Miami holds on to top FSU in 2 OTs

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, October 18, 2026

Darian Mensah passed for 326 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 3 Miami to a 43-35 double-overtime win over Florida State, capped by a game-sealing interception on the final play. The victory keeps Miami undefeated in ACC play and extends their recent dominance over their archrival, reinforcing their strong position in the college football rankings.

Darian Mensah threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 3 Miami to a 43-35 double-overtime victory over archrival Florida State on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida. Mensah’s final touchdown came on a three-yard pass to Malachi Toney in the second overtime. Toney finished with 11 receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns and also threw a two-point conversion pass to Cooper Barkate following his OT score. Miami sealed the win when Bryce Fitzgerald intercepted a pass on the final play.

Mensah completed 23 of 34 passes for the Hurricanes (6-0, 4-0 ACC), who have now won seven of their last 10 meetings against the Seminoles. Javian Mallory contributed 108 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including one in the first overtime, and Mark Fletcher Jr. added a rushing touchdown for Miami. Florida State (3-4, 1-3 ACC) quarterback Ashton Daniels threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns. Duce Robinson caught two late touchdown passes, including a 75-yard reception that tied the game with under three minutes remaining in regulation and a 20-yard score early in the first overtime.

In other college football action, No. 14 Tennessee defeated No. 6 Alabama 26-10 in Knoxville, with DeSean Bishop rushing for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Alabama’s loss marked its first consecutive regular-season defeats since 2007. Mississippi (5-1, 3-1 SEC) beat Missouri 31-3 behind Trinidad Chambliss, who threw for three touchdowns and added a rushing score. Texas Tech dominated Arizona State 53-25 as J’Koby Williams ran for a career-high 165 yards and two long touchdowns.

LSU shut out Mississippi State 31-0 in Baton Rouge, with Sam Leavitt completing 289 yards and four touchdown passes. Meanwhile, UCLA upset Wisconsin 17-7, led by backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach’s 264 passing yards in his first career start. Northwestern narrowly defeated Michigan State 24-21, with Jackson Kleather kicking a game-winning field goal with two seconds on the clock.

Other notable results included Florida’s 27-24 victory over No. 7 Texas in Austin, where quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. threw two touchdowns in his first career start, and North Carolina’s 24-20 win over Duke, thanks to a late touchdown run by Jaylen McGill. Rutgers also held on for a 37-30 win against Maryland, highlighted by KJ Duff’s two touchdown receptions.

These results underscore continuing shifts in college football standings as teams push through the midseason point of the schedule.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.