MIAMI –
The Hurricanes were looking up at the 28-14 deficit early in the third quarter to Virginia. The big crowd at Hard Rock Stadium was in shock and silenced. Miami's surprising national title hopes were fading.
From that point forward, UM went out and scored the final 30 points of the game.
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No, the 'Canes win over UVA wasn't pretty, but it showed another character that championship teams are supposed to have -- resiliency.
Coming off impressive blowout wins over ranked teams, a letdown was to be expected. But, this was more than just a letdown. This was a true test of what this team is made of.
Mark Richt's team passed the test and, in the process, kept those championship dreams alive.
The defense wasn't good for much of the game. The "turnover chain" pumped up the crowd three separate times and continues to be a big motivating factor, but the secondary was picked on early and often.
Yet, when needed most, Miami's impressive pass rush finally started to get pressure and make things much more difficult on Virginia's offense.
Meanwhile, Miami QB Malik Rosier continues to be the king of resiliency. As with most starting quarterbacks on most teams, Rosier is the most scrutinized player on Miami's roster.
Despite leading the 'Canes to a 10-0 record, Rosier is seen by many as a guy who makes too many mistakes and is just succeeding off the talent around him. I couldn't disagree more.
To me, with every game that passes, Rosier proves more and more to me. He makes plays with his arms, he makes plays with his legs and, most importantly, he makes plays when they matter most.
Yes, he makes some mistakes now and then, but Rosier, more than anyone on the team, has shown the ability to be resilient and not let any mistake shake him.
With every poor pass or interception comes a perfect pass and big run. He's just a winner.
The 10-0 record isn't a fluke.
People keep waiting for this Miami team to stumble and lose. The country is just waiting to pounce on a loss and say, "See, we told you so."
The 'Canes aren't allowing it to happen.
UM keeps proving it is one of the best and most talented teams in the nation.
The 'Canes proved another thing Saturday. They're also one of the most resilient teams in the country.