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WATCH: Miami tops Virginia Tech to earn bowl eligibility

Nov 20, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Brashard Smith (12) makes a catch in front of Virginia Tech Hokies defensive back Jermaine Waller (2) and defensive back Chamarri Conner (1) before running for a touchdown in the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 20, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Brashard Smith (12) makes a catch in front of Virginia Tech Hokies defensive back Jermaine Waller (2) and defensive back Chamarri Conner (1) before running for a touchdown in the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Tyler Van Dyke passed for 357 yards and three touchdowns as the host Miami Hurricanes became bowl eligible with a 38-26 win over the Virginia Tech Hokies in an ACC game on Saturday night.

In a game that featured rain for much of the night, Miami (6-5, 4-3) also got two rushing touchdowns from Jaylan Knighton.

Van Dyke, a redshirt freshman who had never completed a collegiate pass prior to this year, threw for more than 300 yards for the fifth straight game. He completed 19-of-33 passes, and Charleston Rambo caught seven throws for 116 yards.

Virginia Tech (5-6, 3-4), working for the first time under interim coach J.C. Price, alternated two quarterbacks – Braxton Burmeister and Connor Blumrick — on nearly every play.

Burmeister passed for 109 yards and one TD, and he ran for 52. Blumrick ran for 132 yards and passed for 39 yards and two TDs.

The Hokies, who fired sixth-year coach Justin Fuente on Tuesday, got a spectacular one-handed TD catch from Tre Turner.

Miami scored touchdowns on its first three possessions, racing to a 21-3 lead.

On Miami’s first drive, Van Dyke completed 3-of-3 passes for 56 yards, including a nine-yarder to Will Mallory in the back right-corner of the end zone.

After Tech’s John Parker Romo made a 25-yard field goal, Knighton scored a pair of TDs on runs of one and three yards.

Tech cut its deficit to 21-10 on Turner’s contested one-handed catch in the end zone. The six-yard pass from Burmeister withstood a video review as Turner trapped it against his hip.

But Miami scored 10 seconds later on a 75-yard pass from Van Dyke to Brashard Smith, a true freshman. Smith lined up as a running back, but he ran past the Tech defense, and Van Dyke lofted the ball, hitting him in stride.

Romo made a 36-yarder on Tech’s next possession, cutting Miami’s lead to 28-13 with 3:33 left in the first half.

in the third quarter, Miami’s Zach McCloud sacked Burmeister, forcing a fumble recovered by teammate Marcus Clarke at the Tech 20. After three running plays, Andres Borregales booted a 30-yard field goal to extend the lead to 31-13.

With 6:25 left in the third, Tech scored on Blumrick’s 7-yard TD pass to Kaleb Smith, who snatched the high toss.

Tech then recovered an onside kick and capitalized with Blumrick’s four-yard TD toss to Da’Wain Lofton. After a two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete, Miami led 31-26.

Miami extended its lead to 38-26 on Van Dyke’s 55-yard TD pass to Mike Harley with 10:39 left in the fourth, and that clinched the victory.

–Field Level Media

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