Miami Holds Off North Carolina 38-35 in Final Minutes
A fourth-down run and a fumble recovery secured the win for the No. 1 ranked Hurricanes, who allowed their highest regulation point total this season.
By Neha Delgado ·
No. 1 Miami defeated North Carolina 38-35 on Saturday night, preserving its perfect season and 8-0 record. The Hurricanes survived a late surge from the Tar Heels, who closed the gap to three points with just over two minutes remaining.
Mark Fletcher Jr. provided the decisive offensive play with 7:49 left. He scored on a 2-yard run on fourth down to put Miami ahead by one point. Shortly after, Justin Scott recovered a fumble with 5:33 remaining. Marquise Lightfoot had stripped the ball from Billy Edwards Jr. from behind, creating the turnover that shifted momentum to Miami.
Darian Mensah followed with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Malachi Toney with 2:33 left. That score extended the Miami lead to 38-28. North Carolina managed one final drive but could not reach the goal line before time expired.
Mensah finished with 274 passing yards and three touchdowns. Toney caught two of those scores. Fletcher added a reception for the third touchdown. On the defensive side, Miami allowed 35 points, its highest total in regulation this year.
Billy Edwards threw for a season-high 341 yards and four touchdowns for North Carolina. Tight end Jelani Thurman caught two of those passes. The Tar Heels sustained a 16-play drive that lasted nearly eight and a half minutes, keeping the game competitive through the fourth quarter. North Carolina finished with a 4-4 record and a 2-3 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
North Carolina has lost 12 consecutive games against No. 1 ranked teams. The Tar Heels had won their previous two games against Pittsburgh and Duke but lost to Syracuse in overtime last week. Miami will face No. 5 Notre Dame on the road next Saturday. North Carolina will travel to UConn.
Miami coach Mario Cristobal noted that critical plays determined the outcome. "The fumble was a massive turnaround that swung the momentum in the game," Cristobal said. Edwards acknowledged the nature of the contest. "Obviously with a team like Miami, it's going to come down to critical plays, critical moments," Edwards said.
Source: WDIV ClickOnDetroit
