UNC football vs. Miami: Scouting report, prediction for Tar Heels' matchup with Hurricanes
North Carolina football will play its first ranked opponent of the season when Miami comes to Chapel Hill this weekend for a prime-time ACC showdown at Kenan Stadium.
The 12th-ranked Tar Heels (5-0, 2-0 ACC) and 25th-ranked Hurricanes (4-1, 0-1) will play at 7:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC. UNC quarterback Drake Maye is coming off his best performance of the season in a 40-7 rout of Syracuse, and Miami is coming off a head-scratching loss to Georgia Tech.
UNC is 7-3 against Miami at home and has won four straight in the series. Here’s a look at things to watch and a score prediction for UNC’s latest meeting with the Hurricanes.
Will UNC football shine under the lights?
UNC hasn’t beaten a top-25 opponent since a 58-55 victory against No. 10 Wake Forest in 2021. The Tar Heels were 0-2 against ranked teams last season, losing to Clemson in the ACC Championship and Oregon in the Holiday Bowl. In the past 10 seasons, UNC is 8-21 against ranked opponents, including losses in six of the last seven matchups. If the Heels want to remain in the national conversation, it starts with a win this weekend.
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UNC’s defense vs. Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke
The Tar Heels have allowed an average of 35 points per game in their last five losses to ranked teams. Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke has helped the Hurricanes rank seventh nationally in total offense (505.8 yards per game) through five games. Van Dyke has 12 touchdowns and four interceptions, including three turnovers last week against Georgia Tech. But he had a season-best 496 yards and three TDs against the Heels last season.
UNC running back Omarion Hampton can help Drake Maye
The Tar Heels are 11th nationally in passing offense (325.8 passing yards per game) and Miami has the top-ranked rushing defense (58.2 rushing yards per game). UNC quarterback Drake Maye and the Tar Heels’ talented wide receivers will likely receive most of Miami’s attention, but UNC running back Omarion Hampton has the ability to balance things out. Hampton is averaging 5.2 yards per carry and had a touchdown in four of the first five games.
UNC vs. Miami score prediction
UNC 31, Miami 30: Three of the last four meetings have been decided by three points. In a game that figures to be another close contest, it’s hard to pick against the best player on the field – Drake Maye – and a UNC defense that continues to improve.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC football vs. Miami: Scouting report, prediction
