5 times Miami took over the state and took the Florida Gators behind the woodshed

For years, the Miami Hurricanes were chasing the Florida Gators after Steve Spurrier backed out of the annual series. That move has deprived fans on both sides of this rivalry, but given the way the Hurricanes have treated the Gators since the series was revived in 2000, I understand why they didn't want any part of Miami.

More times than not, Miami got the best of Florida and sometimes the Hurricanes had to beat the Gators until they realized who the best team in the state was.  Enjoy these five times (in chronological order) when Miami took Florida behind the woodshed:

31-4? That's a crazy score. When fans talk about the greatest Miami Hurricane teams, the argument usually comes down to 1987 or 2001. This beat down of the Gators at the Orange Bowl is a big feather in the cap of the 1987 team. Sanctions had kept the Gators off TV for a couple of years, but the Hurricanes made sure a national audience got to witness this whipping. Miami would go on to roll through their schedule and win the program's second national title. 

It had been almost 14 years since the last time the Hurricanes and Gators played and the rivalry was renewed in the 2001 Sugar Bowl. This was one of the wildest build-ups for a non-championship bowl game, and it included a brawl on Bourbon Street that left Gators defensive lineman Alex Brown with a black eye. Once the game started, the beatings continued. Miami scored 24 of the game's final 27 points to close out Steve Spurrier's Gators. The win served as a springboard for a BCS championship season in 2001. 

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Florida and Miami were supposed to clash in the BCS Championship Game to close out the 2001 season, but the Gators couldn't get the job done against Tennessee and that left Nebraska to be the sacrificial lamb. Spurrier decided he had enough of college football and Ron Zook wasn't ready for a locked and loaded Hurricanes team. Willis McGahee rushed for over 200 yards and Maurice Sikes' pick six silenced the crowd inside the Swamp.

Zook was fired before the 2004 Peach Bowl, which saw Miami win its sixth straight game against the in-state rival. Devin Hester returned a blocked kick for a touchdown and Roscose Parrish had a punt return for a score. Florida looked like it didn't want to be there, which is par for the course when the Hurricanes are on the schedule. 

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The Mario Cristobal era was a couple of years old, but this warm afternoon in the Swamp is when it began to take shape as the Hurricanes put a hurting on the Gators. Cam Ward threw for 385 yards and three touchdowns as Miami racked up 529 yards in a laugher. The strong start led the Hurricanes to their first 10-win season and top-20 finish since 2017.

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