“Strike First. Strike Hard. No Mercy.”
This was the motto of Cobra Kai. This was the motto of John Kreese, the ruthless karate instructor and longtime antagonist in the Karate Kid franchise.
Kreese was the sensei you loved to hate. He could have a kid standing across from him with an injured leg, and instead of showing an ounce of compassion, he would tell his student to attack it. Anyone who watched the original Karate Kid remembers the order he gave Johnny Lawrence:
“Sweep the leg.”
Johnny hesitated. Kreese didn’t. He leaned toward his student and asked, “You have a problem with that?” There was no mistaking what he expected. Go after the weakness. Finish the fight.
His obsession with winning made him cruel, even to his own students. But those opening words strike first are where the connection to this Saturday begins. Mario Cristobal’s Hurricanes need to take the initiative against Florida State and make the Seminoles respond.
For Miami fans, there is still a painful memory attached to Florida State walking into Hard Rock Stadium. In 2022, the Seminoles embarrassed the Hurricanes 45–3 on their own field. It was the worst loss of Mario Cristobal’s tenure at Miami, made even worse by who delivered it. Florida State built a 31–3 halftime lead and held the Hurricanes without a touchdown all night.
Afterward, Cristobal had to face the fans whose hopes had helped welcome him home.
“I have to apologize to them because it is not what we want. It is what we are building to be and building to do. Trust me, nobody feels this more than I do. I hate it for our people, I hate it for our fans, and I hate it for our players,” Cristobal said. “We are in a building process. We are laying a foundation. We have to go to work and it isn’t fun. Days like this are painful and there ain’t no excuse, ain’t no side-stepping, but that is why I came here. We have to go to work and do lots of it.”
Since that apology, Cristobal and Miami have gone in a completely different direction than Norvell and Florida State. Miami is 28–6 since the end of the 2023 season. FSU is 10–20. Cristobal has built the foundation he promised. Norvell’s program is falling apart.
Florida State has more than $400 million in athletics-related debt and a coach whose buyout is still nearly $50 million. Last week against Louisville, the Seminoles blew a 14–0 lead and lost 44–20. To me, that looked like a team that quit on its coach.
Now Miami returns to Hard Rock Stadium undefeated as the No. 3 team in the country, with more than 100 recruits expected in attendance. More than 20 five-stars from multiple classes and 70+ blue-chippers. This is an opportunity to show the next generation of players exactly where these two programs are heading, to show that this rivalry is no longer a rivalry but an annual shellacking from here on out.
It is time for Mario to put FSU out of its misery. It is time to remember 45–3. And it is time to aggressively go for the jugular. On Saturday night, Miami needs John Kreese on the sideline. Mario Cristobal cannot hold back. Strike early, keep attacking, and annihilate Florida State.
Strike First. Strike Hard. No Mercy.
