The Hail Mary touchdown failed as No. 7 Miami survived in a thriller against Virginia Tech

No. 7 Miami overcame three turnovers and a potential game-winning touchdown on the final play to cap a wild 38-34 comeback win over Virginia Tech after trailing by 10 points in the fourth quarter.

The Hokies appeared to win the game when quarterback Kyron Drones threw a pass into a crowd of players in the end zone just before time expired. The play was ruled a touchdown on the field as Da'Quan Felton appeared to have handled it, but it was overturned after a lengthy replay.

At second glance, it didn't look like Felton ever had full control of the ball.

It ended an eventful and emotional back-and-forth and helped Miami avoid a major upset.

Miami QB Cam Ward entered the game as the Heisman betting favorite and after a rough start with two interceptions and a lost fumble, Ward showed why.

He threw two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including the winning score on a 1-yard toss to Isaiah Horton just after the two-minute timeout.

Ward finished 24 of 36 for 343 passing yards and four touchdowns, while also adding 57 yards and a rushing touchdown. The Hurricanes scored touchdowns on their final three possessions of the game after struggling with turnovers in the first three quarters.

And as the game progressed, Ward made plays like this:

His brilliance in the final minutes helped undo what turned out to be an ugly game for both him and a Miami team that has College Football Playoff aspirations this season.

Damien Martinez led the Hurricanes with 60 yards rushing and 14 carries, while Elijah Arroyo caught two passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. Xavier Restrepo added 60 yards on five receptions, while Jacolby George caught four passes for 59 yards and a score.

Virginia Tech couldn't push Miami away

Virginia Tech had a 27-17 lead midway through the third quarter and a chance at a field goal, but tried a shovel pass from defending champion Peter Moore to tight end Harrison Saint Germain. Miami's Malik Bryant wasn't fooled and moved quickly against Saint Germain.

Miami then completed an eight-play, 89-yard drive, with Ward running 17 yards for a score, cutting the Hokies' lead to 27-24. The Hurricanes' comeback seemed to have begun.

Virginia Tech appeared to use the dagger early in the fourth quarter on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Drones to Ayden Greene. On 3rd-and-9, a field goal seemed likely – especially when Drones was chased out of the pocket by an oncoming Elijah Alston. But Drones escaped the pressure when he rolled to his right and fired a punch with his back foot at Greene, who darted through the end zone.

Drones finished the game with 189 yards and completed 19 of 32 passes with two touchdowns and one interception. But the third touchdown overturned at the end would have made his night shine. Instead, it was a heartbreaking end to a game the Hokies almost won but couldn't finish when the opportunity presented itself.

Bhayshul Tuten rushed for 141 yards with a score on 19 carries, while Drones ran for 52 yards and led a Hokies rushing attack that totaled 206 yards.

Next up for Miami is a road trip to play Cal next Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET. Virginia Tech also travels west to face Stanford at 3:30 p.m. ET.