Holly Rowe has awkward moment with Miami’s Malachi Toney over ‘mid-interview’ hug

October 5, 2026
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College football fans were not thrilled with a comment by ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe following Miami’s 41-13 defeat of Clemson on Saturday.

Rowe was wrapping up an on-field interview with Miami quarterback Darian Mensah when she turned to Miami receiver Malachi Toney, who was in the midst of hugging Clemson coach Dabo Swinney while Rowe was speaking with Mensah.

ESPN commentator Holly Rowe reports before the game between the Ole Miss Rebels and the UCLA Bruins in the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Spokane Arena in Spokane, Washington, Friday, March 28, 2025. Getty Images

“Oh, he’s talking to Dabo, mid-interview,” Rowe quipped with a smile. Toney then turned toward the cameras to start the interview.

Several fans online took issue with the “mid-interview” line.

“She literally is complaining about Toney hugging Dabo ‘mid-interview,’” one Miami fan shared on X. “Every week she makes it about herself.”

“This level of pettiness & sass because a player hugged the coach, is wildly unprofessional. Get over yourself,” another opined.

“She is becoming extremely unlikable,” another one said.

Others thought people online were making too much of the seemingly harmless interaction.

“You are insane to think her filling airtime is her believing she’s bigger than the players. Please go outside and think about your own actions,” one fan pointed out.


Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney walks off the field as he greets fans after a game.
Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney (1) walks off the field as he greets fans after the team defeated Central Michigan in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. AP Photo/David Santiago

“I didn’t see anything wrong by her,” another agreed.

Rowe was in the news recently when Texas quarterback Arch Manning laughed at an AI-generated clip of Steve Sarkisian slapping Rowe after the Texas coach ran off before a postgame interview following a win over Ohio State.

Manning eventually issued an apology to Rowe, which Rowe accepted after the two spoke privately.

Sarkisian also commented on the situation, sharing that Manning “recognizes he made a mistake, and it’s an unfortunate one.”

Rowe first joined ESPN in 1995, becoming a full-time college football sideline reporter for the network in 1998.

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