Miami's Fourth-Down Rally Defeats North Carolina 38-35
Mark Fletcher Jr.'s late touchdown and a defensive strip sack allowed the Hurricanes to overcome a persistent North Carolina offense and secure their eighth win of the season.
By Vikram Harrison ·
Chapel Hill residents and fans across the nation watched a chaotic final quarter as the No. 1 Miami Hurricanes escaped with a 38-35 victory over North Carolina on Saturday night. The game swung on a single fourth-down conversion and a subsequent fumble, ending a contest that remained competitive until the final minute.
Mark Fletcher Jr. ran for a 2-yard touchdown on fourth down with 7:49 remaining. That score gave Miami the lead, but the margin was razor-thin. North Carolina, led by quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., had kept the game within striking distance for the entire second half.
The Hurricanes sealed the win two minutes later when Marquise Lightfoot stripped the ball from Edwards while playing him from behind. Justin Scott recovered the fumble with 5:33 left on the clock. Miami coach Mario Cristobal called the turnover a massive turnaround that shifted the momentum of the game.
Following the turnover, Darian Mensah completed a 9-yard pass to Malachi Toney to extend the lead to 38-28. The score was set with 2:33 remaining. Miami then forced a North Carolina onside kick attempt, which the Hurricanes recovered after two of the Tar Heels' recovery attempts were negated by penalties. Miami controlled the clock in the final minute to preserve the lead.
Edwards passed for a season-high 341 yards and four touchdowns for North Carolina. Two of those scores went to tight end Jelani Thurman. The Tar Heels offense sustained long drives, including a 16-play sequence that lasted nearly eight and a half minutes. Their ability to move the ball kept the upset possibility alive deep into the fourth quarter.
Mensah threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns for Miami. Fletcher also caught a pass for a touchdown, adding to his rushing score. The Hurricanes finish the regular season portion of their conference schedule with an 8-0 overall record and a 6-0 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
North Carolina falls to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in conference play. The loss extends their losing streak against No. 1 ranked teams to 12 games. Edwards acknowledged that games against top-tier opponents come down to critical moments, a sentiment that defined the final ten minutes of Saturday's contest.
Miami travels to No. 5 Notre Dame next Saturday for a rematch of last year's deciding game. North Carolina leaves conference play to visit UConn on the same day. Both teams look to reset their momentum after a physically demanding weekend on the gridiron.
