No. 3 Miami 43, FSU 35 (2OT): Seminoles fall after Daniels, Duce Robinson force overtime

Posted 11:00 PM ET Saturday, after the final. FSU had not released postgame comments from Mike Norvell or players at posting time. We'll cover the press conference in a separate story.

No. 3 Miami beat Florida State 43-35 in double overtime Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium. The Hurricanes scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion in the second overtime, then intercepted Ashton Daniels on fourth-and-31 to end it, per ESPN. A 36-yard FSU touchdown catch on the previous snap was wiped out by a holding penalty.

FSU (3-4, 1-3 ACC) forced overtime on Daniels' 75-yard touchdown pass to Duce Robinson with 2:39 left, and Robinson caught a 20-yard score on the first overtime possession. Miami (6-0, 4-0 ACC) answered both times, per ESPN.

How it ended

First overtime: FSU had the ball first at the Miami 25. Quintrevion Wisner ran for 5 yards, and on third-and-5 Daniels hit Robinson deep down the left side for a 20-yard touchdown. Gabe Panikowski's kick made it 35-28 (our story). Ashlynd Barker broke up Miami's first pass, but Javian Mallory ran 25 yards for a touchdown on the next snap, and the extra point tied it 35-35 (our story).

Second overtime: Teams had to go for two after a touchdown. Miami went first. Darian Mensah hit Daylyn Upshaw for 20 yards to the FSU 5, and after a 2-yard run, Mensah threw a 3-yard touchdown to Malachi Toney. Toney then threw to Cooper Barkate for the two-point conversion, making it 43-35 (our story). Noles247's John Evans reported that Toney beat Ja'Bril Rawls one-on-one on the touchdown.

FSU needed a touchdown and a two-point conversion. Daniels was sacked for a 6-yard loss on first down. An incompletion, a false start and another incompletion, with Daniels hurried, left FSU at fourth-and-21. Daniels then found Micahi Danzy for a 36-yard touchdown, but holding was called on offensive lineman Xavier Chaplin, per ESPN's play-by-play. On fourth-and-31, Bryce Fitzgerald intercepted Daniels in the end zone. Officials reviewed the play and the call stood, Tomahawk Nation reported. Dustin Lewis of NoleGameday/On SI called it a "controversial ending."

Daniels' first-quarter scare

Daniels left the game in the first quarter. With 6:21 left in the quarter and Miami up 7-0, he ran left for 14 yards and took a hit on the play, which ESPN's play-by-play lists as a targeting penalty on Miami's Zechariah Poyser. Lewis reported it was "a headshot on a slide," and the Osceola's Bob Ferrante reported that Poyser was ejected. Kevin Sperry came in at quarterback (our story). That drive reached the Miami 2 but ended on downs when Ousmane Kromah was stopped on fourth down with 3:25 left in the quarter, per ESPN.

Daniels returned on FSU's next possession, which started at its 47 late in the first quarter. Evans reported his return at about 7:39 p.m. ET, and Lewis confirmed it. That drive ended with Daniels' 23-yard touchdown pass to tight end Desirrio Riles, which tied the game 7-7 with 13:52 left in the second quarter (our story).

Key plays

• Another stop at the 5: Miami went up 14-7 on Mensah's 14-yard touchdown pass to Toney. FSU's next drive reached the Miami 5, but Kromah was stopped for no gain on fourth down with 3:56 left in the half (our story).
• Kromah hurt, Daniels ties it: Miami was flagged for a face mask and a personal foul on a punt, and FSU took over at the Miami 15. Kromah was injured on a 9-yard run to the 2 (our story). Daniels ran it in from 2 yards out with 1:40 left, and it was 14-14 at halftime (our story).
• Barker's pick: Barker intercepted Mensah in the end zone for a touchback at 10:47 of the third quarter, per ESPN.
• FSU takes the lead: Daniels' 28-yard touchdown pass to Wisner capped a four-play, 58-yard drive and put FSU up 21-14 with 4:09 left in the third (our story).
• Chris Jones' fourth-down stop: Linebacker Chris Jones stopped Mark Fletcher Jr. for no gain on fourth-and-1 at the FSU 18 with 14:16 left in the game, per ESPN.
• Miami's fourth-quarter push: Mallory's 3-yard run tied it 21-21 with 9:33 left (our story). On FSU's next drive, Wisner broke a 24-yard run, but E. O'Connor forced a fumble and Xavier Lucas recovered for Miami. Miami turned it into a 10-play, 61-yard drive, and Mensah's 3-yard touchdown pass to Elija Lofton made it 28-21 with 2:52 left (our story).
• Robinson's answer: On the next snap, Daniels hit Robinson deep down the left side for a 75-yard touchdown, tying it 28-28 with 2:39 left (our story). Barker broke up a third-down pass on Miami's last regulation drive, and the game went to overtime.

By the numbers

All stats are from ESPN's box score.

• Ashton Daniels: 15-of-28 passing for 298 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. He also had 31 rushing yards on nine carries, including a touchdown. ESPN counts sack yardage as rushing.
• Duce Robinson: five catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns.
• Quintrevion Wisner: 63 rushing yards on nine carries and four catches for 56 yards and a touchdown. He lost one fumble.
• Ousmane Kromah: 44 rushing yards on 14 carries before his injury. Jayvan Boggs had three catches for 52 yards.
• Ashlynd Barker: 13 tackles, an interception and two pass breakups. Chris Jones added nine tackles, and Rylan Kennedy had FSU's only sack.
• Team: Miami outgained FSU 583-443 and ran for 257 yards to FSU's 138. Miami had the ball for 37:20 to FSU's 22:40. FSU was 5-of-12 on third down and 0-for-3 on fourth down.
• Miami's leaders: Mensah went 23-of-34 for 326 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Toney had 11 catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns. Mallory ran for 108 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries.

Injuries to watch

FSU had not given an update on any injured player as of 11:00 PM ET.

• RB Ousmane Kromah: Noles247 reported a left ankle injury late in the first half, and the Tallahassee Democrat reported he was carted off in an air cast (our story).
• LB Omar Graham Jr.: went to the locker room after a collision early in the third quarter, Warchant reported (our story).
• DB Nehemiah Chandler: was assisted to the sideline in the third quarter, per Lewis. LB Chris Jones left briefly and returned (our story).

What they said

Postgame comments are pending. As of 11:00 PM ET, FSU had not published remarks from Norvell or players, and we won't quote anyone until they're on the record from an FSU source.

Scoring summary

• 1st, 7:32: Miami: Mark Fletcher Jr. 7-yard run (Jake Weinberg kick). Miami 7, FSU 0
• 2nd, 13:52: FSU: Desirrio Riles 23-yard pass from Ashton Daniels (Gabe Panikowski kick). 7-7
• 2nd, 8:19: Miami: Malachi Toney 14-yard pass from Darian Mensah (Weinberg kick). Miami 14, FSU 7
• 2nd, 1:40: FSU: Daniels 2-yard run (Panikowski kick). 14-14
• 3rd, 4:09: FSU: Quintrevion Wisner 28-yard pass from Daniels (Panikowski kick). FSU 21, Miami 14
• 4th, 9:33: Miami: Javian Mallory 3-yard run (Weinberg kick). 21-21
• 4th, 2:52: Miami: Elija Lofton 3-yard pass from Mensah (Weinberg kick). Miami 28, FSU 21
• 4th, 2:39: FSU: Duce Robinson 75-yard pass from Daniels (Panikowski kick). 28-28
• OT: FSU: Robinson 20-yard pass from Daniels (Panikowski kick). FSU 35, Miami 28
• OT: Miami: Mallory 25-yard run (Weinberg kick). 35-35
• 2OT: Miami: Toney 3-yard pass from Mensah (Toney pass to Cooper Barkate, two-point conversion). Miami 43, FSU 35

By quarter: FSU 0-14-7-7-7-0 (35); Miami 7-7-0-14-7-8 (43), per ESPN.

More from tonight: our live updates, the end of the third quarter, our halftime analysis and the Game Day page with full play-by-play.

Next up: FSU has an open date Oct. 24, then hosts Clemson on Saturday, Oct. 31 at Doak Campbell Stadium. Time and TV are TBA, per seminoles.com.

Sources: ESPN box score; ESPN play-by-play; Tomahawk Nation on X; Dustin Lewis/NoleGameday on X; Noles247 on X; Warchant on X; John Evans/Noles247 on X; John Evans on Daniels' return; Bob Ferrante/the Osceola on X; Noles247 on Kromah; Tallahassee Democrat on X; Warchant on Graham; seminoles.com football schedule; seminoles.com FSU at Miami gallery