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RECAP: Canes can’t right the ship, lose to Virginia Tech 37-16

A 3rd straight loss pretty much eliminates Miami from the Coastal Division race. Again.

By Cameron J. Underwood
NCAA Football: Miami at Virginia Tech Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

More of the same this week, I’m afraid.

For another week, Miami just couldn’t put together a complete game, and lost to Virginia Tech 37-16.

I could wax poetic about the game, and give you the blow by blow recap, but I don’t feel like it.

Miami was missing too many starters on defense, and it came back to haunt them. When you have to play guys like Ryan Fines and Ryan Mayes and Malek Young 30+ snaps, things aren’t going to be great.

Now, as I noted in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, there were some positives. Brad Kaaya hit some throws. Defense had 8 TFLs and 3 sacks. Jaquan Johnson blocked a Field Goal. But there were too many negatives.

Defense — AGAIN — couldn’t get off the field on 3rd downs. I already talked about having to scrape the bottom of the barrel for guys to take snaps — although Young will be good. He’s just too young to be effective right now. And the offense again couldn’t convert 3rd downs, going 3/15 on the game.

Mark Richt started to call better plays, but at times was still conservative. The Offensive Line is really, REALLY a problem. Can’t compete with good teams being that bad up front.

Oh, and the repeated personal fouls? Those hurt too. Jamal Carter got another one (doesn’t he always?) and Kendrick Norton had one that helped VT to their first TD drive of the game.

All in all, there’s things to like, but far too few of them. This Miami teams needs better depth (recruiting), better execution (players), and somebody to step up and make a play. There’s still too much “Golden” in a lot of these older players. They capitulate and accept losing and I’m not comfortable with that. Miami has to purge that thought, that standard practice. But, until you ACTUALLY WIN, it’s hard to believe that you’re going to do so.

In all, it was another tough night for Miami, their 3rd consecutive loss, and a game that virtually eliminates the Canes from contention in the ACC Coastal division.

There are things to like about the future for the Hurricanes. But, with another bad loss, the present just plain fucking sucks.