MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - No. 3 Miami had to slog through weather, mistakes and a wild rivalry finish before finally putting away Florida State, 43-35, in double overtime.
Rain was part of the story from the start at Hard Rock Stadium, where the wet, muggy conditions hung over the matchup all night. But the bigger issue for both teams was how sloppy the game became, especially in the first half.
Miami’s own early play made things harder than it needed to be. The Hurricanes were flagged for penalties that handed Florida State better field position, and the Seminoles took advantage enough to go into halftime tied 14-14. Before that, Miami’s offense had been uneven, with Darian Mensah flashing brilliance at times and missing at others.
Darian Mensah is a magician.The Miami QB somehow escapes pressure and delivers a deep shot to put the Hurricanes in scoring range. pic.twitter.com/4wKcNGv6EI
Florida State also had chances to build on its work, but Mike Norvell’s approach repeatedly left points on the table. The Seminoles led 21-14 entering the fourth quarter, and Miami found itself in a grind it clearly didn’t want.
The Hurricanes spent part of the game trying to lean on the run, but their early fourth-down decisions and repeated runs to the weak side were stopped by Florida State. Then Miami finally found a sequence that worked. It started with a pass to Malachi Toney, followed by a run from Javian Mallory, then a jet sweep to Toney before Mallory finished the drive with the tying touchdown.
From there, Miami’s defense had to make a play, and Ethan O’Connor delivered it by forcing a fumble that the Hurricanes recovered.
MIAMI FORCES THE FUMBLE!Miami RECOVER! pic.twitter.com/4wKcNGv6EI
That set up what turned into Miami’s drive of the night. Mensah, who had been inconsistent, hit a crucial throw on third-and-long to keep the series alive. Jordan Lyle then helped push the ball down the field, and the drive ended with Elija Lofton catching a touchdown pass with 2:49 left to put Miami up 28-21.
Florida State answered immediately. One snap was all it took for Duce Robinson and Ashton Daniels to connect on a 75-yard touchdown that tied the game at 28-28. Miami got the ball back with a chance to respond, but couldn’t get a first down, though a strong punt helped pin the Seminoles back.
That only pushed the game into even more chaos. Florida State opened overtime with a smooth scoring drive, but Miami matched it behind Mallory, who powered in on a 25-yard run.
From there, the Hurricanes switched to Lyle again and then finished the second overtime period with Toney catching the touchdown before adding the two-point conversion.
Miami still had one more defensive stand to survive. The Hurricanes have not made a habit of finishing games with history or a Hail Mary, but this time the ending came down to a contested final play. One catch was wiped out by a holding call, and on the final throw Bryce Fitzgerald used his basketball instincts to out-jump Robinson and end the game.
Rules Analyst says the correct call was made pic.twitter.com/By7v6Cq0VS
Miami will head back home after the emotional win and face Pitt in the first afternoon game of the year.
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Dolphins Backfield Crisis Could Force A New RB Into Action Fast
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Head coach Jeff Hafley pointed to Allens toughness and the way Miami evaluated him against Washington and throughout the draft process, a sign the Dolphins saw more than just emergency depth in the pickup. Allen has not yet had a chance to play for Miami because of the timing of the move and the bye week, but with injuries stacking up in the running back room, his first opportunity could come sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]