CHAPEL HILL — UNC football came close to making history, but couldn’t close in a 38-35 loss to No. 1 Miami.
The Tar Heels (4-4, 2-3 ACC) led early in the fourth quarter, but the top-ranked Hurricanes (8-0, 6-0) scored the final 14 points at Kenan Stadium and got a big turnover to create some separation.
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UNC falls to 0-12 against the No. 1 team in the country and sees its five-game winning streak against Miami come to an end.
HIGHLIGHTS: UNC vs Miami football live updates: Billy Edwards, Tar Heels battling Hurricanes
Here’s our report card for the Tar Heels vs. Miami.
Aside from a blind-side fumble, quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. was sensational, getting the ball to tight end Jelani Thurman and wide receiver Jordan Shipp to make things easier in the passing game. Demon June, Benjamin Hall and Jaylen McGill did enough in the run game to keep Miami on its toes. It was quite a performance for Bobby Petrino’s offense.
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The Hurricanes average nearly 50 points per game and have two Heisman Trophy candidates, so it was always going to be a tough situation for UNC’s defense. The Tar Heels limited explosive plays, but couldn’t get off the field on third down or slow down Mark Fletcher.
Aeron Burrell had a 28-yard punt on UNC’s opening possession, but the Tar Heels didn’t have any big mistakes in the kicking game. Rece Verhoff made his extra-point attempts.
The Tar Heels were in position to win, leaning on their strengths while masking the weaknesses to put game pressure on Miami, but the Hurricanes’ talent prevailed and got the big play with a late turnover.
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Miami running back Mark Fletcher had three touchdowns, including a 31-yard catch-and-run to lead the Hurricane’s potent offense. UNC continues to struggle against running backs.
“C” for close, but the Tar Heels couldn’t quite get over the hump against the top-ranked Hurricanes. UNC made the big mistake and couldn’t slow down Miami’s offense enough to pull off the upset.
Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to rbaxley@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC football report card vs Miami: Mark Fletcher too much for Tar Heels in loss
