10 Takeaways from Miami's Loss to VT
By Christy Cabrera Chirinos
HurricaneSports.com
MIAMI GARDENS – In the immediate aftermath of a tough loss that had, at one point, looked like it had the potential to be a historic comeback, Hurricanes coach Manny Diaz was blunt.
His team had shown plenty of fight, rallying from an early 28-point deficit against Virginia Tech. That, in and of itself, was commendable; a source of immense pride.
But with Miami ultimately coming up short in a 42-35 loss to the Hokies on Saturday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium, Diaz acknowledged that he, his staff and his players all have things they must work on with a short week and Virginia – another Coastal Division foe – looming.
“As a coaching staff, I can’t be more proud of the effort we played with. To come back, [from] down 28-0, that’s something that if you ever want proof of the character of our young men, the effort they play with, what they believe in each other and what they believe in this program, there’s no better example than that,” Diaz said.
He continued, “The execution part, we had a feeling that would be something that would lag behind the effort as we got into the season. But, it’s time for us to look at ourselves as a staff and we’ve got to a better job of getting this execution going quicker. Obviously, we’ve got an outstanding opponent here Friday night and we don’t have a lot of time to lick our wounds as we get ready to play here against Virginia.”
Here, as the Hurricanes begin turning their focus to the Cavaliers, is a look at some of what they can take away from their loss to Virginia Tech.
1. There was no quit against the Hokies
Against Virginia Tech, more than once Miami found itself needing to mount a comeback. And more than once, the Hurricanes responded.
It didn’t take long for things to go awry Saturday with Miami turning the ball over on its first four possessions and the Hurricanes needing to battle back from a 28-0 first-half deficit.
But down four touchdowns Miami didn’t call it a day – it rallied enough to tie the game late in the fourth quarter.
After redshirt freshman Jarren Williams threw three interceptions, Diaz made a change at quarterback and with redshirt sophomore N’Kosi Perry leading the offense late in the first half, the Hurricanes capped a five-play, 84-yard drive with a touchdown: a 38-yard Hail Mary from Perry that was caught by Mark Pope.
That gave the Hurricanes their first touchdown of the day and a spark that would later help them score four second-half touchdowns, including three in the span of four minutes.
First, with the Hurricanes trailing 35-14, Perry connected with Jeff Thomas on a 13-yard pass that pulled Miami within 21. The two hooked up again, this time on a 25-yarder with 4:55 left. And then, with 3:16 left, DeeJay Dallas scored on a 62-yard run that tied the game at 35.
Even when Virginia Tech regained the lead with 1:03 left, the Hurricanes marched down the field on their final possession and were inside the Hokies’ 10-yard line with seconds left.
Ultimately, Perry’s last two passes toward the end zone did not find their intended receivers and Miami left Hard Rock Stadium with its third loss of the season. But the fight the Hurricanes showed will continue to benefit his young team, Diaz said.
“To be able to battle back to have a chance to win the football game shows that we have something special in the locker room and we have something that is worth protecting,” he said.
Added tight end Brevin Jordan, “This team just doesn’t quit. You could just tell [from] the energy. At no point did we think we were going to lose the game. Even when we were down 28-0 nothing, notching changed about this team. That’s just the team we are. We fight. … I guess you could say it’s definitely a change from last year because when we would get down last year, you could kind of tell that the energy was down a little bit. This year, when we get down, it’s like ‘Let’s go score, let’s go score, get a stop, let’s go score. We’re winning the game.’ That’s the mentality we have on this team.”
2. The early turnovers ultimately proved too much to overcome
Entering Saturday’s game, one of the bright spots for the Hurricanes this season had been how well Williams had protected the ball in his first four games as a college starter.
But the freshman struggled early against Virginia Tech, throwing interceptions on the Hurricanes’ first three possessions. Two of those picks led to short Hokie touchdown drives.
Even after the Hurricanes made a change under center, another Miami turnover – this one a fumble by Mike Harley – resulted in another short field and another Virginia Tech score.
Despite all of those early mistakes, the Hurricanes managed to battle back in the second half. But ultimately, Miami couldn’t overcome the fact it gave up 21 first-half points off turnovers.
“The errors that we made, giving them a 48-yard drive, a 23-yard drive and a 20-yard drive, they go up 21-0 in the first quarter, it’s not complicated,” Diaz said.
3. Penalties remain a problem
The Hurricanes have dealt with penalty issues all season. That continued against Virginia Tech.
Miami totaled 11 penalties for 90 yards against the Hokies and making some of those penalties worse was when they occurred.
An excessive celebration penalty on the game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter helped give the Hokies extra yards on what would be their game-winning drive. A personal foul in the first half gave Virginia Tech a first-and-goal from the one-yard line. And with the Hurricanes already down 28-0, another personal foul – this one on 3rd-and-16 – extended another Hokies drive and took more time off the clock for Miami.
Discipline, Diaz pointed out again in his post-game news conference, remains an issue that must be resolved.
“We continue to hurt ourselves with penalties,” he said.
4. The young offensive line is still working to grow
One of the biggest questions Miami faced entering the season was how its young offensive line would fare this year. Five games into the season, there still aren’t any definitive answers.
The line has tried multiple rotations in recent weeks, but on Saturday, Virginia Tech still managed seven sacks, a season high for the Hokies. And the Hurricanes were limited to just 94 rushing yards, 62 of which came on one play.
Against Virginia Tech, the Hurricanes started two freshmen, a sophomore, a redshirt sophomore and a junior on the line. The group is still working to grow.
5. N’Kosi Perry provided a much-needed spark
When Diaz made the decision to make a quarterback change, he turned to redshirt sophomore N’Kosi Perry, who played in 11 games for Miami last season and started six.
Perry came into the game and provided a spark, his Hail Mary to Mark Pope giving the Hurricanes their first points of the day just before halftime. He’d finish the day going 28-of-47 for a career-high 422 yards with four touchdowns and an interception.
6. Brevin Jordan continues to shine
Sophomore tight end Brevin Jordan entered Saturday’s game as the Hurricanes’ leading receiver and against the Hokies, he showed again why he’s such an integral part of the offense.
The former Bishop Gorman standout had a game-high seven catches for a career-high 136 yards. He also had a touchdown and made a career-long 51-yard grab.
His consistency and talent make him a big target for Miami’s quarterbacks and nearly every time he’s been called on, Jordan has found ways to deliver.
7. Jeff Thomas had a big day
A season ago, receiver Jeff Thomas was one of Perry’s top targets. The two showed off their chemistry again Saturday, with Thomas catching six passes for a season-high 124 yards.
Among those six passes? A pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns that helped the Hurricanes cut the Virginia Tech lead to six during Miami’s comeback effort. Those were Thomas’ first touchdowns of the season and they marked the first time in his college career the receiver has caught multiple touchdown passes in a game.
“It feels really good, but I’ve got to stay humble and just keep on trusting the coaches and just let them give me the ball in the right places,” Thomas said.
8. The defense was put in tough situations
The Hurricanes gave up a season-high 42 points on Saturday, did not force a turnover and had their share of issues in the red zone.
That was all, Diaz pointed out, disappointing. But he couldn’t ignore the fact the offense’s early turnovers put the defense in a tough spot more than once.
“I thought our red-zone defense wasn’t very good today, but again, when you look at the situations the defense was put in – 40-yards, 23-yards, 20-yards – that made it fairly difficult on them for a large stretch of the game,” Diaz said. “You also have to think about the defense where were in basically no-margin-for-error situations for so long. The long pass to the tight end, to [Virginia Tech’s James Mitchell] was a play where we allowed ourselves to get picked. It’s not a pick play, but that’s part of the design and the way that we chased the route, it was a 3rd-down-and-short. And … from nine minutes left in the second quarter, you’re playing a no-margin-for-error game on defense where every third down is vital to make sure it’s stopped. You’re almost in a red-zone structure anywhere where you’re at … again, the fact that we got rubbed off on that, that’s what got them down there. The fade on the last drive was an outstanding throw and catch. They put the ball where only their guy had a chance to get it.”
9. Special teams delivered mixed results
The Hurricanes had some positive plays on special teams, including punter Lou Hedley averaging 48.7 yards per punt, with a long of 57 yards. Jeff Thomas, meanwhile, delivered two returns of more than 20 yards and kicker Bubba Baxa averaged 62.4 yards on kickoffs.
But what most fans will remember is the potential go-ahead missed extra point that came after a brilliant 62-yard touchdown run by DeeJay Dallas with 3:16 left. Had that kick gone through, the Hurricanes would have taken their first lead of the game after trailing by 28.
10. There’s no time to waste in getting ready for Virginia
There’s no doubt Saturday’s loss was painful, Diaz describing his team as “a lot of guys that are hurting together,” but Miami’s players and coaches know this: they are still not out of the race for the Coastal Division title and a lot can still change, especially with a home game against Virginia coming up quick.
“I think this is what we need. Obviously, we have a lot of respect for Virginia and I think we need to get right back on the saddle and come right back to work,” Diaz said. “The team will fight for each other. That’s not just talk. They’ve put it on tape. Now, the question is will they continue to do that? They’ve invested a lot. We’ve asked a lot of them and that’s why I’m very proud of their effort.
“Now, we just have to look at how we can fix some of our issues and our self-inflicted wounds which are keeping us from being a good football team right now. Right now, we’re not.”
He continued, “There’s not one negative word being said from one person to another person and it’s been that way all year. No one wanted our start of the season to go off like this is, but I think the guys in there respect what they’ve put into this program. They respect each other. They respect the work they’ve put into each other. … That should have been a comeback that should be talked about forever. To get that close, that’s our issue right now. It’s easy to look at us and say, ‘Oh, 2-3 and it’s not happening’ or whatever. This is just a young team that’s learning how to get over the edge. Look at the three losses. What is it? Is it just that confidence, that thing that’s going to do it? When it happens and if we continue to play with the effort and the fight, look out. … There’s something worth fighting for in there.”
