MIAMI — After Miami clinched the first Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division crown in program history, upset the then-No. 3 team in the country, claimed one of the top four spots in the College Football Playoff rankings and after many of the national pundits that doubted the Hurricanes began singing their praises, coach Mark Richt had a question for his players.
"Can you handle any prosperity," he asked them.
For a while Saturday against Virginia, it didn't seem so. An undefeated season was slipping away, and so was any realistic chance Miami had of getting into the College Football Playoff and competing for a national championship.
That is, until seven seconds changed everything.
Just like that, a 14-point deficit was gone — and perfection remains within the Hurricanes' reach.
Malik Rosier threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score, and No. 2 Miami pulled off its biggest comeback in five years by holding off Virginia 44-28 on Saturday to extend the nation's longest win streak to 15 games.
"It's amazing, this train we're riding right now," linebacker Shaquille Quarterman said. "We just want to keep it going."
Jaquan Johnson had an interception return for a touchdown for Miami (10-0, 7-0 ACC, No. 3 CFP), which scored the game's last 30 points. The Hurricanes twice climbed out of 14-point holes, snapped a 15-game losing streak in games where it faced deficits of 14 points or more and finished off their first 7-0 home regular-season record since 1988.
"This team believes," offensive lineman KC McDermott said. "This team believes in our goal and the way we're going to attack it."
Kurt Benkert was brilliant for Virginia (6-5, 3-4), completing 28 of 37 passes for 384 yards and four touchdowns. He started 18-for-19 for 288 yards and four touchdowns in a little over a half, the incompletion in that span when he threw the ball away to avoid a sack by Chad Thomas.
Benkert's 20th throw wasn't incomplete, technically. It was just to the wrong team. Johnson's fourth interception of the season became a 30-yard return for a score. It was Miami's second touchdown in seven seconds after Lawrence Cager hauled in a 9-yard scoring pass from Rosier, a 28-14 Virginia lead was gone — and the Hurricanes left no doubt after that. Rosier and Travis Homer had touchdown runs in the final 4:03 to close it out.
"I like the way my team played," Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "We had plenty of chances to stage the upset. Came up short."
Homer rushed for 96 yards for Miami, which already had a spot in the ACC Championship Game against Clemson on Dec. 2 secured.
Benkert threw touchdown passes on two of the Cavaliers' first three possessions — a 33-yarder to Olamide Zaccheaus and 75-yarder to Joe Reed made it 14-0 quickly.
But the turnover chain sparked Miami.
Down 14-7 in the second quarter, Homer recovered a muffed punt — making him the first offensive player to wear Miami's famed piece of jewelry. The Hurricanes quickly tied it on a 36-yard touchdown catch by Dayall Harris.
Stay updated on Tampa Bay’s sports scene
Subscribe to our free Sports Today newsletter
You’re all signed up!
Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.
Explore all your options"They are very beatable," Reed said. "The chain is what gives them the spark. I think without the chain they'd be a whole different defense."
Virginia regained the lead with 33 seconds left in the half, and restored the 14-point cushion early in the third — cashing in on a blocked punt. Then it all changed. Virginia scored 28 points in the first 321/2 minutes, then zero the rest of the way.