MIAMI GARDENS - Florida State needed a touchdown and a two-point conversion to keep its upset bid against Miami alive, and even after Ashton Daniels fired a fourth-and-21 strike to Michahi Danzy for a touchdown, the Seminoles still needed a penalty to swing the moment back their way.
The hold wiped that play away.
So Daniels tried again. He launched another Hail Mary into the end zone, where Florida State’s Duce Robinson and Miami safety Bryce Fitzgerald went up for it.
Robinson is listed at 6-6. Fitzgerald is listed at 6-1.
Fitzgerald came down with the ball, and after review, the call stood to seal the Hurricanes’ win.
“My basketball instincts just (kicked in),” Fitzgerald said. “I treat it like I’m getting a rebound off the rim.”
It was the latest big finish for Fitzgerald, who has already delivered clutch interceptions in tight moments. He picked off a pass in the end zone to secure Miami’s first-round playoff win over Texas A&M.
This season, though, injuries around the secondary have pushed him into more of a roaming role than his usual ball-hawking safety spot. He has spent time at safety, cornerback and nickelback, but he asked safeties coach Will Harris to move back to safety for that final series.
“He told me he trusts me and go in the game,” Fitzgerald said. “So that’s what I did.”
Fitzgerald had already left the game once because of a shoulder injury, then came back before halftime. Miami coach Mario Cristobal said the staff checked him out and Fitzgerald refused to stay down.
“We thought he was hurt pretty bad early in the game,” Cristobal said. “He went in there, and they checked him out. And he didn’t want to be held back.”
Fitzgerald described it as a stinger and said he was ready to return.
“Coach Cristobal always says, ‘If you’re injured, you can’t go, but if you’re hurt, you’re going to go,’” Fitzgerald said. “So I told him I was good to go, coach. He trusted me to go back in the game, so I went in and gave him my all.”
Teammate Malachi Toney gave him a final nudge before the deciding snap.
“I told Bryce, ‘Go finish the game,’” Toney said. “He knows me and him talk about it before every game. So that’s what we come to Miami for.”
When Fitzgerald secured the interception, the crowd erupted. Then everything paused while the officials reviewed the play, and Miami’s players had to back away after initially flooding the field.
“Honestly, I didn’t see if he caught the pick or if he caught the touchdown or not,” running back Javian Mallory said. “So we’re all just waiting.
I see the team running around. I see the ref.
It’s a whole bunch going through my mind right there. But after the final call was made, all the emotions.
I was happy, celebrating with the team.”
Cristobal said he believed the ruling would hold.
“I was (confident the call would stand),” Cristobal said. “I thought Bryce had snatched that thing and pulled it into his lap.
But I know we sat in this stadium before on a couple of those. So let’s try not to make that a habit going forward.”
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 🡒]