Seems like Saturday night in Tallahassee will be pretty chaotic. It’s already looking like one of the most exciting rivalry games in the ACC as the undefeated Miami Hurricanes (4-0), led by star transfer Carson Beck, travel to Doak Campbell Stadium to play the FSU Seminoles. More than the current lot, it’s the university alumni who know what it is like to go in such high-stakes matchups. Hurricane legend Michael Irvin is among the very few who can lay a claim to this.

Ahead of the game, Michael Irvin didn’t hold back on what it’s actually like to play in Tallahassee. Decades after he donned Miami colors against their in-state rivals, Florida State, the Hurricane icon said that he can still remember the stadium vibe at Florida State.

“Talking about minutes in the morning, and they’re starting to pipe in these places and boat through the whole thing. You know, they’ll be ready by game,” he said. Hours before kickoff, you can literally feel the vibrations of the pageantry and noise when an opponent enters Doak Campbell Stadium, knowing the Seminoles and the fans are locked in.

Irvin went one step further by recalling what stuck with him the most, “So, yeah, it’ll be talking noise. I see all that. Chop. That’s the one thing I do remember here that chop…it’ll get you every time, and then you hear it all night long. You’re trying to go to bed trying to go to bed. You still hear in your head.”

The War Chant roars nonstop, 60,000 fans wave their arms in sync, and that tomahawk chop echoes in your head long after you leave the field. Irvin essentially admitted that FSU’s iconic heritage influenced him, and for a Hurricane legend to say that? That’s as real as it gets.

FSU’s traditions are designed to provide its team a psychological edge in the game, from Chief Osceola planting the burning spear to the War Chant that echoes like a war cry with customs like the Spirit Spear and the Sod Cemetery. Despite all of Miami’s rants, even “The U” had to praise Florida State’s show when the lights were shining bright.

Florida State aims to flip the script in rivalry clash with Miami

The stage in Tallahassee couldn’t be bigger, and even the ESPN College GameDay team had its say before the game began. Now that the Hurricanes are 4-0, ranked at No. 3 in the nation, and haven’t really been challenged since Week 1, it should not be surprising that Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, Desmond Howard, and guest picker Theo Von picked Miami. The fact that Florida State enters this game with its head down after a tough loss to Virginia adds more fuel to the fire.

On paper, Miami has many reasons to be optimistic. Leading the offense, Carson Beck has been effective, completing more than 70% of his passes this season. Mark Fletcher Jr. has balanced the attack with back-to-back 100-yard performances. The Hurricanes have already defeated two top-ranked teams, including Notre Dame, the runner-up in the CFP, using different strategies. At times, they have relied on Beck’s arm, and at other times, they have hammered the run game until defenses give up. That balance makes them deadly in a rivalry game where emotions are high.

Florida State, on the other hand, isn’t going down easily. Wide receiver Duce Robinson is as explosive as they come and has already put up impressive numbers against tough rivals, while quarterback Tommy Castellanos adds that dual-threat aspect. Fisher even said, “I think Florida State can get off to a good start on offense, and I say keep the score even to ahead, where Miami can’t dictate the game by the pound and ground and eat the clock a little bit, which they can definitely do.”