Tyler Van Dyke Shines, Miami Defeats Virginia Tech 20-14
In desperate need of a win to end its three-game losing streak, Miami (3-3, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) delivered, sending head coach Mario Cristobal home with his first road and ACC win as head coach of the Hurricanes.
With its loss, Virginia Tech dropped its fourth-straight game. The Hokies have also been defeated in their last three ACC matchups.
Miami's defense made a noteworthy play on its first possession, with cornerback DJ Ivey forcing a fumble that was recovered by third-year sophomore Avantae Williams. This was Ivey's first forced fumble in what is now his fifth season with the Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes' offense continued this momentum created by the defense on their first drive of the game. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke started out hot, delivering some big-time passes.
Notably, Van Dyke found redshirt freshman Colbie Young deep on a vertical route on a catch that went for 37 yards. The wide receiver was interfered with by the Hokies' defender on the play, and still reeled in the pass with one hand. The redshirt sophomore finished the drive by finding Clemson transfer Frank Ladson Jr. to give the Canes a 7-0 lead.
UM continued to extend its lead in the first quarter, as Van Dyke led the Hurricanes down the field yet again, setting up a 28-yard field goal from kicker Andres Borregales.
The Hokies were held scoreless in the first half, with Miami's pass rush totaling two sacks in the opening 30 minutes of action. The Hurricanes' offense was able to add another touchdown by the break, as Van Dyke threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Young with 2:29 left in the second quarter.
From the first half, there's a really important statistic to note: Miami out-gained Virginia Tech 302 to 106 in first-half total yards.
Virginia Tech gave the Hurricanes all they could handle in the second half. The Hokies were able to find the endzone twice, as Wells connected with running back Malaci Thomas for a 14-yard touchdown reception. The quarterback also picked up a rushing touchdown with 3:30 remaining in the game.
After a strong ACC opener against North Carolina, Van Dyke had another impressive showing against the Hokies. The quarterback completed 29 of his 46 passes for 351 yards and two touchdowns.
While UM's rushing attack was not great, it was an improvement from its 42-yard showing last week against the Tar Heels. Sophomore Jaylan Knighton had 30 yards on 11 carries, while UAB transfer Lucious Stanley had 23 yards on his four carries. South Florida native Thaddius Franklin Jr. also had 24 yards on four rushing attempts.
Freshman quarterback Jacurri Brown also contributed in the run game, taking two carries for 22 yards on short-yardage situations.
Young had three catches for 43 yards on Miami's last scoring drive against North Carolina and continued this momentum against the Hokies. The JUCO transfer led the Hurricanes' wideouts with nine catches and 110 yards. Sophomore Brashard Smith also had six receptions for 76 yards.
The Hurricanes' pass rush, who entered this week with the second highest sack percentage in the country, had another strong outing. The unit finished with six sacks. Defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor led all defenders with 3.5 sacks.
Penalties plagued Miami. The team committed 17 for 159 yards.
Virginia Tech had a quiet outing offensively. Wells did not commit a turnover but ended the game with only 157 passing yards. The Hokies compiled 75 yards on the ground, as well.
The Hokies have a bye week coming up, while the Hurricanes will travel back home to take on Duke in Week 8.
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