Miami Defeats Florida State 28-22 in ACC Rivalry

Tallahassee, Florida — Miami won 28-22 over Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium on October 4, 2025, extending its winning streak to 5-0 while dealing the Seminoles their second consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference loss.^[1][2][3]

Information verified through ESPN, 247Sports, official team athletics sites, and ACC records current through October 25, 2025.

Beck Throws Four Touchdowns; Performance Pattern Shows Inconsistency

Quarterback Carson Beck completed 20 of 27 passes (74.1%) for 241 yards and four touchdowns. The Georgia transfer maintains a 73.0% completion rate on the season with 1,484 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions through six games.^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

However, Beck’s season reveals significant volatility. Against Florida State, he executed efficiently. Two weeks later against Louisville, he threw four interceptions in a 24-21 loss—his worst collegiate performance. This pattern of strong performances followed by poor outings defines his 2025 season narrative.^{[9][10][11][12]}

Read more: Miami Claims No. 1 Seed in Week 7 College Football

Malachi Toney Leads All FBS Freshmen Receivers

Wide receiver Malachi Toney caught 7 passes for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns against Florida State. Through six games, he leads the Hurricanes with 38 receptions for 510 yards (13.4 yards per reception) with zero drops—the most in FBS.^{[13][14][15][16]}

ESPN ranked Toney as the nation’s top freshman on October 24. He is on pace to surpass Miami’s freshman receiving record of 49 receptions and 934 yards set by Ahmmon Richards in 2016.^[14][15][16]

Florida State Faces Worst Conference Losing Streak Since Joining ACC (1992)

Florida State fell to 3-2 overall and 0-2 in ACC play. The Seminoles have now lost nine consecutive conference games spanning from the final four games of 2024 through the first four games of 2025—the worst conference drought in program history since joining the ACC.^{[3][17][18][19]}

Head coach Mike Norvell is 36-29 overall and 3-3 against Miami. His $58 million buyout limits immediate coaching changes despite growing frustration among boosters.^{[20][21][22][23][24]}

Miami Dominates Florida In-State Rivals

Miami defeated all three major Florida programs in 2025:^[25]

• South Florida: 49-12 (September 13)
• Florida: 26-7 (September 20)
• Florida State: 28-22 (October 4)

This mirrors Miami’s dominance from 2001-2004, when the Hurricanes won the national championship (2001) and competed annually for titles.^[26]

Miami’s Remaining Schedule Favors Continued Success

Miami faces Stanford on October 25 and then SMU, Syracuse, NC State, Virginia Tech, and Pittsburgh. The Hurricanes are 29.5-point favorites over Stanford.^{[5][27][28][29]}

Stanford, SMU, Syracuse, and NC State feature the four worst pass defenses in the ACC, creating favorable conditions for Beck to rebuild confidence through high-volume passing opportunities.^[28][30]

Louisville Loss Drops Miami from No. 2 to No. 9

Miami lost to Louisville 24-21 on October 17, ending its unbeaten season. Beck threw four interceptions in the loss—his first home defeat as a starting quarterback since high school. Miami dropped to 5-1 overall, 1-1 in ACC play, and fell eight positions in the AP Poll to No. 9.^{[2][10][11][31][32][33][9]}

Historical Context

Florida State has not defeated a top-three ranked opponent since its 2014 BCS Championship Game victory over Auburn (34-31, January 6, 2014). Miami last won a national championship in 2001, defeating Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.^[34][35][26]