No. 3 Miami trailed at home by as much as 28-14 against a solid Virginia squad, but outlasted a hellacious start by UVA’s passing game to reach 10-0 and move within an ACC title of a certain Playoff trip. Your final score: 44-28.
No. 3 Miami pulled off yet another dramatic win over an unranked team
But a W’s a W, and the Canes remain win-and-in.
Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
Miami’s made a habit of letting lesser teams hang around.
That’s been one of the Playoff committee’s knocks against The U.
The Canes whooped Virginia Tech and Notre Dame, but looked unimpressive in four one-score wins earlier in the season. This game was yet another of that genre, though the final margin is friendlier for the Canes.
As for how big a deal this upset would’ve been:
Week 12 is a boring Saturday schedule, huh? Not so fast, my friend.
Virginia, a football team that has long been bad but is now pretty good, put No. 3 Miami in a 14-0 hole almost right away, hitting the Canes with this catch-and-run from Kurt Benkert to Olamide Zaccheaus ...
... and followed it with the longest play the Canes have given up all year, a 75-yarder from Benkert to Joe Reed.
Virginia then went for an onside kick and nearly got it back, thanks in part to Miami touching the ball before it traveled 10 yards. Had the Canes not done so, it would’ve been a flag on UVA and Miami ball. The Canes avoided further danger however.
The Canes struck back, but No. 3 was still in a 14-7 hole toward the end of the first quarter, with Benkert yet to have a pass hit the ground.
In the second quarter, Miami knotted it up, but then ...
That was initially ruled an incompletion, but as you can see, Andre Levrone had multiple feet in the end zone with possession of the ball. That’s a touchdown, regardless of what happened afterward.
The score late in the second quarter: 21-14, Virginia. The Hoos have 262 yards passing in the first half, with Benkert going a ludicrous 17-of-18.
The third quarter started with more of the same.
Following a blocked punt by UVA was another Benkert heave, this time to Daniel Hamm. Up to 288 yards passing, perfectly doubling Miami so far.
Miami fired back with a seven-play driving ending with Malik Rosier to Lawrence Cager, and we had ourselves a 28-21 third quarter shootout ... until Miami’s Jaquan Johnson grabbed the turnover chain by peeling off a pick six. Benkert’s near-perfection ceases.
Toward the end of the third, Virginia missed a hand-delivered pick six, and Miami knocked in a field goal to take its first lead, 31-28.
In the fourth, Miami took over.
Virginia’s last score was early in the third, and the Canes went on a 30-point tear after that.
The Hoos even had a little fun with Miami’s beloved turnover chain.
They slapped a makeshift turnover towel on Quin Blanding after an INT:
ESPN
Regardless of all this, Miami only needs to beat Clemson.
Even a loss at Pitt next week would be highly unlikely to keep the ACC champ out of the Playoff, considering Miami’s win over Notre Dame and Clemson’s over Auburn.
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