Brennan Armstrong returned, but the modified three-headed QB rotation with him at the helm wasn’t enough for Virginia, which lost its fourth straight, falling 19-14 at #11 Miami on Saturday.
Armstrong had missed last week’s 40-23 loss at Wake Forest after suffering a concussion in the 38-21 home loss to NC State a week prior.
In his return, the redshirt sophomore availed himself well, throwing for 181 yards and two TDs, and gaining a team-high 91 yards on the ground.
But the ‘Hoos (1-4) pretty much played from behind from the start.
Miami (5-1) got on the board quickly, scoring on the second play from scrimmage, on a 43-yard pass from D’Eriq King to Michael Harley 28 seconds in.
Virginia responded with an 11-play, 64-yard drive capped by an Armstrong-to-Tony Poljan 2-yard TD pass.
It would stay there until a 32-yard Jose Borragales field goal put Miami on top 10-7 with 1:02 to go in the first half.
Another short Borrageles field goal, from 20 yards out, extended the Hurricanes’ lead to 13-7 with 3:47 left in the third.
A Donald Cheney Jr. 1-yard TD run made it 19-7 Miami with 12L-4 to go.
Virginia had one last response, a 35-yard TD pass from Armstrong to Ra’Shaun Henry with 5:27 to go that made it a one-score game.
Miami picked up a first down late on an iffy pass-interference call on Nick Grant, and Virginia wasn’t able to do anything with a final possession in the final 30 seconds.
Miami outgained Virginia 444-366 on the night, with King throwing for 332 yards on 21-of-30 passing.
Story by Chris Graham