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I knew in my head that Florida State has dominated the 2nd half in recent years in this rivalry, but when I looked back at the actual numbers, I was shocked. It's even worse than I thought. Jimbo Fisher has dominated this series with adjustments in the locker room. Since 2012, Miami outscored FSU 70-67 in the 1st half. In those five games, FSU outscored Miami 86-33 in the 2nd half. Miami scored 10 or more points in all five 1st halves, but was held under 7 points in three of the five 2nd halves. Forget being concerned about slow starts. I'm focused on Miami finishing strong in Tallahassee.
The good news is that under Manny Diaz and Mark Richt, the Canes have dominated the 2nd half during this current eight-game winning streak. In 2016, Miami was sitting at 4-4 after a devastating four-game skid. Led by strong 2nd half performances, the Canes righted the ship and finished the season 9-4.
Miami at Duke September 29th, 2017
Halftime 17-6 UM
Final 31-6 UM (14-0 UM in 2nd half)
Miami vs Toledo September 23rd, 2017
Halftime 16-10 Toledo
Final 52-30 (42-14 UM in 2nd Half)
Miami vs West Virginia December 28th, 2016
Halftime 21-7 UM
Final 31-14 UM (10-7 UM in 2nd Half)
Miami vs Duke November 26th, 2016
Halftime 16-14 UM
Final 40-21 UM (24-7 UM in 2nd Half)
Miami at NCST November 19th, 2016
Halftime 3-3 Tie
Final 27-13 UM (24-10 UM in 2nd Half)
Miami at Virginia November 12th, 2016
Halftime 17-14 UM
Final 34-14 UM (17-0 UM in 2nd Half)
Miami vs Pitt November 5th, 2016
Halftime 27-21 UM
Final 51-28 UM (24-7 UM in 2nd Half)
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In Miami's last seven FBS games, the Canes have outscored opponents 155-45 in the second half. Miami's defense is giving up less than a touchdown per second half. Manny Diaz has be feeling confident after watching NCST and Wake Forest keep Florida State's offense in check. Wake Forest had a staggering SEVENTEEN tackles for loss against FSU, including five sacks.
Let's hope this run of strong 2nd half performances continues for the Canes. If Miami finally wins the coaching battle over Jimbo, the Canes will leave the state capital with a win.