This is the Depth Dossier: the Miami Hurricanes, Week 7.

Miami kept its perfect season alive, but it took a Hail Mary that didn't count to get there, a 43 to 35 double overtime escape against Florida State that never should have needed extra time.

The Hurricanes dominated this game for three quarters. They piled up 583 total yards, 257 of those on the ground, and controlled the ball for over 37 minutes. Quarterback Darian Mensah threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Malachi Toney went for 154 yards and two scores, including the game-winner. And freshman running back Javian Mallory broke out with 108 yards and two touchdowns on just 13 carries.

But Florida State kept finding ways back in. A 75-yard touchdown from Duce Robinson tied the game with under three minutes left. Miami also lost defensive back Zechariah Poyser to a targeting ejection in the first quarter, and six first-half penalties nearly handed the game away. It took a fourth and 31 interception from defensive back Bryce Fitzgerald to finally end it.

So how did a team that won the efficiency battle so clearly nearly lose? Head coach Mario Cristobal didn't sugarcoat it. He said, "We were very out of character for a large part of this game." All six penalties, 68 yards worth, came in the first half, including a face mask and a personal foul stacked on the same punt return that gifted Florida State 30 free yards. Cristobal's blunt take: "We did a poor job in the first half."

The protection up front was the other issue hiding behind a 43-point output. Mensah was pressured on nearly 40 percent of his dropbacks, a season high, even though Florida State barely blitzed. Offensive lineman Samson Okunlola alone allowed seven hurries. Cristobal pointed to one specific breakdown where, in his words, "our guard literally got tripped by the center and guard, so it was no one blocking the edge."

The run game was the bright spot. Miami averaged nearly six yards a carry, with runs to the left even better than that. That balance is how the Hurricanes controlled the clock and kept Florida State's big-play passing attack on the sideline.

The finish had plenty of chaos of its own. There was a Toney touchdown and a two-point conversion to wide receiver Cooper Barkate that Mensah credited to the offensive coordinator. There was a Florida State touchdown wiped out by a holding call on fourth and 21. And there was Fitzgerald's game-sealing interception. Don't overlook linebacker Ethan O'Connor's forced fumble either, recovered by defensive back Xavier Lucas at midfield with the score tied. That was Miami's only takeaway of the game, and maybe its biggest play.

Now let's get into who's banged up and who's not. Fitzgerald played through a shoulder issue that flared up on his very first defensive snap, but he still logged 38 snaps and made the game-sealing pick. Cristobal confirmed he's clear for next week against Pittsburgh. Running back Mark Fletcher Junior also got banged up, returned to play 36 snaps and score a touchdown, and is also cleared. Lucas, back from six weeks out, played 52 snaps in his return and factored into that turnover battle. The one player still out for a while is Ja'Boree Antoine, who Cristobal said will miss what he called "a significant amount of time."

The bigger story for next week is the backfield. Mallory's efficient 108 yards and two scores on just 13 carries stood out next to Fletcher's rougher day on more touches. Mallory actually out-snapped Fletcher in the second half. Fletcher isn't losing his job, but that workload shift is worth tracking against Pittsburgh.

Poyser's ejection was ruled his first career targeting offense, so there's no suspension, and he'll be back on the field next week. And up front, those seven hurries allowed by Okunlola are something to watch again. Even in a win, that's not something Miami can shrug off for long.

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