Cheers and Jeers: Virginia Tech vs. Miami

Well, that was certainly unexpected. We entered this game with many people, myself included, fully expecting Miami to roll over the Hokies like the top ten team they are. But much to its credit this Tech crew showed up in a big way and for all intents and purposes pulled a huge upset. The only thing missing was the actual W. 

You could very reasonably rank this effort up there against Virginia Tech's best outings against a top ten opponent. Granted, it's an extremely short list. 

The Hokies looked every bit the top 25 team they were hyped to be this offseason. It's easy to get wrapped up in where this team could be if not for three losses by a combined 13 points but the important thing is hope remains. The Hokies lost a heartbreaker 38-34 in Miami to the No. 7 Hurricanes bringing disappointment for a night and possibilities for the remainder of the season. 

While player execution has been a struggle at times this season, one thing that rings consistently true is this coaching staff being a bit out of step with the situation. The obvious issue against Miami was the curiously-timed fake field goal. With the Hokies up 10 points and looking to build a lead they took free points away from their amazing kicker and got completely blown up. 

The whole concept of 'momentum' gets overblown a bit at times in football games largely I think because color commentators only have three or four things they can discuss confidently. I do believe however that when an opponent does something particularly baffling it gives the other team a huge boost mentally. 

"They did what?! This guy's a moron! Let's go get this..."   

Brent Pry has been plagued by bad clock management as well in tight situations which reared its head again in Miami Gardens on Friday. 

Sometimes, the players bail the coaches out like when Jaylin Lane scored a nifty touchdown on an interesting Jet-sweep toward the short side of the field down near the red zone. 

This is a long way to say though that questions remain about this staff's gameday operation which isn't great 2.5 years into the reboot. And just to be clear, I like this staff quite a bit and desperately want them to succeed. It's just troubling to see so many of the same issues crop up again and again. 

Look, none of us really knows nor cares to fully understand what happened in that pile in the back of the end zone as time expired. Certainly the officials are just as shocked as the rest of us. This was Danny Coale part two in more ways then one. 

I've never been a Hokie who confidently screams that, "DANNY COALE CAUGHT THAT BALL" though I do make note of where you fine folks are at tailgates and try as best I can to keep my distance. I'm not sure if he caught it or not against Michigan just like I'm not sure the Hokies came down with a touchdown against the Canes. 

What I do know 100% in both cases is that there was no where even approaching enough evidence to overturn either call made on the field which in both cases ruled for a Hokie touchdown. 

Have no fear though, the crack Friday night shift at the ACC's coast-to-coast replay hut is always on the case. 

These guys have emerged as Tech's most consistent pass-catchers. Neither is afraid of doing dirty work over the middle and perhaps most importantly the Brothers Gosnell have a knack for getting open. Remarkably, neither Stephen or Benji had a touchdown this season until Benji hauled in a Kyron Drones pass on one of the niftier plays of the night. 

The receiver rotation has been interesting as Ali Jennings has completely disappeared while Stephen Gosnell and Ayden Greene have seen more and more looks. Shout out to Greene who finally snagged his first touchdown catch in this one. 

Oddly, Kyron Drones' six touchdown passes have all gone to different receivers. Don't be surprised if a Gosnell ends up being the first guy with multiple. 

It's fitting that John Love wears Shayne Graham's number 17 as he's become one of the best kickers in school history. His 58-yarder was a monster kick and the 51-yard attempt he made to start the third quarter was just as clutch. Both were critical to Tech's momentum and Love will no doubt continue to be a consistent asset throughout the season.  

Tech's special teams continue to be a mess —see that squib kick that nearly went for a touchdown plus the the completely doomed fake field goal or managing to be offside on a kickoff all just in this game— but actual field goals have never been an issue. It's a tremendous luxury.

There were a number of strong individual performances from Tech including the Talismanic Bhayshul Tuten who finished with a game and season-high 141 yards and a touchdown rushing. He's up to 6.2 yards per attempt and a remarkable eight scores, plus one TD catch. 

Tech has absolutely nailed the transfer portal when it comes to running backs. Tuten joins NFL guys like Raheem Blackshear and Khalil Herbert as being impressive gems by this staff and the Justin Fuente group. 

The Hokies did a nice job of creating turnovers including a wonderfully timed interception by Mose Phillips and a huge INT and return from Kaleb Spencer, a Miami transfer who had a big night in his trip back to Hard Rock Stadium. 

There's a wildly different feeling following this loss versus the last one. The Hokies gained confidence against a very strong Miami team. It feels like The U will stumble somewhere along the line and I don't think they're "back", but they're as good as they've been in a long time. 

The Hokies still have plenty to play for and signs on all sides of the ball that say they're capable of winning —or losing— any game left. Next week's game at Stanford is a perfect example. 

The Cardinal are pesky and capable of an upset themselves. The Hokies should be able to play a sound football game and win. It's a long road trip though after a tough let down against rival Miami. This game will tell us a lot about what to expect down the stretch.