From the HERE City National Desk
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Unbeaten Miami needed two overtimes and a disputed final play, but the third-ranked Hurricanes survived archrival Florida State 43-35 on Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
Neither side could pull away. Every time one team went ahead by a touchdown in regulation, the other answered to tie it. Seminoles tight end Duce Robinson forced extra time with a 75-yard touchdown catch with 2:49 to play, then hauled in a 20-yard score on the first possession of overtime. Running back Javian Mallory matched it for Miami with a touchdown run in the first extra period.
In the second overtime, Darian Mensah found Malachi Toney from 3 yards out, and Toney then threw the 2-point conversion to Cooper Barkate for an eight-point cushion. Florida State thought it had a reprieve when Ashton Daniels completed a 36-yard throw on fourth-and-21, but a holding penalty wiped it out. On the next snap, a deep heave into a crowded end zone was ruled an interception by Bryce Fitzgerald after review, and Miami players flooded the field. Florida State argued the catch should have been a touchdown.
Mensah completed 23 of 34 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns, though his streak of 153 passes without an interception to open his Miami career ended in the third quarter. Toney caught 11 passes for 154 yards and two scores, and Mallory finished with 108 rushing yards and two touchdowns. On the other side, Daniels accounted for four touchdown passes and 298 yards through the air.
Miami improved to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and with No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Notre Dame both losing, the Hurricanes could climb to No. 1 in the national rankings for the first time since 2002. Florida State fell to 3-4 and 1-3. Coach Mike Norvell's team, which lost top rusher Ousmane Kromah to a leg injury in the first half, has now dropped 14 straight games away from Tallahassee.
Section: More Washington DC sports news
Filed under: Washington DC Sports News
