Florida State football (3-4, 1-3 ACC) gave Miami (6-0, 4-0 ACC) all it could handle, taking the Hurricanes into double overtime. Unfortunately, for the Noles, the Hurricanes came out on top, surviving back-to-back Hail Mary touchdown attempts (one called back due to a holding penalty, the other ruled an interecption) to win 43-35 and extend FSU’s road losing streak to 11.
Ashton Daniels and the FSU offense played as well as they could have to give the Seminoles a chance to win. The Seminole signal caller went 15-for-28 for 298 yards, along with 31 rushing yards and a touchdown, while managing the Miami pass rush. The passing game took what Miami gave them in the first half, before hitting explosive plays later in the second half, including a 75-yard touchdown to Duce Robinson in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 28.
Unfortunately, for the Noles, Darian Mensah and the Cane offense proved no match for Tony White’s defense as the game wore on. Miami scored 14 points in the fourth quarter and needed three plays or fewer to put touchdowns on the board in both overtime periods. White’s unit allowed 583 total yards and had no answer for Malachi Toney, who caught 11 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns.
Tonight’s game ended in controversy when a holding call wiped out a Florida State game-tying touchdown in the second overtime. On the ensuing play, Miami “intercepted” a pass in the end zone, that appeared Robinson came down with on 4th-and-31. Ultimately, the Noles didn’t have enough to get over the line and capitalize on UM’s mistakes. It is a heartbreaking loss for Norvell, who still lacks the long-awaited road victory.
Miami struck first after the Seminoles’ quiet opening drive, with Mark Fletcher Jr.’s touchdown run. The Canes converted three straight third downs on the drive, including a miraculous catch by All-American Wide Receiver Malachi Toney that seemed to foreshadow the way the game would go.
However, after a late hit to the head briefly injured Ashton Daniels and the Noles were stopped on downs at the Miami two-yard line, FSU evened the score at seven early in the second quarter. Desirro Riles leaked out for a well-designed screen play, and the Noles capped off a seven-play, 53-yard TD drive.
The pendulum swung back to UM as they marched down the field to take a 14-7 lead and again stopped the Seminoles in a goal-to-go situation. But once again, positive field position, this time by two personal-foul calls, kept the Seminoles’ offense alive. Although Florida State scored on a three-play, 15-yard TD drive, it was a bittersweet possession for the Noles, as the play before Daniels ran the ball in to tie the game at 14, running back Ousmane Kromah was carted off the field with an ankle injury.
Miami threatened to score going into the half, but a third-and-15 stop forced the Canes to punt, keeping the game tied 14 -14 at the break.
Florida State landed the first punch in the second half when Ashlynd Barker intercepted Darian Mensah in the end zone, forcing the first turnover of the game. After an FSU punt, Miami turned the ball over on downs on Florida State’s 42-yard line on 4th-and-two, as internal pressure forced Mensah’s throw to be incomplete.
This time, Norvell’s team took advantage, and in a lightning-fast four-play, 58-yard drive that took 96 seconds, Florida State took its first lead of the night, 21-14, after a 28-yard screen pass to ‘Tre Wisner. Norvell continued to dial up screen passes against Miami’s aggressive defense, and it paid off for the second screen-pass TD of the night.
It looked like Mario Cristobal was going to equalize and had taken the ball into the red zone. However, the defense’s theme all night was to bend, not break, and when White’s defense needed a stop on 4th-and-1, they delivered. Fletcher Jr. barely got back to the line of scrimmage before Chris Jones met the Miami running back in the hole, as FSU turned the Canes on downs for the second time in the second half.
After a Seminole punt, two explosive plays for the Hurricanes led to a 72-yard, four-play touchdown drive in under two minutes to tie the game 21-21 with 9:33 left in the fourth quarter. The momentum stayed with the Canes as Wisner fumbled on a first-down carry, FSU’s first turnover, giving Miami the ball back on its own 40-yard line. Mensah and company took advantage of the error, marching down the field for a 10-play, 61-yard drive that took 6:08 off the clock, as the Noles trailed for the first time in the second half, 28-21.
Right as it seemed out of reach for Florida State, Daniels and Duce Robinson needed one play to draw even. Robinson caught a deep pass from Daniels, broke two tackles, and scored on the drive’s first play, tying the game at 28 and silencing the Miami Gardens crowd. After FSU stopped Miami at midfield and Daniels ran out the clock, the Sunshine State Showdown headed to overtime.
The 14-to-0 connection bore fruit again in OT. On 3rd-and-five, Daniels faded away and dropped a corner route into the bucket for a 20-yard touchdown catch by Robinson, giving the Noles a 35-28 lead. However, the lead was short-lived, as the Hurricanes needed only two plays to match the Seminole touchdown and tie the game at 35.
Florida State’s defense could not find an answer in the second overtime period either, as Miami needed three plays to find the end zone, and converted its two-point conversion, putting the Noles behind, 43-35. Florida State started its overtime possesion going backwards, and ended up facing 4th-and-21. It seemed that Daniels hit Micahi Danzy in the back of the end zone for a touchdown, but the play was called back for holding. Then, Daniels hit Robinson for a touchdown, however the referrees ruled an interception for Miami, ending the game in double overtime, 43-35.