Justin Fuente desperately needed this. Manny Diaz definitely didn’t.
On Miami’s first four possessions of their Week 6 game against Virginia Tech, they committed four turnovers (three interceptions and a fumble); late in the second quarter, Tech held a seemingly comfortable 28-0 lead... until a Hail Mary pass off the right arm with of N’Kosi Perry gave the Hurricanes their first touchdown of the game and cut the deficit to 28-7 at halftime.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Hokies still held a 35-14 lead. However, three Hurricanes touchdowns in less than four minutes tied the game at 35-all with 3:16 remaining. Taking over at their own 37-yard line, the Hokies drove 63 yards in two minutes and five plays, including a key 29-yard completion on the first play of the possession, on a drive that culminated in what turned out to be a game-winning Deshawn McClease touchdown run from three yards out that give the Tech a hard-fought 42-35 win.
The Hurricanes had one last chance to at least tie the game, driving down to the Hokies’ 10-yard line before a pair of passes into the end zone were tipped away as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
In his first career start, redshirt sophomore Hendon Hooker was responsible for four touchdowns -- three passing, one rushing. In a losing effort, Perry threw for a career-high 422 yards and four touchdowns.
With the win, Tech improves to 3-2 overall on the season and 1-2 in ACC play. The U, meanwhile, is now 2-3 and, most distressingly, 0-2 in the conference.