Most of the attention on the 2022 Miami football schedule has been on the Hurricanes’ games at Texas A&M on September 17 and Clemson on November 19. In recent seasons, Miami has frequently lost one game they were projected to win. The Hurricanes are projected by 247 Sports to be upset at Virginia in 2022.
Miami lost 30-28 to Virginia in 2021 at Hard Rock Stadium. Tyler Van Dyke made his first college start against an Atlantic Coast Conference and Football Bowl Subdivision team in the loss to the Cavaliers. Van Dyke had Miami in position to win the game, but a field goal attempt by Andres Borregales hit the left upright.
Van Dyke finished 15 of 29 for 203 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions and a key fourth-quarter rushing TD against Virginia last season. Miami and Virginia will match up two of the best QBs in the ACC. Virginia QB Brennan Armstrong was 25-44 for 268 yards, one TD and one interception versus Miami in 2021.
Miami leads the all-time series against Virginia 11-8. Because of the covid adjusted 2020 schedule, Miami will play in Charlottesville for the first time since 2018. The Miami football team last won in Charlottesville in 2016. Miami and Virginia have split the last four games between them. Should Miami be on upset alert?
"VIRGINIA OVER MIAMI (WEEK 9, OCT. 29)“The Hurricanes have received plenty of offseason hype, and rightfully so. Miami pulled off a coup to hire former Oregon coach Mario Cristobal, and he has hit the ground running thus far. Virginia has a new coach of its own in former Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott.Elliott gained national attention for his Tigers offenses with quarterback Trevor Lawrence at the helm, but the post-Lawrence era saw a severe drop in offensive performance. The difference here is Cavaliers quarterback Brennan Armstrong. In him, Elliott inherits a proven talent with plenty of offensive weapons to make some noise.”"
Will Backus provided the summary for 247 Sports. It will be intriguing to see Cristobal and Elliott in their first seasons. There are four first-year head coaches in the ACC Coastal with former Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko hired at Duke and Brent Pry new at Virginia Tech after being the DC at Penn State.
The uncertainty in the Coastal with over half the teams having new head coaches might help Miami. Miami had the 13th most talented roster nationally in 2021. Clemson was the only ACC team with more talent in 2021 than Miami. The Hurricanes could be favored to win the ACC Coastal in 2022.