Week 6 added another charged chapter to the FSU-Miami rivalry. The No. 3 Miami Hurricanes took down the No. 18 Florida State Seminoles 28-22 in Tallahassee, handing FSU its second straight loss. Carson Beck threw 4 TDs that built the initial momentum for the Hurricanes. WR Malachi Toney emerged as Beck’s top target, hauling in seven catches for 107 yards and two scores. On the other side, Duce Robinson had an impressive night, but another FSU WR was the story after the game.

FSU WR Lawayne McCoy became the center of attention for allegedly throwing up the “U” gesture, a symbol for Miami. The frustration was visible while McCoy was clicking a picture with Malachi Toney. The moment instantly stirred up the fanbases and rivalry chatter. It showcased a clear disrespect. But McCoy didn’t take much time in clearing the doubts surrounding him being disrespectful and not having a sportsman’s spirit. He quickly took to X and posted a tweet saying, “I’m throwing up the 305 family, nice try!” And even a feature writer, Curt Weiler, backed him up.

“For anyone who got duped into thinking Lawayne McCoy was throwing up the U postgame with Malachi Toney,” Weiler posted on X. He was just repping his Miami roots, where the area code 305 is iconic. It is synonymous with Miami pride. McCoy was born and raised in Miami. He attended Miami Central, a powerhouse high school program known for producing star talent. His senior year was a showstopper with 27 catches for 616 yards and seven touchdowns, helping Miami Central reach the regional finals. As a WR, he even took snaps on defense and special teams, making plays with tackles, interceptions, and punt returns.

That hustle and all-around football IQ caught the eyes of Florida State. In his debut season in 2024, McCoy played in the last 10 games for FSU. He caught 6 passes for 52 yards, returned 10 punts for 30 yards, and had a one-yard rush. He even scored his first TD on a two-point conversion against North Carolina.

That said, his roots wouldn’t really allow him to disrespect the place from where his story began. Sure, FSU faced a tough loss against the Hurricanes. But he sure fought his way against the chaos. How? McCoy caught 3 catches for 39 yards and also scored a TD.

But if you watched the game closely, you’d see that wasn’t the only move people misunderstood from McCoy.

Lawayne McCoy’s real sledging tactics made CFB fans mad

Sure, Lawayne McCoy’s supposedly throwing Miami’s ‘U’ was perceived wrongfully. But there was this other thing that he actually did, which made the CFB fans switch on their trolling mode. Trailing by a hefty 19 points with just over 10 minutes left, McCoy caught an 8-yard pass from Tommy Castellanos and decided it was prime time for the “night night” celebration. Yeah, it’s the same Steph Curry move.

The problem? The Seminoles were still lagging in the game, and on top of that, making the move seem more like arrogance than celebration. Fans quickly jumped on social media to roast McCoy for his timing. Many saw it as disrespectful, given the situation of the game. Tweets ranged from “Embarrassing” to “FSU education on full display,” mocking FSU’s ongoing struggles. This became their seventh straight ACC loss after an early, promising start. And then the critics argued McCoy’s move epitomized the Seminoles’ season.

Once again, the Noles were done in by their slow offensive start to the game. Before they could find any rhythm towards the end of the third quarter, the Canes were up by three scores. The score (22-28) may tell you that it was a close game, but Miami was just playing to burn the clock in the 4th quarter. It could have been a different story had Thomas Castellanos not thrown an interception in the third quarter, but it wasn’t to be. That whole momentum from the Alabama game has evaporated, and Florida State must go back to the drawing board to pump some life into its season.