Florida State had Miami on the ropes, then watched the game slip away in the wildest way possible.
Under rainy conditions and in a rivalry game that lived up to every ounce of the buildup, the Seminoles and No. 3-ranked Hurricanes went to two overtimes before Miami escaped with a 43-35 win Saturday night. Florida State had a final shot to force a third extra period, but Miami’s defense ended it by intercepting Ashton Daniels’ Hail Mary attempt.
Mike Norvell had spent the week telling his team it needed to respond the right way to Miami. The Seminoles did plenty of that, trading blows all night and matching the Hurricanes punch for punch. But Miami kept finding one more answer.
Florida State dug itself into an early hole when Miami opened with a 14-0 lead. The Seminoles tried to answer aggressively, going for it on fourth down twice, but came up empty both times and turned the ball over on downs. They steadied themselves in the second quarter, though, putting together two scoring drives to pull even at 14-14.
That second drive came with some help from two personal foul penalties on Miami, which gave Florida State valuable field position. It also came with a cost.
Running back Ousmane Kromah was gang-tackled near the end zone, and his left ankle was rolled up under the pile. Trainers put his left leg in an air cast, and he was carted off the field.
Daniels kept the Seminoles in the fight all game. He finished 6-of-12 passing for 117 yards and a touchdown, while also running for 32 yards and a score.
Miami quarterback Darian Mensah completed 56 percent of his passes for 161 yards and a touchdown in the first half, while Mark Fletcher handled much of the ground work early, rushing for 39 of Miami’s 59 first-half rushing yards and a touchdown. Malachi Toney added five catches for 69 yards and a touchdown before halftime.
Florida State seized momentum coming out of the break. After Miami turned it over on downs and the Seminoles punted to open the third quarter, Daniels led a sharp drive that included a 26-yard strike to Jayvan Boggs. Two plays later, he hit Quintrevion Wisner on a screen that turned into a 28-yard touchdown, putting Florida State ahead 21-14.
Miami was blanked in the third quarter, but the Hurricanes finally broke through late. After another turnover on downs, Florida State settled for short completions and then punted again.
Mensah answered with a 35-yard connection to Toney into Florida State territory, then Toney added a 30-yard run to set up first and goal. Javian Mallory finished the sequence with a touchdown run to tie it at 21-21.
Florida State’s next response was costly. Wisner found daylight, but Miami punched the ball out and recovered for the first turnover of the game by the Seminoles. From there, the Hurricanes kept the drive alive with a 3rd-and-10 completion, then went down and scored to go ahead 28-21 with less than three minutes left.
Daniels wasn’t done. On the ensuing possession, he dropped a deep ball to the sideline for Duce Robinson, who broke two tackles and raced 75 yards for the tying touchdown. With 0:35 left and the game even at 28-28, Norvell chose to kneel and send it to overtime.
The first overtime was more back-and-forth drama. Florida State got the ball first, and Daniels found Robinson in the end zone for a 20-yard score. Miami answered with a Mallory touchdown run to make it 35-35 and force a second overtime.
In the second extra period, Miami took control. Mensah found Toney again to put the Hurricanes ahead 41-35, then Miami converted the 2-point attempt when Toney threw to Cooper Barkate for the final margin of 43-35.
Florida State’s final possession unraveled quickly. Daniels was sacked on the first play, then threw incomplete on the next.
A false start on Wisner made third down even tougher, and on 3rd and 21 Daniels had to throw the ball away. On 4th down and 21, Florida State appeared to have a touchdown pass, but it was wiped out by a holding penalty on OL Xavier Chaplin.
One snap later, on 4th and 31, Daniels sent a deep ball toward the end zone, and Bryce Fitzgerald came down with the interception to end it.
Daniels finished with 298 passing yards and four touchdowns. Mensah threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Toney. Florida State went 0-3 on fourth down.
In Other News...
Ashton Daniels Hit Leaves Florida State Fans Watching One Thing
Florida States sideline had to hold its breath for a few moments Saturday after Ashton Daniels took a hit to the head while sliding against Miami. The play drew an ejection for Hurricanes defensive back Zechariah Poyser on a targeting call, and Daniels was sent to the medical tent for evaluation before eventually making his way back onto the field.
Kevin Sperry stepped in during Daniels brief absence, giving the Seminoles a reminder of how quickly a game can tilt when the quarterback is forced out for even a snap or two. For Florida State, the bigger concern was Daniels health, and his return on the next drive at least offered some relief after a tense sequence in a rivalry game already packed with emotion. [Read more 🡒]
FSU's Miami Fight Suddenly Comes With A Bigger Worry
Florida States game against Miami took a worrying turn when running back Ousmane Kromah went down with a lower-body injury and had to be taken off the field on a cart with an air cast. It was the kind of scene that immediately shifted attention away from the scoreboard, especially in a rivalry game that was tight from the opening half and headed into halftime tied at 14.
Ashton Daniels also took a hit to the head and briefly left the game before returning, adding another layer of concern for the Seminoles as they tried to stay composed in a physical matchup. With the score still even and the injury situations hanging over both sidelines, Florida States focus now goes beyond just keeping pace with Miami. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Fans Have Every Reason To Be Furious After Miami Heartbreaker
Florida State came out of Miami with a gut-punch loss, falling 43-35 in double overtime to the third-ranked Hurricanes in a game that had enough swings to frustrate everyone involved. Ashton Daniels gave the Seminoles a chance all night, throwing for 298 yards and connecting multiple times with Duce Robinson, but the road skid keeps growing and the bigger concern may be how hard the team had to fight just to stay in position against a top-end opponent.
The Seminoles also took a hit when Ousmane Kromah went down with an ankle injury, thinning an offense that was already leaning on Daniels to make plays through the air. Miamis Darian Mensah answered with 326 passing yards and three touchdowns, and the finish only added to the sting, with the game hinging on a sequence Florida State will not forget anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]