Virginia (2-5, 1-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) at Miami (5-2, 1-2), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ACC Network)
Line: Miami by 18 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook
Series record: Miami leads 12-8.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Miami can secure bowl eligibility with a win and keep whatever hope it has of remaining in the ACC title picture. Virginia is seeking a third straight win and will be flying high after last week’s upset of North Carolina — a team that beat Miami the week before.
KEY MATCHUP
Miami DE Rueben Bain Jr. vs. Virginia’s offensive line. Miami’s super freshman is a star in the making, was a huge part of the 28-20 OT win over Clemson last week and seems to be getting stronger every game. He’ll be seeing plenty of Cavaliers’ blockers.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Virginia: WR Malik Washington. A two-time ACC receiver of the week this season, Washington ranks among the nation’s leaders in all-purpose yardage thanks to his big-play ability as both a receiver (783 yards so far) and kick returner (193 yards).
Miami: The offensive line. Can’t single one player out of this bunch, especially after the collective job they did last week to keep QB Emory Williams’ uniform clean against a Clemson team that had nine QB sacks in its last two games. Clemson had five sacks against the Hurricanes in 2022.
FACTS & FIGURES
Virginia has won two straight after a stretch where it dropped 16 of 19 games. … Miami is seeking its first two-game ACC winning streak since the end of the 2021 season. … Virginia is playing at Miami for the fourth time in the last five years. The teams aren’t scheduled to play next season — it’ll be the first time since 2003 that they don’t. … Virginia is 0-3 in games decided by three points or less; the combined record of the three teams (James Madison, N.C. State, Boston College) that won those games is 15-6. … Each of the last five Virginia-Miami games have been decided by eight points or less, including last season’s 14-12 Hurricanes win in four overtimes. That game had eight field goals, then a 2-point conversion rush in the fourth OT. … Miami has won six of the last eight vs. Virginia. … Neither team topped 19 points in four of the last five Miami-Virginia matchups.
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