Stacey Coley breaks out for a long TD from Brad Kaaya.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) -- Going back to World War II, only three Miami coaches won their first two games with the Hurricanes. That is, until now.The second straight win for UM that is secured in the final QUARTER. Now the University of Miami is eligible for the bowl SEASON!
Before this turbulent season started and through all the ups and downs since, the Hurricanes have been focused on one major goal: winning the ACC's Coastal Division crown and playing for their first conference championship.
And despite all Miami has endured over the course of the past month – including the worst loss in school history, the midseason firing of their coach, an injury to their star quarterback, and a national firestorm over one of their biggest wins in recent memory – that goal is still within reach after a 27-21 win over Virginia on Saturday afternoon at Sun Life Stadium.
Now, after a pair of back-to-back division wins, the Hurricanes turn their focus to North Carolina, which sits alone atop the Coastal Division standings after its 66-31 win over rival Duke earlier in the day.
The Hurricanes (6-3, 3-2) will head to Chapel Hill next week and do so knowing their quarterback is healthy again, they have a budding star in tight end David Njoku and they can give the Tar Heels their first loss in conference play.
Before focusing on North Carolina, though, the Hurricanes had to deal with a spirited Virginia team, which has given Miami all kinds of problems in recent years. The Cavaliers have won four of their last five against the Hurricanes and pulled within a touchdown late with a 47-yard field goal from Ian Frye, but Miami recovered the ensuing onside kick and held on for the win.
That win came in part after the return of Brad Kaaya, who a week ago found himself in the unusual role of spectator after missing the Hurricanes' game against Duke while going through Miami's rigorous concussion protocol after getting hurt in the Hurricanes' loss to Clemson on Oct. 24.
And though he returned to practice early in the week, the sophomore was listed as questionable on Miami's injury report on Thursday afternoon. Still, when the Hurricanes took the field for their first offensive series, it was Kaaya – not reserve Malik Rosier – that was under center.
He finished 20 of 26 for 286 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
The sophomore, who entered Saturday's game second among ACC passing leaders, completed a 33-yard pass to Rashawn Scott on his first play and hit both of his scoring passes in the first half.
The first, a 5-yarder to David Njoku, was the tight end's first career touchdown and capped a methodical 16-play, 95-yard drive that took more than six and a half minutes off the clock and gave Miami the lead in the opening minutes of the second quarter.
One series later, though, Kaaya made an uncharacteristic mistake.
With the Hurricanes deep in their own territory, Kaaya was whistled for pass interference in the end zone, which resulted in a safety and Virginia (3-6, 2-3) later cutting into Miami's lead to 7-5 after a 25-yard field goal from Ian Frye on the Cavaliers' ensuing possession.
It didn't take long, though, for Kaaya to regain his form with the quarterback connecting on a 67-yard run-and-catch play that Stacy Coley scored on, pushing Miami's lead to 14-5.
Coley finished with a game-high 132 receiving yards on seven catches.
After Virginia briefly took a 15-14 lead in the third quarter, the Hurricanes got some breathing room on a 28-yard field goal from Michael Badgley and later, a 1-yard touchdown run by Mark Walton.
Badgley had another field goal – this one from 39 yards – in the fourth quarter that pushed the lead to 27-18.
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