Already once this season, the Miami Hurricanes had been in this same precarious position, struggling in the big-game spotlight while their opponent jumped out to a commanding lead.
This time, though, was different in so many ways.
For one, the Hurricanes weren’t lined up against an out-of-conference opponent far from home. They were playing at Hard Rock Stadium against Florida State, their biggest rival, a team who’d beaten them six straight times on their home field.
And so, after Florida State delivered punch after punch through most of the first three quarters, the Hurricanes found a way to fight back, showing the kind of toughness Miami defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said wasn’t there in the Hurricanes’ season-opening loss to LSU last month.