He's also the most prolific he's done it twice.
Beitia's first errant kick came was Wide Left I in 2002, a 28-27 Miami win. Then it happened again. Beitia missed a 39-yard kick, this time to the customary right, as the Hurricanes beat the Seminoles 16-14 in last season's Orange Bowl.
Beitia has tried to stay mum since, hoping for one final shot at redemption when the fourth-ranked Seminoles play No. 5 Miami in Friday night's season opener at the Orange Bowl.
``If you're playing, you want to be in that situation, no matter what has happened,'' he said Tuesday. ``That's the kind of situation you want to be in.''
Teammates say they still have confidence in Beitia.
``He'll be the first to admit that he hasn't done as well as he knows he can,'' quarterback Chris Rix said. ``Everyone else knows he can do it because he bombs these things in practice and scrimmages all the time.''
Beitia has plenty of company in Florida State's kicking annals.
Gerry Thomas, Dan Mowrey and Matt Munyon all missed field goals wide right that would've won or tied games in the final seconds. Derek Schmidt, once the NCAA's scoring leader, missed a field goal try and an extra point in a 26-25 loss to the 'Canes in 1987.
After kicking three field goals earlier in the 1991 loss, Thomas missed a 34-yard kick with 25 seconds left as the second-ranked Hurricanes escaped with a 17-16 victory in a mid-November 1-2 matchup.
Mowrey's miss the next year, from 39 yards at the Orange Bowl, would've given the Seminoles a tie in the final seconds.
Munyon had a 49-yard attempt to the right in another try for a tie in 2000.
Florida State coach Bobby Bowden named Beitia one of the team's three captains heading into this season one in which the Seminoles believe they've got the ingredients for a third national title in a dozen years.
``I've been given the opportunity to play for Florida State against Miami,'' Beitia said. ``Not many people get that opportunity. You've had to do something to earn that right.''
Closing in on the school scoring record as well, Beitia is looking forward to a big season and he's not worrying about missing a field goal along the way.
``It's three points against Miami just like it is against Duke,'' he said.
``I've been through it all as a three-year starter,'' he said. ``I've seen everything you can pretty much see. On the other side, it's just a game.''
http://accesswdun.com/article/2004/9/152372