Hurricanes Ready For Virginia Tech

Nov. 2, 2006

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Miami was able to squeeze in its final full-length practice of the week in between torrents of rain at the Greentree Practice Fields on Thursday afternoon. All that is left is a Friday walk-through and a showdown with No. 24 Virginia Tech at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Orange Bowl.

“Let’s play,” head coach Larry Coker said after practice. “It’s time to play. We were fortunate to get practice in. I was afraid we wouldn’t have a chance because of the rain, but we were able to get it in. The guys looked sharp and it was a good day for us.”

The Hurricanes are looking to get back on track and stay in the hunt for an ACC Championship berth with a win against the Hokies. Beyond the field of play, Miami has a few numbers working in their favor heading into Saturday night. At no point in the 23-game series between the two schools has either team won less than two games in a row. This bodes well for UM, considering the team pulled off a 27-7 upset win in Blacksburg, Va. last season.

The Hurricanes won the first 12 meetings between the two schools (1953-1994), followed by five-straight wins by the Hokies (1995-99). UM won all three games from 2000-02. Prior to last year’s 27-7 win in Blacksburg, Va., Miami had lost consecutive games to Va. Tech in the 2003-04 seasons.

Other numbers of note heading into the game… The Hurricanes are 46-23-2 all-time on Homecoming, last losing to Clemson in the 2004 season. Last year’s homecoming festivities against North Carolina were canceled due to a hurricane and were not made up… UM and Virginia Tech have met on UM”s homecoming three times, with Miami winning two of those games. The `Canes beat the Hokies 27-13 in the 1987 homecoming game, lost 21-7 in 1996 and won the 2000 Homecoming, 41-21, exactly six years ago tonight.

Notes: Whether or not receiver Ryan Moore plays will be a game time decision, Coker said. “He looked good all week and I think he’s ready to play. There is no reason not to play him.”