Virginia Tech appeared to have caught the winning touchdown by Dirk’an Felton, but replays revealed that he dropped the ball, resulting in a crushing loss to No. 7 Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandia)
No. 7 Miami overcame three turnovers and scored a potential victory-clinching touchdown on the final play of the game, leading to a 38-34 come-from-behind victory over Virginia Tech, which trailed by 10 points in the fourth quarter. I got it.
As time was running out, quarterback Kyron Drones threw a pass into a crowd of players in the end zone, and the Hokies appeared to have won the game. The play was ruled a TD on the field because it appeared to be scored by Daquan Felton, but it was overturned after a lengthy replay review.
Looking back, it didn’t look like Felton had complete control of the ball.
The game ended a tumultuous and emotional back-and-forth game and helped Miami avoid a major upset.
Miami QB Cam Ward entered the game as the Heisman betting favorite, and after a tough start that included two interceptions and a lost fumble, Ward showed why.
He scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning 1-yard throw to Isiah Horton just after a two-minute timeout.
Ward was 24-of-36 for 343 passing yards and four touchdowns, and also added 57 yards and a rushing touchdown. After struggling with turnovers through the first three quarters, the Hurricanes scored touchdowns on their final three possessions of the game.
And in the final stages, Ward made the following play:
His brilliance down the stretch helped erase what was shaping up to be an ugly game for him and for a Miami team looking to make the College Football Playoff this season.
For the Hurricanes, Damian Martinez rushed for 60 yards on 14 carries, and Elijah Arroyo caught two passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. Xavier Restrepo added 60 yards on five receptions, and JaColby George caught four passes for 59 yards and a score.
Virginia Tech couldn’t pull away from Miami
Virginia Tech led 27-17 midway through the third quarter and had a chance to add a field goal, but instead faked a shovel pass from holder Peter Moore to tight end Harrison St. Germain. I tried. Miami’s Malik Bryant was not fooled and immediately tackled St. Germain.
Miami then completed an eight-play, 89-yard drive with Ward running 17 yards and scoring, cutting the Hokies’ lead to 27-24. The Hurricanes appeared to be heading for a comeback.
Virginia Tech then appeared to apply the dagger with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Draughns to Aiden Green early in the fourth quarter. On third-and-9, a field goal seemed likely, especially when Draughns was forced out of the pocket by an oncoming Elijah Alston. However, the Drones evaded the pressure and Green rolled to his right, hitting Green with his back foot as he crossed the end zone.
Draughn completed 19 of 32 passes with two touchdowns and one interception for 189 yards. But his third TD, which ended up being overturned, would have been the highlight of his night. Instead, it was a heartbreaking ending to a game in which the Hokies nearly won but failed to get a shutout when they had the chance.
Virginia Tech’s Beishul Tuten rushed for 141 yards with one score on 19 carries, and Drones ran for 52 yards to lead the Hokies’ rushing attack, gaining 206 yards.
Miami’s next trip is a road trip to take on California next Saturday at 10:30pm ET. Virginia Tech also heads west to take on Stanford at 3:30 p.m. ET.