Hail Mary touchdown overturned as No. 7 Miami survives against Virginia Tech in thriller

No. 7 Miami overcame three turnovers and a potential game-winning touchdown on the final play of the game to cap a wild 38-34 comeback win over Virginia Tech after trailing by 10 points in the fourth quarter.

The Hokies appeared to win the game when quarterback Kyron Drones heaved a pass into a crowd of players in the end zone as time was expiring. The play was ruled a TD on the field as Da’Quan Felton appeared to have come down with it, but it was overturned after a lengthy replay review.

On a second look, it didn’t look like Felton ever had full control of the ball.

It ended an eventful and emotional back-and-forth game and helped Miami avoid a massive upset.

Miami QB Cam Ward entered the game as the Heisman betting favorite and, after a rough start that included two interceptions and a lost fumble, Ward showed why.

He tossed two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the winning score on a one-yard throw to Isaiah Horton just after the two-minute timeout.

Ward finished 24-of-36 for 343 passing yards and four touchdowns while adding 57 yards and a rushing touchdown as well. The Hurricanes scored touchdowns on their final three possessions of the game after struggling with turnovers throughout the first three quarters.

And down the stretch, Ward made plays like this:

His brilliance in the closing minutes helped erase what was shaping up to be an ugly game for both he and a Miami team that has College Football Playoff aspirations this season.

Damien Martinez led the Hurricanes with 60 yards rushing on 14 carries, while Elijah Arroyo caught two passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. Xavier Restrepo added 60 yards on five receptions, with Jacolby George catching four passes for 59 yards and a score.

Virginia Tech couldn’t put Miami away

Virginia Tech had a 27–17 lead midway through the third quarter and an opportunity to add a field goal, but instead tried a fake with a shovel pass from holder Peter Moore to tight end Harrison Saint Germain. Miami’s Malik Bryant wasn’t fooled and quickly tackled Saint Germain.

Miami then finished off an eight-play, 89-yard drive with Ward running 17 yards for a score, cutting the Hokies’ lead to 27–24. The comeback appeared to be on for the Hurricanes.

Virginia Tech then appeared to apply the dagger early in the fourth quarter on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Drones to Ayden Greene. On third-and-9, a field goal looked likely — especially when Drones was chased out of the pocket by an oncoming Elijah Alston. But Drones eluded the pressure as he rolled right and threw a heave off his back foot to Greene cutting across the end zone.

Drones finished with 189 yards, completing 19-of-32 passes with two touchdowns and one interception. But the third TD that ended up being overturned would have made his night shine. Instead, it became a heartbreaking ending to a game the Hokies nearly won but couldn’t close out when the opportunity was there.

Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten rushed for 141 yards with one score on 19 carries, while Drones ran for 52 yards to lead a Hokies rushing attack that compiled 206 yards.

Up next for Miami is a road trip to play Cal next Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET. Virginia Tech is also going west for a matchup with Stanford at 3:30 p.m. ET.