Virginia (6-4, 3-3 ACC) at No. 2 Miami (9-0, 6-0, CFP No. 3), Saturday, noon ET (ABC)
Line: Miami by 19.
Series record: Miami leads 8-6.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
Miami would stay on pace for a College Football Playoff spot with a win. Virginia could get to the seven-win mark for the first time since 2011.
KEY MATCHUP
Virginia QB Kurt Benkert vs. Miami S Jaquan Johnson. Benkert’s next touchdown pass would be his 22nd on the season, giving him outright possession of second place on the Cavaliers’ all-time single-season list. He also has a good shot at Matt Schaub’s record for passing yards (Benkert has 2,492 this season; Schaub holds the record of 2,976 in 2002). He’ll face a Miami secondary that is brimming with confidence, a group led by Johnson - who has learned how to read plays perhaps as well as anyone in the ACC. He will follow Benkert’s eyes, and react accordingly.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Virginia: WR-KR Joe Reed averages 29 yards per kickoff return. The Cavaliers will need big plays for an upset, and Reed has the potential to deliver.
Miami: DE Joe Jackson might be the nastiest player on a Miami defensive line with plenty of candidates for that title. He has been dominant in 2017.
FACTS & FIGURES
Miami is the sixth school to be ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 this season, while Alabama has been No. 1 in every poll. … Virginia has lost its last 12 November road games. … This is the seventh time that Miami has started 9-0. The Hurricanes have reached 10-0 every previous time. … The Cavaliers have been leaky on defense over the last month, giving up an average of 36.5 points over their last four games. They gave up 20 per game in their first six contests. … Miami has 22 players who have recorded a tackle for loss this season and 12 who have been involved in a sack. … Virginia S Quin Blanding needs four tackles for his fourth consecutive 100-stop season. … Injured Miami defensive standout Demetrius Jackson, who has founded his own charity, handed out Thanksgiving turkeys and other food this week to needy families.
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AP college football website: collegefootball.ap.org
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