No. 18 FSU football embarrassed by No. 3 Miami Hurricanes in Tallahassee

The seats inside Doak Campbell Stadium were filled once again on Saturday night as the No. 18 Florida State Seminoles took the field to face off against the No. 3 Miami Hurricanes to rehash one of college football's classic rivalries.

The Seminoles couldn't help but shoot themselves in the foot during their 28-22 loss. Missed tackles and turnovers spelled out their night. The Seminoles gave up 339 yards on defense; 241 in the air and 98 on the ground.

The final score was not an indication of how one-sided this game was. Florida State battled to the end in the fourth quarter but it wasn't enough.

FSU quarterback Tommy Castellanos was 25/45 for 272 yards through the air and two scores, along with two interceptions, while Miami's Carson Beck finished 20/27 for 241 yards through the air and four touchdowns.

Florida State Strikes First, But the Hurricanes Respond

Oct 4, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Tommy Castellanos (1) warms up before a game against the Miami Hurricanes at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Myers-Imagn Images | Robert Myers-Imagn Images

The Hurricanes won the toss and deferred to FSU, giving Castellanos and Co. the chance to strike first. Running back Ousmane Kromah started the Seminoles off with a 28-yard reception, followed by a 15-yard rush by Castellanos. Florida State stalled at the goal line but was able to put three points on the board from the 10-yard line.

The Seminole defense took the field, with stops by Daniel Lyons and Deantae McCray. Florida State was able to stop Miami's Carson Beck, forcing the punt unit onto the field. Miami's Mark Fletcher set up a 47-yard pass from Beck to CJ Daniels, putting the Hurricanes in scoring position.

The Hurricanes were able to convert a fourth down conversion in the red zone and Daniels was able to put six on the board.

Missed Tackles and Turnovers Plague FSU

Oct 4, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell during the first half against the Miami Hurricanes at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Castellanos was able to find tight end Randy Pittman, Jr., to bail FSU out of a third and long, and wide receiver Duce Robinson moved Florida State into scoring position on a 17-yard reception. An interception by Bryce Fitzgerald thwarted that drive, giving Miami back the ball. The Hurricanes scored on the following play, making the score 14-3.

Florida State defensive back K.J. Kirkland showed up on the stat sheet with a one-yard tackle for loss, and the Seminole defense was able to hold on, forcing Miami to punt. A fumble from Kromah quickly ended the drive.

With three minutes left to go in the second quarter, Florida State gave up its third turnover of the half. Pittman recovered it, and it seemed to be a recurring theme for the first 30 minutes. Robinson came down with an acrobatic 10-yard catch, but an 8-yard sack negated that to end the half.

Miami got the ball to start the third quarter and quickly moved the chains on the legs of ChaMar Brown. FSU defensive lineman Daniel Lyons etched another tackle for loss for the Seminoles. The Hurricanes scored their third touchdown while converting a fourth and two on a 40-yard catch byMalachi Toney.

Castellanos was able to get the offense moving with his legs, but the turnover struggles continued as Jakobe Thomas came down with the Hurricanes' fourth score in the Seminole endzone. Miami went on a three-minute, eight-play drive to move the scoreboard to 28-3.

A 14-yard pass to wide receiver Jayvan Boggs set up FSU's first touchdown of the night in the fourth quarter. He was able to find Micahi Danzy on another big chunk play that moved them into the red zone. Castellanos found success with his legs on multiple plays and then found McCoy in the end zone, making the score 28-11 after a successful two-point conversion.

Florida State was able to get the ball back, and back-to-back completions to Robinson and McCoy gave the offense some light. Danzy hauled in a 17-yard catch to move across midfield. Castellanos would find Pittman, Jr. again for Florida State's second score, and an additional two-point conversion made the score 28-19.

It was an ugly loss for Florida State as they couldn't seem to get anything going on either side of the ball until the end. They move to 3-2 on the season as the Seminoles are set to host Pitt on October 11 at noon.

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