No. 1 Miami Holds Off North Carolina 38-35 After Late Fumble, Stays Unbeaten

Top-ranked Miami is still perfect, but North Carolina made the Hurricanes sweat for all 60 minutes. Miami beat the Tar Heels 38-35 on Saturday night, Oct. 31, at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, with a fourth-quarter fumble deciding a back-and-forth game that featured four lead changes.

The win moves Miami to 8-0 overall and 6-0 in the ACC. North Carolina, coached by Bill Belichick, falls to 4-4 and 2-3 in the conference after its third straight home loss.

Miami vs. North Carolina final score

The teams were nearly even across the board. Miami finished with 416 total yards to UNC’s 407, according to North Carolina’s team stats, and the game’s only turnover proved to be the difference.

The play that decided it

North Carolina led 28-24 with 11:46 left after a long, clock-eating drive capped by Demon June’s 1-yard touchdown run. Miami answered when Mark Fletcher Jr. powered in from the 2 on fourth-and-1 to put the Hurricanes back in front, 31-28.

On UNC’s next drive, Miami’s Marquise Lightfoot hit quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. from behind and forced a fumble. Justin Scott recovered at the North Carolina 37-yard line with 5:33 left. Six plays later, Darian Mensah found Malachi Toney for a 9-yard touchdown with 2:33 to go, making it 38-28.

The Tar Heels did not quit. Edwards hit Trech Kechahuna for a 15-yard score with 1:38 remaining, and North Carolina then tried onside kicks. Yahoo Sports’ recap reports that UNC recovered two onside attempts, but offsides and illegal-block penalties wiped both out, and Miami recovered the third try to run out the clock.

Key performances

Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney

Mensah, a Heisman Trophy candidate, completed 22 of 29 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. UNC Athletics says he now has 25 touchdown passes and one interception this season. Toney, another Heisman contender, was held to four catches for 27 yards in the first half but finished with seven catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns, both at key moments: the opening score and the clincher.

Mark Fletcher Jr.

Fletcher scored three times: a 31-yard touchdown on a receiver screen in the second quarter, plus short rushing touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters, according to both recaps.

Billy Edwards Jr.

Edwards had arguably his best game as a Tar Heel, completing 28 of 34 passes for 341 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. Tight end Jelani Thurman caught two 8-yard touchdown passes in the first half, and Jordan Shipp added a 16-yard score to open the third quarter. The lone blemish was the late fumble.

What Bill Belichick said

Belichick praised Miami’s offense and his team’s fight. “One-score, back-and-forth game, and then they got the turnover it became a two-score game, and we couldn’t get the onside kick,” he said, per UNC Athletics. He called it “just disappointing to come up short here two weeks in a row.”

Why it matters

For Miami and coach Mario Cristobal, the result keeps an unbeaten season alive, though Yahoo Sports’ recap was blunt about the defense, which allowed long scoring drives all night. UNC Athletics notes the Hurricanes have won 15 of their last 16 games and snapped North Carolina’s five-game winning streak in the series, beating the Tar Heels for the first time since 2018.

For North Carolina, it was a second straight close loss, but also a performance that showed the offense can move the ball against an elite opponent.

What’s next

North Carolina plays at UConn at noon ET on Saturday, Nov. 7, on CBS Sports Network. Miami’s next game is against Notre Dame, according to Yahoo Sports’ recap; check the Hurricanes’ official schedule for kickoff time and TV details.

FAQ