Quarterbacks: F
Don’t buy the pink suit quite yet. Despite the fact the Jacory Harris got no protection and was plagued by key drops from his receivers, Harris was off the mark the whole game. He tried to force the ball and had a hard time throwing on target in the rain. He finished 9-for-25 with 150 yards passing.
Running Backs: F
Miami ran the ball for 59 yards on 34 carries. With the poor weather, the run game was going to be the key and they simply didn’t execute. The inability to be in manageable third down situations hurt as the Canes were 1-for-11 on third downs.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: F
Despite the fact that Leonard Hankerson  hauled in difficult catches and finished with a career-high 79 yards receiving, he will be overshadowed by Jimmy Graham’s two key drops. Graham, a fan favorite, dropped two key passes that would have resulted in first downs in the third quarter and possibly make the score 21-14. Instead his two missed drops led to a turnover on downs and Va Tech tacked on a field goal on the ensuing drive to make the score 24-7.
Offensive Line: F
The six man rotation of linemen looked like a giant turn style. The Virginia Tech defensive linemen plowed through the white and green as Harris was sacked three times. They were overwhelmed and overmatched.
Defensive Line: F
Sure they were without Andrew Smith, Marcus Forston and Adewale Ojomo, but the unit forgot how to tackle. Back to the basics for the Canes as Virginia Tech mustered 272 rushing yards. Miami had just two tackles for a loss compared to the Hokies nine.
Linebackers: C
Sean Spence continued to struggle but kudos to Colin McCarthy who showed heart and resiliency. He had a team-high and a career-high 13 tackles.
Secondary: F
Virginia Tech didn’t pass often, but when they did they made it count. Chavez Grant got burned on the 48 yard touchdown strike. Vaughn Telemaque committed another critical pass interference penalty which prolonged a drive. Sam Shields was unable to catch a ball that hit him in the finger tips. Bottom line, the defense has one interception in three games.
Special Teams: F
Nothing special Saturday. UM could not capitalize when the Hokies dropped two punts. There was a missed assignment on the blocked punt that resulted in a touchdown.
Coaching: F
The Canes didn’t come out ready to play. They lost in every phase of the game. Offensive coordinator Mark Whipple let the weather affect his game plan. The Canes are a pass first offense but stuck to the running game in the soggy conditions. The blowout resembled the Georgia Tech game from last year and even flashed memories of the last game at the Orange Bowl.
Justin Antweil may be contacted at jantweil@themiamihurricane.com.