The North Carolina Tar Heels walk into Saturday night with little room for error, and the matchup on the other sideline makes the margin even slimmer. Miami is sitting at No. 1 in the country, and Darian Mensah has climbed into the conversation as one of college football’s best quarterbacks.
That puts a harsh spotlight on North Carolina after last week’s collapse against Syracuse in a game it needed to close out. The Tar Heels were in a favorable spot and still let it slip, and now Bill Belichick’s team has Miami waiting in Week 9. With that backdrop, a few things stand out as the game unfolds.
The biggest question begins with Edwards Jr., because North Carolina’s season has already seen too many games bend in his direction. Two of the team’s three losses have landed squarely on his shoulders, and last week was another rough one. He opened hot against Syracuse, completing his first 11 passes for 98 yards and one touchdown, but his play faded as the game went along.
That pattern has become a problem. North Carolina blew a double-digit lead for the second straight week, and even though it escaped against Duke, the Wisconsin transfer’s late-game struggles were a major reason the Tar Heels lost this time. If he stumbles again and North Carolina drops this one, his hold on the starting job could be up in the air by Week 10.
On the other side, Mensah has been everything Miami hoped for and then some after transferring from Duke. The numbers are loud: 2,151 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and just one interception through seven games. He’s completing 81.4 percent of his throws and averaging 10.5 yards per pass, which makes that efficiency look every bit as real as the stat sheet says it is.
That spells trouble for a North Carolina defense that has already had issues against the run and, because of injuries in the secondary, has also been vulnerable to giving up explosive plays. Mensah and Miami’s offense are built to hunt exactly that kind of weakness.
And then there’s the receiving talent Miami can throw at the Tar Heels. Belichick, during his years as head coach of the New England Patriots, typically answered an opponent’s top pass-catching threat with a double team, and that same approach feels likely here. Even so, North Carolina has to account for Toney, who has been one of the country’s top wideouts behind only Jeremiah Smith.
Through seven games, Toney has 66 catches for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns. At 5-foot-11 and 188 pounds, he gives Miami another dangerous target, and he leaves North Carolina’s secondary with plenty to sort out.
In Other News...
UNC Freshman Nyqir Helton May Be Forcing His Way Onto The Field
Nyqir Heltons first career start for North Carolina came against Syracuse, and it was earned the old-fashioned way. The true freshman wide receiver got the nod because of what he had shown in practice, not because of an opening created by someone else, a sign that the Tar Heels are beginning to trust him as more than just a long-term project.
Helton has been building toward this moment through steady work in practice, scout team reps and the programs developmental Sunday Night Football sessions, and the payoff was a career-high 67 snaps. For a young receiver trying to carve out a role, that kind of usage says plenty about where he stands right now, even if his path to a permanent spot is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]
Tar Heels Have One More Home Test With ACC Stakes Rising
No. 2 Carolinas womens soccer team gets one last chance to protect its home ground when SMU comes to town for the final regular-season game in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels have turned their home field into a reliable advantage all season, going 8-1 there, and they enter the matchup sitting atop the ACC standings at 6-1 as the pressure around the conference race keeps building.
Bella Devey has been the main finishing threat, leading the team with 16 goals, while Peyton Trayer has anchored things in net with 10 wins. With senior-day type emotions and league positioning both in play, this one offers Carolina a chance to close out its home schedule on a strong note before the bigger tests ahead. [Read more 🡒]
UNC's Frontcourt Problem Is Still Hanging Over The Season Opener
The wait around Cameron Fens has become one of the quiet but persistent storylines hanging over North Carolina as the season opener approaches. The transfer is practicing with the team, but he has not been cleared to play in exhibition games while the NCAA continues to sort through eligibility decisions tied to ongoing lawsuits, leaving the Tar Heels without a clear answer on a player they hoped would matter in the frontcourt.
Coach Michael Malone has already made no secret of his frustration with how long the process has dragged on, and the uncertainty is now bleeding right into the start of the season. Fens still does not have a final ruling in hand, which leaves his status for opening night unresolved and keeps a potentially important piece of the rotation in limbo for a team trying to get its footing. [Read more 🡒]