Miami vs. North Carolina: Key Matchups to Watch in Week 6
Miami has a chance on Saturday to ignite a season that has been disappointing through the first four games of the season. The Hurricanes will match up against North Carolina, a team that has used an explosive passing attack to jump out to a 4-1 record.
Here are four matchups to watch out for between Miami and UNC.
1. Miami's secondary vs. Drake Maye
The redshirt freshman quarterback has been on a tear in his freshman campaign, throwing for 1,594 yards as well as 19 touchdowns and only one interception.
He will face off against a Miami secondary that struggled in its last game against Middle Tennessee State. Blue Raiders quarterback Chase Cunningham threw for 408 yards and three touchdowns against the unit.
The Hurricanes' group of defensive backs, led by safeties James Williams and Kamren Kinchens, will have to perform better against the No. 12 passing offense in the country.
2. Tyler Van Dyke vs. North Carolina's passing defense
Van Dyke will remain as Miami's starting quarterback this week after getting benched in his last game for redshirt freshman Jake Garcia at the beginning of the second half.
The redshirt sophomore will look for redemption against a North Carolina defense that has struggled this season to defend the pass. The Tar Heels rank No. 82 nationally in passing yards allowed per game.
Notably, Appalachian State quarterback Chase Brice threw for 360 yards and six touchdowns against UNC in Week 2.
3. Tyrique Stevenson vs. Josh Downs
Miami's top cornerback will face a challenge on Saturday from one of the best wide receivers in the country. Downs, who in three games this year, has 230 receiving yards and four touchdowns and is coming off a season-high 120-yard performance against Virginia Tech.
The junior wideout has the top-end speed to attack Miami's secondary vertically and the balance and quickness to rack up yards after the catch on short-to-intermediate-distance receptions. Stevenson will likely be the primary defender on Downs.
4. Miami's offense vs. Cedric Gray
Gray had one of the best performances of his career against the Hurricanes last season. The junior linebacker had six tackles, two interceptions and a pass deflection in the Tar Heels' 45-42 win last October.
The Charlotte, N.C. native has been UNC's most productive defender this season, totaling 54 tackles and two interceptions, which leads the Tar Heels in both categories.
Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis and the Hurricanes' offense will have to account for the disruptive linebacker in this important Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) matchup.
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Luke Chaney is a contributing writer for Sports Illustrated-FanNation's AllHurricanes.com, covering recruiting and Miami Athletics. You can also find Luke on WVUM 90.5 FM as a play-by-play broadcaster. He is also the Sports Editor for The Miami Hurricane. Follow Luke on Twitter @luke_chaney4.