Magic in Miami

MIAMI — This wasn't supposed to happen.

North Carolina wasn't supposed to come back Saturday in Dolphin Stadium.

Not with starting quarterback T.J. Yates injured. Not after falling behind 14-0 to open the game. Not after missing a field goal that would have tied the game in the fourth quarter.

But somehow someway" the same Tar Heel team that couldn't buy a late-game break for the past two years pulled out the heroics with 14 points in the final 10 minutes to beat Miami 28-24.

""He told us that Miami gave us their shot" wide receiver Hakeem Nicks said of Butch Davis' halftime speech. And he told us to go out there and give them our shot" and that's what we did.""

With backup quarterback Cameron Sexton at the helm" the odds appeared to be against UNC giving much of a shot to anyone. Sexton a starter during UNC's abortive 2006 3-9 campaign had a reputation for late-game interceptions.

That reputation will have to change after his performance Saturday. The jittery 2006 version of Sexton was nowhere to be found replaced by a calm" cool leader who steadied the ship after redshirt freshman Mike Paulus struggled in the opening two drives.

""Guys get jacked up and get down"" Sexton said. I feel like it should be my position to keep everybody level and keep everybody on the same page.""

Sexton did just that" smoothly leading UNC's (3-1" 1-1 ACC) late-game comeback. First Sexton caught Nicks running wide open in the middle of the field for a 74-yard touchdown pass.

""I just ran a post route straight up the middle"" Nicks said. Really I just ran straight up the middle because it was so open. I just went and took it.""

That pass energized the Tar Heels on the sidelines"" who went from despondent to what defensive tackle Aleric Mullins could only describe as ""hectic.""

""You get paranoid" Mullins said. But you just have to have faith. And that's what we did" have faith.""

Apparently" faith was all UNC needed.

UNC's defense held Miami (2-2 0-1) to negative four yards on a late possession and then tipped the punt to give Sexton and the Tar Heel offense the ball with a short field and 2:49 to work with.

Cue the magic.

Sexton took his team 56 yards in seven plays" capping the drive with a perfect pass over the Miami secondary into the outstretched arms of Brooks Foster for the go-ahead score with just 46 seconds remaining in the game.

""Oh yeah" he pretty much put it where no one else could get it" Foster said. Pretty much a perfect throw by Cam. Much credit goes to Cam. I just made the catch.""

The only thing that could have topped Sexton's performance (11-for-19" 242 yards and two touchdowns) and late-game moxie was Trimane Goddard's interception on the game's final play" Houdini-ing the ball and winning touchdown out of the grasp of Miami's Kayne Farquharson in the end zone as time expired.

""Just making a break on the ball" I was going to try to rip it from him Goddard said. Because if he'd have caught it" it would have been over the shoulder and he wouldn't have any power to secure it.""

Wide receiver and return specialist Brandon Tate had a quiet day" considering his astronomical numbers thus far in 2008 — 130 all-purpose yards with 62 receiving and 67 return yards.

But Tate did have a career day nonetheless breaking the NCAA record for most career return yards on a 29-yard return in the first quarter to set up a Greg Little touchdown run keeping UNC within striking distance.



Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.