In honor of the upcoming matchup between Miami and Florida — that also welcomes in ESPN's College GameDay — let's take a look at the entire football series history between the two programs.
Series snapshot: Miami leads 30–27, the first meeting was Oct. 15, 1938 and the latest meeting was Aug. 31, 2024. The next meeting will be Sept. 20, 2025 in Miami Gardens. Florida's longest win streak is seven games (1971–77) and Miami's is six straight (1986-87, 2001-04). The largest margin of victory goes to Florida, 46–6, in 1940.
The Seminole War Canoe
The Seminole War Canoe is an authentic trophy carved by Seminole artisans from a lightning-struck, 200-year-old cypress and donated on behalf of Hollywood, Florida in 1950 to crown the winner of Miami–Florida football games. It stopped circulating in the early 1970s because the schools struggled to display the large canoe and after the annual series ended in 1987, it went on permanent display at the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame. In 2010–11, Florida's student senate approved a resolution asking for the trophy's return after UF's 2008 win, but Miami student leaders said the canoe applied to the yearly rivalry and UM had won the final game of that era (the trophy remains at UM's Hall of Fame). During the 1950–87 "War Canoe" stretch, the series was dead even at 19–19.
Miami vs Florida football history
- Oct. 15, 1938 — Miami wins the first meeting, 19–7, in Gainesville.
- Nov. 18, 1939 — Florida 13, Miami 0
- Nov. 16, 1940 — Florida’s 46–6 win remains the largest margin in series history.
- Nov. 15, 1941 — Florida 14, Miami 0
- Nov. 14, 1942 — Miami 12, Florida 0
- Nov. 3, 1944 — Florida 13, Miami 0
- Oct. 19, 1945 — Miami 7, Florida 6
- Oct. 19, 1946 — Miami 20, Florida 13
- Nov. 22, 1947 — Florida 7, Miami 6
- Nov. 20, 1948 — Florida 27, Miami 13
- Nov. 18, 1949 — Miami 28, Florida 13
- Nov. 18, 1950 — Miami 20, Florida 14
- Nov. 17, 1951 — Miami 21, Florida 6
- Nov. 22, 1952 — Florida 43, Miami 6
- Nov. 28, 1953 — Miami 14, Florida 10
- Nov. 27, 1954 — Miami 14, Florida 0
- Nov. 26, 1955 — Miami 7, Florida 6
- Dec. 1, 1956 — Miami 20, Florida 7
- Nov. 30, 1957 — Florida 14, Miami 0
- Nov. 29, 1958 — Florida 12, Miami 9 (Jacksonville, Fla.)
- Nov. 28, 1959 — Florida 23, Miami 14 (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1958–59 included back-to-back neutral-site games in Jacksonville, both Florida wins.
- Nov. 26, 1960 — Florida 18, Miami 0
- Dec. 2, 1961 — Miami 15, Florida 6
- Dec. 1, 1962 — Miami 17, Florida 15
- Nov. 23, 1963 — The teams played the day after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, one of the few college games not canceled that weekend. Florida won 27–21.
- Nov. 28, 1964 — Florida 12, Miami 10
- Nov. 20, 1965 — Miami 16, Florida 13
- Nov. 26, 1966 — Miami 21, Florida 16
- Dec. 9, 1967 — Miami 20, Florida 13
- Nov. 30, 1968 — Florida 14, Miami 10
- Nov. 29, 1969 — Florida 35, Miami 16
- Nov. 28, 1970 — Miami 14, Florida 13
- Nov. 27, 1971 ("Gator Flop") — With Florida up big, the Gators’ defense intentionally let Miami score to get the ball back so QB John Reaves could break the NCAA career passing yardage record. Florida won 45–16.
- Dec. 2, 1972 — Florida 17, Miami 6
- Nov. 24, 1973 — Florida 14, Miami 7
- Nov. 30, 1974 — Florida 31, Miami 7
- Nov. 29, 1975 — Florida 15, Miami 11
- Nov. 27, 1976 — Florida 19, Miami 10
- Nov. 26, 1977 — Florida 31, Miami 14
- Dec. 2, 1978 — Miami 22, Florida 21
- Dec. 1, 1979 — Miami 30, Florida 24. As Miami players celebrated on the sidelines they were pelted with oranges by Florida fans.
- Nov. 29, 1980 — Miami 31, Florida 7. HC Howard Schnellenberger tacked on a late field goal to end the game as revenge for the oranges thrown at Miami players the year prior.
- Sept. 5, 1981 — Miami 21, Florida 20
- Sept. 4, 1982 — Florida 17, Miami 14
- Sept. 3, 1983 — Florida beats Miami 28–3 in the opener; it’s Miami’s only loss in its first national-title season.
- Sept. 1, 1984 — Miami’s 32–20 win was the first college football game televised live on ESPN (Game also held in Tampa).
- Sept. 7, 1985 — Florida 35, Miami 23
- Sept. 6, 1986 — Miami 23, Florida 15
- Sept. 5, 1987 — Miami 31, Florida 4
- Jan. 2, 2001 — No. 2 Miami beats No. 7 Florida 37–20 in New Orleans behind Ken Dorsey and Najeh Davenport.
- Sept. 7, 2002 — Miami rolls 41–16; safety Maurice Sikes' pick-six is the signature play
- Sept. 6, 2003 — Miami rallied from down 23 to win 38–33 in an instant classic in Orange Bowl. Former Gator Brock Berlin led Miami to the win at QB.
- Dec. 31, 2004, Peach Bowl — Miami 27–10 for a 2–0 bowl edge in the series.
- Sept. 6, 2008 — Florida wins 26-3 after WR Louis Murphy declared UF "the new U". Florida decided to take a late field goal with the game in hand when they could have taken a knee.
- Sept. 7, 2013 — Miami 21, Florida 16
- Aug. 24, 2019 — Florida 24–20 in the Week 0 opener (Camping World Kickoff in Orlando).
- Aug. 31, 2024 — Miami wins 41–17, its most lopsided road win in the rivalry since 1980 (31–7).