— text and picture by Patrick Magoon freelance writer for WIZS
Despite a slow start, the North Carolina Tar Heels’ dynamic offensive unit rallied in the second half to defeat the Miami Hurricanes. With a win against the Hurricanes, the Tar Heels are 6-0 for the first time since 1997 and remain undefeated in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“Tonight was a heavyweight fight from start to finish,” said UNC head coach Mack Brown.
In his second game with UNC, wide receiver Tez Walker routinely broke free from coverage, catching nine passes for 132 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Omarion Hampton, with grit and determination, gained 197 yards on 24 attempts and scored a touchdown.
UNC took an early lead after reaching the end zone on their second possession of the game. Quarterback Drake Maye led his team 91 yards in three minutes, capping off the drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Walker.
Then Miami matched UNC’s energy, marching 89 yards in less than three minutes. However, UNC defensive Lineman Jahvaree Ritzie forced a fumble inside the one-yard line to maintain the one-score advantage. Roughly five minutes later, Miami reached the end zone after completing four plays for 63 yards.
Towards the end of the first half, Hampton ran rampant, evading tackles to accumulate 41 yards on seven carries. From the two-yard line, Hampton plowed into the end zone to tie the game at 14-14.
With less than a minute to spare in the first half, Miami executed seven plays for 57 yards to set up a 28-yard field goal.
After trailing at the half, UNC put 21 points on the board in the third quarter to establish a substantial lead. In the third quarter, Walker broke loose, catching touchdown passes on back-to-back offensive possessions.
UNC’s robust defensive unit forced a fumble and interception on Miami’s first two second-half drives.
“Probably the difference in the ballgame was forcing four turnovers and giving none,” said Brown. “We forced two interceptions and two fumbles.”
Although Miami gained momentum in the fourth quarter to outscore UNC 14-6, the constant pressure from UNC’s defense was overwhelming. With the game clock winding down, Maye handed the ball off to Hampton, who ran 60 yards to the Miami 10 to put the game away.