North Carolina knocks off No. 16 Miami, 20-13
The win pushes Alabama’s streak to 10 straight victories over Tennessee – seven of them by 14 points or more – which stands just one shy of the Tide’s record streak of 11 in a series that dates back to 1901.
The Tar Heels added a second score off the foot of Zach Wright in the 82nd minute to ultimately seal the win. Few scenarios would work out in their favor in that case. And of course Miami has always been known for producing top tight ends, and they’ve got a pair of of good ones in Christopher Herndon and David Njoku.
HOOD’S RETURN: The Tar Heels expect RB Elijah Hood back this week, after he missed the Virginia Tech game with a concussion.
Unlike the Tar Heels, however, the Hurricanes control their own destiny in the Coastal race. The first is that Miami has allowed only five sacks in its five games thus far, the second-lowest total in the league.
WORTH POINTING OUT – On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Hurricanes kept Trubisky from scoring from Miami’s 1-yard line. “I don’t think there’s any doubt about that”.
“Another heartbreaking loss for us here at home, ” said coach Mark Richt, who refused to blame the defeat on lingering effects from the FSU game. That’s what I plan on doing.
“I hope I can put that message across to the team this week”, he said. But on Wednesday midday, we saw a smart player grab the +9 and the public steam followed. “We’re both going to come in there hungry”.
SWITZER RISING: North Carolina wide receiver Ryan Switzer comes into the game with 197 career catches. We’ll find out how we fare on that side. “We’ve got to keep the ball in our hands, finish drives and put points on the board”.
“The way we operate on defense, it’s just next man in and no one really talks much about it”, defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said. The game will be aired on ACC Network Extra. Kaaya had 326 passing yards against the Tar Heels a year ago, and three touchdown throws in a win over North Carolina in 2014. Trubisky hadn’t thrown an interception, but that changed dramatically against the Hokies.
Still, without that trio, the Hurricanes held UNC scoreless in the second half.
“It was Cover 4, two safeties high”, Kaaya said.
“I knew it was wet outside”, explained Carney, who said he also knew that offensive linemen don’t like to reach down, so he forced the guy who was blocking him to pick his poison.
The Tar Heels certainly can point to more than one play as being costly in the 34-3 beating they took from Virginia Tech that dropped them out of this week’s Top 25 rankings.
The Canes rushed for 139 yards, 82 of them by Mark Walton.
The Hokies wrested control of the Coastal from the Tar Heels when they beat UNC. But if somebody came in and said, ‘Coach I want to do this, ‘ I would try to understand what he’s saying and give him my point of view and then hopefully a decision would be made.
UNC quarterback Mitch Trubisky and the rest of the Tar Heels’ high-octane offense will have to be at their best in order to avoid another letdown.
Before last week, when he completed only 13 of 33 pass attempts, Trubisky had completed 76 percent of his passes.
It was 10-0 North Carolina after one quarter, and Switzer made it 20-3 when he hauled in a 1-yard pass with 18 seconds left before halftime.