In historic blowout against Miami, UNC finds the statement win it's been searching for

The North Carolina football team earned the respect of the ACC last season after its dramatic win against Coastal-favorite Miami. This year, the Tar Heels were looking to vault themselves into the national spotlight.

And they did just that. They came into Miami Gardens, Florida on Saturday and punched the Hurricanes in the mouth, dominating the No. 10 team in the country from start to finish in a 62-26 victory. 

The game was another measuring stick. But it’s nothing new for the recent Miami-UNC matchups.  

Only two years ago, Miami throttled North Carolina, 47-10, in a game where the Hurricanes scored three defensive touchdowns. Redshirt senior linebacker Chazz Surratt was a quarterback on an offense that was completely overmatched.

Head coach Mack Brown came into the program the next year and the results were noticeably different. After a surprise win over South Carolina, UNC carried the momentum over to the second game of the season against these very same Hurricanes and won on a last-second touchdown. It was a victory that rejuvenated a basketball-centered fanbase and poured fuel on the fire of the Mack is Back movement that ran rampant through Chapel Hill.

Now, there's this year's matchup, an embarrassment for the Hurricanes. The Tar Heels put together 778 total yards of offense, the most yards the Hurricanes have ever given up. UNC excelled on both ends of the field to get its first win against a top-10 team since 2004, which was against a familiar foe: the Miami Hurricanes. 

“What those guys did tonight is just remarkable because Miami is really good,” Brown said. “I’m not sure anybody picked it that way. I’m not sure anyone saw it that way. I sure wouldn’t have thought that we could’ve accomplished the things we did tonight.”

The Tar Heels came out aggressive right from the opening kickoff. They were all over the field and looked a step faster than their opposition.

The UNC offense rebounded after a rare no-show against No. 2 Notre Dame and executed the balanced attack they’ve thrived on all season. Sophomore quarterback Sam Howell and company masterfully executed the hurry-up offense, leaving the Miami defenders with their hands on their hips. As North Carolina was sprinting to the line, the Hurricanes were almost walking.

Although the running back tandem of Michael Carter and Javonte Williams broke all kinds of records, the North Carolina defense deserved a sliver of the limelight. They played their best game of the year, led by a 10-tackle performance from Surratt. The senior completed his final regular season game getting the ultimate payback against a team that effectively ended his tenure as a college passer. 

“I wanted to go out there and take it personal,” Surratt said. “Go out there and play hard, play with passion. And go out there and try to do the best I can today.”

Both teams came into this year's matchup with a lot to play for — a potential trip to the Orange Bowl on the line.

The Tar Heels played to their full potential, illustrating the bright future of the program. With the way they've been developing, they may even find some way to improve on this performance in the next few seasons under Brown.

It may seem impossible, but the Miami-UNC games have epitomized UNC’s development so far.

Saturday had no dramatic endings or crowds jumping in elation. North Carolina flipped the script and turned in a record-breaking performance. It was an old-fashioned beat down and the perfect vengeance for Tar Heels after 2018's blowout.

“It’s an amazing group of guys,” Howell said. “I’m just really blessed to be a part of them. It all comes from the culture that coach Brown has built here, and I’m just really blessed to be here with these guys.”

@ryanheller23

@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com