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The Daily Tar Heel

Hester to test UNC's depleted special teams

Game and Time: No.4 Miami at North Carolina. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

Site: Kenan Stadium.

TV/Radio: The game will be televised on ESPN2. The Tar Heel Sports Network will provide radio coverage; its flagship station is WCHL-AM, 1360.

2004 Records: Miami is 6-0, 3-0 in the ACC. North Carolina is 3-4, 2-2 in the ACC.

Series: North Carolina leads 4-3.

Personnel Update: Miami - OL Tyler McMeans (sprained knee) is out. DL Santonio Thomas (sprained knee) is out. QB Kyle Wright (sprained ankle) is doubtful. WR Ryan Moore (sprained ankle) is questionable. North Carolina - DE Melik Brown (concussion), RB Ronnie McGill (sprained ankle), TE Justin Phillips (knee and ankle sprain), FB/LB Cori Powell (sprained knee), DE Hilee Taylor (leg) and LB Victor Worsley (dislocated elbow) are out. RB Jacque Lewis (back) is doubtful. WR Adarius Bowman, LB Fred Sparkman and DL Isaiah Thomas are suspended indefinitely.

The key matchup: Miami kick returner Devin Hester against the North Carolina special teams.

The amazing sophomore has returned four kicks for touchdowns, including one in each of the Hurricanes' last two games.

The Tar Heels' depleted special teams unit will have to try to stop Hester, who is averaging 26.2 yards per punt return, from running amok and giving Miami great field position - or putting an easy six points on the scoreboard.

The UNC defense will have enough trouble slowing the Miami offense, but they won't have a chance if the Hurricanes get to work with a short field.

Final analysis/prediction: Even if UNC wasn't plagued by injuries, Miami would still hold the talent edge by a vast margin.

The Hurricane offense, led by quarterback Brock Berlin, running back Frank Gore and wide receiver Roscoe Parrish, dominated N.C. State's highly acclaimed defense for 426 yards and 45 points in Raleigh last week.

Berlin, who has been criticized for much of the year, tossed five touchdowns against the Wolfpack, including two to Parrish.

This week, the Hurricanes will come to Chapel Hill to face a UNC defense that has slid to 116th in the nation, yielding 503.9 yards of offense per game. When the Tar Heels last took the field, they gave up a school-record 669 yards against Utah.

On the other side of the ball, assuming Lewis is forced to sit, UNC's run game virtually will be nonexistent. Madison Hedgecock and Chad Scott will get the bulk of the carries.

Scott, who will start the game at tailback, gained just 22 yards on nine carries against the Utes on Oct. 16.

Hedgecock, meanwhile, starred in the backfield against N.C. State on Oct. 9, but that was in the fourth quarter when he was pounding the Wolfpack's tired defenders. He probably won't be as effective against the fresh legs of Miami.

And if quarterback Darian Durant, who left the Utah game with a sprained elbow, isn't in tune with his receivers, UNC will struggle to sustain drives.

The Bottom Line: Miami 48, North Carolina 10.

- Compiled by Daniel Blank

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