As they navigated through the misery of losses at Virginia, at Boston College, against Duke and last week at Georgia Tech, the Hurricanes saw their dream of defending their Coastal Division crown disappear and their hopes of playing for an ACC title die.
But they insisted, over and over, that their season wasn’t over and that they hadn’t quit on each other, their coaches or their fans.
On a chilly Saturday afternoon in Blacksburg, they proved they hadn’t.
Miami, which arrived at Virginia Tech in dire need of a victory to not only secure bowl eligibility but avoid its first five-game losing streak since 1977, was a force against the Hokies, capitalizing on turnovers, strong quarterback play and field position to beat the struggling Hokies 38-14.