UNC Tar Heels Make a Statement in Prime Time By Pounding the Hurricanes in the Second Half for the Victory

by Derrick Isaiah Clyburn

The North Carolina football team faced off against #25 Miami on Saturday night. It was a very physical, intense first half between the two squads. 13 penalties were called between the two teams in the first half alone as both teams tried to impose their will on the game. Both teams’ defenses had success against the opposing offenses as the game was still scoreless after the first few minutes of the game. Miami’s defense gave UNC some problems with their ability to put pressure on the quarterback and made Drake Maye completely uncomfortable in the pocket. Because of the pressure, Miami’s defense forced Drake Maye into some erratic plays and some uncharacteristic throws, resulting in his worst half of the season. 

However, once Carolina made some adjustments, they were able to settle in and march down the field to put 14 points on the board. Penalties were costly for the Tar Heels in the first half though. They had 9 penalties for 97 yards before halftime, which helped Miami tremendously. Defensively, they were playing well but because of penalties Miami’s offensive drives were extended and resulted in touchdowns for the Hurricanes. Miami outgained North Carolina in the first half in every category after being given more opportunities due to the Tar Heels’ penalties and had a 17-14 lead going into halftime.  

After halftime, adjustments were made both on offense and defense for North Carolina and they looked like a completely different team. Offensively, the Tar Heels went back to being balanced offensively. Led by Omarion Hampton in the running game and Tez Walker in the receiving game, the Heels were able to find a rhythm offensively.

Tez Walker was a complete game changer and was the biggest difference in why the Tar Heels found success in the second half offensively as he finished with over 130 yards receiving and three touchdowns. Defensively, UNC stepped up and got stop after stop after halftime. This would lead the Tar Heels to score 24 unanswered points, which allowed them to take complete control of the game and put the game out of reach. North Carolina won their sixth straight game of the season and remain undefeated on the season. 

UNC Game Stats 

UNC Total Offense- 508 yards 

Rushing 235 Passing 273 

UNC Passing: Drake Maye 17-33-273 yards 4TDs 

UNC Rushing: Omarion Hampton 24-197 yards 1TD 

UNC Receiving:  Tez Walker 6-132 yards 3TDs, JJ Jones 2-54 yards, Omarion Hampton 2-20 yards 1TD 

Miami Total Offense- 482 yards 

Miami Passing: Tyler Van Dyke 31-48-391 yards 4TDs 2INTs 

Miami Rushing: Henry Parrish Jr. 13-73 yards 

Miami Receiving: Jacolby George 6-125 yards 1TD, Xavier Restrepo 11-96 yards 2TDs, Brashard Smith 3-90 yards 

UNC Bright Spots 

Drake Maye threw for 273 yards and four touchdowns. 

Tez Walker had 6 catches for 132 yards and three touchdowns. 

Omarion Hampton had 24 carries for 197 yards and one touchdown. He also had two receptions for 20 yards and one touchdown 

Cedric Gray had one interception. 

Giovanni Biggers had one interception. 

Needs Work 

North Carolina must be more disciplined on the field and cut down on their penalties because it allows teams to extend drives and keep the close. They had 14 penalties for 147 yards which is completely unacceptable. 

The offensive play calling must be better against the blitz. There were too many instances where long-developing plays were called, and Drake Maye had to hold the ball entirely too long. 

Final Observations 

The North Carolina football team improved to 6-0 on the season. The Tar Heels didn’t play their best football today but still were able to get a good win over a ranked opponent. The Heels scored over 30 points for the 6th straight game, which is the second time it has been done in the football program’s history. The Heels are improving with each game and continue to put themselves in a good position to be right back in the ACC championship game. Next up is Virginia on Saturday, October 7 at 6:30 P.M.