Miami, FL — Miami has been exceeding expectations so far this season and came into a primetime matchup with conference opponent Virginia ranked number eleven in the country. Virginia came into the game unranked and was given a 14 point cushion in most sportsbooks. So on paper, the Hurricanes were projected to beat Virginia by a comfortable two-touchdown margin.
The Miami Hurricanes came up short on the expectations of the game but did leave with a close 19-14 win over Virginia on a typical rainy night in South Florida. Senior wide receiver Mike Harley Jr. had ten catches for 170 yards and a touchdown catch. The coaches challenged the entire receiving corps by not officially naming a starter for the wide receiver positions this week.
“Coach sent a couple of group texts out and he told us before the meeting started that no one has the job,” said Harley in his post-game press conference. “It’s up for grabs for whoever has the best performance for the three to four days of practice would have the starting job.”
Harley answered the call to step up in under 30 seconds in the game. The quick passing game was on display early as Senior D’Eriq King found Harley out of Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas streaking open down the sideline for a 43-yard touchdown on the second play of the game. The play was set up by an equally impressive 32-yard pass to Will Mallory. The two-play scoring drive went for 75 yards and only took 28 seconds. King had an efficient game passing the football going 21 of 30 for 322 yards and a touchdown pass with zero interceptions. Virginia did harass King in the backfield registering five sacks.
Pre-season All-American tight end Brevin Jordan would miss his second straight start due to a shoulder injury. Also out for this game was linebacker Corey Flagg Jr., wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, safety Brian Balom, Michael Redding III, and Elijah Roberts, all true freshman.
“The game still looks like it’s normal 2020 but there’s nothing normal about it,” said Head Coach Diaz about the abnormal year. “Can’t even begin to tell you about some of the things that went on this week.”
The missing players seemed evident at times as the defense looked vulnerable during the course of the game.
Virginia would counter on the scoreboard with a touchdown as sophomore quarterback Brennan Armstrong lofted the football to the corner of the end zone and senior tight end Tony Poljan came down with the football with one foot slightly in bounds for a two-yard Cavalier touchdown in the first quarter.
Virginia looked to take the lead as the Cavaliers drove down to the Miami seven-yard line. A sack by Bradley Jennings on second down and a touchdown called back for an eligible player downfield on the drive, made it 3rd and goal at the 29-yard line. Another Armstrong to Poljan connection placed the ball at the 18-yard line and set up a field goal attempt from 36 yards.
The field goal try was missed by Virginia and the Canes were given an opportunity to score just before the half with 3:09 remaining. A 28-yard catch and run by Harley would help Miami get into Cavalier territory but the Canes would settle for a field goal try by Jose Borregales. The senior kicker converted from 32 yards to give the Canes a 10-7 lead into the half.
Borregales had a 42-yard attempt blocked early second quarter an Virginia registered four sacks in the first half alone. Senior safety Amari Carter formerly of Palm Beach Gardens High School was ejected from the game for targeting in the first quarter. It was Carter’s second targeting call of the season and the fourth of his career. Gilbert Frierson formerly of Coral Gables High School who normally plates the striker position stepped in at safety.
“We have to be able to grind out wins,” said Diaz. “We were not getting the points in the red zone. We were settling for three. The one time we had the field goal tipped. The score was always tight so it kept that pressure on you. I felt like it bothered us in the first half, I thought at halftime we had to adjust our mentality and say did you not expect it to be this way.”
Miami injected a heavy dose of the running game and utilized all three running backs despite only gaining 30 yards on the ground in the first half. True freshmen Jaylan Knighton had 37 yards on 12 carries for 37 yards, Don Chaney Jr. had 10 carries for 43 yards, and junior Cam’Ron Harris had just eight carries for eight yards.
“We were rotating,” said Coach Diaz. “Obviously we have a lot of confidence in all of our backs. Sometimes some plays were just blocked up better when the young guys were in there, but it did feel like they went downhill.”
Miami settled for three field goals in the game through three quarters and would finally punch it into the end zone in the fourth quarter from the red zone at the 12:04 minute mark. Chaney Jr. muscled his way through from one yard out to make it a 19-7 game (two-point conversion failed).
On the Cavaliers following possession, Virginia would convert a 4th and 2 from their own 33-yard line with eleven minutes to go in the game. Armstrong would tuck it and run for the sideline for six yards to extend the drive. The Canes defense would hold however as Armstrong attempting to convert on another fourth down with a pass to Poljan would be knocked down by D.J. Ivey. Miami would take over at the Virginia 46-yard line.
After a three and out by the Miami offense, Canes would punt the ball back over to Virginia and the Cavaliers would make the most of the possession. The drive, that started at the Virginia six-yard line, nearly ended on a turnover on downs once again. Brennan, who was killing the Miami defense all night with the QB scramble, hurt the Canes once again on a 4th and 1 from the Virginia 33-yard line. Brennan gashed the Canes for 32 yards and on the following play found Ra’Shaun Henry for a 35-yard touchdown. Virginia would get the ball one last time, but with only 23 seconds left. A hook-and-lateral play by the Cavaliers ended with a fumble recovered by senior defensive end Quincy Roche. The only turnover of the game.
“We’re 5-1 and we have one loss to the number one team in the country where we admittedly didn’t play very well,” said Diaz. “I felt like our guys in the first half never got our cleats screwed into the ground where we really felt like we could play…certainly Virginia had a chance to steal it at the end. We had to make some key plays there to not allow that to happen.”
Miami (5-1) goes into their second bye of the season next week before going on the road to take on NC State. Virginia (1-4) host North Carolina next week.
Attendance: 9,940
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