Miami Stays 8-0, Beating UNC 38-35 After Late Strip-Sack

Q: Did Miami prove its championship poise in Chapel Hill, or did North Carolina expose cracks in the nation’s No. 1 team?

Both are true, but the stronger takeaway is that Miami showed championship poise without looking championship-proof. The case for poise is straightforward. North Carolina played one of its best offensive games of the season, Billy Edwards Jr. was sharp with 341 yards and four touchdowns, and Miami still found the winning sequence late. After falling behind in the fourth quarter, the Hurricanes answered with a touchdown drive, then got the game’s decisive defensive play when Marquise Lightfoot strip-sacked Edwards to set up another score. In a hostile road setting, an unbeaten No. 1 team did what top contenders must do: absorb momentum swings, capitalize on the one major mistake, and finish the game. At the same time, North Carolina exposed real vulnerabilities. Miami allowed 35 points and repeatedly struggled to get off the field, including during UNC’s 16-play, 75-yard fourth-quarter drive. The Tar Heels, a 4-4 team surrounded by program turbulence, were able to seize the lead and stay within one possession to the final seconds. That is not the profile of a dominant No. 1 team, especially with a bigger test against Notre Dame looming. So Chapel Hill did not disqualify Miami as a title contender; it may even have reinforced its resilience. But it also suggested the Hurricanes are more survive-and-advance than invincible. Against playoff-level opponents, the defensive leaks and late-game shakiness UNC revealed could become more damaging than they were Saturday.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Nov 1

38-35 was the final after No. 1 Miami survived a major scare at North Carolina, where a fourth-quarter strip-sack of Billy Edwards Jr. set up the decisive touchdown.
Marquise Lightfoot forced the fumble at the UNC 37, and Darian Mensah quickly turned it into a nine-yard scoring pass to Malachi Toney for a 10-point lead with 2:33 left.
Billy Edwards Jr. kept UNC in front deep into the game, throwing for 341 yards and four touchdowns as the Tar Heels briefly led 21-17 in the third quarter and 28-24 entering the fourth.
Miami answered with poise to reach 8-0 overall and 6-0 in ACC play: Mensah threw for 274 yards and three scores, Toney caught two touchdowns, and Mark Fletcher Jr. scored three times.
UNC fell to 4-4 after two late onside-kick recoveries were wiped out by penalties, ending Bill Belichick's best chance yet at a signature upset.