By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
STATS Senior Writer

Virginia (3-5) at No. 17 Miami (FL) (6-2), 12:00 p.m. EDT

Miami chose ACC foe Virginia as its homecoming foe this season.

It's possible Virginia was picked because of how the Cavaliers
closed out the Hurricanes' former home two years ago - before
Jacory Harris arrived on campus for Miami.

Harris and the No. 16 Hurricanes look to hand the struggling
Cavaliers a third straight loss Saturday when Virginia visits
Land Shark Stadium two years after a memorable win over Miami at
the Orange Bowl.

Miami (6-2, 3-2) suffered one of the most embarrassing losses in
the storied program's history in 2007 when Virginia won 48-0 in
the Hurricanes' finale at the Orange Bowl. Miami spent 70 years
at the famed stadium, had numerous former stars in attendance
and was handed its worst home loss since a 70-14 defeat to Texas
A&M in 1944.

Virginia (3-5, 2-2) went on to play for the ACC title that year,
but has since fallen on hard times and appears headed for a
second straight losing season.

The mood is different in Miami because of Harris, who split time
as the starter last season before earning the full-time job in
2009. He was named conference player of the week for the third
time this season for his heroics in last Saturday's 28-27
victory at Wake Forest.

Harris completed 22 of 43 passes for 330 yards and three
touchdowns, including the game-winner to Travis Benjamin with
1:08 left that finished a nine-play, 82-yard drive. Miami
trailed 27-14 after three quarters.

The star quarterback was sacked five times, bringing that total
to 14 in the last three games, before recovering to lead the
Hurricanes to victory.

"He got hit tonight," Hurricanes coach Randy Shannon said. "He
got hit a lot tonight and that shows the kind of maturity he
has."

Miami bounced back from a 40-37 overtime loss to Clemson the
week before and maintained its hopes of winning the Coastal
Division. The Hurricanes are trying to catch No. 10 Georgia
Tech, which has already lost to Miami.

"It's starting to change, just a little bit," Shannon said.
"We've got to stay focused as a team, but I think the players
really, really, truly understand how good they can be."

Virginia is familiar with Harris after he starred in relief of a
struggling Robert Marve in last year's 24-17 overtime win for
Miami in Charlottesville. Harris threw a game-tying touchdown
with 55 seconds left in regulation to Laron Byrd to cap a
95-yard drive and added a winning score to Aldarius Johnson in
the extra session.

That started a four-game season-ending losing streak for
Virginia, which has continued that dismal play in 2009. The
Cavaliers gave up 16 points in the final 3:45 last Saturday in a
28-17 home loss to Duke.

Quarterbacks Jameel Sewell and Marc Verica combined to complete
13 of 38 passes for 107 yards, one touchdown and one
interception. Virginia has produced an ACC-low six touchdown
passes.

"We dropped some balls," coach Al Groh said. "In college
football these days, with a few exceptions, success comes with
the passing game."

The Cavaliers may be happy to be on the road after being booed
off the field in a second straight home loss that has called
into question whether Groh will return. He fired his son, Mike,
as offensive coordinator after Virginia went 5-7 in 2008.

"I don't have anything to say," Groh said. "I know a lot more
about the situation than probably anybody. Maybe some day I'll
say what that is."

It is unclear whether Sewell will start after a chest injury
forced him out of last week's loss. Verica completed 27 of 41
passes for 240 yards and one TD in last year's loss to Miami.

"We have to pick it up on every level," Cavs nose tackle Nate
Collins said. "The biggest thing is that we all stay together.
After a loss, it is easy for a team to start pointing fingers,
and pinning the loss on certain guys. We are all a team, and we
lose together just like we win together."