The Virginia Tech football team nearly achieved a surprising upset against No. 7 Miami on Friday night. In what was dubbed a Miami Miracle on the final play, the referees initially ruled that Da’Quan Felton made a catch in the back of the end zone. However, after reviewing the play, they overturned the decision due to clear video evidence.
Ultimately, a loss is still a loss, but it’s undeniable that the Hokies played well enough to deserve a better outcome. With their record now at 2-3 and a challenging trip to Stanford next Saturday, here are two truths and a lie about Virginia Tech following their defeat to the Hurricanes.
The coaching staff had the Hokies prepared from the start, forcing a fumble on Miami’s opening drive and converting it into a touchdown. Trailing 38-34 with 1:57 left in the game, the Hokies had two timeouts and needed to cover 75 yards to secure a win. They ended up attempting a Hail Mary, but reaching that point was a struggle.
Truth: Virginia Tech had poor clock management
Instead, John Love nailed a 57-yard field goal, but it left 20 seconds on the clock. Miami returned the kick for good field position and a pass interference penalty led to a field goal for the Hurricanes. Instead of leading 24-14 at halftime, they led by just seven points. Did those three points come into play?
It’s fair to say the Hokies struggled with clock management. There were three instances where Brent Pry could have called a timeout but let the clock run, wasting valuable seconds. Additionally, at the end of the first half, after Kyron Drones was sacked, Pry quickly called a timeout with 25 seconds left on fourth down instead of allowing the clock to wind down to five seconds to end the half.
Truth: Virginia Tech looked like the team we expected from the beginning
Through the first four games of the season, we were looking for the Virginia Tech team we expected to get from the beginning. They started fast on both sides of the ball, the offense got into a rhythm and the defense held Miami in check after allowing two early touchdowns.
In the overall big picture, Virginia Tech played more than well enough to leave Hard Rock Stadium with a victory. Instead, they leave with a four-point loss and are left to pick up the pieces to go to Stanford. If and that’s a BIG if, they play like that over their remaining six games, then they just might become bowl-eligible.
Lie: Fake field goal was a good call
So there are many opinions out there on the failed fake field goal attempt by the Hokies in the third quarter after the Kaleb Spencer interception against his former team. Virginia Tech had an opportunity to build a three-score lead late in the third quarter with a touchdown, but instead had to settle for a field goal attempt.
Instead of opting for the three points to take a 13-point lead, Pry chose to attempt a fake field goal, which the Hurricanes successfully shut down. The decision was risky, especially considering the line’s struggles with both punt and field goal protection. Those three points could have made a significant difference.
Overall, the Hokies delivered an encouraging performance, but style points don’t count in the standings. Next weekend, they’ll face Stanford, aiming to avoid falling to a frustrating 2-4 before heading into their first bye week.
