UNC Ends Miami’s Hopes of ACC Coastal Contention

The Tar Heels have developed a deep bunch of receivers who have size and give them plenty of downfield punch, such as last week when they had three TD catches of at least 49 yards against Duke.

“It feels really cool to see the program turn around and where it’s headed now”, linebacker Shakeel Rashad, one of those seniors, said.

“He apologized to me and the team”, said coach Roy Williams, adding that the team would wear coats and ties on the trip home instead of warmups because of Britt’s actions. “This is our first test to be able to get to where we want to get and be able to reach our big-time goals”. They say what goes around comes around, and that’s in fact what’s happening to Miami these days as they’re just not what they used to be.

UNC has scored a program-record 125 points in its last two games, and hasn’t committed a turnover in three straight games while notching seven takeaways in that span – three coming against Miami. More important than that stat though, is the way the team accomplished the feat. Quarterback Marquise Williams set a school record with 524 total yards of offense and accomplished that in less than three quarters. “They take pride in running the football and take pride in throwing the football”.

Miami: RB Joe Yearby.

“It’s gotten a little bit easier as time has gone on, especially after the exhibition game. As I said to everybody before, he’s our hardest worker and you’re rooting like insane for him”. “We have a very balanced and well-rounded offense right now”.

Duke went up 27-24 with just several seconds to play in a game that was all but over until the Hurricanes had an eight lateral kickoff return for a touchdown that led them to victory with a final score of 30-27. Before Friday, he’d missed only one game in his UNC career. “This is a great team and guys are committed to what we’ve been doing and guys are excited for the opportunities we get”.

Sure, the Tar Heels did lose a solid player in guard J.P Tokoto, but his production can be made up by a few role players (like SG Theo Pinson) and a pair of incoming four-star recruits in SG Kenny Williams and SF Luke Maye. “I understand you’re frustrated and I understand sometimes it’s a result of how much it means to you, but composure is the biggest piece to that and playing together and still staying together and not letting it get you to the point to where you do things that hurt the team”.

Miami Hurricanes rank at 65 for scoring 29.0 points where as North Carolina Tar Heels rank at 15 for allowing 17.0 scores.

The Heels’ excellent first half was punctuated by a Ryan Switzer punt return for a touchdown and a strip sack of Miami’s quarterback Brad Kaaya to end the half.

He cried before the game, too, all the while thinking of his past four years at UNC, thinking of lost opportunities and lost games and thinking, also, of what the Tar Heels have become: a formidable challenger in the ACC.

The “History Week” theme served as “a constant reminder that this (season) is something big we can do”, Rashad said and the team knows it has to continue to steadily improve to get more opportunities.