Week 5 nearly brought one of the biggest college football upsets of the year, but the No. 7 Miami Hurricanes escaped with a 38-34 win over the Virginia Tech Hokies, moving to 5-0 to start their season.
Miami quarterback Cam Ward showed exactly why he is a top Heisman candidate, completing 24-of-38 passes for 343 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. The senior from West Columbia, Texas added 57 yards and one touchdown on the ground.
But there was one specific play from Ward that stood out to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl winner and two-time NFL MVP.
“Crazy play by cam ward!!” Mahomes said on X.
The play Mahomes was referencing came with 2:30 left in the fourth quarter, with Miami down 34-31. On 1st-and-10 at the Virginia Tech 27-yard line, Ward stepped back to pass and immediately had to dodge a Hokie pass rusher.
Miami quarterback Cam Ward
© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Ward then got wrapped up by another defender, and as he was being dragged back, Ward flipped the ball with both hands to tight end Riley Williams, who rumbled all the way down to the one-yard line.
The Hurricanes scored on the very next play, taking the lead with under two minutes remaining.
On the final possession of the game, with the Hokies down 38-34, they moved the ball all the way to the Miami 30-yard line. With a touchdown needed, Virginia Tech threw a Hail Mary as time expired, which was initially called a catch. It took the officials a few minutes to review the play, and they decided to overturn the call, leading to the Miami win.
The Hurricanes, now 1-0 in ACC play, will take their undefeated record all the way to Berkeley, California, in Week 6 to face the California Golden Bears. The Hokies fall to 2-3 and will also be heading West as they play the Stanford Cardinal.
