Miami Hurricanes Fall 27-24 to North Carolina Tar Heels
The Miami Hurricanes (2-3, 0-1 ACC) entered their Atlantic Coast Conference opener against North Carolina (5-1, 2-0 ACC) in need of positive momentum. Losses to Texas A&M and Middle Tennessee State cast a negative cloud over the program for the first time since Mario Cristobal had taken over as head coach in December 2021.
Miami would not capture this positive momentum, falling to UNC, 27-24.
The Tar Heels scored the first touchdown of the game, with quarterback Drake Maye finding sophomore J.J. Jones on a 74-yard pass that got behind Miami's secondary.
Miami's offense had opportunities to answer, but worthy drives ended with no points. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke drove the offense to North Carolina's 35-yard line, which ended in a missed field goal, and to the Tar Heels' one-yard line, which ended in a fourth-down incompletion.
North Carolina extended its lead to 14 with 8:44 remaining in the second quarter on a two-yard run up the middle by freshman Omarion Hampton.
The Hurricanes responded with a touchdown of their own on the following possession. Van Dyke connected with freshman tight end Jaleel Skinner for an 18-yard gain to set up a 20-yard catch and run by sophomore wideout Key'Shawn Smith for a touchdown.
UNC tacked on another second-quarter touchdown before the Hurricanes created momentum heading into the break.
Miami's defense forced two interceptions and scored 10 points to end the second quarter. Van Dyke was efficient and electric in the first half, throwing for 290 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Both defenses played well in the third quarter. The Hurricanes were held scoreless, while UNC added a 38-yard field goal.
At the start of the fourth, UM had a prime opportunity to score, but running back Jaylan Knighton lost his second fumble of the season to allow the Tar Heels to take over on their 17-yard line.
Miami outscored North Carolina 7-3 in the fourth and had a chance to tie the game or take the lead on its final offensive drive, but was unable to pull out the victory.
Van Dyke continued his strong first half into the second. He was efficient, connecting on 42 of his 57 completions for 496 yards and two touchdowns, yet he did throw an interception that sealed the game for the Tar Heels in the final moments.
Numerous Miami receivers enjoyed productive games. Clemson transfer Frank Ladson led the Hurricanes with eight receptions, while fifth-year tight end led Miami with 115-receiving yards.
In contrast to the passing game, Miami's rushing offense was underwhelming. Ole Miss transfer running back Henry Parrish Jr. led all ball carriers with 19 yards on 11 carries. The Hurricanes, as a team, only rushed for 41 yards on 23 carries.
North Carolina's offense was not as mistake-free as in games prior.
Maye, a redshirt freshman, was inconsistent against the Hurricanes. He completed 19 of his 28 attempts for 309 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. The Huntersville, N.C. native also rushed for 74 yards on 13 carries.
Junior wideout Josh Downs led the Tar Heels with six receptions and 69 receiving yards. Sophomore Caleb Hood led all running backs with 13 carries for 74 rushing yards.
Up next, Miami will travel to Blacksburg, Va. to take on Virginia Tech in an attempt to end a three-game skid. North Carolina will have a bye week before playing at Duke in Week 8.
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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.