Sunday, 3 a.m.
The fast start was a memory. So was the sluggish middle.
All anyone will remember about this version of the FSU-Miami rivalry was Jordan Travis' final two minutes of FSU's 31-28 victory.
With a five-point deficit and 80 yards to go, Travis took over a football game Saturday afternoon. He led the Seminoles downfield in seven plays for the go-ahead touchdown pass, running it in from a yard out himself.
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Along the way, Travis completed passes of 59 and -- on a fourth-and-14 -- 24 yards. He also ran a two-point conversion. For the game, Travis had 274 yards passing and ran for another 62.
"Through the course of the game, there were some tough moments for him, but he was so level-headed," said FSU coach Mike Norvell. "To be able to go on that last dive, to be able to locate Ja'Khi Douglas (on the 59-yarder) like he did. He put himself in a position to play his best and finished strong for us."
Miami freshman Tyler Van Dyke had 216 yards and four touchdowns.
Miami, however, had three turnovers and eight penalties in the first period alone as it fell behind 17-0.
"We were our own worst enemy," said Miami coach Manny Diaz. "Maybe overhyped with penalties, couldn't stay onside. We had to settle into the game, but we knew it would be a game of runs. We knew there would be some momentum shifts."
FSU will play at Boston College on Saturday. Miami is home against Virginia Tech.
Miami had scored 28 points to overcome a 17-0 deficit and appeared to have the game in hand before Travis' heroics.
Florida 70, Samford 52: Never has there been such temptation to give back a win. Never has a victory felt quite as hollow.
The Florida Gators won Saturday. Yippee. They scored 70. Boolah-boolah. They stopped a three-game losing streak in which a season got uglier and uglier.
Still, this was an afternoon to forget for the Gators.
Florida surrendered 52 points to a Samford team that has a losing record in the Southern Conference of the FBS. The Gators gave up 42 points in the first half, and won simply by out-athleting Samford, a team who more regularly plays against the likes of Wofford and Furman.
Samford got 400 yards passing by Liam Welch as Florida's defensive struggles continued. The Gators have now given up 185 points in four games. Evidently, firing former defensive coordinator Todd Grantham didn't help.
Florida's own offense was pretty good, led by Emory Jones. Jones threw for 464 yards and six touchdowns and ran for 86 yards and another score.
The Gators are 6-5, but the victory is unlikely to halt the job speculation around Dan Mullen.
"Calling a win disappointing is disrespectful to the game and our players," Mullen said. "You've got to give them some credit. They're a team that is going to score points. They score a ton of points. They throw the ball all over the place with that style.
"If there's a disappointment, it's some guys had opportunities to make plays we didn't make. A couple of missed tackles, a couple of opportunities for sacks that we didn't make. We need up with penalties. They had three, we had 12."
Florida plays at Missouri on Saturday.