Brief

No. 3 Miami defeats Florida State 43‑35 in double‑overtime thriller

Darian Mensah threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns as Miami held off Florida State in a two‑overtime game on Saturday night.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sun, 18 Oct 2026 12:54:26 GMT

Miami (No. 3) held off arch‑rival Florida State 43‑35 in a double‑overtime contest on Saturday night, Oct. 17, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, according to nypost.com.

Quarterback Darian Mensah completed 23 of 34 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns, including a 3‑yard score to Malachi Toney in the second overtime that sealed the win. Toney finished with 11 catches for 154 yards and two scores, and also threw a two‑point conversion pass to Cooper Barkate after his overtime touchdown. Miami’s ground game contributed 108 rushing yards and two touchdowns from Javian Mallory, who also scored in the first overtime, and a rushing score from Mark Fletcher Jr.

Florida State quarterback Ashton Daniels threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns. Duce Robinson caught a 75‑yard touchdown that tied the game with 2:49 left in regulation and added a 20‑yard score in the first overtime. The Seminoles lost top rusher Ousmane Kromah late in the first half to a left‑leg injury.

Key moments included Miami taking a 28‑21 lead late in the fourth quarter on a 3‑yard pass from Mensah to Lofton, a lead that lasted only ten seconds before Daniels connected with Robinson for the tying touchdown. The game featured multiple lead changes, with each team alternating ties and leads through regulation and both overtime periods.

Defensive play sealed the victory when Bryce Fitzgerald intercepted a pass on the final play, preventing a Florida State comeback.

In post‑game comments, Mensah said, “That was something else… Credit to my defense to closing that out. What a finish,” as reported by nypost.com. He also praised Florida State’s early play, noting, “Florida State does an awesome job of coming out fast. We did an awesome job of just rallying.”