When Cousins Clash: Miami Survives Virginia Tech Scare
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – There might be a FaceTime call on Sunday, as there is just about every week, in which Miami quarterback Cam Ward and Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones connect to talk about their most recent games.
To say the two are close is an understatement. They’re cousins. They’re offseason training partners. They share a quarterback coach. They speak with the highest reverence for the other as both a person and as a player.
But this week’s call … well, it might be a little weird.
Ward and the No. 7 Hurricanes (5-0, 1-0) held off Drones and the Hokies 38-34 on Friday night, a game that lasted for 60 minutes on the field and for 6 1/2 more minutes afterward as officials tried to figure out who actually won. Drones connected with Da’Quan Felton on a 30-yard desperation heave to — he thought — give Virginia Tech (2-3, 0-1) the win on the final play, only to see it wiped out after a long review by Atlantic Coast Conference officials.
“He might not answer the call,” Ward said. “I don’t blame him.”
They chatted briefly on the field when the game finally was declared over, even posed for a picture together. Ward — the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, according to BetMGM Sportsbook — slung his arm over Drones’ shoulder as they walked together, and the Hokies quarterback even managed a bit of a smile in that moment. Drones thought he had just pulled off the first Hail Mary of his life.
Referees evidently agreed, because it was ruled a touchdown on the field. They changed their minds in the end. Drones did not.
The final play started with 3 seconds left on the clock. Drones straight-dropped back 11 yards to the Miami 41 and threw the ball nearly 50 yards, almost to the very back of the end zone.
Like every great sports moment, this game provided plenty of drama and intrigue. The referees’ decision will be debated for weeks to come.
Ward surely will see his cousin on the phone at some point soon, whether it happens this Sunday or not. But Drones is hoping to see Miami again on the field — and the only way that’ll happen is if the teams make their way to the ACC championship game.
Share your thoughts on this epic showdown in the comments below. Do you think the referees made the right call?
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