Florida State came up just short in its upset bid over the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday night.
Trailing by eight in double overtime and facing a fourth-and-21 with the game on the line, Seminoles quarterback Ashton Daniels completed a Hail Mary pass to Micahi Danzy to give his team a shot at a two-point conversion to force triple overtime. However, the play was called back with a questionable holding penalty, and though the ensuing fourth-and-31 try was nearly caught as well, the pass was ultimately intercepted to clinch it for the Hurricanes.
During his Monday press conference, a fiery Mike Norvell criticized officials and called the holding penalty "an absolute joke."
"The holding call was an absolute joke," Norvell said, per ESPN's Andrea Adelson.
"You go through the course of that game, same thing happened a few plays earlier that was not called. But in that moment, that play — it's a shame. It really is. We had to go convert the 2-point play, but for those kids not to be able to finish the game on the field in that moment is really disappointing. That was bad. I haven't gotten the final response from them, but If it's anything less than what I said, it tells me everything I need to know."
You're gonna call this holding??? pic.twitter.com/QWag3NmnYl
— gmannVOLS (@gmannVOLS) October 18, 2026
Norvell said he spoke to ACC supervisor of officials Gary Patterson about the holding penalty as well as the interception on the final Hail Mary attempt, which he believed should have been reviewed for simultaneous possession.
"You've got two guys going up for a catch and they both come to the ground, simultaneous possession -- that has to be a part of the discussion," Norvell said. "I'm not an official, I'm not sitting there in the command center, but when you broadcast it and that's not mentioned, that's something that at least (should) be part of the discussion I would think."
It's easy to understand where Norvell's frustration comes from. The loss dropped FSU to 3-4 entering its bye, and with just a 10-21 record over the last three seasons, his future with the program is very much in jeopardy.
An upset over rival Miami to get back above .500 could have been a major point in his favor, but now, the Seminoles will have two weeks to ruminate on the loss before they return home for a showdown against Clemson that now feels even more important than it did prior to Saturday.
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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Livid FSU coach Mike Norvell calls Hail Mary holding penalty a 'joke'
