Tech offense stalls again at Miami

Nathan Warters
Lynchburg News & Advance
Published: November 14, 2008

MIAMI — Virginia Tech’s unpredictable offense was at it again Thursday night in Miami. A week after romping for 400 yards, the Hokies took a step back in a 16-14 loss to the Hurricanes at Dolphin Stadium.

Tech (6-4, 3-3 ACC) gained only 250 yards in losing a critical game in its quest to repeat as ACC champions. Miami (7-3, 4-2) jumped the Hokies in the Coastal Division standings and is now tied with North Carolina atop the division.

The Hurricanes harassed Tech’s quarterbacks the entire game, recording six sacks.

Hokies tailback Darren Evans, who rushed for a school-record 253 yards last week against Maryland, had only 43 yards on 17 carries.

Tech alternated quarterbacks Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor for most of the first half, but Taylor, who missed last week’s game and most of the Oct. 25 game with a high ankle sprain, played almost the entire second half.

He scored both of Tech’s touchdowns on runs of 14 and 6 yards. Taylor was in for a total of 34 plays and the Hokies gained 143 yards when he was under center. Glennon was in for 23 plays and the team gained 107 yards on his snaps.

Taylor, who passed for 75 yards and rushed for 43 more, led Tech on a 10-play touchdown drive in the fourth quarter and scored on a 6-yard run with 3:28 remaining.

Miami’s ensuing drive lasted three plays and 17 seconds.

But the Hokies failed to gain a first down on their final drive. Dustin Pickle, who had four carries all season before Thursday’s game, was stopped for a 1-yard loss on third-and-2, and on fourth-and-3, Taylor was sacked by defensive lineman Allen Bailey for a loss of seven.

The Hurricanes ran the clock out to clinch their first win over the Hokies since 2005.

Tech’s offense did nothing for the first 22 minutes of the second half. It failed to gain a first down on either of its two third-quarter possessions.

Tech lost 11 yards on only six plays in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Miami had 18 plays for 114 yards in the third quarter.

But the Hokies held the Hurricanes to a pair of field goals to keep the game close. Miami’s Matt Bosher kicked field goals of 21 and 31 yards in the third quarter to give the ’Canes a 13-7 lead entering the fourth.

It was much of the same in the fourth. Even when it seemed Tech had Miami stopped, fate stepped in the way.

Macho Harris stripped the ball from Hurricanes wide receiver Aldarius Johnson and Kwamaine Battle layed out in an attempt to recover the fumble. But the ball bounced off Battle’s hands and right to Miami’s Kayne Farquharson, who advanced it all the way to the Hokies’ 2.

Tech held the Hurricanes’ out of the end zone, but Bosher’s third field goal made the score16-7.

The breaks went Miami’s way on its first-quarter touchdown drive. A roughing the passer penalty against Tech defensive tackle Orion Martin on third-and-five moved the ball to the Hokies’ 34.

Later in the drive, Hurricanes’ quarterback Robert Marve fumbled on a run up the middle, but the ball bounced to wide receiver Laron Byrd, who recovered at the 6.

Two plays later, Cody Grimm bull-rushed Marve and had him in his grasp for what would have been a big loss, but the quarterback broke free and threw the ball away.

Jarvarris James scored a 3-yard touchdown run on the next play.