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Winners, Losers from Miami Hurricanes 28-22 Win over Florida State Seminoles
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- Winners, Losers from Miami Hurricanes 28-22 Win over Florida State Seminoles
Melina Myers-Imagn Images Melina Myers-Imagn Images
The most highly-anticipated matchup in College Football Week 6 was the in-state clash on Saturday night between the Miami Hurricanes and Florida State Seminoles . In a critical game for both programs, the Hurricanes avoided a complete fourth-quarter collapse to sneak out with a win.
Let's dive into the winners and losers from Miami vs Florida State on Saturday night on ABC.
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Winner: Malachi Toney is the New Freshman Sensation
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Last year it was Ryan Williams and Jeremiah Smith. This season, Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney is the freshman sensation. Only rated by 247 Sports as a three-star recruit, Toney is easily outplaying that rating this season. The Miami native ecploded in his first two games with 80-plus yards in each contest, including the victory over Notre Dame. The 5-foor-11 receiver had a career night against the Seminoles, delivering his first 100-yard game as a go-to threat for Carson Beck . Most impressively, Toney's speed looks like it's going to be a big problem for opponents moving forward.
Related: Week 7 College Football Rankings, see where Miami and Florida State Land after Week 6
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Loser: Tomy Castellanos' has Crashed Back to Earth
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In his first three games this season, Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos had 6 total touchdowns with an ESPN QBR above 86 in each contest. The 5-foot-11 passer has struggled in the last two games, throwing 4 interceptions with a completion rate below 60 percent. It was a fun story while it lasted, and he at least backed up his talk versus Alabama—unlike a certain SEC quarterback—but the feel-good story appears to be over. Though, maybe those garbage-time stats will provide something to rebuild the confidence and rhythm of this passing game.
Winner: Carson Beck Rejoins the Heisman Race
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Welcome back to the Heisman Trophy race, Carson Beck. Miami's big investment in Beck paid off on Saturday night, with the Florida native decimating the Seminoles' defense. Coming off a two-week stretch where he had 3 interceptions, Beck had as many touchdown passes (four) as incompletions (19-of-23) until Miami took it easy in the fourth quarter. A Heisman Trophy résumé needs both gaudy stats and a signature win. Safe to say a four-touchdown game on the road over Florida State checks both boxes.
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Related: Highest-Paid College Football Players 2025, including Carson Beck
Loser: Mike Norvell's Job Security
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After going 2-10 last season, Seminoles coach Mike Norvell bought himself some time by restructuring his contract this offseason and giving up $4.5 million . That initially looked like a smart decision by Florida State after a season-opening win over Alabama and a 3-0 start that got this team back into the top 10. That now feels like a distant memory. Norvell has now lost the last two games, and while the defeat at Virginia doesn't look as bad a week later, Miami made this one hurt. Florida State will still give him some time, but that seat is heating up again.
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Related: Biggest College Football Coaches Buyouts, including Florida State's Mike Norvell
Winner: Jakobe Thomas Leads Miami's Suffocating Defense
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Defense wins championships, and defensive back Jakobe Thomas is contributing to a unit that certainly looks like it could deliver one to Miami. A transfer from the Tennessee Volunteers, the senior defensive back generated two takeaways (a sack and a forced fumble) on Saturday night. Thomas has now recorded a sack in consecutive games and plays a vital role in a unit that held the nation's highest-scoring offense ( 53 PPG ) under 24 points in front of their home crowd.
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Related: Worst Performances in College Football Today, including Florida State's Offense
Loser: Mario Cristobal's Coaching
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The Hurricanes held a 28-3 lead entering the fourth quarter and nearly pulled an Atlanta Falcons . On top of that, Miami had 12 penalties for 98 yards. All of that is a reflection on head coach Mario Cristobal. We have no doubt about the talent on both sides of the ball with this Hurricanes' roster, but the fourth-quarter implosion because Cristobal's team completely relaxed is a reflection on his coaching ability.
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