Since Miami joined the ACC, these two have formed a mini-rivalry.
North Carolina and Miami do not like each other. Since Miami joined the ACC in 2004, the schools have played each other yearly. Before that, they hadn’t played since 1963! While Miami has not been “The U” in a long time, they have remained a formidable opponent that is usually loaded with talent. Up until this year, the ACC was divided into divisions, and both schools were part of the Coastal side. Playing each other every single year is going to create some bad blood.
Notable Games
2004: #4 Miami came to Chapel Hill to play against a struggling UNC team. North Carolina kicker Conner Barth nailed a field goal as time expired to upset the Hurricanes. The field was rushed, and the goal posts torn down. One of the best games in the entire series.
2009: A personal favorite, #12 Miami rolled into Kenan Stadium and played a back-and-forth game with the Tar Heels. UNC cornerback Kendrick Burney had three interceptions by himself and played a key role in the North Carolina win.
2015: Marquise Williams and the Tar Heels demolished Miami 59-21. It was a complete performance in a year that UNC played in the ACC title game. Everything went right, and the game was never close.
2019: Mack Brown’s first game back at North Carolina, a freshman Sam Howell, and an electric Tar Heel crowd. The Tar Heels got out to an early lead but allowed the Hurricanes back into the game. Late in the fourth quarter, on a 4th and 17, Howell found “Toe” Groves for a must-have first down. The Heels continued to drive, and Howell found Dazz Newsome in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown. It produced one of, if not the loudest crowd response in Kenan Stadium history.
2020: Another beatdown, North Carolina ran all over the Hurricanes. UNC finished with 554 rushing yards, setting all kinds of records. The final score was 62-26, and it could’ve been worse.
Showdown in Kenan
This weekend is set to be another battle. Miami is coming off a tough loss against Georgia Tech, where they inexplicably decided not to knee the ball and run the clock out but instead to run it. It resulted in a fumble, and the Yellow Jackets scored with two seconds left to win the game. If not for that blunder, the Hurricanes would be undefeated, and this game would likely be a battle of two top-15 teams. Can North Carolina extend their win streak over Miami to five games? Start the season 6-0? It would be a huge step for the Tar Heels program.
Miami @ UNC under the lights in Kenan Stadium, 7:30 p.m. Saturday night.
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