On an autumn afternoon in Chapel Hill, a young Tar Heels team that had never held the lead until the third quarter pushed the nation's top-ranked Miami Hurricanes to the edge of defeat before losing 38-35. It is the kind of game that tests a program's character more than its record, showing how close the gap between a contender and an underdog can be when one turnover changes the weight of the final minutes. Miami leaves unbeaten at 8-0, while North Carolina, at 4-4, carries away the quieter lesson that it can stand with the best team in the country for most of a game.
Belichick's UNC Nearly Upsets No. 1 Miami Before a Costly Strip-Sack Seals the Hurricanes' Win
The Tar Heels had never led until the third quarter
Mark
Edwards threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns. How does a team do that and still lose?
Mimi
Turnovers and timing. The strip-sack by Marquise Lightfoot gave Miami the ball at the UNC 37, and Toney scored on a nine-yard pass to make it a 10-point game with 2:33 left.
Luke
Worth saying that the report calls that strip-sack the swing moment, which is the writer's reading. The score was already 31-28 Miami before it, so it was a one-score game either way.
Mark
And the onside kicks?
Mimi
Three attempts. The first recovery was erased by an offsides call, the second by a player contacting a Miami player before the ball went 10 yards. Miami recovered the third.
Luke
Those are the facts of the flags. Whether either call was right is not something this account addresses, so I wouldn't read anything into it.
Mark
What about the Belichick relationship story?
Mimi
TMZ reported he and Jordon Hudson ended things over a year ago and remain close friends and business partners.
Luke
That's TMZ's report, relayed here. It isn't confirmed by Belichick or Hudson in this piece.
Mark
So what does the loss mean?
Mimi
Miami is 8-0 and 6-0 in the ACC. UNC is 4-4.
Der Puls
- Chapel Hill's crowd rose as Billy Edwards Jr. threw a 16-yard touchdown to Jordan Shipp, putting North Carolina ahead 21-17 against the No. 1 team in the country.
- Miami answered with an 80-yard drive to retake the lead, and the game swung back and forth through the third quarter with neither side willing to fold.
- A fourth-quarter strip-sack by Marquise Lightfoot knocked the ball loose from Edwards, and Miami converted the turnover into a Malachi Toney touchdown that pushed the Hurricanes up by 10.
- North Carolina scored again with 1:38 left and tried two onside kicks, but flags for offsides and a illegal contact penalty erased both recoveries, leaving the Tar Heels a loss.
- Miami closes at 8-0 and 6-0 in ACC play, while UNC falls to 4-4 with Edwards finishing 28-of-34 for 341 yards and four touchdowns.
On an autumn afternoon in Chapel Hill, a young Tar Heels team that had never held the lead until the third quarter pushed the nation's top-ranked Miami Hurricanes to the edge of defeat before losing 38-35. It is the kind of game that tests a program's character more than its record, showing how close the gap between a contender and an underdog can be when one turnover changes the weight of the final minutes. Miami leaves unbeaten at 8-0, while North Carolina, at 4-4, carries away the quieter lesson that it can stand with the best team in the country for most of a game.
The Tar Heels had never held a lead until the third quarter, and when Billy Edwards Jr. found Jordan Shipp from 16 yards out to make it 21-17, the home crowd in Chapel Hill believed a top-ranked opponent was on the ropes. North Carolina could not hold on. No. 1 Miami won 38-35 and left town unbeaten.
The week carried noise around Bill Belichick that had nothing to do with football. Reports about his personal life drew attention, but on the field the Tar Heels showed no distraction. They played as though they meant to press Miami hard, and few had expected that from an underdog.
Miami, coached by Mario Cristobal, arrived 7-0 and its quarterback Darian Mensah played steady, efficient football. Edwards matched him throw for throw, finishing 28 of 34 for 341 yards and four touchdowns. The lead traded hands again and again, with Miami answering an 80-yard drive and North Carolina grinding out a 16-play, 75-yard march that ended in a Demon June plunge.
In the fourth quarter, Marquise Lightfoot's strip-sack of Edwards turned the game. Miami recovered and Mensah hit Toney for a nine-yard score that made it 10 points with 2:33 left. North Carolina answered with another touchdown pass, then twice recovered onside kicks only to see flags wipe them out. Miami recovered the third attempt and ran out the clock.
Miami moves to 8-0 and 6-0 in ACC play. North Carolina drops to 4-4, but it showed it could keep pace with the nation's best team for nearly the whole afternoon.
The Tar Heels had never led until the third quarter, and when Billy Edwards Jr. found Jordan Shipp from 16 yards out to make it 21-17, the home crowd in Chapel Hill had a top-ranked opponent on the ropes. North Carolina would not hold on. No. 1 Miami won 38-35 and left town still unbeaten.
The afternoon came with noise around Bill Belichick that had nothing to do with football. TMZ reported that the 74-year-old coach ended his relationship with 25-year-old Jordon Hudson more than a year ago, and that the two remain close friends and committed to their business partnerships. Nothing on the field suggested the Tar Heels were distracted by it. They played as if they meant to push Miami hard.
Nobody expected that. Miami, coached by Mario Cristobal, came in 7-0, and North Carolina was an underdog by any measure. But quarterback Darian Mensah kept up the efficient play he has shown all season for the Hurricanes, and Edwards matched him whenever UNC had the ball. Edwards finished 28 of 34 for 341 yards and four touchdown passes.
After Shipp's touchdown, the lead went back and forth. Miami answered with an 80-yard drive to retake it at 24-21. North Carolina kept fighting and ran the clock heading into the fourth quarter, with Edwards leading a 16-play, 75-yard drive that ended on a one-yard touchdown run by Demon June.
Mensah was not rattled. Miami produced another scoring drive built on catch-and-run plays, including a 31-yard burst from receiver Malachi Toney. Mark Fletcher Jr. punched in a two-yard run to put Miami back in front with 7:49 remaining.
The way the game was moving, UNC looked as if it would have a chance if it got the ball last. Then Marquise Lightfoot strip-sacked Edwards, and Miami recovered at the UNC 37-yard line. Mensah capitalized, hitting Toney with a nine-yard touchdown pass. That made it a 10-point Miami lead with 2:33 left.
The Tar Heels did not go quietly. They scored on the next possession, with Edwards throwing his fourth touchdown pass of the day with 1:38 to play. They needed an onside kick, and they recovered one, but a flag for offsides wiped it out. On the second attempt they recovered again, and again a flag negated it, this time because a North Carolina player hit a Miami player before the ball had traveled the required 10 yards. Miami recovered the third try and ran out the clock.
Mensah finished with 274 passing yards and three touchdowns, plus 36 rushing yards. Toney caught seven passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns, and Fletcher scored three total touchdowns.
Miami moves to 8-0 overall and 6-0 in ACC play. North Carolina falls to 4-4, having shown it can stay with the nation's top team for most of a game.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
Belichick and Hudson reportedly ended their relationship over a year ago but remain close friends committed to their business partnerships.— TMZ, as reported by Fox News
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