Two controversial calls helped decide Miami's win vs FSU. Did officials get them right?

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Miami football kept its dreams of an undefeated season alive — but just barely.

The No. 3 Hurricanes avoided being yet another top-10 casualty during an upset-filled Week 7 of the 2026 season, holding off rival Florida State for a 43-35 double-overtime victory on Saturday, Oct. 17 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Just how close was the win to a loss or, at the very least, a third overtime? More than a little too close for comfort.

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After scoring a touchdown and adding on the 2-point conversion to open the second overtime, coach Mario Cristobal’s team had to survive a pair of anxiety-inducing heaves from Florida State quarterback Ashton Daniels into the end zone, both of which created their own forms of chaos.

First, there was what initially appeared to be a 31-yard touchdown pass from Daniels to Micahi Danzy on a fourth-and-21. After that score was negated by a holding penalty, the Seminoles nearly completed an even more improbable conversion with Daniels nearly connecting with star wide receiver Duce Robinson in the end zone for what would have been a 46-yard touchdown on fourth-and-31. That play was ruled an interception, which was upheld after a video review, ending the game.

As exciting as that final sequence was, it produced a good deal of debate about whether the officials got the calls right.

Here’s a look at how the final seconds of Miami’s win against Florida State played out:

The controversial calls that decided Miami vs. Florida State

Florida State’s once attainable hopes of an upset win over one of its biggest rivals were decidedly on the ropes.

After giving up a Darian Mensah touchdown pass and the required ensuing 2-point conversion on Miami’s drive to open up the second overtime, the Seminoles were staring at not only an eight-point deficit, but a fourth-and-21 from the Hurricanes’ 36-yard line.

Facing pressure, Daniels backed up to near the 50-yard line and threw up what looked like a prayer of a pass to the end zone. Danzy, however, was able to rise up above a Miami defensive back to come down with the ball, giving his team a touchdown and putting it a successful 2-point conversion away from sending the game to a third overtime.

After the play, though, a flag was thrown and Florida State offensive lineman Xavier Chaplin was whistled for holding, negating the score and pushing the Seminoles back 10 yards.

The call generated significant pushback on social media from fans and media members who failed to see where a hold had occurred.

It wasn't just fans and media. Former official and NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay argued that a hold shouldn't have been called.

Florida State coach Mike Norvell expressed his disagreement with it after the game, imploring people to "go watch the film."

On he following fourth-and-31 play from the Miami 46-yard line, Daniels was flushed out of the pocket to his right and corked up another heave. Instead of a relatively clean catch by a wide receiver, like Danzy had managed the previous play, the ball ended up in a sea of bodies gathered around Robinson, Florida State’s towering 6-foot-6 wideout. 

It wasn’t initially clear who came down with the ball. After the referees pulled players off each other, they determined that Miami’s Bryce Fitzgerald had intercepted the pass, ending the game.

Officials went to video review to make sure the interception was valid. When there’s instantaneous possession, which initially looked like it might be the case, the ball is rewarded to the offense, which would have given Robinson a touchdown. After consulting with the ACC replay center, the interception was upheld and Miami won.

ESPN college football rules analyst Steve Shaw agreed with the final decision.

“You can see the defender, he clearly had his hands on the ball,” Shaw said. “When they go to the ground, eventually you see it in his stomach, right there. It was an interception. Clearly, nothing to overturn it. This was the correct call.”

Norvell said after the game that he was not given an explanation by the officials for the call on the interception.

"I watched the replay, since the start of football if it's a tie it goes to the receiver," Norvell said. "I guess they had a different angle that they could see something different so I'm sure that they will evaluate that and we'll see."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Two controversial calls helped decide Miami's win vs FSU. Did officials get them right?

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