Final
Hokies keep ACC hopes alive with win over Hurricanes
Nov 10, 2013 - 5:57 AM Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Trey Edmunds rushed for 74 yards and four touchdowns on 14 carries as Virginia Tech upended No. 14 Miami-Florida, 42- 24, in an ACC clash from a rain-soaked Sun Life Stadium.Logan Thomas completed 25-of-31 passes for 366 yards and two touchdowns, while Joshua Stanford caught seven passes for 107 yards and a score for the Hokies (7-3, 4-2 ACC), who snapped a two-game skid to move into a tie in the loss column atop the Coastal Division with Miami (7-2, 3-2), Duke and Georgia Tech, which was idle.
"I'm just thrilled the way we played, offensively," Thomas said. "We were able to run the ball, able to throw the ball. We did a great job after the catch and the offensive line did a great job. I'm extremely proud of everybody."
Stephen Morris threw for 324 yards and two scores on 16-of-29 efficiency, with Allen Hurns and Stacy Coley each hauling in a touchdown pass for the Hurricanes, who were coming off a 41-14 thrashing at the hands of No. 3 Florida State.
Star running back Duke Johnson sustained a broken right ankle in the Florida State game and backup Dallas Crawford struggled in his place, managing just 37 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries in defeat.
Coley came up with Miami's longest play of the season on the team's second play from scrimmage to get the Hurricanes on the board, as he caught a screen pass out to the right, then delayed a second to set up his blockers before turning on the jets and outracing the defense for an 81-yard touchdown.
Miami's defense then forced a punt, but Coley was stripped near midfield at the end of a 23-yard return and the Hokies took over at their own 46.
Thomas hooked up with D.J. Coles for gains of 24 and 14 yards, respectively, before Edmunds surged in from 10 yards out to tie the game.
Another special teams turnover on the ensuing kickoff set up another Edmunds score, as Miami's Artie Burns returned the kick 43 yards before fumbling the ball away at the Virginia Tech 49.
Stanford nearly gave the ball right back to Miami after being stripped at the end of a 13-yard grab, but Coles came up with the loose ball at the Miami 2 and Edmunds punched it in from there for a 14-7 lead with 5:12 left in the opening quarter.
Miami's special teams unit committed another miscue early in the second to set up another Edmunds touchdown, as punter Pat O'Donnell's knee touched the ground as he tried to field a low snap, giving the Hokies possession at the Miami 17.
Two plays later, Edmunds found the end zone from four yards out to push the margin to 21-7 just under two minutes into the second stanza.
Morris and Hurns hooked up for a pair of big pickups on Miami's next march to set up Crawford's 2-yard TD run, but the Hokies answered with a 9-play, 75- yard sequence that Thomas capped with a 32-yard scoring strike to Stanford that made it 28-14 late in the first half.
"We had two fumbles and basically what amounted to a fumble on the low snap that we were down on," Miami head coach Al Golden said. "To start out the game like that, I don't think there's anybody in this business that would see that coming. There's just no way that should happen. I'm really disappointed there."
Miami's Matt Goudis drilled a 49-yard field goal to cut into the margin midway through the third quarter before the Hokies caught a break on their next touch.
Thomas converted a 3rd-and-12 from midfield with a 48-yard completion to Willie Byrn, but Bryn was stripped short of the goal line. However, Demitri Knowles pounced on the loose ball in the end zone to give Virginia Tech a 35-17 lead late in the third.
Morris countered two plays later with an 84-yard TD pass to Hurns, but Edmunds rumbled in from a yard out early in the fourth to restore the Hokies' 18-point cushion.
Virginia Tech then forced a quick three-and-out before chewing up over nine minutes off the game clock on their ensuing possession to all but seal the outcome.
Game Notes
Thomas now holds the school record for career TD passes with 50, breaking Bryan Randall's mark of 48 set from 2001-2004 ... Hurns finished with a game- high 142 receiving yards on four catches... Virginia Tech tallied 26 first downs, compared to just 12 for Miami ... The Hokies went 8-of-14 on third down, while the Hurricanes converted just 3-of-12 third-down opportunities.
- Cody Journell extra point is good.
Nov 9 10:31 PM - VIRGINIA TECH: 42
MIAMI: 24
End of Regulation
Nov 9 10:31 PM - VIRGINIA TECH: 35
MIAMI: 24
End of 3rd
Nov 9 9:49 PM - Stephen Morris pass to Allen Hurns for 84 yards.
Virginia Tech 35, Miami(14) 23 3rd - 1:31Nov 9 9:44 PM - Logan Thomas pass to Willie Byrn to the Miami-Florida 2 for 48 yards. Willie Byrn fumble recovered by Demitri Knowles in the end zone.
Virginia Tech 34, Miami(14) 17 3rd - 2:35Nov 9 9:41 PM - Ned Johnson Having operated the concessions at the Tech stadium in early 70's, and living in the Blacksburg, Salem, Roanoke area for 50 years before I movd to AZ., how can I say anyone but Tech?
Virginia Tech 28, Miami(14) 14 2nd - 0:11Nov 9 8:55 PM - VIRGINIA TECH: 28
MIAMI: 14
Halftime
Nov 9 8:44 PM - Logan Thomas pass to Joshua Stanford for 32 yards.
Virginia Tech 27, Miami(14) 14 2nd - 2:58Nov 9 8:28 PM - VIRGINIA TECH: 14
MIAMI: 7
End of 1st
Nov 9 7:49 PM - Stephen Morris pass to Stacy Coley for 81 yards.
Virginia Tech 0, Miami(14) 6 1st - 11:35Nov 9 7:15 PM - VIRGINIA TECH: 0
MIAMI: 0
1st Quarter - 15:00
Nov 9 7:08 PM
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