Miami left Chapel Hill with a 38-35 win Saturday night, but it took every bit of that final whistle to do it.
The top-ranked Hurricanes survived a furious second-half push from North Carolina at Kenan Stadium, then sealed the game when Justin Scott recovered a Billy Edwards Jr. fumble at the UNC 37-yard line with 5:33 remaining. Six plays later, Miami found the end zone and held on in a game that swung back and forth all night.
Carolina had one of its strongest showings of the season and still came up short. Both teams scored 21 points after halftime, turning the final 30 minutes into a shootout that never really settled down. The Tar Heels dropped to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the ACC, while Miami stayed unbeaten at 8-0 and 6-0 in league play.
The Hurricanes also extended a few notable streaks. They won their 15th game in their last 16 dating back to last season, have now scored at least 20 points in 25 straight ACC games, and snapped Carolina’s five-game winning streak in the series. Miami beat UNC for the first time since 2018, though the Tar Heels still lead the all-time series 16-12.
“They're very good, very good on offense,” Tar Heel head coach Bill Belichick said of Miami. "One-score, back-and-forth game, and then they got the turnover it became a two-score game, and we couldn't get the onside kick. [We showed] a lot of effort, a lot of toughness, a lot of mental toughness, a lot of competitiveness, and [it's] just disappointing to come up short here two weeks in a row."
North Carolina’s offense had plenty to say for itself. Billy Edwards Jr. turned in his best game as a Tar Heel, throwing for 341 yards and four touchdowns on 28 completions in 34 attempts. Even with the late fumble that changed the game, he looked like the best quarterback on the field for long stretches.
Miami quarterback Darian Mensah answered with a sharp night of his own, going 22 of 29 for 274 yards and three touchdowns for a passer rating of 189.4. He now has 25 touchdown passes with only one interception this season.
Malachi Toney was a major factor for the Hurricanes, finishing with seven catches for 75 yards. Four of those receptions came on Miami’s opening drive, and while the Tar Heel defense limited him at times, it still allowed two Toney touchdowns in key moments.
The first half belonged to the defenses enough to keep things tight. Carolina trailed only 17-14 at the break after holding Miami to 228 total yards and keeping the explosive Hurricane attack from breaking the game open. Mensah had 153 passing yards before halftime, while Toney was limited to four catches for 27 yards.
Edwards was efficient early, too, completing 14 of 18 passes for 152 yards in the opening 30 minutes. Tight end Jelani Thurman caught both of his first-half touchdown passes from Edwards, helping UNC stay within striking distance.
Miami opened the scoring on its first possession, marching 74 yards in 13 plays before Mensah found Toney on a fade in the right side of the end zone for a 7-0 lead.
North Carolina answered on its second drive, going 84 yards in 11 plays. Edwards hit Thurman from eight yards out to tie the game at 7-7 with 11:50 left in the first half.
The Hurricanes regained the lead when Mensah hit Fletcher on a 31-yard screen to the right side, making it 14-7 with 7:41 left in the half. But UNC responded again, and Edwards found Thurman for another eight-yard touchdown in the final two minutes to even the score at 14-14. Miami then moved into field goal range in the final minute, and Jake Weinberg drilled a 24-yarder to send the Hurricanes to halftime up 17-14.
Carolina came out of the locker room fast. The Tar Heels drove 75 yards in eight plays on the opening possession of the third quarter, and Edwards connected with Jordan Shpp on a 16-yard touchdown to put UNC ahead 21-17 four minutes into the period.
Miami answered right back. After a pass interference penalty in the end zone while covering Toney, Fletcher finished the drive with a two-yard run to give the Hurricanes a 24-21 lead.
The Tar Heels weren’t done. They put together an 8:28 drive in the fourth quarter, and Demon June finished it with a one-yard dive to give Carolina a 28-24 lead with 11:46 left.
Miami reclaimed control on a fourth-and-one from the UNC two-yard line. Fletcher powered in over right tackle to make it 31-28.
Then came the play that tilted the night. On Carolina’s next possession, Marquise Lightfoot hit Edwards from behind and forced the fumble that Scott recovered at the UNC 37. Miami cashed in with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Mensah to Toney with 2:33 remaining, stretching the lead to 38-28.
UNC still had one more answer. Edwards found Trech Kechahuna for a 15-yard touchdown with 1:38 left, cutting the margin to 38-35. But the Tar Heels could not complete the comeback.
Carolina now heads back on the road for an out-of-conference game at UConn at noon next Saturday, November 7, on CBS Sports Network.
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