MIAMI -- After facing some fast-brewing Hurricanes, Virginia Tech's football team took the evacuation route out of here early Friday morning.

Upon their safe arrival home, the task now for the Tech coaches and players now is assessing the severe damage of Thursday night's 16-14 loss to Miami at Dolphin Stadium.

While the Hokies didn't get blown away, they blew it. They lost a game they had every shot to win. And that's what hurt worse than anything.

"Last year and in years past, it felt like when we needed a win, we got it," senior quarterback Sean Glennon said. "If something's riding on a win, I think we've always found a way. So obviously, this year, it's a different feeling. It's kind of demoralizing realizing that you had everything in the palm of your hand and you let it go."

The loss was Tech's fourth in 10 games this season. The last year the Hokies have come up short in so many games was 2003, when they limped home 8-5. The Hokies stand 3-3 in the ACC, a loop in which they've won 27 of 32 games the past four years.

"I know exactly how Sean feels right now. It's the truth," senior cornerback Macho Harris said. "In the past, it's kind of like we were spoiled with great players, the older guys. They knew what it takes to get the team that victory that we needed.

"I'm not saying that we don't now, but it's just a different time right now. I love the team. The part that gets me, that I really love about it, is we're a bunch of younger guys that just don't give up."

Sure, the Hokies are young. But they're not as young as Miami (7-3, 4-2). The 'Canes are playing 31 freshmen this season.

Tech has two regular-season games left -- Duke (Nov. 22) and Virginia (Nov. 29), both at home.

"We should have pulled this one out, and that's ourselves to blame," said tailback Darren Evans, who had little room to run and was held to 43 yards rushing on 17 carries. "We've got to worry about ourselves. We can't worry about losing. We've got a lot of senior leadership on this team and nobody is going to let this team go down by the wayside."

Offensively, the Hokies spent the entire third quarter on the wayside Thursday night. Coordinator Bryan Stinespring's unit ran only six plays in 15 minutes. Net result: minus-11 yards and no first downs.

"That third quarter, it was terrible," Glennon said. "We got our butts kicked."

Don't blame Tech's defense. Despite playing on a field severely tilted in Miami's favor, Bud Foster's bunch somehow only yielded three short field goals, stopping the 'Canes at the 4, 14 and 6-yard lines.

"They have nothing to be ashamed of about that game," Glennon said. "Those three-and-outs ... our defense is probably exhausted."

Tech's offense does, however. It was lifeless in the decisive third quarter. When Tech finally regained an offensive pulse, going 69 yards in 10 plays to pull to 16-14 on Taylor's 6-yard touchdown dash with 3:28 left, the defense sent UM three-and-out, taking only 17 seconds off the clock with the help of two timeouts.

Tech's offense got the ball back on its own 32 with 2:57 left. Plenty of time to go 35-40 yards and have a shot for a game-winning field goal, and pull off what would have been one of the biggest heists since the Brink's robbery.

Facing third-and-2 at its 40, the play call was a run up the gut to Dustin Pickle, who had been sent into the game replacing Evans in the two-minute offense. Pickle was stopped by Marcus Robinson for a 1-yard loss. When Taylor was sacked by Allen Bailey on fourth-and-three one play later, it was a done deal.

"[Pickle] getting the ball, maybe people would have something to say about that, just because he hadn't been in the game before," Evans said. "I don't complain about it. It wasn't him that caused the loss."

On top of the loss, coach Frank Beamer informed the players afterwards that his longtime defensive coordinator Bud Foster was scheduled to meet Friday with Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips in regards to the Tigers' head coaching post.

Harris said the news about Foster "definitely hurt."

"It's my last year, but he's a great teacher, a great helper, a great father figure in our lives," Harris said. "Just to have that piece -- I'm not saying he's going to get that job -- but just to have that piece missing.

"The younger guys behind me, I know they'll definitely be hurt. You kind of want to be selfish and, I kind of don't want him to get that job, but at the same time, Coach Foster deserves everything he gets."