BLACKSBURG, Va. — Carson Beck threw four touchdown passes and No. 13 Miami (9-2, 5-2 ACC) defeated Virginia Tech (3-8, 2-5) 34-17 on Saturday at Lane Stadium.
Beck opened the game a perfect 10-for-10, capping the first drive with a 20-yard strike to tight end Elija Lofton for a 7–0 lead.
Miami, ranked third nationally against the run, bent early when running back Marcellus Hawkins broke a 33-yard jet sweep, but the Hokies settled for a field goal — only their third first-drive score of the season.
Freshman receiver Malachi Toney sparked Miami’s second possession with a jet sweep conversion on third-and-1 and a fourth-down catch, and Beck later found running back Mark Fletcher Jr., returning from injury, for a 3-yard touchdown to make it 14–3.
Miami later added a 46-yard field goal from Carter Davis to take 17–3 lead.
The Hurricanes’ defense tightened after Hawkins’ early burst, highlighted by a fourth-down stop by defensive end Akheem Mesidor.
Beck moved Miami into range for another Davis field goal, this one from 40 yards, to push the lead to 20–3 at halftime. Beck finished the half 13 of 17 for 190 yards, while Toney had six catches for 102 yards.
Virginia Tech opened the second half with a 38-yard touchdown run by Jeffrey Overton Jr., cutting the lead to 20–10. However, Beck answered with a back-shoulder throw to Daylyn Upshaw and then a 16-yard touchdown to running back Girard Pringle Jr. to take a 27-10 lead.
Miami did not punt until the final six seconds of the third quarter.
Mesidor later strip-sacked Hokies backup quarterback William Watson III, who had entered after Kyron Drones was benched.
Watson rushed for a 3-yard touchdown and engineered a late drive after the Hokies recovered an onside kick, but Virginia Tech could not close the gap.
Beck finished 27 of 32 for 320 yards and four touchdowns. Toney led all receivers with 12 catches for 146 yards and a late 20-yard score by jumping over Hokies cornerback Isaiah Brown-Murray and hauling in Beck’s pass in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter.
On defense, Miami recorded five sacks and forced one turnover.
Up next:
Miami visits Pittsburgh (7-3, 5-1 ACC) next Saturday at Acrisure Stadium. Kickoff time has not been announced.
Virgina Tech will face No. 19 Virginia (9-2, 6-1 ACC) at Scott Stadium.
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