The Virginia football team looks to stay on track when it takes on a revived Miami football team Sunday in South Florida.
The Cavaliers (3-5, 2-2 ACC) are coming off arguably their most impressive performance of the year, a 27-21 win against a tough Georgia Tech team. The running game was great, the passing game solid and the defense stellar.
“I’m very happy for the locker room and for the players that went through that because it shows you can overcome things and not have that ‘here we go again’ mentality,” coach Mike London said.
Virginia nearly let a double-digit fourth-quarter lead slip away. However, the Cavaliers closed the deal behind a defense that let up only 13 Georgia Tech pass completions on 33 attempts.
“We had them in situations in which we knew they were going to pass, so that’s just playing situational football, and our [defensive] backs did a great job with that today,” junior quarterback Matt Johns said.
The Hurricanes (5-3, 2-2 ACC) are coming off a miraculous ending to a college football game. Miami used a spectacular — albeit controversial — eight-lateral kickoff return as time expired to knock off then-No. 22 Duke.
For the second straight week, the Cavaliers will be facing a team coming off an emotionally draining victory over a top-ranked team. Just last game Virginia faced a Georgia Tech team that had returned a blocked field goal attempt as time expired to upset No. 17 Florida State the previous week.
London showed these two game-ending plays to his players this week to emphasize one key point: it’s not over until it’s over.
“Well, the message is you play until the very end — and this will be two games in a row that we've played a team that won on the last play,” London said. “Those two games heighten your awareness about what you have to do until the whistle blows. I wanted them to see that.”
Playing teams after they’ve just had a significant, taxing win actually bodes very well for the Cavaliers. These games are commonly referred to as “letdown games” for the team with the inspiring win. Virginia must take advantage of what could be another lucky break.
Miami will likely look to its passing game to carry it to victory. At 276.3 yards per game, the Hurricanes have the best passing offense in the ACC and the 28th best in the nation. They’re led by standout sophomore quarterback Brad Kaaya, who has 10 touchdowns and just two interceptions on the season.
“His play has been very, very steady,” London said. “He's definitely one of the major factors and the reason why they've got the wins and the production.”
However, Kaaya’s status for the game is uncertain. He missed last week’s game against Duke because of a concussion. If he’s a no-go, redshirt freshman Malik Rosier will once again assume the starting position. Rosier threw for an impressive 272 yards and two touchdowns in the 30-27 win over the Blue Devils.
Unfortunately for Virginia, its weakness is its passing defense. On average, the Cavaliers let up 248.9 yards a game, which is good for second-to-last in the ACC. Their overall scoring defense, additionally, is dead last in the ACC at 33 points per game.
The Cavaliers are hoping to improve their own passing game, highlighted primarily by the 1-2 punch of Johns and senior wide receiver Canaan Severin. Severin has caught a pass in 20 straight games and has an impressive 37 receptions on the year.
Road games have not been kind to the Cavaliers in the past couple of years under London. Virginia has not won on the road since it beat NC State in November 2012.
Virginia has definitely had Miami’s number as of late, though. Since London became coach in 2010, the Cavaliers have gone 4-1 against the Hurricanes, including a 30-13 win last year at home. However, since the teams started playing each other in 1996, the series is tied at six games apiece.
This time around, the Cavaliers understand they will be playing against a revitalized and relentless Miami team.
“They’re a team that has got a new sense of energy,” London said.
After firing previous coach Al Golden just one week ago, Miami has a new coach, Larry Scott. The Hurricanes are striving to once again be a well-known national program.
“They're forging an identity and reestablishing the things that they want to try to get the Miami name or brand back where it used to be,” London said.
On top of a rejuvenated team, Virginia will have to play in a large, hostile environment. The Cavaliers know nothing will come easily when they travel to Miami to play at Sun Life Stadium.
“We'll definitely have a challenge for us going down there playing them,” London said.
Kickoff versus Miami is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
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