No. 3 Miami beat Florida State 43-35 in double overtime on Saturday night, but the result turned on the Miami-FSU Hail Mary interception call that replay officials upheld on the final play. Bryce Fitzgerald’s end zone interception of a pass intended for Duce Robinson sealed the win and immediately drew scrutiny over whether Robinson had made the catch first.
The Final Play And The Review
Florida State faced fourth-and-31 after a fourth-and-21 touchdown pass had been wiped out by a holding penalty on the previous snap. Quarterback Ashton Daniels threw into the end zone for Robinson, and the play appeared to show Robinson coming down with the ball. Officials instead ruled it an interception for Fitzgerald, and the call went to video review before being upheld, according to Yahoo Sports.
A reviewer confirmed the finding with a brief statement: “It was reviewed and upheld,” according to Yahoo Sports. No further explanation of the ruling or the specific basis for the call was included in that confirmation.
What It Means
The call stood, and with it the final score. Miami improved to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in ACC play, while Florida State dropped to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the conference. The Yahoo Sports live coverage of Saturday’s slate described the ending of the game as controversial, reflecting how close the sequence appeared to observers watching the final two snaps unfold in the end zone.
No statement from the ACC or from the officiating crew beyond the review confirmation was issued explaining the mechanics behind the interception ruling. Florida State has not issued public comment on the disputed finish.
Context: A Back-And-Forth Finish
The disputed ending capped an offensive shootout. Miami quarterback Darian Mensah threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns, including a 3-yard score to Malachi Toney in the second overtime that proved decisive. Toney finished with 11 catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Javian Mallory added 108 yards and two scores on the ground.
Daniels kept Florida State in the game with 298 yards and four touchdown passes, two of them to Robinson. Robinson’s 75-yard touchdown catch with 2:49 left in regulation forced overtime, and he added a 20-yard score to open the first extra period. Florida State also lost top rusher Ousmane Kromah late in the first half to a left leg injury, a blow to its offense in the final stretch of a tight game.
Where Miami Stands
The win keeps Miami unbeaten and sets up the possibility of the Hurricanes climbing to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 after both No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Notre Dame lost on the same Saturday. That positioning adds weight to the final-play ruling, since a different call on the last snap would have altered both the score and Miami’s position in the national picture.
What’s Next
No official response from the ACC addressing the specific rule behind the interception call had been issued beyond the review confirmation. Miami will look to carry its 6-0 start into its next ACC matchup, while Florida State turns to repairing a 1-3 conference record. Details on both teams’ next opponents were not included in the available reporting on this game.
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