Halloween Horror: Hurricanes' Rally Falls Short in Virginia

With Jacory Harris knocked out of the game, Miami burned true freshman QB Stephen Morris' redshirt -- and it almost worked

For the Miami Hurricanes, this Halloween is all of tricks and none of treats. The nation's no. 22 team lost to unranked Virginia Saturday, 24-19.

Quarterback Jacory Harris was knocked out of the game with an apparent concussion in the second quarter, but it wouldn't have mattered: Miami's frightful defense let Virginia's 78th-ranked running game rush for 175 yards in just over three quarters, spotting the Cavaleers a 24-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

True freshman Stephen Morris led Miami on a three-touchdown, 19-0 run, but the defense couldn't stop Virginia to get the ball back for one last possession and time all but ran out on Miami's ACC championship game hopes.

The Hurricanes now join North Carolina and Georgia Tech with two conference losses, leaving Virginia Tech virtually unchallenged atop the Coastal Division rankings.

If there's a treat to be found in the season-wrapping loss, it's that Harris may finally have some of that competition he's been sorely lacking since Robert Marve departed Miami in a huff last winter.

Randy Shannon burned Morris' redshirt when backup Spencer Whipple threw two interceptions in the aftermath of Harris getting his bell was rung by Virginia tackle John-Kevin Dolce. Morris threw two picks of his own but shortly found his footing, hitting Leonard Hankerson with a 29-yard touchdown pass, scrambling 9 yards and twisting over the top of a Virginia defender for his own six points, and hitting Travis Benjamin for a 60-yard TD.

Any silver lining, however, is a stretch for the now 5-3 Hurricanes. Just a week after a morale-boosting rout of North Carolina, the Canes were outplayed, out-pushed, and out-coached by a team that was winless in conference play.

Harris left the game 7 of 13 for 85 yards and one interception, and Morris finished 9 of 22 for 162. Altogether, the Hurricanes quarterbacks gave up five interceptions to the Cavaleers, a Virginia school record.

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