No. 1 Miami Squeaks By Tar Heels, 38-35 - University of North Carolina Athletics

Saturday, October 31

Chapel Hill

7:30 P.M.

North Carolina

4-4 , 2-3

#1 Miami

8-0 , 6-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Miami (FL)	7	10	7	14	38
North Carolina	0	14	7	14	35

Book Your Tailgate

Billy Edwards Jr.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

October 31, 2026 | Football

Box Score Final Stats (.pdf)Quotes Postgame Notes Photo Gallery

By: Matt Bowers

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.— Miami's Justin Scott recovered a Billy Edwards Jr. fumble at the North Carolina 37-yard line with 5:33 left in the fourth quarter, leading to a game-clinching touchdown pass six plays later as the top-ranked Hurricanes barely held off the Tar Heels, 38-35, on Saturday night at Kenan Stadium.

Carolina played one of its best games of the season but came up short as each team scored 21 second-half points in a wild, back-and-forth second half.

Miami improved to 8-0 overall and 6-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference with the victory, winning its 15th game in its last 16 contests dating back to last season. The Hurricanes have scored 20 or more points in 25 consecutive ACC games. Carolina lost its third consecutive home game and fell to 4-4, 2-3 ACC.

UM snapped Carolina's five-game winning streak in the series and beat the Tar Heels for the first time since 2018. UNC leads the all-time series, 16-12.

Carolina fell to 1-1 against ranked teams this season, having won 21-17 at Pitt on October 10. UNC was playing the nation's top-ranked team for the 11th time in its history and the first time since playing Clemson in 2019 in Kenan Stadium. The 'Canes have won 32 games in a row when ranked No. 1 by the Associated Press.

"They're very good, very good on offense," Tar Heel head coach Bill Belichick said of Miami. "One-score, back-and-forth game, and then they got the turnover it became a two-score game, and we couldn't get the onside kick. [We showed] a lot of effort, a lot of toughness, a lot of mental toughness, a lot of competitiveness, and [it's] just disappointing to come up short here two weeks in a row."

Miami quarterback Darian Mensah completed 22 of 29 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns, posting a passer rating of 189.4. He now has 25 TDs with just one interception this fall. Edwards played his best game as a Tar Heel and may have outplayed the Miami Heisman Trophy candidate, compiling 341 yards through the air on 28 of 34 passing with four scores despite the game-changing fumble in the final minutes.

Hurricane wide receiver Malachi Toney caught seven passes for 75 yards, four of which came on the game's opening drive. The Tar Heel defense bottled him up for much of the game but did allow a pair of Toney touchdowns in key moments.

Carolina played well in the first half, keeping the game close and trailing just 17-14 at halftime. The Tar Heel defense limited big plays and held the explosive Hurricane offense to 228 overall yards before the break Heisman Trophy candidate Malachi Toney had four catches for 27 yards before the break, and fellow Heisman contender Darian Mensah passed for only 153 yards on 13 completions in 19 attempts despite a rating of 170.8.

Tight end Jelani Thurman snared two first-half Edwards passes for touchdowns. Edwards connected on 14 of 18 attempts for 152 yards in the opening 30 minutes, taking what the Miami defense offered and compiling an impressive passer rating of 185.4 before the half.

How It Happened
First Quarter
• Miami took the opening kickoff and took a 7-0 lead on an impressive fade pattern pass from Mensah to Toney in the right of the end zone, capping a 13-play, 74-yard drive to start the game

Second Quarter
• On the Tar Heels' second drive of the night, Edwards hit Jelani Thurman from eight yards out for a game-tying TD. Carolina drove 84 yards in 11 plays in a lengthy drive of 5:28 to make it 7-7 with 11:50 left before halftime.
• Mensah connected with Fletcher on a 31-yard, wide receiver screen play to the right side to give the Canes a 14-7 advantage with 7:41 left in the half.
• Edwards and Thurman connected for their second scoring pass of the night, another eight-yard score, to tie the score once again at 14-14 in the final two minutes of the half. The TD finished another long drive for UNC, and this one went 12 plays for 75 yards.
• The Canes got the ball back and used a 40-yard pass from Mensah to Cooper Barkate down to the Tar Heel nine in the final minute before Jake Weinberg hit a 24-yard field goal to give Miami a 17-14 lead at halftime.

Third Quarter
• Carolina took the second-half kickoff immediately marched 75 yards in eight plays, with Edwards hitting Jordan Shpp for a 16-yard score to give the Tar Heels a 21-17 lead four minutes into the third period.
• Miami replied and retook the lead, 24-21, with a TD drive on its next possession. After a pass interference penalty on the Tar Heels in the end zone while covering Toney, Fletcher ran it in from two yards for his second score of the night.

Fourth Quarter
• The Tar Heels stormed back and marched decisively down the field until Demon June dove in from a yard away to finish a dominant drive of 8:28. After the extra point, Carolina took its second lead of the game at 28-24 with 11:46 to play.
• On a fourth-and-one play from the Tar Heel two-yard line halfway through the final quarter, Fletcher drove in over right tackle to give Miami a 31-28 lead.
• On Carolina's next drive, Marquise Lightfoot hit Edwards from behind and forced a fumble recovered by Scott at the UNC 37 with 5:33 on the clock for the only turnover of the game by either team.
• Miami took the ball and drove down the field for the winning score when Mensah connected with Toney for a nine-yard TD with 2:33 on the clock that made the score 38-28 after the extra point.
• The Tar Heels refused to go away, and Edwards hit Trech Kechahuna for a 15-yard score with 1:38 remaining. Edwards continued his dominant night, connecting on his 28^th completion in 34 attempts, and the score was 38-35.

Up Next
The Tar Heels will hit the road and head out of conference to play at UConn at noon next Saturday (November 7) on CBS Sports Network.

Follow Tar Heel football on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.