The Miami QB situation. And why fans’ hearts skip a beat each game whenever this happens

They were plenty ugly in their game two weeks ago against Central Michigan, but at least they won.

On Saturday the Miami Hurricanes couldn’t even do that against a downtrodden Virginia Tech that came in as 14-point underdogs and had lost six of their past seven games against Power 5 opponents before they knocked off the Hurricanes 42-35 in a game in which UM trailed 28-0 before the frenzied comeback attempt.

Who’s the quarterback? Where’s the running game? Where are the crucial defensive stops? Why do fans’ hearts skip a beat when the kicker attempts an extra point, let alone a field goal?

And have the Hurricanes (2-3, 0-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) already lost the fan base?

“It’s easy to look at us and say, ‘Oh, we’ve gone 2-3 and it’s not happening,’’ UM coach Manny Diaz said after the game. “But this is just a young team that is learning to get over the edge. Look at the three losses. What is it? Is it just that confidence, that thing that will make us do it? Then, when it happens and we continue to play with the effort and fight, look out.

“But no one wants to hear that right now, and I’m fine with that. We have enough issues. I’m not trying to paint some rosy future. That isn’t what matters right now, but there’s something worth fighting for in there.’’

Bottom line: UM must now prepare for fellow Coastal member Virginia (4-1, 2-0), which leads the division and has had an extra week to prepare for the Hurricanes in what will be another nationally televised home game at 8 p.m. Friday. With two losses in the ACC, the Canes likely cannot afford to lose any more league games and still have a fighting chance to win the conference.

The way the Canes fight back shows they have heart, but it’s puzzling why they don’t start a whole lot earlier against teams they are expected — or at least were expected — to dominate.

The quarterback situation

Most avid Hurricanes fans, or at least those entrenched in the program, were wondering if, and likely when, redshirt sophomore quarterback N’Kosi Perry would enter the transfer portal to find another home where he could start. Redshirt freshman Jarren Williams won the quarterback competition, and played very well until Saturday. But his deep throws have continually been underthrown, and three interceptions in the first quarter make one wonder how badly his throwing arm/shoulder is hurting, as ESPN reported it was told last week — or if he just mentally fell apart. With the protection as porous as it is, you figure he was fortunate to be sacked only once.

Perry, for sure more of a gunslinger with a stronger arm, completed 28 of 47 passes for four touchdowns and a career-high 422 yards, with one interception. He was sacked six times, and absolutely crushed in the head late in the game on a play that officials ruled was not targeting. But Perry also threw a ball directly into a Hokie (with no UM player around) who dropped it, threw an actual interception that was negated by a roughing-the-passer penalty and he fumbled.

When asked about the change at quarterback, Diaz said, “We felt like the way that Jarren started the game that N’Kosi had a chance to come in and see if he could do something to light a spark. Jarren was seeing late or just getting the ball out late and, you know, had three interceptions in quick succession, so we thought N’Kosi, in that stage, gave us the best chance to win. We didn’t want to do anything to wreck Jarren’s confidence. We still believe that Jarren is our guy so I don’t know what would change. It was just, as the game was going on, that N’Kosi gave us the best chance to win.”

The running game

The Canes are now 96th nationally in rushing, averaging 133.6 yards a game — and that’s with gifted, hard-running DeeJay Dallas ninth in the nation in rushing yards per carry (7.2) and 13th in rushing touchdowns (6).

Had Dallas not sprung for his 62-yard touchdown with 3:16 left in the game, UM would have rushed for 32 yards as a team against a Hokies squad that was allowing 189 rushing yards a game coming into Saturday.

In UM’s opening drive of the second quarter, the Canes got to the Hokies 4-yard line, and four consecutive times attempted passes into the end zone. The fourth pass was completed — to a Virginia Tech player.

The defense

The Canes came into the game with some strong overall defensive numbers nationally: sixth in rushing defense (allowing only 59.8 yards a game), fifth in third-down conversion percentage, stopping opponents more than three out of every four attempts; and 13th in total defense (269.5 yards allowed a game). But the Hokies gained 153 yards rushing, converted 9 of 16 (56.2 percent) third-down attempts and then allowed passes of 29 and 26 yards (the latter on third down) to set up their final 3-yard touchdown run with 1:03 left in the game.

Bubba Baxa’s kicking

Baxa, a sophomore, has been given plenty of chances after some critical failed kicks. He missed another extra point after his kick hit the right upright following Dallas’ 62-yard touchdown sprint in the fourth quarter. The kick would have given UM a one-point lead. Yes, the Hokies answered with a touchdown drive, but no one can determine how the game would have unfurled had he made that point. Baxa, who has a strong leg for kickoffs, has now missed two extra points this seaons (15-17) and has missed field-goal attempts of 26, 27, 30 and 49 yards. He has hit field goals of 21, 22, 36, 42 and 50 yards.

Baxa ranks 97th of 130 FBS kickers nationally in field goal percentage. UM does have a walk-on redshirt freshman kicker, Camden Price, who has kicked two extra points this season. Last year he was on the practice squad.

▪ The Canes can rival Virginia Tech’s Power 5 stat (six losses in past eight games against Power 5 competition), going 4-12 in its past 16 games against teams in the five major conferences. Here are the losses in that category: Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Florida, Wisconsin, Georgia Tech, Duke, Boston College, Virginia, LSU, Wisconsin again, Clemson and Pittsburgh. The wins came against Pitt, the Hokies, Florida State and UNC.

This story was originally published October 6, 2019 at 2:29 PM.