UNC Tar Heels Football Team Crushes the Miami Hurricanes

by Derrick Isaiah Clyburn

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The North Carolina football team ended their season on a very high note against #10 ranked Miami on Saturday afternoon. The Tar Heels jumped on Miami early and never looked back. They dominated Miami in all facets of the game. The offense came out explosive with scoring either a field goal or touchdown on all their offensive possessions in the first half. The offense totaled over 750 yards for the game and was exceptional from start to finish.

The running game was completely dominant throughout the game with 554 rushing yards total. Michael Carter had 308 yards rushing and Javonte Williams had 236 yards rushing, averaging over 10 yards a carry. Together they combined for the most rushing yards by teammates in FBS history. The defense was very good as well holding Miami to just 10 points in the first half and 16 points in the second half.

They also held the Hurricanes to just 75 yards rushing.  UNC made it uncomfortable all game long for Miami to get any rhythm on offense and was one of the defense’s better performances on the season. However, the offense was the story for this game and showcased all their weapons in this game, leading North Carolina to their 62-26 win.

UNC Game Stats

UNC Total Offense- 778 yards

Rushing 554 Passing 224

UNC Passing: Sam Howell 14-19-223 yards 1TD, Rontavius Groves 1-1 yard 1TD

UNC Rushing: Michael Carter 24-308 yds 2TDs, Javonte Williams 23-236 yds 3TDs, Sam Howell 4-5 yards 1TD

UNC Receiving: Dyami Brown 4-167 yards, Kamari Morales 1-5 yards 1TD, Sam Howell 1-1 yard 1TD

Miami Total Offense- 314 yards

Miami Passing: D’Eriq King 18-30-239 yards 2TDs 1INT

Miami Rushing: D’Eriq King 11-53 yards, Cam’ron Harris 10-24 yards 1TD

Miami Receiving: Brevin Jordan 6-140 yards 1TD, Mike Harley 6-77 yards 1TD

UNC Bright Spots

Sam Howell threw for 223 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for one touchdown and had a receiving touchdown.

Michael Carter ran 24 times for 308 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Javonte Williams ran 23 times for 236 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Tony Grimes got his first career interception.

Needs Work

The Tar Heels still need to work on their communication on defense to make sure everyone is in position so they will not allow so many big plays to the opponent.

Final Observations

This was a big-time win for the Tar Heels against #10 ranked Miami. For them to do that in dominant fashion is even more impressive. This was the first time that the Tar Heels football team beat a top 10 team in the country since 2004. This win is just a stepping stone for UNC going forward and shows that they can compete with the best teams in the country. North Carolina ends the season with an 8-3 record on the season and an opportunity to play in one of the top bowl games in college football.

The Tar Heels have been great to watch all season long. Even with a couple of disappointing losses, the Heels showcased one of the best offenses in the country and a young defense that will only get better next season. Sam Howell had another outstanding season with over 3,000 yards passing and over 25 touchdowns thrown to just six interceptions on the season. Javonte Williams and Michael Carter became the fifth running back duo to rush for over 1,000 yards in school history.

Javonte Williams set the record for most touchdowns scored in a single North Carolina football season. UNC has another top 15 recruiting class coming in next year so they should only continue to build on this successful season. The future is definitely bright for this North Carolina football program in the next few years and the expectation is that they will be in the ACC championship game very soon.