Florida’s Miami Gardens — After an intense final play that left one team inconsolable and the other ecstatic, Miami and Virginia Tech alternately celebrated victories on Friday night. Naturally, there could only be one victor.
Although Isaiah Horton of Miami emerged victorious after a scramble involving seven players from both Miami and Virginia Tech in the end zone, referees determined that Da’Quan Felton, a receiver for Virginia Tech, had already come down with the ball before it was taken away from him.
Touchdown, Virginia Tech
With their helmets raised, the Hokies celebrated as they thought they had won the game thanks to a 30-yard Hail Mary toss by Kyron Drones into the end zone. As both sides gathered on the field, Miami was dumbfounded by the call and Virginia Tech thought it had won.
There was confusion. A replay review started after head referee Jerry Magallanes gave them the order to return to their separate sides.
Miami was certain that the replay officials would declare the pass incomplete, while Virginia Tech was certain that the ruling made on the field would stand. The Miami coach Mario Cristobal explained the prolonged wait—which lasted at least six minutes—as “liability issues that come with that, with the cardiac condition of everybody on the sideline.”
With their helmets raised, the Hokies celebrated as they thought they had won the game thanks to a 30-yard Hail Mary toss by Kyron Drones into the end zone. As both sides gathered on the field, Miami was dumbfounded by the call and Virginia Tech thought it had won.
There was confusion. A replay review started after head referee Jerry Magallanes gave them the order to return to their separate sides.
Miami was certain that the replay officials would declare the pass incomplete, while Virginia Tech was certain that the ruling made on the field would stand. The Miami coach Mario Cristobal explained the prolonged wait—which lasted at least six minutes—as “liability issues that come with that, with the cardiac condition of everybody on the sideline.”
The Hurricanes were able to celebrate a 38-34 victory after Magallanes took the microphone and declared that the touchdown call on the field had been overruled.
“During the review process of the last play of the Virginia Tech at Miami game, it was determined that the loose ball was touched by a Miami player while he was out of bounds, which makes it an incomplete pass and immediately ends the play,” the ACC said in a statement released two hours after the game.
“I hope they got that call right,” said visibly furious Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry following the defeat. I hope they got it right for them to take that, to overturn it, and to take it from our fans, coaches, and children.”
With their helmets raised, the Hokies celebrated as they thought they had won the game thanks to a 30-yard Hail Mary toss by Kyron Drones into the end zone. As both sides gathered on the field, Miami was dumbfounded by the call and Virginia Tech thought it had won.
There was confusion. A replay review started after head referee Jerry Magallanes gave them the order to return to their separate sides.
Miami was certain that the replay officials would declare the pass incomplete, while Virginia Tech was certain that the ruling made on the field would stand. The Miami coach Mario Cristobal explained the prolonged wait—which lasted at least six minutes—as “liability issues that come with that, with the cardiac condition of everybody on the sideline.”
Pry claimed that when the action was done, he hurried over to the referees and inquired, “How did you rule it?”
“He said, ‘Touchdown,'” according to Pry. “It usually doesn’t get overturned when you look at something that long. I didn’t believe there was sufficient proof to reverse it. As such, I hope they got it properly, as I mentioned.”
A four-hour game that had more Cam Ward brilliance, a stuffed fake field goal try, a fourth-down catch on Xavier Restrepo’s back, Bhayshul Tuten running roughshod over the Miami defense, and Drones almost willing his side to victory came to an end with this ending.