CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The Miami Hurricanes kept finding ways to stay in Saturday’s road game against North Carolina, but they couldn’t overcome the early deficit they put themselves in, losing 45-42 to the Tar Heels.
After trailing UNC by as many as 18 points in the second quarter and 14 in the third quarter, the Hurricanes rallied to close within 38-34 entering the fourth quarter and had a first down at North Carolina’s 49.
But Miami turned the ball over on downs on UNC’s 42 with 13:42 left, with Tar Heels quarterback Sam Howell breaking free for an 11-yard touchdown run on North Carolina’s next drive to give UNC a 45-34 lead with 9:22 remaining.
The Hurricanes kept themselves in the game with a Jaylan Knighton 4-yard touchdown run with 3:08 left and converted the two-point attempt to trim the deficit to 45-42. UM then forced a three-and-out to get the ball back with 2:46 left, but UM quarterback Tyler Van Dyke threw an interception on UNC’s 16 with six seconds left to seal the Tar Heels win.
Miami, which is 0-2 in ACC play, is 2-4 through six games for the first time since 1997, when it was on NCAA probation and dealing with the loss of several scholarships.
Van Dyke, who was starting in his third consecutive game due to D’Eriq King being out with a shoulder injury, went 20 of 45 for 264 passing yards and one touchdown, but threw three interceptions. Jaylan Knighton rushed for 92 yards and two touchdowns on 17 attempts.
Howell went 17 of 26 for 154 yards and two touchdowns in the air, while adding 98 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground. UNC tailback Ty Chandler rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns.
North Carolina didn’t waste time in putting points on the board, with Chandler breaking a Te’Cory Couch tackle attempt and running through the middle of Miami’s defense for the touchdown and giving the Tar Heels a 7-0 lead with 11:57 left in the first quarter.
After a Miami three-and-out on its first drive, defensive end Jahfari Harvey picked off Howell on UNC’s side of the field and returned the interception for a touchdown, tying the game at 7-7 early in the first quarter.
The Tar Heels retook the lead on their next drive when Howell connected with Downs on a 45-yard touchdown pass to give UNC a 14-7 advantage with 8:03 left in the first quarter.
The Hurricanes offense struggled in the first quarter and was helped by UNC’s sloppy defensive play. Miami recorded 12 total yards in the first quarter on 13 plays, while North Carolina committed four penalties for 45 yards in the opening quarter — including three for 40 yards on a drive that ended with an Andy Borregales 44-yard field goal midway through the first quarter — to help UM move the ball down the field.
UNC had a 14-10 lead at the end of the first quarter before putting together a 13-play, 81-yard drive that lasted 6:04 and ended with Howell finding John Copenhaver on a 2-yard touchdown pass to give the Tar Heels a 21-10 with 10:46 left in the first half.
On the drive after Van Dyke’s first interception, Chandler capped off UNC’s possession with a 4-yard touchdown to give the Tar Heels a 28-10 lead with 6:16 left in the second quarter.
Miami’s offense started to find its groove midway through the second quarter, with the Hurricanes putting together a 7-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Knighton’s 2-yard rushing touchdown to reduce UM’s deficit to 28-17 with over four minutes left before halftime.
The Hurricanes got the ball back with 1:05 left before halftime with the opportunity to make it a one-score game, but Van Dyke threw his second interception on the second play of the drive to give UNC possession. Tar Heels kicker Grayson Atkins made a 48-yard field goal to give UNC a 31-17 halftime lead.
UM had better offensive success in the second half and started the third quarter with a 22-yard run from Cam’Ron Harris, who went down with a “lower-extremity injury” and didn’t return to the game. Miami continued to lean on its rushing game after Harris’ injury, running the ball six more times on the drive, including a Cody Brown 3-yard touchdown to reduce its deficit to 31-24 early in the third quarter.
UNC opened the ensuing drive with a Howell 41-yard pass to Antoine Green en route to Howell rushing the ball 30 yards into the end zone later in the drive to give the Tar Heels a 38-24 lead with 8:21 in the third quarter.
Borregales made a 42-yard field goal on Miami’s next drive to reduce UNC’s lead to 11, and after forcing the Tar Heels’ second third-and-out of the game, Van Dyke connected with Knighton on a 60-yard touchdown swing pass to bring North Carolina’s lead down to four entering the third quarter.
The Hurricanes will play N.C. State next Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium.
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