UNC vs. Miami: Game preview, info, prediction and more
There’s going to be two Hurricanes in Chapel Hill this weekend: the UNC offense and the University of Miami (FL) football team.
One hurricane, the UNC offense, is coming off a season-high in points during its 40-7 thrashing of Syracuse. Carolina quarterback Drake Maye looked even more like a Heisman Trophy contender, throwing for 442 yards and three touchdowns. Kenan Stadium welcomed back Devontez Walker in his return from ineligibility, Nate McCollum reached the 1,000-yard career mark and the defense, which struggled immensely in 2022, is enjoying success not seen in quite some time.
The other hurricane, Miami, is second-guessing itself after a time-expiring loss to an average Georgia Tech team. The Hurricanes had possession and the lead late in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s matchup – all they needed to do was kneel down and run out the clock.
Instead, Miami handed the football off to Don Cheney, who fumbled right into the arms of Yellow Jacket defenders. Quarterback Haynes King marched his team right down the field, capping the game-winning drive off with a touchdown throw to Christian Leary.
UNC is playing its best football, with four of its first five wins coming against Power 5 opponents. Miami has four wins under its belt, including a Week 2 victory against then-23-ranked Texas A&M, but wins against Miami (OH), Bethune-Cookman and Temple are nowhere near as impressive as Carolina’s wins against South Carolina, App State, Minnesota, Pitt and Syracuse.
If Carolina wins, it’ll keep pace with Florida State and Louisville atop the ACC. Miami, however, hopes to play spoiler in this primetime matchup.
Key to victory for UNC
If your Saturday night plans include college football, there’s a good chance your eyes will be on the UNC-Miami rivalry clash at 7:30 p.m. ET.
For the bare eye, it’s easy to point out how dominant Carolina’s passing game has been. Quarterback Drake Maye sits 20th in the country with 1,629 passing yards, plus he is fresh off a 40-7 win over Syracuse in which he nearly broke his career game-high in passing yards.
What fans will want to take a deeper look at, however, is how effective UNC running back Omarion Hampton is against Miami’s top-ranked run defense.
The Hurricanes are just allowing opponents 58.2 rushing yards per game. Hampton had a 234-yard, 3-touchdown explosion against App State in Week 2, but has failed to crack 100 yards since.
With the Hurricanes’ defensive focus expected to be on slowing down Maye and his balanced receiving corps, Hampton has a golden opportunity to shine in the ground game and surprise the Hurricane defense. Look for him to finally crack 100 yards again, even with a stout Miami team.
Something to watch
The concern entering 2023 was wide receiver production, as Josh Downs and Antoine Green were both selected in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Those concerns have thoroughly been erased.
Nate McCollum has led the Tar Heels twice in receiving yards during games (135 vs. Syracuse, 165 vs. Minnesota), while J.J. Jones did the same (91 vs. App State, 117 vs. Pitt),
There’s another talented receiver who joined the group last week – Kent State Devontez Walker, whom the NCAA FINALLY ruled eligible. Walker might be the X factor UNC needs to further dominate opponents, as he caught 58 passes for 921 yards and 11 touchdowns as a Golden Flash last year.
Against Syracuse last week, Walker caught six passes (second on UNC) for 43 yards). Look at him having more grabs against the Hurricanes on Saturday night.
What you need to know
WHAT? North Carolina Tar Heels (5-0) vs. Miami (FL) (4-1)
WHEN? Saturday, Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m. EST
WHERE? Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill, NC
TV? ABC (Watch and stream the game live on Hulu)
RADIO? Tar Heel Sports Network
WEATHER? 69 degrees, 50% chance of rain, 6 mph winds
LINE? UNC -3.5
LAST MEETING? 2022, UNC 27-24
ALL-TIME SERIES? UNC leads 15-11
PREDICTION? UNC 31, Miami 28
