North Carolina’s offense has narrowed into a clear identity through seven games, and Miami’s defense is going to see plenty of the same names Saturday. The Tar Heels come in at 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the ACC, with wins over TCU, East Tennessee State, Pittsburgh and Duke, and their production has been concentrated in a trio of players who have carried most of the load.
That group starts with wideout Jordan Shipp, who has been UNC’s most dangerous pass-catcher by volume and splash plays alike. He leads the Tar Heels with 41 catches for 543 yards and two touchdowns, and his recent stretch has been especially strong.
Over the last four games, Shipp has hauled in 28 passes for 379 yards and both scores, including outings of 109 yards against Notre Dame, 93 against Pitt, 75 against Duke and 102 against Syracuse. Against a Miami secondary that has allowed 239.1 passing yards per game, he’s the most obvious downfield and boundary threat on the roster.
Jelani Thurman has been just as important, even if his role comes from a different part of the field. The tight end has 33 receptions for 391 yards and a team-leading four receiving touchdowns, giving quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. a dependable target in the middle and a steady piece of Bobby Petrino’s offense. He was active again last week against Syracuse, when he caught seven passes for 77 yards and opened the game with a 28-yard gain on UNC’s first touchdown drive.
The third name Miami has to track is Edwards himself. He has started every game for North Carolina, throwing for 1,531 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 60.2% of his passes. His best performance came last Saturday against Syracuse, when he went 27 of 44 for 271 yards and two touchdowns.
There are other pieces in the mix, too. Running back Demon June has scored seven rushing touchdowns, while Benjamin Hall leads the team with 283 rushing yards before dealing with a recent hamstring issue. But the Tar Heels’ offense has mostly flowed through Shipp, Thurman and Edwards, and those are the three players Miami fans need to have at the front of their minds.
In Other News...
Mario Cristobal Finds Himself In Another ACC Flashpoint After Miami Rout
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Narduzzi said he told Cristobal to go win the national championship, a notably warm message for a matchup that had already carried some offseason edge. There had been prior tension tied to transfer portal recruiting accusations, but Narduzzi framed this latest flashpoint as friendly and moved on, even if the optics made it look like another ACC subplot Miami will have to keep answering for. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Faces A Chapel Hill Test That Keeps Haunting The Hurricanes
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Bill Belichick enters the game in his second year guiding North Carolina, adding another layer of intrigue to a matchup that already has enough edge. Miami, meanwhile, is trying to protect its perfect record under Mario Cristobal while shaking off the memories of those previous Chapel Hill trips. The Hurricanes have played well enough to get here, but the setting and the opponent make this feel like more than just another conference game, with the history in North Carolina still waiting to be answered. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Has One Special Teams Problem UNC Could Exploit
North Carolina enters this ACC matchup with a special teams wrinkle that could matter more than most people realize. Freshman Jaden Jeffersons recent kickoff return touchdown has given the Tar Heels a live threat every time they field the ball, and that is the kind of hidden edge that can tilt field position quickly against a team like Miami.
The Hurricanes have been productive on offense and have carried the kind of firepower that usually keeps them in control, but their kickoff coverage has been a problem area, ranking near the bottom of the FBS and ACC. In a game where both teams will be looking for any margin, Miamis ability to clean that up could end up being just as important as whatever happens when the ball is snapped on offense. [Read more 🡒]