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The Florida State Seminoles' losing streak against the Miami Hurricanes extended to three games on Saturday, as they fell 43-35 in double overtime. Despite pushing the Hurricanes to the limit, the Seminoles couldn't secure the win.
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal, a former Hurricanes player, didn't hide his emotions after the game. He called the matchup "the best game in the country" and "my favorite game of the year." Cristobal's record against FSU now stands at 3-1 as a player and 3-2 as a head coach.
In the locker room, Cristobal noted a sense of gratitude among the players, including those sidelined by injuries. "There's some guys that are missing that would love to take part in this game," he said. "Some guys are on crutches. Some guys are in a sling. And when you get to play in this game, this special rivalry, it means a lot to everybody."
He also lauded the sell-out crowd at Hard Rock Stadium for their energy and support. "I just want to thank the crowd. They were incredible tonight. They certainly were a factor," Cristobal remarked. He acknowledged Florida State's effort but credited his team's perseverance. "We just kept playing. We just kept battling. We just kept fighting away until we finally got the momentum."
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Cristobal downplayed the significance of potentially being ranked No. 1, emphasizing a 1-0 mentality. "I think we have a good enough sample size of 2026 to know that that's absolutely insignificant and irrelevant," he said. "It just has no value to our processes." This focus on the immediate task has been a cornerstone of his program's approach.
When asked about the offense's fourth-quarter turnaround, Cristobal pointed to execution. "We were very out of character for a large part of this game. And when that happens, you've got to continue to keep playing. You've got to find your way back," he explained. He also praised the resilience of players like Bryce Fitzgerald, who battled through injury, and Jordan Lyle, whose hard running provided a spark.
Cristobal shared a quote from mentor Dick Tomey: "When your team is right, the heads are right, the hearts are right. There's no bad play, there's no injury, there's no swing of momentum, no penalty. There's nothing that you can't overcome." That philosophy was evident as Miami overcame numerous mistakes to secure the win.
On the controversial calls in overtime, Cristobal remained process-oriented. "I saw the flag. So I thought more than likely it was a hold. But as they call a touchdown and we're waiting for the flag, it's just, you know, it's defending two and offense get ready cause now it's all two-point conversions," he said. "There's no drama during it for us. It's like, does it suck moment? Yeah, it sucks, but it's quickly processing and getting to the next thing."
Quarterback Darian Mensah earned high praise from his coach for his resilience. "Darian is about as resilient and as tough as it gets. The guy has football amnesia where he's not caught up in the previous play," Cristobal said. "He's a special cat."
Originally reported by yahoo.