JUST LIKE OLD TIMES;Miami Hurricanes vs. FSU Seminoles just like old times: Nationally ranked,

Published Oct. 12, 2010 10:01 a.m. ET

foxsports

Tonight's showdown between Miami and Florida State has many of the elements that made it one of the best games in college football through the years: top-25 rankings, national TV coverage, trash talking and ... plenty of good defense.

When FSU and Miami ruled the football world, their defenses served as the backbone of their success. Now, after some down years, their defenses have them back in the national spotlight.

"I thought we could be very good," FSU coach Jimbo Fisher said of his defense, which ranked 108th in the nation last year. "I said this before, I think our talent on defense is better than our talent on offense."

As for UM, it has bounced back from its loss to Ohio State by limiting its past two opponents to a total of 24 points.

"Everything is just clicking now," UM linebacker Colin McCarthy said.

The No. 13 Hurricanes (3-1, 1-0 ACC) enter tonight's game leading the conference in total defense and are assuming the big play style of past UM teams.

The 23rd-ranked Seminoles (4-1, 2-0) aren't far behind. They're No. 1 nationally in sacks with 25, with Miami in second with 17. And while the Hurricanes lead the nation in tackles for losses, the Seminoles are right behind them.

After a 47-17 drubbing by Oklahoma on Sept.11, FSU has allowed only 24 points total in three consecutive victories. During that stretch, the Seminoles held their opponents without a point for eight consecutive quarters -- the longest run by an FSU defense in 30 years.

The Hurricanes have played nearly as well defensively since their own Sept.11 loss to Ohio State, 36-24. Last week in a 30-21 victory at Clemson, UM's defense came up with six turnovers and several big plays in the second half to clinch the win.

"That's the best we've played on defense in one half in a long time," UM coach Randy Shannon said. "We're playing well right now, I will say that."

Like old-school Miami-FSU games, defensive players from both sides haven't been afraid to call out their rivals publicly.

"This is that one game every UM football player came here for -- to beat the hell out of Florida State," Miami linebacker Jordan Futch said.

Not to be out-done, FSU cornerback Greg Reid said he was "not concerned" by Miami receivers Leonard Hankerson and Travis Benjamin and offered a warning: "Just try me. Not too many people after the first couple of plays try me and that's when I'm going to prove my point."

If Reid doesn't, he'll undoubtedly hear about it from the sellout crowd at Sun Life Stadium. The game will draw the largest home audience to see UM play since the team moved to the 74,916-seat stadium in 2008.

Today's game marks the first time since 2005 that the teams will face off while both are ranked in the top 25. During an 18-season stretch from 1987 through 2004, the Hurricanes and Seminoles played 12 times while both were ranked in the top 10 in the AP poll.

Both programs have struggled in recent years, but the UM-FSU series remains fiercely contested. The past 10 games have been decided by 10 points or less and the series still packs enough punch that ABC decided to broadcast the game to 79 percent of the country.

"I mean, to say we're at the level we were 15 years ago, I don't think we're quite there yet," said Fisher, who is facing Miami as a head coach for the first time. "At that time, they were probably the two most elite programs in the country. I think we're heading in the right direction."

~ jorge_milian@pbpost.com