Miami Beats Florida State 43-35 in Double OT Thriller

The Miami Hurricanes survived one of the most dramatic finishes of the College Football season, overcoming two Hail Mary attempts by Florida State to secure a thrilling 43-35 double-overtime victory over their fierce rivals. The third-ranked Hurricanes escaped with the win after safety Bryce Fitzgerald intercepted quarterback Ashton Daniels’ final desperation pass in the end zone, bringing an extraordinary contest to a dramatic conclusion.

Florida State appeared to have one last opportunity to force another twist in the rivalry game when Daniels connected with Micahi Danzy on a 36-yard Hail Mary in the second overtime period. However, a holding penalty wiped out the play, leaving the Seminoles facing an even more difficult situation with their season hopes hanging in the balance.

On the final play, Daniels launched another desperate pass toward the end zone, targeting 6-foot-6 wide receiver Duce Robinson from 46 yards away. Robinson rose to make the catch, but Fitzgerald jumped alongside him and battled for possession. The two players came down tangled together, with officials ruling the play an interception.

A brief replay review upheld the decision, triggering celebrations across the Miami sideline as the Hurricanes completed a hard-fought victory over their in-state rivals. For Florida State, the ending brought frustration and unanswered questions about the officiating, while Miami escaped a game that had threatened to derail its championship ambitions.

Miami Survives Florida State’s Final Hail Mary Attempts

The closing moments at Miami Gardens provided a fitting conclusion to a game filled with tension, momentum swings and late drama. Miami had entered the contest as a 21-point favorite, but Florida State refused to follow the expected script and pushed the Hurricanes to the limit.

After Miami took the lead in the second overtime period, Florida State needed a touchdown to keep the game alive. The Seminoles faced a difficult situation after Miami’s defense applied relentless pressure on Daniels, eventually bringing him down for a sack.

A penalty against Florida State made the situation even more challenging, setting up a fourth-and-long attempt. With the Seminoles desperate to extend the game, Daniels threw toward Danzy in the corner of the end zone. Danzy made an impressive play on the ball, but officials flagged offensive lineman Xavier Chaplin for holding, negating the apparent completion.

The penalty left Florida State facing fourth-and-31 from the Miami 46-yard line. With no realistic opportunity to move the chains through a conventional play, the Seminoles turned to one final Hail Mary.

Daniels sent the football toward Robinson, whose height and ability to win contested catches made him a natural target in the situation. Robinson went up for the ball, but Fitzgerald rose with him and secured possession as both players came down to the ground.

The officials ruled the play an interception, and the replay review did not change the decision. Miami’s players rushed onto the field, celebrating a victory that had seemed far less certain during the fourth quarter.

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal acknowledged the drama of the final play while expressing relief that his team had come out on the winning side.

“I thought Bryce snatched that thing and pulled it into his lap,” Cristobal said.

The coach also referenced a previous close call involving a Hail Mary, making it clear that Miami could not afford to make a habit of allowing games to reach such precarious endings.

“But I know we’ve sat in this stadium before on a couple of those, so let’s try not to make that a habit going forward.”

Bryce Fitzgerald Delivers the Game-Saving Interception

Fitzgerald emerged as one of the central figures in Miami’s dramatic victory after making the decisive defensive play. His interception prevented Florida State from completing a remarkable comeback and preserved the Hurricanes’ unbeaten start to the season.

The play was particularly significant because Fitzgerald had briefly left the game after suffering a shoulder stinger. Despite the discomfort, he asked to return to the field because he wanted to help Miami defend Robinson on the final snap.

Fitzgerald drew on his basketball background when explaining how he approached the crucial moment. His ability to elevate and compete for the football helped him challenge Robinson, who possessed a significant height advantage over many defenders.

Rather than allowing the receiver to make an uncontested catch, Fitzgerald attacked the ball and fought to secure it. The resulting play became the defining moment of a rivalry game that could have gone either way.

“It’s my ball or no ball,” Fitzgerald said, describing his mindset on the final play.

His determination proved decisive. With Florida State needing one more touchdown to extend the contest, Fitzgerald’s interception ended the Seminoles’ hopes and allowed Miami to celebrate a hard-earned victory.

Miami Faces Its First Fourth-Quarter Deficit of the Season

Despite entering the game as a heavy favorite, Miami found itself in unfamiliar territory during the fourth quarter. Florida State built a 21-14 advantage, putting the Hurricanes behind for the first time all season.

The deficit tested Miami’s composure and forced the offense to respond under pressure. Quarterback Darian Mensah recognized the importance of the moment and delivered a message to his offensive line, making it clear that he did not intend to let the game slip away.

Mensah told his teammates that they were not going to lose the contest. The message reflected the confidence Miami needed as it attempted to regain control against a Florida State team that had disrupted expectations throughout the afternoon.

The Hurricanes responded with a four-play scoring drive that brought the game level at 21-21. Malachi Toney played an important role in the possession, while freshman running back Javian Mallory helped provide the offensive spark Miami needed.

Mallory finished with a team-high 108 rushing yards, giving the Hurricanes a powerful option on the ground. His production was especially important as Miami sought to establish control of the line of scrimmage and wear down Florida State’s defense.

Miami’s comeback was not simply about finding explosive plays through the air. The Hurricanes also relied on physical running and determined blocking to move the ball when the pressure was greatest.

After tying the game, Miami continued to build momentum and eventually moved in front with 2:49 remaining in regulation. Mallory and Jordan Lyle helped lead a drive in which the Hurricanes imposed their physicality up front, putting Miami in position to close out the contest.

However, Florida State refused to surrender. The Seminoles responded almost immediately, producing one of the biggest plays of the game to force overtime.

Duce Robinson’s 75-Yard Catch Sends the Game to Overtime

Just when Miami appeared to have taken control, Florida State delivered a stunning response. Daniels connected with Robinson on a 75-yard pass during the following drive, allowing the Seminoles to tie the score at 28-28.

The explosive completion changed the atmosphere once again. Miami had worked hard to recover from its first fourth-quarter deficit of the season and had taken the lead with less than three minutes remaining. Robinson’s long reception erased that advantage almost instantly.

Florida State’s ability to produce a major play under pressure demonstrated why the Seminoles remained dangerous despite being significant underdogs. Robinson’s combination of size and receiving ability repeatedly gave Daniels a target capable of changing the game with a single completion.

The 75-yard connection sent the contest into overtime, setting up an increasingly tense finish between two rivals determined to claim bragging rights.

Neither team could afford a mistake as the game progressed into the extra periods. Miami ultimately managed to take the lead in the second overtime, but Florida State’s two Hail Mary attempts ensured that the Hurricanes had to defend until the very last moment.

Ashton Daniels Questions the Final Call

Florida State quarterback Ashton Daniels was understandably disappointed by the ending. He believed Robinson had completed the catch on the final Hail Mary and said the pass had given his teammate an opportunity to make the kind of play he was known for.

“I thought it was a touchdown,” Daniels said.

Daniels explained that he trusted Robinson to compete for the ball in a difficult situation. From the quarterback’s perspective, the receiver had done what was expected of him, but the officials ultimately determined that the play was an interception.

“Gave Deuce a chance, and that’s what he does. He comes down with the ball, and we believe that he did, but we’re not the ones out there calling the shots, and we can’t control the decisions and all that.”

Daniels acknowledged the frustration of the decision while recognizing that Florida State had little opportunity to change the outcome after the review upheld the original ruling.

“So, we don’t understand it. Obviously, it hurts, but there’s nothing we can do about it.”

The disputed ending became an immediate talking point, particularly because the Seminoles had already seen a promising Hail Mary completion erased by a holding penalty moments earlier. The combination of the penalty and the final interception left Florida State with no way to extend the game.

Mike Norvell Wants Answers About the Officiating

Florida State head coach Mike Norvell also expressed frustration with the final sequence. Norvell said he had not received an explanation for the ruling on the field and wanted to review the game footage before commenting on the holding penalty that negated Danzy’s catch.

The coach also highlighted the fact that the same officiating crew had worked a game involving Florida State the previous year, when the Seminoles suffered another disputed ending against Stanford.

“It’s unique when you have the same crew, back-to-back years in game-ending situations that go down the last play,” Norvell said.

Norvell questioned the interpretation of the final catch, referring to the long-standing idea that a tie between a receiver and defender should favor the offensive player. However, he acknowledged that officials might have relied on an angle that showed something different from what he believed he had seen.

“I watched the play. Since the start of football, a tie goes to the receiver, but I guess they had a different angle that you could see something different.”

The comments reflected Florida State’s disappointment after coming close to forcing another dramatic turn in the game. While the replay review upheld the interception ruling, the Seminoles left the field believing the final play could have been interpreted differently.

For Miami, the decision was the difference between a potentially devastating defeat and a victory that kept its season on track. The Hurricanes’ defense had been placed under enormous pressure, but Fitzgerald’s intervention ensured that the final call favored the home team.

Miami’s Championship Ambitions Remain Intact

The victory strengthened Miami’s position as one of the leading teams in college football. After entering the matchup ranked third nationally, the Hurricanes had another opportunity to reinforce their credentials as contenders for the Atlantic Coast Conference title and a place in the College Football Playoff.

Miami’s narrow escape was especially important given the expectations surrounding the program. The Hurricanes had been viewed as prohibitive favorites to win the conference, and their strong start to the season had increased attention on their potential national ranking.

With Georgia and Notre Dame having suffered losses, Miami had a strong chance of moving to No. 1 in the Associated Press poll when the rankings were released on Sunday. Such a rise would further increase the spotlight on Cristobal’s team.

However, Cristobal made it clear that the possibility of becoming the top-ranked team was not a priority for him. The Miami coach emphasized that rankings could change quickly and that his program needed to remain focused on the next game rather than external recognition.

“Well, I think we have a good enough sample size of 2026 to know that that’s absolutely insignificant and irrelevant with the changing of the guard from week to week,” Cristobal said.

He added that rankings did not influence the team’s preparation or its approach to improving from week to week.

“Just has no value to our processes. I’ll focus on the real one that’s important, 1-0.”

The message reflected Miami’s determination to maintain its focus despite the growing expectations surrounding the program. The Hurricanes had survived a major challenge from Florida State, but Cristobal wanted his players to treat the result as one step in a much longer season.

A Dramatic Rivalry Win Raises Questions for Florida State

Florida State’s performance showed that Miami could be challenged even when the Hurricanes entered a game as overwhelming favorites. The Seminoles built a fourth-quarter lead, responded to Miami’s late advantage with a 75-yard touchdown connection and came within a contested final play of potentially extending the game.

Daniels and Robinson gave Florida State a dangerous passing combination, particularly when the Seminoles needed to make plays under pressure. Robinson’s long reception helped force overtime, while his involvement in the final Hail Mary made him the focal point of the game’s controversial conclusion.

Yet Florida State ultimately could not overcome the holding penalty that erased Danzy’s catch or Fitzgerald’s interception on the final snap. The Seminoles were left to examine the mistakes and disputed moments that contributed to the defeat.

Miami, meanwhile, had to acknowledge that its performance was far from comfortable. The Hurricanes entered the game expected to win convincingly, but they needed a late comeback, overtime execution and a decisive defensive play to secure the result.

The contest also offered a reminder of the fine margins that can decide major college football games. A single penalty, a long completion or a contested catch can change the outcome, particularly when two rivals are evenly matched late in a game.

Conclusion

Miami’s 43-35 double-overtime victory over Florida State will be remembered for its extraordinary ending. The Hurricanes survived two Hail Mary attempts, overcame a fourth-quarter deficit and relied on Bryce Fitzgerald’s game-saving interception to secure the win.

Florida State came agonizingly close to forcing another twist, with Ashton Daniels believing that Duce Robinson had caught the final pass. However, the officials upheld the interception ruling after a replay review, allowing Miami to celebrate a dramatic rivalry victory.

For the Hurricanes, the result keeps their championship ambitions alive and reinforces their position among college football’s leading contenders. For Florida State, the defeat brings frustration over the final calls and disappointment after a performance that pushed one of the nation’s top teams to the limit.

With the season continuing and the pressure increasing, Miami will now look to build on the victory while addressing the defensive and offensive challenges exposed during the thriller. The Hurricanes escaped with the result, but their double-overtime battle against Florida State showed just how difficult the road ahead could be.