Miami vs. Virginia Tech: Game Grades, Analysis for Hurricanes and Hokies

Duke Johnson ran for a career-high of 249 yards in leading the Miami Hurricanes to their first road victory of the season with a 30-6 defeat of the Virginia Tech Hokies. 

Freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya completed just seven of 16 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown, but Miami ran for 364 yards and forced three turnovers in completely dismantling the Hokies. 

Miami returns home next week to face North Carolina. The Hokies host Boston College.

Here are the grades and analysis for both teams after Miami's dominating win. 

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Second-Half Grade
Pass Offense	C	C-
Run Offense	A+	A+
Pass Defense	A	B+
Run Defense	A+	B
Special Teams	B	B-
Coaching	A	B+

Miami Hurricanes Grade Analysis

Pass Offense: Brad Kaaya attempted just 16 passes, completing only seven of them, but he didn't make a mistake. He missed some deep balls in the first half that cost the Hurricanes some points. 

Run Offense: Johnson was outstanding. He couldn't be stopped. His backup, Gus Edwards, had a big night, too, rushing for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Give Miami's offensive line a lot of credit for this dominant performance. 

Pass Defense: The Hurricanes held the Hokies to just 142 yards passing, many of which came in the last two minutes with the game already decided. Miami's pass rush gave Michael Brewer problems all night. 

Run Defense: Marshawn Williams ran for 100 yards, 41 of which came on one play. The Hurricanes forced three fumbles. One of the forced fumbles came at Miami's 2-yard line, preventing a Tech comeback. 

Special Teams: The 'Canes had an extra point blocked, but punter Justin Vogel did a nice job of pinning the Hokies back on several of his punts. The 'Canes did nothing in the return game. 

Coaching: The Hurricanes came into this game with an outstanding game plan: feed Duke Johnson and be aggressive on defense. The only coaching move that should be questioned is Al Golden keeping Johnson in the game late in the fourth quarter. 

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Second-Half Grade
Pass Offense	D	C
Run Offense	D-	C+
Pass Defense	B	B+
Run Defense	F	F
Special Teams	C	B
Coaching	D	D

Virginia Tech Hokies Grades Analysis

Pass Offense: Michael Brewer was abysmal. The play-calling was conservative. The Hokies need to entertain a permanent quarterback change or their hopes of going to a bowl will end soon. 

Run Offense: Williams returned and ran for 100 yards. However, his fumble near the goal line in the third quarter stopped the Hokies' momentum. It was a crucial turnover for Virginia Tech. 

Pass Defense: The Hokies did a good job with their pass defense. Miami passed for just 92 yards, but Kaaya missed a couple of open receivers who could have scored. Tech's secondary tackled well. 

Run Defense: One of the worst performances in school history. Bud Foster is likely embarrassed and will spend all week trying to fix this. However, it's tough on Foster's defense when other teams are always playing ahead, wearing down VT's smaller defensive line. 

Special Teams: The Hokies blocked an extra point, but the game was already decided. Freshman Greg Stroman and Deon Newsome each flashed in the return game. 

Coaching: Another big loss for head coach Frank Beamer. It didn't appear the Hokies were unprepared; the Hurricanes were just much better. Youth and injuries played a part in Tech's struggles, but it must find a way to stop the bleeding. That begins with the coaching staff. Play-calling remains an issue.