentinel on the time, “If any person in right here had been in the best way, they’d have been trampled. It was a bunch of men, preventing one another, working round and chasing one another. There have been so a lot of them.”

2 Associated

Florida linebacker Alex Brown had a swollen left eye at media availability the next day. Brown stated he did not know who hit him, however stated, “I want I knew who did it. I might kill him.” Extremely, no gamers have been suspended as coaches Butch Davis and Steve Spurrier performed it off as a “minor verbal confrontation.” Miami beat Florida 37-20 within the precise recreation, setting the stage for its epic 2001 championship group. Years later, Miami tight finish Jeremy Shockey stated within the 30 for 30 documentary “The U Half 2” that Spurrier instructed him after the sport, “You guys undoubtedly deserved it. We received our ass beat off the sphere and on.” Spurrier vehemently denied this, saying after the movie got here out, “They by no means referred to as me and stated, ‘Did you say that?’ However that is not the primary time in life any person put a quote on me that I did not say. I did say most of them, however not that one.”

2003: Brock Berlin’s revenge

This one nonetheless makes Florida followers nauseous. Brock Berlin, probably the most extremely touted quarterbacks popping out of highschool in Louisiana, selected to signal with Spurrier and Florida. However after Spurrier left for the Redskins and Ron Zook turned the top coach, Berlin determined to switch to … Miami, a private affront to Gators followers in all places. He earned a everlasting place within the rivalry after his career-best day towards the Gators.

“It was a really emotional week main into that recreation,” Berlin recalled in a latest telephone interview with ESPN. “No. 1, it was my first begin within the Orange Bowl, so there was plenty of emotion with that in itself, however to have the ability to play towards my former teammates at Florida made it even higher.”

Florida took a 33-10 lead into the third quarter, however Berlin noticed a spark in his teammates after he threw a 26-yard landing go to Kevin Beard with 4 minutes left within the third quarter. Then simply earlier than the third quarter ended, Miami scored once more. “We received right into a rhythm. We gained momentum,” Berlin stated. “For me, it was a type of out-of-body experiences. You knew we’re not strolling out of right here with no win.”

Berlin battled cramps within the fourth quarter however refused to let it deter him, and Miami saved rolling — scoring 28 unanswered factors to win 38-33. To rejoice, he did the Gator chomp in entrance of the Florida part. “You may’t dream up that situation,” Berlin stated. “You may’t dream up the best way that recreation performed out.”