Miami at North Carolina: Staff Predictions
The Miami Hurricanes have one of their toughest opponents on Saturday, and it's on the road versus the #12 North Carolina Tar Heels. The 4-1 and #25 Canes will be playing under the lights at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C. Full game day information right here, including all the betting information and where to watch.
There are a variety of ways to look at this game, with each member of All Hurricanes presents a personal opinion for the contest will go, and of course the final score, right here.
Brian Smith, Publisher - Miami 40 North Carolina 38 (2 OT)
Yes, two overtimes. This will be an instant classic. It shall not be easy.
While the Hurricanes will do all they can to slow down UNC's future top five NFL Draft pick and quarterback Drake Maye, he's going to produce over 300 yards of total offense, but he's going to earn every inch of it.. The Canes will answer the bell when they have the football, too.
Back and forth, this will be a game where Miami creates a big play, and North Carolina counters. Studying the two squads points towards fairly equal talent levels, with a slight edge to UM overall. The key, again, is Maye. He can change a game by himself with not only his arm, but sometimes his legs as well.
Miami must keep the football away from him during the latter stages of the contest. Also keeping Maye and the Tar Heels out of the end zone in overtime, and a second overtime, is the difference for a Miami victory.
My Miami MVP prediction goes to the Hurricanes offensive line, as they will help the Hurricanes rush for over 150 yards and three touchdowns, including Henry Parrish, Jr. accounting for 105 yards and 2 scores.
Tyler Van Dyke will also provide a bounce back game behind good protection, throwing for 310 yards and 3 touchdowns. He's going to equally distribute the football to his playmakers, keeping the Heels defense off balance.
Alex Donno, Podcaster/Writer - Miami 37 North Carolina 34
I am expecting this to be a barn-burner. Some might think my expectation of Miami's defensive giving up this many points means I think they aren't good. No, that isn't the case here. Lance Guidry is doing a great job. Miami's D has tackled and executed well (final 30 seconds against GT aside). However, I have too much respect for Drake Maye and North Carolina's offense not to expect a big scoring total.
The Hurricanes will have to apply constant pressure on Maye and create chaos in the backfield. If he's given time, Carolina has a deep group of receivers and tight ends who can make Miami pay. The recently cleared Tez Walker will likely play an increased role compared to what he did in his season debut against Syracuse last week.
I am expecting a bounce-back performance from the Hurricanes offense. The Tar Heels have only produced 4 sacks over their past 4 games and I think Miami's front five can give Tyler Van Dyke enough time to find his receivers downfield. Miami will likely run the football to set the tone, but downfield completions will be important to survive in a shootout. Even in a high scoring game like this, Miami's physicality at the line of scrimmage will provide the slight advantage they need.
Liam Willerup, Writer - North Carolina 37 Miami 34
There's no doubt in my mind that Miami is going to come out with something to prove, after their embarrassing loss to Georgia Tech which caught the attention of the nation. Now heading up to Chapel Hill, the Hurricanes will have all eyes on them again as they look to end a losing streak to the Tar Heels.
However, I think that North Carolina still has Miami's number and their offense will prove to be too much for the Hurricanes. Drake Maye has been mediocre for his standards, but is coming off a game where he had nearly 500 yards of offense and four total touchdowns. Furthermore, he'll get a Tez Walker that should feel more comfortable in his second game and will have Miami's defensive backs on notice.
What I believe will be the downfall of Miami is their aggressiveness. With UNC having such a high-powered offense, I worry Miami abandons the run game and tries to get into a shootout with the Tar Heels. While Tyler Van Dyke will have to throw the ball often to win this game, I worry his turnover problems could be a major factor in this.
Expect a high score in this matchup, and I'll stick with North Carolina.
Corey Carmona, a.k.a. Chalupa Batman, Podcaster - Miami 31, North Carolina 27
A matchup between two top 10 offenses, like Miami and North Carolina, promises to be an exciting and high-scoring game Saturday night. When two potent offenses go head-to-head, it often leads to an explosion of points and yards but I believe in order for Miami to win they’ll have to slow the game down by dominating in the trenches.
Miami will need to rely on their strong rushing attack and disciplined ball control if they want to leave Chapel Hill with a win. This could be a game where a powerful running back like Don Chaney, Jr. could play a key role in wearing down the Tar Heels front seven.
The Canes should aim to sustain long drives and convert third downs to keep the chains moving. Additionally, solid clock management and ball security are crucial to avoid turnovers and costly mistakes and create extra possessions for Drake Maye and North Carolina.
In matchups like this, a game can often be decided by who makes the fewest mistakes, which team capitalizes on turnovers, and the team's defense that can come up with crucial stops at the right moments.
Rowdy Baribeau, Writer - North Carolina 33, Miami 20
Last week showed that old habits die hard for the Miami Hurricanes. A loss like that, after the season Miami was having, is a tough one to swallow. After the Hurricanes' lackluster performance against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, my expectations for Miami have been minimized.
It should be worth noting that Miami would be 5-0 if not for multiple blunders during the final minute of the game. However, that is not the case. Another perspective to look at is how Miami likely should not have been in a one-possession game with a team that was allowing over 30 points per game and held a loss against Bowling Green. Bowling Green was shut out by Miami of Ohio last week, a team that Miami handled with little to no difficulty during the first game of the season.
That all said, I'm not sure about my confidence in Miami going into this game where North Carolina has been the victor in all games going back to 2018. I expect Drake Maye to manage the game well, just like he has done for the majority of the season. I also expect Tyler Van Dyke to be more efficient as far as completing passes and making the correct reads.
Van Dyke had three interceptions against the Yellow Jackets and I would be surprised if he followed up with another bad performance against the Tar Heels who allow 216.8 yards per game through the air.
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