MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Orange jerseys and orange pants gave Miami a different look Thursday night.
Sixty minutes of football gave the Hurricanes a new perspective on their season.
The 'Canes, having lost their three previous games before experiencing a turbulent week off, earned a 30-12 victory against ACC rival Virginia Tech in what ranks as the biggest win under second-year head coach Al Golden.
The victory puts Miami (5-4, 4-2) in the driver's seat for the ACC Coastal Division title and a berth in the ACC Championship Game.
Perhaps that's an underwhelming goal to longtime fans of the "U," but not to Golden.
"I know everybody wants us to be national champions yesterday and get back to the BCS games and all that, but the reality is, the pathway to that is the Coastal," he said. "It's almost like we have to re-educate our team to understand that's how you get there."
Golden decided it also was time to give his team a new look. The 'Canes wore all orange, jerseys and pants, for the first time since '85, according to school officials.
The coach, whose New Jersey-based family and friends are dealing with Sandy-induced issues, said he wanted the players to "have fun" after a "tough eight weeks."
"It was a little surprise for them," Golden said of the uniforms. "I think they were excited about it. I guess that means we have to keep wearing them."
Miami was dressed down during defeats to Notre Dame, North Carolina and Florida State. The Hurricanes then endured a Category 2 type of week off.
Defensive end Kelvin Cain left the team. Defensive lineman Luther Robinson's father went on radio and claimed Golden was favoring his recruits over those from former coach Randy Shannon. Social media claimed LB Gabe Terry and DE Jelani Hamilton had gotten into a fistfight.
"You just have to put your head down and keep marching,," cornerback Brandon McGee said. "It's like a 20-mile march. Everyday you just keep going even when you want to let go after the adversity we went though, losing to three top-10 teams.
"This team is resilient — we just keep moving forward, because the ACC is still in reach."
A few extra days between games and renewed focus, though, seemed to have quite a positive effect.
"Everybody got rest, everybody got the anger out of the way and came back with no egos," receiver Rashawn Scott said. "Everybody was all in."
And in all orange.
"You feel good, you look good, you play good," said Duke Johnson, who contributed 100 yards rushing, including a 65-yard run.
Miami might have felt good and looked good, but the game's outcome was very much in doubt midway through the fourth quarter.
Holding a 20-12 lead and having been 0-for-9 on third-down tries, Miami faced third-and-12 from its 29 early in the fourth quarter.
Instead of another failed attempt, quarterback Stephen Morris completed a pass in the flat to Scott for a 26-yard gain.
Later in the possession, on second-and-seven from the Virginia Tech 27, receiver Phillip Dorset completed a pass to Morris for 20 yards.
On the next play, Johnson ran 7 yards for a touchdown to made the score 27-12 and virtually secured the victory.
Before that, the Miami performance included bad and good.
Hokies quarterback Logan Thomas, the star of last season's win at Blacksburg, Va., ran 73 yards up the middle for a score without being touched.
Virginia Tech out-gained Miami 421-347 and ran 82 plays from scrimmage to the Hurricanes' 58.
However, Miami special teams contributed several key plays. Terry blocked a punt that led to the first TD, a 16-yard Morris pass to Allen Hurns.
Johnson returned a kick 81 yards to set up the Hurricanes' second touchdown, a 16-yard Morris pass to Mike James.
The defense came up big when it had to — e.g., six pass breakups — and also accepted some Hokies help. Thomas fumbled a snap on the Miami 2, with the ball recovered by Miami's Luther Robinson.
When it was over, the only thing that mattered was what lies ahead.
"It's exciting to be able to put ourselves in this situation," tight end Clive Walford said, "to go play for the ACC championship."
To Morris, exciting doesn't capture the moment.
"I take it realty personal," Morris said. "We want to do it for the seniors, who have never won a championship and who never have been able to call themselves champions."
