Miami Hurricanes Football — "State Champions" — [2004 Season]

A full video recap of the 2004 season, where the Miami Hurricanes backslid their way to 9-3—the first non-double-digit-win season since 1999—but could at least hold their heads high as State Champions in a season they let an ACC title slip away in the regular season finale.

A Labor Day weekend Top 5 match-up against Florida State was a 10-3 snooze-fest until the final minutes, with Miami tying thing 10-10, forcing overtime and getting the 16-10 victory.

Miami jumped out to a 6-0 start and a No. 3 ranking before falling on the road to a 3-4 North Carolina team, 31-28—followed by an overtime home loss to Clemson, where Miami held 17-0 lead before falling 24-17.

The Canes bounced back and beat No. 10 Virginia in Charlottesville and rolled 52-7 at Wake Forest, setting up a winner-take-all showdown with fellow Big East defector Virginia Tech for an ACC title—but the Canes sputtered at home, falling 16-10 and settling for Peach Bowl birth against hated rival Florida (instead of a Sugar Bowl showdown with undefeated Auburn, who went on to beat the Hokies.)

Miami went on to take out No. 20 Florida, 27-10—bookending the season with wins over the Seminoles and Gators.