Though it might not have been the 30-point blowout Miami fans wanted, the No. 13 Hurricanes (9-2, 5-2 ACC) took down the Virginia Tech Hokies (3-8, 2-5 ACC) in a dominant wire-to-wire victory. Now with one more week left in the regular season, Miami is back to playing fun and exciting football as it makes its case to make the College Football Playoff.
Who Needs Style Points
As much as ESPN wants to call this game “a scare” for Miami, it was a wire-to-wire, 17-point win where Miami shut the door every time the Hokies tried to open it. The game was 20-3 at the half, with the Hurricanes having a 17-point lead, and ended with the Hurricanes winning 34-17, a 17-point lead.
This was Virginia Tech’s biggest game of the year, showcasing its new hire, James Franklin, on senior night, and with that momentum they played its hardest. But, Miami was the better team. Despite playing its worst game of the season against the run, Miami’s defense held Virginia Tech to 3-12 on 3rd down, sacked Kyron Drones and William Watson Jr. five times, and forced two fumbles.
The Hurricanes were the victims of a fourth-down stop that was overturned because of a late review call which allowed the Hokies to score on the next play. Still, they held on every time Virginia Tech tried to get something going.
On offense Miami went 5-5 in the red zone, scoring on six of its eight drives, and held the ball for 15 more minutes than VT. The game was never in doubt against a rival on the road in the Northeast.
Malachi Toney (That’s It)
Malachi Toney once again put on a show for the Hurricanes. With the ground game solid but not outstanding, the Hurricanes needed to move the ball through the air, and the Virginia Tech defense could not stick with Toney.
The superstar freshman posted 146 yards and one touchdown, had three carries for 16 yards, and also completed a 15-yard pass in what is now a weekly occurrence. Toney dominated and diced up the Virginia Tech defense, leading to the Miami win. With a combination of route running, electric run-after-the-catch ability, and a maturity and feel for the game beyond his years, he is one of the best receivers in all of college football.
With that being said, credit has to be given to Carson Beck, who in this three-game win streak for Miami has started to play some of his best football in his six-year career. Completing 79% of his passes, Beck has thrown for eight touchdowns to zero interceptions and has a touchdown grab.
Between NC State and VT, Beck set a program record with 24 straight completions between the two games. He’s playing his best football of the year, and against a feisty Pitt team and into the postseason, Miami is going to need his best football to round out the year. With that connection to Toney thriving, he is more than likely to do that.
Just Win
With one game left in the season, the Hurricanes need to leave it all on the field regardless of the odds. The ACC championship is unlikely, but with Georgia Tech dropping a game to Pitt on Saturday, Miami has a slim but possible chance of making it.
As an at-large bid, Miami needs to jump multiple teams to get into the Top-10 and secure a spot. But that can only happen if Miami wins. The Panthers (8-3, 6-1 ACC) are fighting for their own chance to make the ACC championship, and the Hurricanes need to take them as seriously as anyone this year. The Panthers have taken down one top-tier ACC team and can definitely do it again. In a year with Miami dropping two games it needed to win, Miami cannot lose focus and must keep their eyes on the game next Saturday.
The Hurricanes will face Pitt after their upset against Georgia Tech riding high on a five-game win streak. With any and all hopes for meaningful postseason play on the line, the Hurricanes will need to play one more dominant and consistent game. Kickoff is set for noon next Saturday on ABC.
