Virginia Tech football report card from gut-wrenching loss at Miami

It was a hot and muggy night in Miami, but the Hokies defensive line was a factor all night. They forced a turnover on the game's opening possession that set the offense up at the Hurricanes' 31-yard line which was turned into a touchdown. Antwaun Powell-Ryland and Aeneas Peebles each had a sack, while Kelvin Gilliam and Josh Fuga each had a tackle for loss. The score may not reflect it, but they came to play.

Sam Brumfield recovered the fumble on Miami's opening possession and Keli Lawson finished with a unit-high six tackles. It was another good night from Caleb Woodson and Jaden Keller. Miami transfer Kaleb Spencer had a pick and was moved around on defense. The one big play for Miami was when quarterback Cam Ward dropped a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter over Brumfield in the end zone with a perfectly lofted ball over the small linebacker.

It was a big bounce-back game for the Hokies secondary. Mose Phillips continues to impress with each game and had a big interception of Ward near the goal line in the second quarter. Mansoor Delane had a team-high seven tackles and Dorian Strong was good in coverage. They played well enough to win, but as the game went on, they wore down in the Miami heat took its toll on both teams, but especially the Hokies' defense.

It's going to be a long week before getting back on the field for the Hokies at Stanford, but despite losing and falling to 2-3, there is a lot they can take away from their trip to South Florida.