Storming back
Defense rises to challenge as Hurricanes get much-needed victory over No. 20 Cavs
MIAMI GARDENS — A year ago, an October midseason loss to Virginia was what derailed the Miami Hurricanes.
Could the reverse result now put UM back on track in 2019?
In a struggle between two top-15 defenses, Miami outlasted No. 20 Virginia 17-9 in front of an announced attendance of 54,538 fans on Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Hurricanes (3-3, 1-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) avoided their first 2-4 start since 1997, and on a short week, brought the ranked Cavaliers, fresh off a bye week, down to 4-2 and 2-1 in the ACC.
After UM coach Manny Diaz announced he was focusing greater attention to his defense this week, the Hurricanes did not allow a touchdown, even as the offense didn’t get much of anything going for much of the middle part of the game, totaling 265 yards of total offense.
N’Kosi Perry, getting his first start of the season, was 16 of 27 for 182 yards, one touchdown passing and one rushing with no interceptions. His rushing score with 2:31 remaining, scrambling up the middle from 3 yards out, gave Miami the eight-point advantage.
Trajan Bandy, coming on a corner blitz, had a key sack on Virginia’s final scoring attempt. Virginia quarterback Bryce Perkins’ final Hail Mary attempt fell incomplete as time expired. Perkins, often eluding Miami pressure, was 24 of 41 for 244 yards.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Hurricanes led 7-3. Gurvan Hall stopped a Virginia run to the outside on third-and-goal from the 1-yard line for a loss of 3 yards. The
Cavaliers then kicked a 21-yard field goal that deflected off the same upright that Bubba Baxa hit when he missed the late extra point on Saturday against Virginia Tech, but Virginia kicker Brian Delaney got the friendly bounce in.
Miami redshirt sophomore backup kicker Turner Davidson, who UM coach Manny Diaz went to for placekicks over the struggling Baxa, got those three points back on an even-shorter 19-yard field goal. A screen to tight end Brevin Jordan that went for 35 yards got the Hurricanes inside the 10, but an odd third-and-goal call for a tight end sweep handoff to Jordan from the 3-yard line did not allow Miami to score a touchdown.
Virginia would respond, with Delaney connecting on a 44-yard field goal to get the Cavaliers back within one at 10-9 with 7:39 remaining.
Miami went 11 plays for 78 yards on a touchdown on its opening drive on Friday, capping it with a 17-yard touchdown from Perry to DeeJay Dallas on a screen.
Perry converted a fourth-and-7 with his legs, scrambling for the first down after Diaz opted not to kick a 43-yard field goal. Perry also hit K.J. Osborn with an impressive back-shoulder throw down the sideline for 27 yards.
Diaz first showed he was going with Davidson over Baxa on that extra point to finalize the opening possession. Baxa remained on his kickoff duties, where he has been excellent, on Friday.
This week, Diaz said Baxa’s true backup, Camden Price, was “unavailable” for Friday’s game, as well as Saturday against Virginia Tech.
The opening drive would be all the Hurricanes could muster in the first half offensively.
They punted on their next four drives, three of them three-and-outs. Perry, who had 67 passing yards on the opening drive, went backward on the following four with 61 at the half.
Redshirt freshman defensive end Greg Rousseau, who entered Friday leading the Hurricanes in sacks, got his first career start. Rousseau had a sack, a forced fumble, another tackle for loss and another pair of tackles on Perkins for no gain, including one to turn Virginia over on downs on a fourth-and-1 on the first play of the second quarter.
The Cavaliers squandered another opportunity from just outside the UM red zone later in the period as Pat Bethel blocked a 38-yard field goal attempt.
They did end up kicking a short field goal on the final play of the first half. A breakdown in coverage on third-and-14 allowed
the Cavaliers to get to the Miami 8-yard line. Gurvan Hall and Al Blades Jr. had pass breakups on second and third down before the field goal.
Miami concludes its five-game homestand on Oct. 19 in a noon kickoff against Georgia Tech.