UNC vs Miami: Keys to the Game

The Tar Heels will seek their fourth straight win over the Hurricanes on Saturday when they face off.

Brett Davis/USA Today Sports

Saturday's Coastal division clash between North Carolina and the Miami Hurricanes comes at a pivotal time for both programs.

A win for the Tar Heels would essentially put them in the driver's seat in the division and set them up for a heavyweight battle with the Duke Blue Devils next weekend.

For Miami, the weekend matinee serves as a must-win just five games into the season. The Hurricanes are currenty riding a two-game losing streak after dropping a 45-31 affair to Middle Tennessee State.

Now coming off of a bye week, they will look to bounce back and provide answers to the many questions that lie among Mario Cristobal's squad.

With gameday approaching, we give you the three keys to the game for North Carolina to leave The Sunshine State with a victory.

3rd Down Defense

Through the season's first five games, it is easy to point to the North Carolina defense as a point of contention and the major question mark in Chapel Hill.

After an impressive performance in the Tar Heels' 41-10 victory over Virginia Tech, the defensive numbers for Gene Chizik's group remain in the bottom half of the FBS' 131 teams.

North Carolina ranks tied for 113th with Ball State in scoring defense, allowing 33.6 points per game.

While this is an area of concern, we can point to the Tar Heels' inability to create stops on third down as the reason for opponents' high scoring numbers.

North Carolina's opponents have converted 42.5 percent (31-for-73) of their third down attempts, which puts them at 97th in the country behind Wyoming and one spot ahead of Rice.

Improving their success rate on third down is crucial to creating a better defense and defeating the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday.

Getting off the field will not only prevent the Hurricanes from doing damage on offense, but also give the defense much needed rest should the Coastal matchup come down to the wire.

Improved Rushing Attack

During his weekly press conference on Monday, head coach Mack Brown emphasized the need for the Tar Heels' running game to improve.

With four different backs seeing consistent time, establishing a clear-cut starter or a dynamic two-man punch has been difficult.

After a positive start to the season, the North Carolina backs have faltered, as Drake Maye has led the offense in rushing over the last two games.

In those two contests against Notre Dame and Virginia Tech, the Tar Heels running backs combined for 34 carries and 117 rushing yards, an average of 3.4 yards per carry.

As they attempt to create some consistency on the ground game, a top-15 rushing defense in Miami awaits.

Caleb Hood appears to be in line for his second consecutive start in the backfield, as the quarterback turned tailback will receive the first opportunity to establish a ground presence.

Winning the battle in the rushing department is a key to victory for the Tar Heels and will be a point of focus in the game's opening drive.

Utilize Trio of Tight Ends

It's no secret that along with Josh Downs and Antoine Green, the trio of Tar Heel tight ends have become reliable favorites for Drake Maye.

Bryson Nesbit paces the North Carolina pass catchers with a team-high 237 receiving yards, while Kamari Morales has recorded three touchdown receptions.

John Copenhaver leads the North Carolina offense with a team-high 23.8 yards per reception.

All three of the impacful tight ends have recorded over 140 passing yards and at least one touchdown on the season.

The biggest stat connected to the group is North Carolina's win-loss record based on their performance. 

In each game this season where a Tar Heel tight end has scored a touchdown, North Carolina has emerged victorious. In the lone loss to Notre Dame, they combined for just 3 receptions for 30 yards and zero scores.

Getting the trio involved in the passing game and helping them find the endzone should be a point of emphasis as the ACC's leading passer continues his first season starting under center.