Among the many memorable moments from UNC’s 2015 season was a 59-21 blowout over Miami that served as the final game at Kenan Stadium for seniors such as Marquise Williams and Landon Turner.
The visitors fired head coach Al Golden after the year and brought in former Georgia boss Mark Richt—who now has Miami ranked No. 16 and ready to exact revenge on the Tar Heels this Saturday in South Florida.
The Hurricanes enter this game at 4-1 after suffering their first loss of the season last week against Florida State when their potential game-tying extra point was blocked with under two minutes to play. Each of Miami’s four wins, though, have come by at least 14 points or more–including a 35-point victory in Boone over Appalachian State.
After a week to reflect on the loss to Virginia Tech, UNC knows it’s in a must-win situation against Miami this week. (Smith Cameron Photography)
This group of Hurricanes might not resemble the dominant Miami teams of the early 90’s and 2000’s, but UNC head coach Larry Fedora definitely won’t be expecting a repeat performance of last year’s demolition.
“I think Mark’s doing a great job with them,” Fedora said Monday. “I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. I think they’re playing energized, they’re playing hard and they’re playing well.
“Other than the other night [against Florida State], they’ve been pretty dominant.”
In nearly 200 games as the head coach at Georgia, Richt managed to win a whopping 74 percent of them—despite competing in the ruthless SEC.
He brought with him to Miami—his alma mater–a reputation as a great recruiter and offensive mind. Because of that, many people envisioned a breakout year for star quarterback Brad Kaaya being the key to a successful season.
While Kaaya has been solid, the team’s defense—led by a trio of true freshmen at linebacker—currently ranks seventh in the country in total yards allowed. Virginia Tech, which manhandled the Tar Heels last week, is one of only two teams in the ACC (NC State being the other) to have allowed less yards than Miami this season.
UNC quarterback Mitch Trubisky and the rest of the Tar Heels’ high-octane offense will have to be at their best in order to avoid another letdown.
“They’re a really tough defense that’s been putting up some good numbers,” Trubisky said. “Definitely one of the best defenses in the ACC.
“They’ve got some young guys—especially at linebacker—flying around and making plays,” he continued. “They’ve got some ballers, so they’re gonna be ready to go.”
Earlier this week, UNC received good news when word got out that junior tailback Elijah Hood will play against Miami after missing last week’s game due to a concussion. The Tar Heels will need Hood’s ability to run in between the tackles in order to expand their options offensively—especially since they’ll need every point they can get against that stingy defense.
Miami’s offense—like each of the other opponents UNC has faced this season–will certainly test the team’s run defense for as long as they can find success.
Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya has risen up NFL Draft boards thanks to his size and arm talent. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
However, the added bonus of having a 6-foot-4 quarterback in Kaaya that’s near the top of NFL Draft boards means Miami could easily force the Tar Heels into trying to outscore them.
“He can spin it,” Fedora said of Kaaya, using one of his favorite phrases to describe throwing ability. “He’s a quality quarterback, there’s no doubt.
“I don’t know where he’s projected [in the NFL Draft], but he’s gonna go high,” the coach continued. “One thing I can say is Florida State got after him the other night, but he stood in there and played really well.”
This game will also mark UNC’s third this season in a tough atmosphere against a school with a long and storied football history. First Georgia in the Georgia Dome, then Florida State in Tallahassee and now this.
With the body of work Richt has put together in his first five games at Miami, it’s clear this game will look plenty different for his team than last year’s did.
For the Tar Heels, though, it’s more about making sure this game looks plenty different than last week’s.
“Again, another ranked opponent on the road in a hostile environment,” Fedora said. “Our guys have done that, so they know what to expect.
“I expect our guys to bounce back,” he continued, referencing the loss to Virginia Tech. “I think they understand the task at hand.”
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines