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As if facing Virginia Tech wasn't going to be daunting enough for Miami, the Hurricanes will have another problem this week.
Their current quarterback is playing really well.
Crazy as that sounds, yes, that's an issue for the Hurricanes.
All Stephen Morris has done in his first two starts as Miami's quarterback is put together consecutive games the likes of which the Hurricanes haven't enjoyed in nearly eight years. Back-to-back efforts of more than 500 yards of offense - for the first time since the last two games of the 2002 regular season - have kept the Hurricanes in the Atlantic Coast Conference picture.
Still, when No. 24 Miami (7-3, 5-2) hosts No. 14 Virginia Tech (8-2, 6-0) on Saturday, it's not clear if Morris will be in the lineup. It all hinges on whether Jacory Harris is cleared by doctors who have been monitoring his recovery from a concussion sustained Oct. 30.
On this point, Miami coach Randy Shannon hasn't wavered: When Harris is cleared, he'll play.
''We all know what they're both capable of doing,'' offensive lineman Orlando Franklin said. ''Whoever's back there, I'm pretty sure they're going to have our confidence.''
And that will be vital this week, since it's another win-or-else scenario for Miami.
For the Hurricanes to finally reach the ACC title game for the first time and remain in contention for trip to the Orange Bowl, they need to beat Virginia Tech, then hope the Hokies fall to rival Virginia on Nov. 27. Otherwise, a trip to the Chick-fil-A Bowl, Champs Sports Bowl or Meineke Car Care Bowl might be the most-logical Miami postseason destinations.
Given that Virginia Tech embarrassed Miami 31-7 last season, a bowl trip isn't exactly in the forefront of the 'Canes thinking this week.
''It's a statement game,'' linebacker Colin McCarthy said. ''Last year we went up there and got embarrassed, you can say. So we'll be ready to play come Saturday.''
So will Morris. So might Harris. Maybe even both.
The decision on who starts, Shannon said, will be made by doctors, not coaches - and not statistics.
On the latter front, Morris would seem to have an edge few would have thought possible a couple weeks ago. Miami's fourth-stringer and a redshirt candidate before Harris got hurt has put up solid-though-unspectacular individual numbers: 28 of 48 passing for 516 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions in two starts.
But the 504 yards of total offense against Maryland (a team that was yielding an average of 320) and the 507 yards in Saturday's easy win at Georgia Tech (which had allowed 352 per game coming in) clearly showed the Hurricanes didn't miss a beat with Morris as the starter.
He's 2 for 2 in directing 500-yard games as a starter.
Harris, meanwhile, is only 1 for 23 in that department.
''It doesn't matter at all,'' said wide receiver Leonard Hankerson, who has already tied Michael Irvin's single-season touchdown reception record at Miami with 11 - with possibly three or four games left to play. ''We just want to go out, we want to play hard, play physical and get a 'W.' It doesn't matter who's under center.''
Before the Hurricanes boarded their flight home from Atlanta on Saturday, Shannon reiterated that Harris - who did some light throwing in practice this past week, but little else - won't lose his job because of the concussion.
He just wouldn't predict when Harris might return, either.
''I cannot say when a young man's going to be back,'' Shannon said. ''Our medical staff gets together and decides those things.''
