Miami comes to Berkeley next Saturday as an undefeated top-10 team, but the Hurricanes and quarterback Cam Ward showed they are vulnerable in Friday’s 38-34 escape against Virginia Tech.

Whether they are vulnerable enough for Cal to stay close or pull an upset next week remains to be seen.

You can debate whether it’s better for Cal’s chances for Miami to pick up a win instead of getting upset over a close, controversial loss, but that’s pure speculation.

What’s notable is that Ward has shown a penchant for turnovers, which has been Cal’s defensive strength, and that Miami’s defense is sensitive to the run.

All of that will be covered later in this report, but it’s impossible not to start with the final play of Friday’s match. For a time, Virginia Tech players and coaches thought they had pulled off the upset when the Hail Mary pass was initially ruled a completion and a touchdown. Then, after a lengthy five or six minute review, the pass was ruled incomplete, giving Miami the victory and leaving the Hurricanes undefeated.

Here’s a look at that final play:

You could argue that there was no “indisputable video evidence” to overturn the on-field call, prompting the referee to declare the decision “standing.” But the TV broadcast’s expert on duty seemed to believe that the pass should be considered incomplete based on the evidence.

It’s a strange situation when you know the game is over but you don’t know who won, but that was the case on Friday until the referee signaled that the ruling had been overturned on the field just a few excruciating minutes after Virginia Tech thought it it had won.

“Normally, when you look at something that long, it doesn’t get knocked over,” Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry said afterward. “I didn’t think there was enough evidence to overturn it.”

On the Miami side, it was a different answer.

“I just saw an incomplete pass, that’s all I have to say,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said.

During the review, Ward described the long wait as “pain.”

“Leave it to the white hat, that’s a position you don’t want to be in,” he said.

Ward threw four touchdown passes, giving him 18 for the season, five more than anyone in the country heading into Saturday’s action.

However, he also turned the ball over three times: an early fumble and two interceptions. And Cal’s strong defensive strength is his ability to pick off passes. Entering Saturday’s action, the Bears led the nation in interceptions with 10, and it may be the biggest reason Cal is 3-1 with a bye this week and a home game against Miami next Saturday night.

“I don’t have a good feeling about this game,” said Ward, who also was sacked three times.

Ward had a big game against Cal last year while playing for Washington State, throwing for 354 yards and three touchdowns, but the Bears won that game 42-39. The question is whether Cal can build enough of a pass rush to force Ward into mistakes while playing with a more talented surrounding cast.

Miami’s defense had been strong in the first four games, but Virginia Tech scored 34 points against the Hurricanes, rolling for 206 yards on the ground. Hokies running back Bhayshul Tuten ran for 141 yards, his fourth 100-yard game of the season.

Cal’s strength on offense would be its running game, with Pac-12 running back Jaydn Ott leading the charge. But the Bears are averaging just 3.86 yards per rushing attempt, which ranks near the bottom in the ACC.

Ott has been slowed by an ankle injury and is averaging 3.3 yards per carry, while teammate Jaivian Thomas is averaging 7.0 yards per attempt.

Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones also had a strong game against Miami, posting his best overall quarterback rating of the season.

But the bottom line is that Virginia Tech, which had losses to Vanderbilt and Rutgers this season, came within a controversial call of upsetting Miami on the Hurricanes’ home court.

Does this mean Cal has a chance against Miami in the Bears’ first ACC home game next Saturday night?

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