The grades are in.
Virginia celebrates the win at Miami. ~ Photo courtesy of Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics Media Relations

Against a lot of headwinds, the Hoos went to Miami as 4.5 underdogs, going against coach Manny Diaz whose Miami teams were 26-7 in 33 regular season home games since he joined the staff as defensive coordinator in 2016. The Virginia football team also entered the game as losers in six of its last eight to Miami in a stadium where it had lost four in a row. On top of that, the Hurricanes returned 19 of 22 starters from a 2020 team that finished 8-3 overall and 7-2 in the ACC.