A short week. A battered defense. An offense that has struggled in recent weeks.
The Hurricanes came into what was essentially a must-win game at Virginia Tech knowing they'd have a spate of challenges to overcome if they wanted to keep their hopes for a Coastal Division title alive.
But in the first half, they looked every bit as sluggish and sloppy as they did against North Carolina last week. The Hokies — also in dire need of a division win —capitalized and built a 13-point lead that was too much for the Hurricanes to overcome in what ultimately ended as a 37-16 win for Virginia Tech.