Newz(AP) — Darian Mensah threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns, the last of them a 3-yarder to Malachi Toney in the second overtime, and No. 3 Miami held on to beat archrival Florida State 43-35 in a back-and-forth classic on Saturday night.Toney had 11 catches for 154 yards and two scores, plus threw a 2-point conversion pass to Cooper Barkate after his OT score for Miami (6-0, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference). Bryce Fitzgerald sealed the win with an interception for the Hurricanes on the final play.Mensah completed 23 of 34 passes for Miami, which has now won seven of its last 10 games against the Seminoles.
Javian Mallory rushed for 108 yards and two touchdowns, including one in the first OT and Mark Fletcher Jr. added a rushing score for the Hurricanes.Ashton Daniels threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns for Florida State (3-4, 1-3). Duce Robinson had a pair of TD catches late, including a 75-yarder that tied the game with 2:49 left in regulation and a 20-yard score to open the first overtime.The Seminoles lost top rusher Ousmane Kromah late in the first half with a left leg injury.
Florida State appeared to give itself a chance when Daniels connected on a fourth-and-21, 36-yard heave that would have made it 43-41 — only to have the play called back by holding.The next play was a heave into a maze of bodies in the end zone, called an interception before going to review. Fitzgerald was ruled to have come down with the ball, and the Hurricanes stormed the field in celebration.The takeawayFlorida State: Starting with the 2023 Orange Bowl debacle against Georgia, the Seminoles have now lost 14 consecutive games away from Tallahassee and are 0-13 since 2016 in true road games against ranked teams. The most recent road win over a ranked opponent — a 20-19 thriller at Miami on Oct.
8, 2016.Miami: Mensah had gone 153 passes to start his Miami career without throwing an interception, a streak that ended when he tried to force one to Barkate in the end zone during the third quarter. Ashlynd Barker made the interception for Florida State, preserving what was then a 14-14 tie.4th down troublesThe Seminoles’ loss last week at Louisville was sparked by a fourth-and-2 stop near the goal line, and Florida State had two such fourth-down misfires from inside the Miami 5 on Saturday. But the Seminoles also had two big stops on fourth downs in the second…
3 Miami survived a double-overtime thriller against Florida State, pulling out a 43-35 victory Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium after a game of lead changes, costly mistakes and late-game drama.A sea of orange filled the stadium, with nearly 67,000 fans in attendance despite rain that fell for much of the day. The atmosphere matched the intensity of a rivalry game that remained undecided until Miami defensive back Bryce Fitzgerald intercepted a pass in the second overtime to preserve the Hurricanes’ victory.Quarterback Darian Mensah threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns, while freshman running back Javian Mallory rushed for 108 yards and two scores. Wide receiver Malachi Toney caught 10 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown as Miami found its footing after a frustrating first half.Miami opened the game with an efficient scoring drive, capped by Mark Fletcher Jr.’s 7-yard touchdown run.
The offensive line created a sizeable opening on the left side, allowing Fletcher to reach the end zone untouched.Mensah connected with tight end Elija Lofton on the first play of the drive and later found former Duke teammate Cooper Barkate for a 13-yard gain on third-and-9. A 30-yard reception by Toney helped extend the possession before Fletcher put the Hurricanes ahead.Florida State responded after Miami defensive back Zechariah Poyser was ejected for targeting on a 14-yard run by quarterback Ashton Daniels. The ejection was an early setback for a Miami secondary that was already dealing with injuries.The Seminoles capitalized on a defensive penalty when Chase Smith was flagged for a face mask on third-and-18.
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