On a day where North Carolina held Miami’s star running back, Lamar Miller, to 29 yards on 16 carries, a win would assumedly follow suit.
But after the Tar Heels dug themselves a very deep first quarter hole, they couldn’t stop Miami quarterback Jacory Harris and instead lost 30-24.
The Hurricanes opened up the game by driving 71 yards on their first possession and scoring a touchdown – something no team had done on UNC’s defense all season. And after the Tar Heels fumbled the ensuing kickoff, Miami quickly scored again on a 27-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Tommy Streeter in the endzone.
Harris torched the Tar Heels for 233 yards passing and three touchdowns in the first half, and though his second half was quiet, he ran the Hurricanes’ offense and more importantly, didn’t turn the ball over.
By the end of the first quarter, UNC (5-2) trailed Miami 17-0, and the Hurricanes maintained that lead through halftime.
The Tar Heels were able to contain Miami’s offense for much of the second half, but the problem for UNC was that Miami (3-3) was doing the same.
Both teams went scoreless in the third quarter and it wasn’t until there was about eight minutes left in the game that the Tar Heels were able to put some points on the board.
The Tar Heels drove down the field and Giovani Bernard punched in a three-yard touchdown run to bring UNC within 10 points at 27-17. Bernard finished the game with more than 100 yards for the fifth consecutive game, making him the first Tar Heel to accomplish that feat since Ethan Horton did in 1984.
The Tar Heels got the ball back and were driving with about six minutes remaining in the game but failed to convert a fourth down conversion in their own territory, making a comeback very unlikely.
