Wide Right II
Encyclopedia
Wide Right II is a colloquial name for the 1992 college football
game between the Miami Hurricanes
and Florida State Seminoles
. The game is notable in the Miami – Florida State rivalry and derives its name from the colloquial name Wide Right I, played during the immediately preceding season. Like its predecessor, the game had decisive national championship implications and ended with a Florida State kicker missing a game-altering field goal
in the waning seconds.
entered the October 3, 1992, matchup of intrastate rivals as the defending national champion
and second-ranked team in the country, riding a 20-game winning streak. Miami, however, appeared to be vulnerable, as Hurricane Andrew
had disrupted the early portion of its schedule and Miami was unimpressive in surviving an 8-7 scare against the the week prior. Because of Miami's lackluster performance against Arizona, the Hurricanes lost their number one ranking in the AP Poll and were dropped to number two, behind the Washington Huskies. Nevertheless, Miami featured a bevy of stars on its roster, including Heisman Trophy
candidate quarterback Gino Torretta
, wide receiver Lamar Thomas
, and linebackers Jessie Armstead
and Micheal Barrow
, and the team was in the midst of an NCAA-record 58-game home winning streak at the Orange Bowl
.
Florida State
was looking to avenge its loss to Miami in Wide Right I the season before. The late-season loss knocked the then-top ranked Seminoles out of national championship contention and sent them into a season-ending tailspin. Florida State rebounded in 1992 behind junior quarterback Charlie Ward
and breezed through the first four games on their schedule, climbing from 5th to 3rd in the rankings. Florida State also had stars, featuring Ward, Tamarick Vanover
, and Marvin Jones.
took the opening kickoff back 94 yards for a touchdown
. Miami struck back in the second quarter with a 24-yard Dane Prewitt field goal and a 29-yard touchdown pass from Gino Torretta
to Coleman Bell
, taking the lead, 10-7. Florida State countered with a 22-yard field goal by Dan Mowrey, and the teams headed to the locker room deadlocked at 10.
Mowrey added a 38-yard field goal in the third quarter and a 41-yarder early in the fourth. Leading 16-10 with just over 9 minutes to play, the Seminoles found themselves in a position eerily similar to the season before: a 6-point lead late in the game and a field goal kicker who was 3-for-3 on the day.
Miami responded as it did the season before, going on a 7-play, 58-yard drive that culminated with a 33-yard touchdown pass from Torretta to Lamar Thomas
. Torretta was drilled as he released the ball, but Thomas was able to sneak behind Clifton Abraham
and make a basket catch. With the extra point, Miami seized the lead, 17-16.
Miami's defense held on the next possession, and the Florida State defense forced a punt on Miami's subsequent series. The ensuing punt proved disastrous for the Seminoles: punt returner Corey Sawyer
was penalized for attempting an illegal forward pass from his own end zone, resulting in a safety for Miami. With Miami now leading 19-16, a field goal could only tie the game for the Seminoles. The Miami defense again held, but Florida State then forced the 'Canes to punt, giving the Seminoles one last chance with 1:35 remaining in the game.
Ward drove the Seminoles 59 yards and into field goal range, converting a crucial fourth-and-12 with a completion to Kez McCorvey
along the way. The drive was highlighted by Matt Frier's diving, fingertip reception for 17 yards. After Ward picked up 19 yards on two quick scrambles, the Seminoles were on the Miami 22-yard line but nearly out of time. On the game's final play, Florida State called upon Mowrey to continue his perfect afternoon and make a 39-yard field goal to tie the game at 19-19. With both Miami's and Florida State's national championship hopes again hanging in the balance, Mowrey, kicking into the open end of the Orange Bowl
, missed wide right and collapsed face down onto the turf.
as the nation's number one team in both the AP and Coaches' Polls. Quarterback Gino Torretta
would also go on to win the Heisman Trophy
as college football's "most outstanding player." This time, however, the Hurricanes could not complete the perfect season, losing to the second-ranked and eventual national champion Alabama Crimson Tide
in the Sugar Bowl, 34-13, and finishing 11-1 and ranked third in the country.
Unlike the previous season, when the Seminoles followed up their gut-wrenching loss to Miami with an upset loss to Florida, Florida State rebounded and won the rest of its games, going 11-1 on the season. The Seminoles soundly defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers
in the 1993 Orange Bowl
, 27-14, and, despite the loss to Miami, were ranked second in the final polls, one spot ahead of the Hurricanes.
The game would be the second in a peculiar string of 5 games in 12 years in which Florida State lost to Miami due to a late missed field goal that would have won or tied the game for the Seminoles, often with national championship implications. The game would be followed in later years by two more "Wide Rights" and a "Wide Left."
1992 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Coalition, and ended with Alabama's first national championship in thirteen years—their first since the departure of Bear Bryant...
game between the Miami Hurricanes
1992 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1992 Miami Hurricanes represented the University of Miami in the 1992 NCAA College Football season.-Schedule:-Awards and honors:*Gino Torretta, Davey O'Brien Award*Gino Torretta, Heisman Trophy *Gino Torretta, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award...
and Florida State Seminoles
1992 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 1992 Florida State Seminoles football team finished #2 in the AP and Coaches poll with an 11-1 record. The Seminoles offense scored 446 points while the defense allowed 186 points. Led by head coach Bobby Bowden, the Seminoles competed in the Orange Bowl....
. The game is notable in the Miami – Florida State rivalry and derives its name from the colloquial name Wide Right I, played during the immediately preceding season. Like its predecessor, the game had decisive national championship implications and ended with a Florida State kicker missing a game-altering field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
in the waning seconds.
Background
Miami1992 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1992 Miami Hurricanes represented the University of Miami in the 1992 NCAA College Football season.-Schedule:-Awards and honors:*Gino Torretta, Davey O'Brien Award*Gino Torretta, Heisman Trophy *Gino Torretta, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award...
entered the October 3, 1992, matchup of intrastate rivals as the defending national champion
1991 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1991 Miami Hurricanes were the national champions of the 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season, as determined by the AP Poll. 1991 was a split championship year, though, as the Washington Huskies finished #1 in the Coaches' Poll...
and second-ranked team in the country, riding a 20-game winning streak. Miami, however, appeared to be vulnerable, as Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
had disrupted the early portion of its schedule and Miami was unimpressive in surviving an 8-7 scare against the the week prior. Because of Miami's lackluster performance against Arizona, the Hurricanes lost their number one ranking in the AP Poll and were dropped to number two, behind the Washington Huskies. Nevertheless, Miami featured a bevy of stars on its roster, including Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
candidate quarterback Gino Torretta
Gino Torretta
Gino Louis Torretta is a Heisman Trophy winner who played quarterback for several teams in the National Football League from 1993 to 1997....
, wide receiver Lamar Thomas
Lamar Thomas
Lamar Thomas is a former NFL player and former color commentator. Thomas played college football, college basketball and ran Track at the University of Miami before being drafted in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.With the University of Miami Thomas set a...
, and linebackers Jessie Armstead
Jessie Armstead
Jessie Willard Armstead is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League who played for eleven seasons with the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins between 1993 and 2003. He played college football at the University of Miami.-High school career:Armstead attended...
and Micheal Barrow
Micheal Barrow
Micheal Christian Barrow is a former American football linebacker of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the second round of the 1993 NFL Draft...
, and the team was in the midst of an NCAA-record 58-game home winning streak at the Orange Bowl
Miami Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
.
Florida State
1992 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 1992 Florida State Seminoles football team finished #2 in the AP and Coaches poll with an 11-1 record. The Seminoles offense scored 446 points while the defense allowed 186 points. Led by head coach Bobby Bowden, the Seminoles competed in the Orange Bowl....
was looking to avenge its loss to Miami in Wide Right I the season before. The late-season loss knocked the then-top ranked Seminoles out of national championship contention and sent them into a season-ending tailspin. Florida State rebounded in 1992 behind junior quarterback Charlie Ward
Charlie Ward
Charlie Ward, Jr. is a retired American professional NBA basketball player, college football Heisman Trophy winner, Davey O'Brien Award winner and a Major League Baseball draftee. Ward is considered one of the best all-around athletes in the last quarter century...
and breezed through the first four games on their schedule, climbing from 5th to 3rd in the rankings. Florida State also had stars, featuring Ward, Tamarick Vanover
Tamarick Vanover
Tamarick Vanover , is a former professional American football player in the NFL and CFL.Vanover spent two seasons at Florida State University, where he was named a first-team All-American in 1992 as a freshman kick returner...
, and Marvin Jones.
The game
Florida State came strong out of the gate, as Tamarick VanoverTamarick Vanover
Tamarick Vanover , is a former professional American football player in the NFL and CFL.Vanover spent two seasons at Florida State University, where he was named a first-team All-American in 1992 as a freshman kick returner...
took the opening kickoff back 94 yards for a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
. Miami struck back in the second quarter with a 24-yard Dane Prewitt field goal and a 29-yard touchdown pass from Gino Torretta
Gino Torretta
Gino Louis Torretta is a Heisman Trophy winner who played quarterback for several teams in the National Football League from 1993 to 1997....
to Coleman Bell
Coleman Bell
Coleman Bernard Bell, II is a former American football tight end in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Miami. He attended Roland Park K-8 . He then attended Thomas Jefferson High School. He was a standout in both football and...
, taking the lead, 10-7. Florida State countered with a 22-yard field goal by Dan Mowrey, and the teams headed to the locker room deadlocked at 10.
Mowrey added a 38-yard field goal in the third quarter and a 41-yarder early in the fourth. Leading 16-10 with just over 9 minutes to play, the Seminoles found themselves in a position eerily similar to the season before: a 6-point lead late in the game and a field goal kicker who was 3-for-3 on the day.
Miami responded as it did the season before, going on a 7-play, 58-yard drive that culminated with a 33-yard touchdown pass from Torretta to Lamar Thomas
Lamar Thomas
Lamar Thomas is a former NFL player and former color commentator. Thomas played college football, college basketball and ran Track at the University of Miami before being drafted in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.With the University of Miami Thomas set a...
. Torretta was drilled as he released the ball, but Thomas was able to sneak behind Clifton Abraham
Clifton Abraham
Clifton Eugene Abraham was an American football defensive back in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Chicago Bears, and the Carolina Panthers. He played college football at Florida State University. He played high school football at David W...
and make a basket catch. With the extra point, Miami seized the lead, 17-16.
Miami's defense held on the next possession, and the Florida State defense forced a punt on Miami's subsequent series. The ensuing punt proved disastrous for the Seminoles: punt returner Corey Sawyer
Corey Sawyer
Corey Sawyer is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
was penalized for attempting an illegal forward pass from his own end zone, resulting in a safety for Miami. With Miami now leading 19-16, a field goal could only tie the game for the Seminoles. The Miami defense again held, but Florida State then forced the 'Canes to punt, giving the Seminoles one last chance with 1:35 remaining in the game.
Ward drove the Seminoles 59 yards and into field goal range, converting a crucial fourth-and-12 with a completion to Kez McCorvey
Kez McCorvey
Kezarrick Montines McCorvey is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for three seasons for the Detroit Lions . Although a standout wideout in college for the FSU Seminoles, Mccorvery was used primarily on special teams in the NFL and amassed only 2 career receptions...
along the way. The drive was highlighted by Matt Frier's diving, fingertip reception for 17 yards. After Ward picked up 19 yards on two quick scrambles, the Seminoles were on the Miami 22-yard line but nearly out of time. On the game's final play, Florida State called upon Mowrey to continue his perfect afternoon and make a 39-yard field goal to tie the game at 19-19. With both Miami's and Florida State's national championship hopes again hanging in the balance, Mowrey, kicking into the open end of the Orange Bowl
Miami Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
, missed wide right and collapsed face down onto the turf.
Aftermath
Miami would once again use a hard-fought win over its rival as a springboard for a national championship run, winning its final seven regular season games and earning a berth in the 1993 Sugar Bowl1993 Sugar Bowl
The 1993 Sugar Bowl took place on January 1, 1993, in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. It served as the final game and the National Championship of the 1992–93 college football season. The game featured two unbeaten teams in the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Miami Hurricanes...
as the nation's number one team in both the AP and Coaches' Polls. Quarterback Gino Torretta
Gino Torretta
Gino Louis Torretta is a Heisman Trophy winner who played quarterback for several teams in the National Football League from 1993 to 1997....
would also go on to win the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
as college football's "most outstanding player." This time, however, the Hurricanes could not complete the perfect season, losing to the second-ranked and eventual national champion Alabama Crimson Tide
1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 1992 college football season. This was the team's third season under head coach Gene Stallings. They played their home games at both Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Legion Field in Birmingham,...
in the Sugar Bowl, 34-13, and finishing 11-1 and ranked third in the country.
Unlike the previous season, when the Seminoles followed up their gut-wrenching loss to Miami with an upset loss to Florida, Florida State rebounded and won the rest of its games, going 11-1 on the season. The Seminoles soundly defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers
1992 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1992 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:...
in the 1993 Orange Bowl
1993 Orange Bowl
The 1993 Orange Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1993. This 59th edition to the Orange Bowl featured the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the Florida State Seminoles. Nebraska came into the game ranked number 11 at 9-2...
, 27-14, and, despite the loss to Miami, were ranked second in the final polls, one spot ahead of the Hurricanes.
The game would be the second in a peculiar string of 5 games in 12 years in which Florida State lost to Miami due to a late missed field goal that would have won or tied the game for the Seminoles, often with national championship implications. The game would be followed in later years by two more "Wide Rights" and a "Wide Left."