No. 7 Miami opens ACC play against Virginia Tech, looking to keep flying after hot start

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — This is basically where Miami was at this time last year. Unbeaten through four games, climbing in the national rankings, feeling good going into the start of Atlantic Coast Conference play.

And then, thud.

ACC play last season for Miami started with a debacle against Georgia Tech, a contest where the Hurricanes didn’t take a knee to run out the clock and wound up giving the game away. This season’s ACC slate for No. 7 Miami starts on Friday night, at home against Virginia Tech, a game where these Hurricanes can try to continue to show that things really are different now.

“They decided a while back,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “They’ve had enough.”

Expectations were high entering the year for the Hurricanes and have climbed every week since. Quarterback Cam Ward — now the Heisman Trophy favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook — is leading one of the highest-octane offenses in the country and the Hurricanes are one of only four unbeaten teams left in the ACC.

“These games really don’t matter,” Ward said after Miami finished its four-game non-conference slate with a 50-15 rout at South Florida last weekend. “Only games that matter are ACC play.”

It’s also the ACC opener for Virginia Tech (2-2), which has two wins over Sun Belt teams and two one-score losses against Power Four opponents. The Hokies didn’t face the Hurricanes last year.

“I think it’s one of the better rivalries in college football,” Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry said. “I’m glad that they’re back on our schedule. I think it’s good for us and good for our league and we’ve got to go down and play competitive. They’re doing their part, we got to do ours. They’ve got a load of talent.”

The power of 24

Virginia Tech pays tribute to former coach Frank Beamer by issuing his No. 25 jersey to a different special teams player each week. Turns out, 24 is a big number for the Hokies as well.

Since the start of 2021, Virginia Tech is 17-4 when allowing less than 24 points. When the Hokies allow 24 or more in that span, they’ve gone 1-19.

Holding Miami to 24 or less will be a big ask. The Hurricanes entered the week tied with Ohio State for third nationally in points per game (52.3), behind only Ole Miss (55.0) and Tennessee (54.0). Miami is behind only Ole Miss in yards per game (670.8 to 605).

Hello, again

Miami and Virginia Tech played in 31 consecutive seasons from 1992 through 2022, before not meeting last year following a change to the ACC scheduling model and the elimination of divisions.

Under that model the teams weren’t supposed to play this year, either. But that scheduling system was scrapped after Cal, SMU and Stanford joined the ACC. The current plan has the Hurricanes and Hokies meeting annually through at least 2030.

Lots of balance

Miami enters the week as one of six power-conference teams with at least nine rushing touchdowns and nine passing touchdowns so far this season. The Hurricanes have scored 15 through the air, 12 more on the ground.

The other Power Four schools in the 9-and-9 club so far: Indiana, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Washington State and Texas. All six of those schools are 4-0 entering this week.

Virginia Tech will test Miami’s plan for balance. The Hokies have allowed eight rushing TDs but only three passing scores through four games.

Ranked vs. unranked

It’s been nearly 20 years since Virginia Tech beat a team ranked No. 7 or higher. The Hokies topped No. 6 West Virginia 19-13 on Oct. 2, 2004; they're 0-12 against top-7 opponents since.

Miami is 152-27 all-time when ranked No. 7 or higher. But the Hurricanes are 0-3 in their last three games with such a ranking, falling to then-No. 1 Clemson in 2020, then-No. 1 Clemson in the 2017 ACC title game and unranked Pitt to close the 2017 regular season.

Off to the Golden State

Miami and Virginia Tech are both heading to California next week. Virginia Tech plays at Stanford, and Miami plays at Cal — a 10:30 p.m. Eastern start for the Hurricanes, news that the fan base didn't exactly embrace.

Going to Palo Alto will be the longest trip for a regular-season game in Hokies history. Going to Berkeley won’t come close to breaking the Hurricanes’ record for travel — they played Notre Dame at Tokyo in 1979, part of a 28,000-miles-traveled season for Miami that year.

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Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press