No. 1 Miami had to grind for every inch Saturday night, and in the end the Hurricanes found just enough to leave Chapel Hill with a 38-35 win over North Carolina.
That mattered because this trip had been a problem spot for Miami for years. The Hurricanes had dropped five straight to the Tar Heels and hadn’t won in Chapel Hill since 2017. On this night, though, they survived a game that kept swinging back and forth until Miami finally landed the last punch in the final eight minutes.
The turning point came after North Carolina had clawed back into the lead in the fourth quarter. Miami was clinging to a 31-28 advantage when its defense came through with the kind of play it had to have.
Marquise Lightfoot sacked Billy Edwards Jr. and knocked the ball loose, Justin Scott recovered it, and six plays later Darian Mensah hit Malachi Toney on a 9-yard touchdown that ended up being the difference. North Carolina still had one more drive left, but Miami had already done enough.
Mensah was sharp all night, finishing 22 of 29 for 274 yards and three touchdowns. Toney was his favorite target, catching seven passes for 75 yards and two scores. Mark Fletcher Jr. added three touchdowns of his own, including one as a receiver, while finishing with 13 carries for 43 yards.
Miami opened the game the way it has so often this season, striking first on a long drive. Mensah led a 13-play, 74-yard march that ended with a 2-yard touchdown to Toney, who hauled it in over his shoulder. The Hurricanes converted three third downs on that possession, with Mensah using his legs twice to keep the drive alive.
North Carolina didn’t blink. After the teams traded possessions in the first quarter, Edwards found Jelani Thurman for an 8-yard touchdown to cap an 11-play, 84-yard drive and tie it early in the second. Miami answered right back when Fletcher caught a pass from Mensah and turned it into a 31-yard touchdown, but the Tar Heels matched that again with another Edwards-to-Thurman score, this one covering 8 yards on a 12-play, 75-yard drive.
By halftime, North Carolina had piled up 152 passing yards, its second-highest total in a half this season. Miami still had the lead, but only after Jake Weinberg drilled a 25-yard field goal in the closing minutes to make it 17-14 at the break.
The Tar Heels kept pushing after halftime and grabbed the lead early in the third quarter when Edwards threw a 16-yard touchdown to Jordan Shipp, putting North Carolina up 21-17 with 10:51 left in the period.
Miami answered again. The Hurricanes marched 80 yards in eight plays, and Fletcher finished it with a 2-yard run that stood after a brief review. It was the 34th rushing touchdown of Fletcher’s Miami career, leaving him one away from tying Stephen McGuire on the school’s all-time list.
North Carolina kept coming, but Miami had the last word. The Hurricanes remain unbeaten at 8-0 overall and 6-0 in the ACC, and this one came down to their biggest names making the biggest plays when it mattered most.
In Other News...
Mark Fletcher Jr. Just Reached A Miami Milestone Few Ever Touch
Mark Fletcher Jr. added another line to his Miami legacy against North Carolina, and it came in a way that fit his value to the Hurricanes offense. The senior running back scored on a 31-yard receiving play for his 36th career touchdown, moving past Stephen McGuire and Edgerrin James to stand alone atop the programs all-time list for total touchdowns.
For a player who has been a steady part of Miamis attack across four seasons, the milestone speaks to both his durability and his production in key moments. It is the kind of mark that usually belongs to the most celebrated names in school history, and Fletcher now sits in that company with plenty of season still left to shape how far he can push the record. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Has Become A Quarterback Destination Fans Can't Ignore
The transfer portal has turned Miami into one of the sports most interesting quarterback stops under Mario Cristobal, and the recent track record is hard to ignore. Cam Ward and Carson Beck both used their time in Coral Gables as a launchpad to the NFL Draft, giving the Hurricanes a level of credibility in the portal that resonates with quarterbacks looking for a place to reset, produce and get noticed.
Darian Mensah has only added to that appeal by giving Miami strong play at the position, keeping the program in the conversation with other high-end quarterbacks who are watching closely. With the spring transfer portal window opening in early 2027, the Hurricanes are positioned to stay active in that market, and the bigger question is how far this run of quarterback success can continue to carry the programs recruiting pitch. [Read more 🡒]
No. 1 Miami Heads Back To A House Of Chapel Hill Horrors
Halloween has not always been kind to Miami in Chapel Hill, and the history is part of what makes this trip feel a little different. The Hurricanes have been here before on a spooky weekend, most memorably in 2004 when an upset loss jolted a team that arrived with bigger expectations, and again in 2017 when Miami escaped with a narrow win. Those memories still linger as the No. 1 Hurricanes head back to North Carolina for the 2026 matchup, carrying an undefeated record and one of the nations most productive offenses.
North Carolina, meanwhile, has not been especially steady lately, but the Tar Heels have shown they can make life uncomfortable for a top-ranked visitor in this setting. Their history against No. 1 teams is not long, yet it adds another layer to a game that already comes wrapped in old Miami anxieties. For the Hurricanes, the challenge is not just the ranking or the numbers, but the setting itself, where past trips have had a way of turning ordinary autumn football into something far less predictable. [Read more 🡒]