Hurricanes Kicked Out of Top List…

The Miami Hurricanes’ road game against the North Carolina Tar Heels ended in a 41-31 loss.

The Miami Hurricanes entered Week 7 hoping to make a big comeback after losing to Georgia Tech last Saturday in a devastating and highly contentious game. That was not the case. The Tar Heels defeated the Hurricanes 41–31 on the road after dominating the Hurricanes all over the field.

It was a tough night in all aspects for Miami, but they did come out relatively strong in the first two quarters, holding a three-point lead going into halftime. That was before the Tar Heels ripped off 24 points unanswered after the break, leading by a score of 38-17 at one point.

Much like Miami’s season, the Hurricanes started strong, but began to lose steam quickly around the midway point. Once North Carolina took a 21-17 lead early in the third quarter, the ‘Canes looked deflated for most of the second half. The Hurricanes did surge back a bit in the fourth, but it was too little too late. Hopefully their 2023 campaign doesn’t suffer the same fate.

Changes in Status

Turnovers, particularly fumbles, appear to be a persistent problem for this Hurricanes squad. Following a fumble-based loss to the Yellowjackets in Week 6, Miami gave up two more mishandled carries on Saturday.

To make matters worse, one of those fumbles came on a first-and-goal at the UNC one-yard line. Running back Henry Parrish Jr. coughed that one up and it may not have seemed like much at the time, considering Miami scored twice afterwards while the Tar Heels punted twice, but the Hurricanes needed those points badly by the end.

Tyler Van Dyke added two interceptions to bring Miami’s turnover total to four, although one of those was an inconsequential last-second heave to end the game. In any case, the ‘Canes need to clean up their ball security issues going forward or they’ll be leaving points on the field all seas

Defensive Woes

Miami’s defense got beat up all game long and the Tar Heels did pretty much whatever they wanted, especially in the second half. UNC quarterback Drake Maye went off for 273 yards and four touchdowns while Tar Heel ball carrier Omarion Hampton torched the Hurricanes for 197 yards and a touchdown.

Not only did Miami allow big plays, it was unable to take away a single turnover. Other than being forced into some first half punts, North Carolina was able to control the ball and the clock in the win.

Next Up

Miami’s next conference matchup is against the Clemson Tigers on Saturday. The team needs to start somewhere if head coach Mario Cristobal hopes to maintain a respectable season. Holding Clemson to fewer than 36 points per game while winning the game would give the defense a lot of confidence. While not necessary to win, it’s quite close.