Florida State walked out of Hard Rock Stadium with another gut punch Saturday night, falling to No. 3 Miami 43-35 in double overtime and stretching its road losing streak to 12 games.
The Seminoles had chances to steal it. They had energy, they had momentum, and for long stretches they even had the answers to a Miami team that came in with the nation’s best-scoring offense. But Florida State couldn’t finish, and the Hurricanes made enough plays in the biggest moments to survive the upset bid.
The loss dropped FSU to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the ACC, while the pressure on head coach Mike Norvell only intensified.
Quarterback Ashton Daniels kept Florida State alive after running back Ousmane Kromah left with an air cast on his left ankle in the second quarter. Daniels threw for 298 yards and three total touchdowns, added 32 rushing yards and a score, and repeatedly delivered when the Seminoles needed a spark. His biggest strike came late in the fourth quarter, when he connected with Duce Robinson on a 75-yard touchdown to send the game to overtime.
Robinson was Daniels’ favorite target in the closing stretch. The two linked up again for a 20-yard touchdown in the first overtime, giving Florida State a brief lifeline. But Miami answered, and the Seminoles never fully recovered.
The ending turned chaotic. Down 43-35 and needing a score, Daniels appeared to find Robinson on a fourth-and-31 prayer for what looked like a dramatic touchdown.
Officials ruled Bryce Fitzgerald had intercepted the pass, even though both players had hands on the ball. That call sealed the game after Miami scored two quick overtime touchdowns to close it out.
Florida State’s offense still found a few bright spots despite losing Kromah and dealing with a thin backfield. The Seminoles piled up 443 total yards, the most Miami had allowed all season, and posted 138 rushing yards, a season high against the Hurricanes’ defense. They also scored the most points anyone had put on Miami this year.
Still, the offense had wasted chances earlier, including two first-half fourth-down turnovers in the red zone. Kromah, who had 44 rushing yards on 14 carries, was injured late in the first half after a nine-yard run and left on the medical cart. That play helped set up Florida State’s first game-tying score, a three-yard Daniels run.
With Kromah out, Tre Wisner moved into the featured role and came through in spots. He caught a 28-yard screen pass for a touchdown late in the third quarter to put FSU ahead 21-14, then finished with 63 rushing yards on nine carries and 56 receiving yards. But he also lost a costly fumble with the game tied at 21, and that turnover helped Miami score the last touchdown of regulation.
Florida State’s defense did enough to create hope. It held Miami to 14 points in the first half, the Hurricanes’ lowest-scoring half of the season, and got a second-half interception from Ashlynd Barker on the opening drive after halftime. The Seminoles also forced two fourth-down stops, including Chris Jones’ stop on Mark Fletcher Jr. early in the fourth quarter on fourth-and-1.
But Miami kept finding cracks when it mattered. Darian Mensah threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns with one interception, and after a Mandrell Desir sack, he escaped pressure on 3rd and 10 late in regulation and hit Daylyn Upshaw for a first down. That kept alive a 10-play, 61-yard drive that ended with Mensah’s touchdown pass to Elijah Lofton.
Miami then controlled overtime. Javian Mallory opened the first extra period with a 25-yard touchdown run, and the Hurricanes needed just three plays to score on their second possession. There was almost a chance for Florida State to force another twist, but Ashlynd Barker and CJ Richard Jr. both broke on a ball that could have been intercepted before colliding and letting it fall incomplete.
The Hurricanes finished with 583 total yards, and Malachi Toney was a major problem again, posting 154 yards and two touchdowns on 11 catches.
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