Florida State football’s defensive end Marvin Jones Jr. knows all too well about the rivalry with the Miami Hurricanes.
Hating the Hurricanes is in his blood.
On Saturday, Jones will experience the rivalry as a player as the Seminoles travel to Hard Rock Stadium to face the undefeated Hurricanes at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
Jones, who transferred from Georgia earlier this year, is a legacy player. His father, Marvin Sr., is a former All-American linebacker at FSU.
One of the most memorable moments in FSU history is Jones’ vicious hit in the 1992 game on UM running back, Larry Jones, who was in an open field on a short pass up the middle.
Jones Jr. said after Monday’s practice that his father doesn’t talk about the war stories between Miami and FSU that much. But he has no problem expressing his disdain toward the Hurricanes.
“I mean, it kind of speaks for itself,” Jones said. “All I know is how much he hates the Hurricanes.”
The rivalry is also mutually connected to Jones because he has another relative on UM’s side.
Miami’s senior DB Daryl Porter Jr. is Jones’ half-brother.
He has been with the Hurricanes for three seasons after playing his two years at West Virginia. With family ties to the rivalry, the senior defensive end finds the game just as exciting.
Jones, who is from South Florida, will play against his former high school teammates. He graduated from American Heritage High School in Plantation, Florida. Other than Porter, the list includes running back Mark Fletcher Jr. and DB Damari Brown.
“It’s an exciting experience,” Jones said. “I watched this game a million times growing up. It’s a lot more fun for me now that my brother is on the other side, so it’s a family affair, I guess.”
FSU will be entering as the 21-point underdog.
The Seminoles are coming off a 23-16 loss to Duke last Friday. While the offense has battled its struggles, the defense kept the game close while only allowing 180 total yards of offense against the Blue Devils.
Jones registered three tackles and a QB hit. Despite the losing effort, he sees improvement from the defense.
“I thought we played well,” Jones said.
“Obviously, a lot of things to improve on, as there are every week, but I thought we played with effort. I thought we played physically, and I feel like we played a good game up front.”
Jones is not letting the 1-6 record dictate how he performs on the field.
Jones has 20 total tackles, 3.5 TFLs, three sacks, three pass breakups, and a forced fumble this season. He focuses on the now and does not look ahead or turn back.
“I think we’ve gotten better because we focused on today, and we’re going to focus on tomorrow and the day after that once that time comes,” Jones said.
How to watch FSU vs. Miami game
FSU football schedule 2024: TV channels, dates and start times
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Saturday, Aug. 24: vs. Georgia Tech* (Aer Lingus College Football Classic) Lost 24-21
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Monday, Sept. 2: vs. Boston College* | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo) Lost 28-13
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Saturday, Sept. 7: Bye
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Saturday, Sept. 14: vs. Memphis | Noon | ESPN (Fubo) Lost 20-12
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Saturday, Sept. 21: vs. Cal* | 7 p.m.| ESPN2 (Fubo) Won 14-9
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Saturday, Sept. 28: at No. 22 SMU* | 8 p.m. EST | ACC Network Lost 42-16
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Saturday, Oct. 5: vs. No. 9 Clemson* | 7 p.m.| ESPN (Fubo) Lost 29-13
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Saturday, Oct. 12: Bye
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Friday, Oct. 18: at Duke* | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 (Fubo) Lost 23-16
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Saturday, Nov. 2: vs. North Carolina*
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Saturday, Nov. 9: at No. 11 Notre Dame | 7:30 p.m. | NBC (Fubo, Peacock)
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Saturday, Nov. 16: Bye
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Saturday, Nov. 23: vs. Charleston Southern
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Saturday, Nov. 30: vs. Florida
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Saturday, Dec. 6: ACC championship game (Charlotte, N.C)
All times Eastern
* = ACC
Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: What is Marvin Jones Jr.’s connection to FSU-Miami rivalry? Here’s what he said.
