No. 1 Miami Leads UNC 24-21 in Third Quarter at Kenan Stadium
The Tar Heels remain 0-11 against the top-ranked team in the AP poll despite tying the score twice in the first half.
By Fatou Mitchell ·
North Carolina faced a 24-21 deficit in the third quarter at Kenan Stadium on Saturday night against the No. 1 ranked Miami Hurricanes. The Hurricanes extended their advantage on a 2-yard run by Mark Fletcher, a play that followed a defensive pass interference penalty in the end zone. The ruling drew immediate frustration from Miami head coach Belichick.
The Tar Heels had held the lead earlier in the third quarter. Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. threw his third touchdown pass of the contest to wide receiver Jordan Shipp on a 16-yard strike. That score capped UNC's first drive of the second half and pushed the home team ahead 21-17 before Miami's rushing attack retook control.
Edwards had established a pattern in the first half by connecting with tight end Jelani Thurman on two separate touchdown passes. Miami quarterback Darian Mensah, a transfer from Duke, matched that production with two first-half scoring connections of his own. Mensah and wide receiver Malachi Toney form a duo that coaches and analysts identify as the primary threat in the Hurricanes' offense.
The game opened with a 7-0 Miami lead after Mensah found Toney on a 2-yard pass on the team's first drive. UNC responded with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Edwards to Thurman to tie the score. Miami retook the lead midway through the second quarter when Mensah threw a 31-yard completion to Fletcher. The Tar Heels tied it a second time on another 8-yard pass from Edwards to Thurman.
Edwards completed 14 of 18 pass attempts for 152 yards in the first half. Miami kicker Jake Weinberg provided the final points of the half, drilling a 25-yard field goal with 22 seconds remaining to give the Hurricanes a 17-14 halftime advantage. UNC enters this matchup with a 4-3 record overall and a 2-2 mark in ACC play. Miami sits at 7-0 overall and 5-0 in conference action.
The Tar Heels hold a 5-0 streak in the series against Miami. The highest-ranked opponent UNC has ever defeated is Miami, which was No. 4 when the Tar Heels won on a last-second field goal in Chapel Hill on October 31, 2004. North Carolina has never beaten a team ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press poll, holding an all-time record of 0-11 against such opponents. That record includes a 0-5 mark at home in Chapel Hill.
