THE GAME
• After falling 27-24 last time out in their ACC opener, the Miami Hurricanes continue their first season under the direction of head coach Mario Cristobal on Sat., Oct. 15 at Virginia Tech. Kickoff for the Hurricanes’ ACC road opener, slated for broadcast on ACC RSN, is set for 12:30 p.m. ET.
• The game will be broadcast on ACC RSN with Tom Werme (pxp), James Bates (color) and Wiley Ballard (sideline) on the call. Joe Zagacki (pxp) and Don Bailey, Jr. (color) are in the 560 WQAM radio booth for their 21st season together while Josh Darrow manages the sideline duties. Alfredo Alvarez (pxp) and Joe Martinez (color) will carry the game live on Radio Actualidad from Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va.
THE SERIES
• The Hurricanes lead the all-time series with the Hokies by a commanding 24-15 margin, with the series tied, 8-8, in games played in Blacksburg.
• Miami has picked up wins in four of the last five head-to-head meetings dating to 2017, including a 25-24 win in its last trip to Lane Stadium in 2020.
• UM and Virginia Tech have met every single year since 1992; the two teams were both in the BIG EAST and joined the ACC prior to the 2004 season.
THE HURRICANES
• After falling last time out, 27-24, in a close matchup with North Carolina, UM hits the road at Virginia Tech looking to snap a three-game losing streak.
• The Miami Hurricanes officially kicked off the Mario Cristobal era Sept. 3, when the Hurricanes topped Bethune-Cookman, 70-13, in their 2022 opener.
• QB Tyler Van Dyke became the third Hurricane to win ACC Player of the Week honors this year when he was named ACC Quarterback of the Week on
Oct. 10; Van Dyke threw for 496 yards in the loss to UNC – the second-most in a single game in history – and set the school mark for completions (42).
• Cristobal, a double alum of the University, was named the 26th head coach in program history by school president Dr. Julio Frenk on Dec. 6, 2021.
• Cristobal returned home after spending the previous four seasons as head coach at Oregon. During his time in Eugene, the Ducks were the
only team to play in a Power-5 conference championship game each of his final three years. He led the Ducks to a Rose Bowl win and two Pac-12 titles.
• Cristobal is one of only two active head coaches to have produced a top-10 pick in each of the last three drafts, joining only Alabama’s Nick Saban.
• The first-year Miami head coach drew widespread acclaim for the staff he assembled, which includes reigning Broyles Award winner Josh Gattis as offensive coordinator, longtime coordinator and SEC veteran Kevin Steele as defensive coordinator and Charlie Strong as co-DC/linebackers coach
• Van Dyke entered his first full year as a starter with high expectations after earning ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year honors as a second-year freshman in 2021. Named to nearly every major offensive award preseason watch list, Van Dyke became the first quarterback since Joe Burrow (2019) to record a streak of six straight 300-yard passing games with three-or-more TDs in each of those games.
• TE Will Mallory (Mackey Award), James Williams (Bednarik Award), P Lou Hedley (Ray Guy Award), K Andy Borregales (Lou Groza Award), OL Zion
Nelson (Outland) and DL Leonard Taylor (Bronko Nagurski Trophy) were also among those recognized with preseason watch list selections.
• In addition to a talented group of returners, the Hurricanes feature a 2022 recruiting class that finished ranked among the top 15 nationally by every scouting service and a group of newcomers through the transfer portal that includes DL Mitchell Agude (UCLA), DL Jacob Lichtenstein (USC), DL Akheem Mesidor (West Virginia), DL Darrell Jackson (Maryland), DL Antonio Moultrie (UAB), LB Caleb Johnson (UCLA), DB Daryl Porter, Jr. (West Virginia), OL Logan Sagapolu (Oregon), OL Jonathan Denis (Oregon) WR Frank Ladson, Jr. (Clemson) and RB Henry Parrish (Ole Miss).
QUICK HITS
MIAMI TO PLAY HOKIES IN BLACKSBURG
• The Miami Hurricanes will travel to Lane Stadium for their ACC road opener against host Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium on Sat., Oct. 15. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. ET.
• The Hurricanes and Hokies have met every single year since 1992; the two teams were both in the BIG EAST and joined the ACC prior to the 2004 season.
• The Hurricanes have picked up wins in four of the last five head-to-head meetings, including a 25-24 win in its last trip to Lane Stadium in 2020.
• Miami is 24-15 all-time against Virginia Tech; the series is tied, 8-8, in Blacksburg.
VAN DYKE NAMED ACC QB OF THE WEEK
• QB Tyler Van Dyke rebounded with an impressive start against North Carolina, finishing with 496 yards in a 27-24 defeat to the Tar Heels at Hard Rock Stadium.
• Van Dyke was recognized with ACC Quarterback of the Week honors on Oct. 10; the third-year signal caller’s 42 completions (42-for-57) set a new school record and were the second-most by an FBS player this season, trailing only Akron’s DJ Irons (43).
• Van Dyke is the third Cane to claim ACC weekly honors, joining Andy Borregales (Specialist – Sept. 12) and Jalen Rivers (Offensive Lineman – Sept. 6).
RADAKOVICH NAMED ATHLETICS DIRECTOR
• Not only were the Hurricanes bolstered by the return of Mario Cristobal, but Miami named longtime Clemson AD Dan Radakovich to the same post in December 2021.
• Radakovich, whose career spans more than 30 years, earned his MBA from the University of Miami in 1982 and worked in the school’s business office from 1983 – 1985.
• Prior to Clemson, Radakovich served as Georgia Tech’s AD from 2006 to 2012, and before that, he was a Senior Associate AD at LSU. Radakovich earned his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1980.
HURRICANES HIT ROAD FOR ACC TILT WITH HOKIES AT LANE STADIUM
• Miami continues its first season under the direction of head coach Mario Cristobal on Oct. 15 with its first road conference game of 2022 – a matchup with the Virginia Tech Hokies (12:30 p.m., ACC RSN).
• Last time out on Oct. 8, Miami dropped its Atlantic Coast Conference opener, 27-24, to North Carolina.
• UM has a 24-15 record all-time in its series with the Hokies; the two have met every year since 1992.
• Cristobal was named the 26th head coach in the history of the program on December 6, 2021 after spending the previous four years at the helm of the Oregon Ducks. Cristobal is a two-time UM alum.
• When he departed Eugene, Cristobal was the only Power-5 head coach to lead his team to three straight conference championship games from 2019-2021. He won two Pac-12 titles, delivered a Rose Bowl to the Ducks and is one of just two active coaches to produce a top-10 pick three straight years.
• UM has won four of the last five meetings with VT, including a 25-24 win in its last road game in 2020.
• Miami’s game versus the Hokies is also slated for broadcast on 560 WQAM and Radio Actualidad.
HOKIES, HURRICANES TO MEET FOR 40th TIME
• The matchup will be the 40th meeting between the two schools, with the Hurricanes holding a 24-15 advantage in the all-time series.
• The last time Tech and Miami played each other the Hurricanes downed the Hokies 38-26 at Hard Rock Stadium on Nov. 20, 2021. QB Tyler Van Dyke threw for 357 yards and three touchdowns, spoiling the debut of Tech interim head coach J.C. Price.
• In Miami’s last trip to Blacksburg on Nov. 14, 2020, the Hurricanes posted a 25-24 victory. Miami scored the game’s final 12 points and held the Hokies scoreless on their final five possessions.
• Miami has won seven of the last 10 meetings, including four of the last five. In those four wins, the margin of victory was 13.5 points. The lone Tech win since 2017 was a 42-35 decision on Oct. 5, 2019 in Miami Gardens.
• The Hokies and Hurricanes met 12 times as Big East members between 1992 and 2003 and 18 more as ACC foes from 2004 to 2021.
• Both teams will be looking to bounce back from ACC losses Saturday. The Hokies fell to Pittsburgh 45-29 while North Carolina knocked off the Hurricanes 27-24.
HOLLIFIELD CONTINUES CLIMB UP TACKLES LIST
• With his team-leading seven tackles (1 solo) against Pittsburgh, LB Dax Hollifield moved up to eighth all-time in career tackles at Tech with 320.
• Saturday marked the eighth time in his career leading the Hokies in tackles in a game and the third time this year.
BIG NIGHTS IN THE AIR
• Two receivers and a tight end had career nights for the Hokies, including Da’Wain Lofton (2 catches, 47 yards), Kaleb Smith (9 catches, 152 yards) and Dae’Quan Wright (5 catches, 47 yards).
• Lofton hauled in the longest pass of his career, catching a 43-yarder in the end zone from quarterback Grant Wells for the second touchdown of his career.
• Smith tallied his career high in both catches (9) and yards (152) and he becomes the first Hokie in 10 games to rack up over 100 receiving yards in a game since Tré Turner did so at Georgia Tech on Oct. 30, 2021. Smith was named ACC Receiver of the Week.
• Wright finished with career highs in both catches (5) and yards (47).
FIRSTS ON DEFENSE
• LB Jayden McDonald tallied his first career sack against Pittsburgh, on a key fourth quarter third down.
• On the ensuing punt, P.J. Prioleau came off fast on the left side and blocked the punt, with Nyke Johnson falling on it in the end zone for the touchdown. It marked Prioleau’s first-ever punt block and Johnson’s first-ever touchdown.
• The blocked punt was the Hokies’ first since Tré Turner blocked a punt against Virginia in Lane Stadium on Nov. 23, 2018 and Jovonn Quillen
recovered the punt in the end zone for a touchdown.
• Linebacker Keonta Jenkins caught an interception off a tipped pass against the Panthers, marking his first interception as a Hokie.
DEFENSE CAUSING HAVOC
• Tech’s defense has held opposing quarterbacks to a less than 56 percent completion rate three times.
• Saturday, Pitt quarterback Kedon Slovis was 15-of28 in the air for a 53.6 percentage, marking the second-lowest completion percentage of any
quarterback Tech has faced this season.
• The Hokies racked up a season-high six quarterback hurries against the Panthers.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
• The 29 points scored against Pitt mark the 352nd game Virginia Tech has scored, the third-longest streak among FBS schools. It is also the fifth-longest streak in FBS history.
FIELD GOAL STREAK ENDS
• Kicker William Ross made his first seven field goal attempts this season, before missing on a 36-yarder in the fourth quarter against Pitt. Ross was the first Hokie to make his first eight field goals since Jud.
INSIDE THE SERIES: VIRGINIA TECH & MIAMI
• Virginia Tech and Miami have met 39 times previously with the Hurricanes owning an 24-15 advantage in the series.
• In the last meeting in 2021, the Hurricanes secured a 38-26 victory in Miami Gardens.. Miami QB Tyler Van Dyke threw for 357 yards and three touchdowns in the win. Connor Blumrick threw two touchdown passes for Virginia Tech.
Games Played – in the series: 39 First Meeting: Nov. 13, 1953
Overall Record: 15-24 Home: 8-8 Away: 7-14 Neutral: 0-2
LAST 3 MEETINGS (TECH IS 1-2)
Date Ranked VT/Opp Location Score
Sat., Nov. 20, 2021 NR/NR Miami Gardens, Fla., L, 38-26
Sat., Nov. 14, 2020 NR/#9 Blacksburg, Va. L, 25-24
Sat., Oct.. 5, 2019 NR/NR Miami Gardens, Fla. W, 42-35
ALL MEETINGS
Hokies Hurricanes
Total Points (Average) 785 (20) 878 (23)
Most Points Scored 45 (2002) 56 (2002)
Fewest Points Scored 0 (1953) 7 (1995, 1996, 2003, 2009)
Shutouts By 0 1
Largest Margin of Victory 33 (1999) 26 (1953)
Smallest Margin of Victory 2 (1997) 1 (2020)
