Miami football: Turnovers gave Virginia Tech 21 points and cost Hurricanes 14

The first half for the Miami football team was as close to a disaster as could have been scripted. Five first-half turnovers by the Hurricanes helped stake Virginia Tech to a 28-0 lead. Only a hail mary to finish the first half saved face for the Hurricanes.

Virginia Tech began its first three touchdown drives on the Miami football side of the field. The Hokies began those drives at the Miami 48, 23 and 20. It only took Virginia Tech 12 plays to go the 91 cumulative yards in 5:14 combined. The last two of those drives were four plays, 43 yards in a combined 80 seconds.

Miami simply made it too easy for Virginia Tech to score. The Hokies gave redshirt sophomore Hendon Hooker the first start of his collegiate career. Hooker played very well, but Miami did not do enough to make him have to win the game for the Hokies. The Hurricanes essentially handed Virginia Tech their second and third touchdowns.

Hooker finished the afternoon 10-20 for 184 yards and three touchdowns and added 16 carries for 76 yards and another score. The Hokies led 21-0 after they were able to convert three Miami interceptions thrown by Jarren Williams into trips to the end zone. Hooker only had to go 3-8 for 42 yards and run for 46 in the first quarter.

Williams entered the game without throwing an interception in 119 career attempts. All but three of those passes came this season. On Saturday the redshirt freshman QB for the Miami football team was 4-7 for 47 yards with three interceptions before being replaced by redshirt sophomore N’Kosi Perry.

The first interception that Williams threw in his career came off a tipped pass that was intercepted by Virginia Tech’s Jermaine Waller. Eight plays later Hooker ran 12 yards to the end zone on third and six to give the Hokies a 7-0 lead after the extra point. Virginia Tech was 3-4 on third down in the first quarter and 9-16 for the game.