UNC Visits Ranked Miami Thursday Night

Thursday, September 27

Miami Gardens, Fla.

8 p.m.

North Carolina

Miami

Tickets

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

September 26, 2018 | Football

Game Notes (PDF)Tar Heel Sports Network TuneIn Radio Podcast

By: Mark Kimmel

Carolina plays its first ranked opponent of the 2018 campaign when the Tar Heels travel to Miami Gardens to face No. 16 Miami Thursday at 8 p.m.

UNC picked up its first win of the season last Saturday, a 38-35 win over Pittsburgh at Kenan Stadium. Nathan Elliott completed 22 of 31 passes for a career-high 313 yards and two touchdowns and Antonio Williams topped the 100-yard mark for the first time in his career. Dazz Newsome added six catches for 110 yards - both career bests - and Cole Holcomb paced the defense with 12 tackles (10 solo) and two tackles for loss.

Miami improved to 3-1 with a 34-17 home win over FIU on Saturday. The Hurricanes raced out to a 24-0 halftime lead and cruised to a comfortable victory. In the most extensive action of his young UM career, redshirt freshman quarterback N'Kosi Perry completed three touchdown passes to lead the Canes' offensive attack. Travis Homer added 114 rushing yards and a touchdown on just 13 carries.

Thursday's game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN, the 18th time in program history Carolina has appeared in ESPN's signature midweek contest.

AT A GLANCE
Records: North Carolina 1-2 (1-0 ACC), Miami 3-1 (0-0 ACC)
Rankings: UNC is unranked, Miami is No. 16 in both the AP and Coaches Poll
TV: ESPN. Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Gene Chizik (analyst), Jonathan Vilma (analyst), Laura Rutledge (sideline) have the call.
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network (click to listen), a division of Learfield Communications. Jones Angell (play-by-play), Brian Simmons (analyst) and Lee Pace (sideline) have the call.
On The Web: GoHeels.com | UNC Notes (PDF) | Miami Notes (PDF)
Twitter: @TarHeelFootball, @CoachFedora | @CanesFootball

CAROLINA-MIAMI SERIES NOTES
• Carolina and Miami are meeting for the 22nd time overall and the 15th consecutive season. The Tar Heels lead the series, 11-10.
• Last year in Chapel Hill, Nathan Elliott came off the bench to throw for 173 yards and a touchdown and Beau Corrales caught a pair of TD passes in a 24-19 loss. Malik Rosier tossed three touchdown passes to lead the No. 8 Hurricanes.
• Two years ago in Miami Gardens, Mitch Trubisky threw two touchdown passes and Malik Carney forced a turnover with 1:31 left to seal a 20-13 win over the No. 16 Hurricanes. Ryan Switzer and Austin Proehl had TD grabs and Bug Howard finished with 10 catches for 156 yards for the Tar Heels, who converted 14 of 23 third down chances on a rainy afternoon.
• Five of UNC's six most recent wins in the series were decided by 10 points or less - a 33-27 victory in 2007, a 28-24 win in 2008, a 33-24 win in 2009, an 18-14 win in 2012 and a 20-13 decision in 2016.
• Carolina's first game against Miami as ACC members came in 2004 and was a memorable win for the Tar Heels. Connor Barth connected on a 42-yard field goal as time expired to beat the fourth-ranked Hurricanes, 31-28. It is still the highest-ranked team Carolina has ever beaten and is the Tar Heels' only win over a team ranked in the Associated Press top five.
• The first meeting between the two institutions came in 1946, when Carl Snavely's Tar Heels knocked off Miami, 21-0, in the second game of the year. Carolina would go on to finish 8-2-1 and play Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.