Virginia Tech was going to have energy and intensity to start the game, while on the road after such an embarrassing defeat. That is a well known situational trend that works more often than not...early season top efforts on the road after a loss. Somehow the Canes did it in reverse at North Carolina. Miami should have owned energy to begin that game. But when it naturally favored the opponent today the Canes needed to be prepared for it.
Very frequently the early game road energy from a moderate team equates to nothing but field goals. It would have been perfectly fine if it played out that way today.