Take Two: Revisiting Virginia's thrilling victory at Miami
The Result: Virginia held on for a 30-28 win at Hard Rock Stadium, with Miami’s game-winning field goal attempt hitting the upright as time expired. The win pushes UVa to 3-2 on the year and 1-2 in ACC play, and was their first win away from Scott Stadium in eight tries.
The Turning Point: It’s difficult to pick a moment that swung the game in UVa’s favor, as Miami had the upper hand late in the game. But we’ll go with the safety UVa forced late in the first quarter. That play put UVa up 9-0, and the Cavaliers were able to hold the lead throughout the game, and those two points were the difference in the game.
The Stat That Tells the Story: After struggling to run the football in recent weeks, UVa rushed for 181 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the narrow victory.
Wahoo of the Week: We’re going with Mandy Alonso, who was chosen to break the rock after the win. Alonso was disruptive on Thursday night, creating four tackles, three tackles for loss and a pair of sacks.
Bronco’s Winning Formula:
24+ Points? YES (30)
+1 Turnover Margin? NO (-1)
+5 Average Starting Field Position? NO (EVEN)
Keys to Victory
1. Break through on offense
Virginia has struggled to score points against Miami in recent years, but they were able to get the offense going on Thursday night. UVa didn’t have a perfect night by any means, but the Wahoos scored 30 points, which is more than they scored in their last two contests at Hard Rock Stadium combined. UVa also scored first, which allowed the Cavaliers, on both sides of the ball, to play from ahead. UVa barely led in either of their two defeats, and didn’t trail in any of their three wins. UVa’s offense did enough to win the game on Thursday, breaking their trend of ineptitude against the Hurricanes.
Grade: B+
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