Mike Norvell isn’t letting the final overtime sequence against Miami fade quietly.
Florida State had already pushed the game to the edge when two controversial calls swung the final period. The first came when left tackle Xavier Chaplin was called for holding after a Miami defender slipped and fell in front of him, wiping out a wild touchdown by Micahi Danzy.
On the next snap, the Seminoles threw another pass into traffic, and Duce Robinson appeared to come down with it. Instead, the play was ruled an interception on the field, and that call stood after review to end the game.
Norvell made his feelings clear again during his Week 8 press conference. Asked about the holding call on Chaplin, he said, "It's an absolute joke." He had already gone after the officials right after the game, saying the crew should "go watch the film," where the mistake would be obvious.
The frustration for Florida State isn’t just that it lost. It’s how it lost after hanging around all night.
The Seminoles entered the matchup as nearly three-touchdown underdogs and had also absorbed a major blow with the season-ending injury to running back Ousmane Kromah. Even with all of that, they fought Miami to the wire.
That’s what makes the ending sting so much. Florida State made its share of mistakes, but this wasn’t a team that unraveled. By the time the overtime calls hit, the Seminoles had put together a gritty, hard-fought performance and were staring at a huge conference win.
Norvell also took issue with the second decision, saying the two players had possession of the ball in the air and that simultaneous possession should have gone in Robinson’s favor. He argued the officiating crew did not account for that, and the interception ruling ended Florida State’s shot at finishing the upset.
Now the Seminoles have to turn the page quickly. They have Week 8 off before returning in Week 9 against Clemson, which has won nine of the last ten meetings.
In Other News...
Florida State Still Has A Narrow Path To Save This Season
Florida State came out of the double-overtime loss to Miami still searching for traction, and the margin for error is getting thinner by the week. At 3-4 with five games left, the Seminoles do not have much room left to waste, but the schedule still leaves open a path to salvage a respectable finish if they can start putting together the kind of complete performance that has been elusive since conference play tightened up.
The remaining stretch is complicated by a few familiar concerns, including a recent injury to running back Ousmane Kromah and the fact that road games have not been kind. Even so, the way the next opponents have been trending, plus Florida State's past results in some of those matchups, keeps a 7-5 finish in play if the Seminoles can clean up the small mistakes that have been costing them close games. [Read more 🡒]
Alex Steen Can Finally Help Florida State Sooner Than Expected
After spending the offseason in legal limbo, Florida State forward Alex Steen finally has a path back onto the court sooner than expected. A Leon County judge granted him an extra season of eligibility after his challenge to the NCAAs 5-in-5 rule, a ruling that clears up a situation that had kept him in waiting even as he stayed enrolled in classes and continued practicing with the Seminoles.
Now the question shifts from the courtroom to the hardwood, where Steen could make his first game appearance against LSU on Oct. 24. For Florida State, it is a notable boost to a frontcourt that has already had to deal with the uncertainty surrounding his status, and it gives the Seminoles a player they had been able to work with behind the scenes but not yet officially deploy in a game. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Must Rebuild Its Backfield After Ousmane Kromah Update
Florida States backfield took a major hit in the Miami game when Ousmane Kromah went down with a foot and ankle injury that turned out to be far more serious than the initial concern. The injury involved fractured and dislocated bones, and it will require surgery with plates and screws, a development that abruptly changes the Seminoles plans in the run game for the rest of the season.
Kromah had been the teams leading rusher before the injury, making his absence even harder to absorb as Florida State moves into the final stretch of the year. He is expected to miss the remaining five games, and while he was said to be in good spirits before surgery, the Seminoles now have to figure out how to replace both his production and his presence in the offense. [Read more 🡒]