By Darin Hayes The clash between No. 3 Miami and No. 4 Florida State on October 3, 1987, is an iconic moment in college football history, forever remembered for its incredible drama and season-defining final minute. The game featured a staggering amount of future NFL talent, with over 60 players who would go pro, including Hall of Famers Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders.
FSSTATE_nightmare_1987 04 Oct 1987, Sun The Miami Herald (Miami, Florida) Newspapers.com
FSU, led by coach Bobby Bowden, dominated early and held a commanding 19-3 lead in the third quarter. However, the Hurricanes, coached by Jimmy Johnson and quarterbacked by Steve Walsh, mounted a furious, electric comeback. Walsh connected with Irvin for two touchdowns, and Miami converted both of their two-point conversions to tie the game at 19-19. Irvin then delivered the go-ahead score on a 73-yard bomb with just over two minutes left, putting Miami up 26-19.
The Seminoles responded, driving 83 yards and scoring with 42 seconds left to pull within one point, 26-25. With no overtime in college football at the time, Bowden faced the famous gut-wrenching decision: kick the extra point for a tie, or go for two and the win. Fearing an inconsistent kicker, Bowden chose to go for the victory, but quarterback Danny McManus’s pass was knocked down by Miami defensive back Bubba McDowell, sealing the Hurricanes’ dramatic 26-25 win.
The outcome essentially served as a national championship eliminator, as Miami went on to finish 12-0 and claim the national title, while FSU finished 11-1 and was ranked No. 2. The decision to go for two remains one of the most debated calls in the sport, cementing the game as a classic moment of high-stakes college football rivalry.
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