Virginia has a chance to build momentum with shaky Miami coming to town

By Jerry Ratcliffe

The panorama within the ACC Coastal Division reworked a bit over the weekend, permitting Virginia soccer an opportunity to show issues round.

UVA, which pulled off a gentle upset at Georgia Tech, stopped the bleeding with impeccable timing. Tony Elliott’s Cavaliers don’t go away the state of Virginia for the rest of the common season, and have an opportunity to construct momentum if they will use the win over the Yellow Jackets to achieve some steam.

Virginia hosts Miami, North Carolina, Pitt and Coastal Carolina (who was hammered by ODU not too long ago) earlier than ending the schedule in Blacksburg. The Coastal resembles a dumpster hearth for probably the most half, regardless that Carolina appears to be getting itself collectively. The Coastal is so unhealthy that some ACC followers are wishing divisional play would finish this season as a substitute of 2023, in order that Clemson and Wake may play in a rematch for the convention championship recreation in Charlotte.

Miami involves Charlottesville on Saturday, reeling from a turnover-plagued, 45-21 loss to Duke. The Hurricanes turned the ball over eight instances within the recreation and beginning quarterback Tyler Van Dyke suffered a shoulder harm (standing pending). When Van Dyke was KO’ed, Miami turned to backup Jake Garcia, who was accountable for 5 of these eight turnovers (three interceptions, two fumbles). The eight turnovers had been probably the most by a Energy 5 college since 2009 (half of Miami’s had been within the fourth quarter).

New Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal was so pissed off with the best way his crew carried out, he didn’t conceal his emotions afterward.

“You both repair it otherwise you get people who care and play as exhausting as you’re imagined to as a Miami Hurricane,” Cristobal stated. “What we’ve obtained to do requires powerful folks. To show this system round, to rebuild it, requires tough-minded folks. If [a lack of effort] exhibits up on tape, they’ve obtained to go play some place else.”

Miami was the favourite of media that voted within the ACC preseason ballot to win the Coastal and play Clemson for the league title. Nonetheless, the Hurricanes haven’t come near resembling that kind of crew.

As an alternative, they misplaced to Center Tennessee (45-31) and to Duke (45-21, and the Devils took a knee on the Miami 5 to finish the sport). The Hurricanes have misplaced 4 of their final 5 video games. Their three wins have come towards Bethune-Cookman, Southern Miss and Virginia Tech (20-14).

Within the losses to Duke and Center Tennessee, media that cowl Miami reported that it appeared Hurricanes gamers “give up” through the second half.

Ought to that be the case, then Virginia must pour a number of power in getting off to a quick begin Saturday and see if Miami can deal with one other dose of adversity.

UVA’s protection performed nicely at Georgia Tech towards a backup quarterback who made the Yellow Jackets very one-dimensional.

In reality, John Rudzinski’s protection is tied for twelfth within the nation in fumbles recovered with 8; tied for eleventh within the nation (third within the ACC) in crew sacks with 23; and twenty ninth nationally in turnovers gained with 13.

Now, if Des Kitchings’ offense can solely cease enjoying giveaway, Virginia would possibly be capable to get one thing going.

“If we take away these freakin’ turnovers and these drops, this [offense] will probably be fairly,” Kitchings stated after beating Georgia Tech. “It’ll be fairly. It’s going to come back.”

Brennan Armstrong was intercepted twice in that recreation, though each balls had been tipped. Receivers dropped a minimum of 4 passes, together with one ultimately zone.

Whereas Elliott appeared inspired, Miami’s Cristobal didn’t.

“Most significantly, if you undergo one thing like this and also you get hit within the face like this, you’ve obtained to be powerful sufficient to look one another within the eye and go to work,” the Miami coach stated. “It doesn’t magically get higher.”