Cam Ward passed for 343 yards and four touchdowns as the seventh-ranked Miami Hurricanes rallied to defeat the visiting Virginia Tech Hokies 38-34 in an ACC matchup on Friday night.
The game ended with Da’Quan Felton apparently catching a game-winning 30-yard TD pass for the Hokies on a Hail Mary into the end zone. But after a video review, it was ruled an incomplete pass.
Miami (5-0, 1-0) trailed 34-24 with 12:05 left. But Ward — a Heisman Trophy frontrunner — led Miami to two straight TD drives.
Ward overcame two interceptions and one lost fumble.
Virginia Tech (2-3, 0-1) was led by quarterback Kyron Drones and running back Bhayshul Tuten.
Drones passed for two touchdowns and one interception.
Tuten ran for 141 yards and one TD for the Hokies, who were 17 1/2-point underdogs.
The Hokies scored on their first possession as Drones — evading a third-down blitzer that had a free shot at him — completed a 25-yard pass to tight end Benji Gosnell, who was wide open in the end zone.
That 31-yard drive was set up by Ward’s first fumble of the year.
But Ward came back on Miami’s next possession, completing two key passes perfectly thrown: a 45-yarder down the right sideline to tight end Elijah Arroyo and an 18-yarder in the end zone to Jacolby George.
After Miami safety Mishael Powell intercepted a tipped pass, the Hurricanes scored on a 43-yard pass to Arroyo on third-and-1. Ward’s run fake held up the secondary, and then he floated the ball to Arroyo for an easy score and Miami’s 14-7 lead.
In the second quarter, Miami appeared to grab a 21-7 lead on a TD pass to George. But a holding penalty on backup left tackle Markel Bell negated the play.
On the next play, Mose Phillips III intercepted a Ward pass, and that led to Virginia Tech tying the score 14-14 on Tuten’s 55-yard TD run.
The Hokies grabbed a 21-14 lead on Jaylin Lane’s 20-yard reverse, which featured the key block coming from Drones on Miami safety Jaden Harris.
With 20 seconds left in the half, Hokies kicker John Love booted a career-best 57-yard field goal.
But on the last play of the half, Miami cut its deficit to 24-17 on Andres Borregales’ career-best 56-yard field goal.
To start the second half, Love gave the Hokies a 27-17 lead with a 52-yard field goal.
Love then set up for a 27-yarder, but the Hokies’ fake field goal was stuffed by Malik Bryant.
That led to Ward’s 17-yard TD run on third-and-8, cutting Miami’s deficit to 27-24.
The Hokies extended their lead to 34-24 on Drones’ 16-yard TD pass to Ayden Greene on a third-and-9 play. Drones was under heavy pressure, but he moved to his right to make the throw.
With 8:40 left in the fourth quarter, Ward hit tight end Cam McCormick on a 6-yard score. Miami trailed 34-31.
Ward’s game-winning throw was a 1-yarder to Isaiah Horton with 1:57 left.
–Field Level Media