CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina came within one play of knocking off the top team in the country Saturday night, but No. 1 Miami held on for a 38-35 win at Kenan Stadium after the Tar Heels twice recovered an onside kick only to have both taken away by flags.
The finish was the story. Trailing by three in the final minutes, Carolina pounced on its first onside try, but officials ruled the Tar Heels offside. They kicked again and came up with the ball a second time, and that one was erased by an illegal block flagged before the ball had gone 10 yards. Miami fell on the third attempt and ran out the clock.
Carolina had the lead late. A grinding 16-play march that chewed up close to eight and a half minutes ended with Demon June scoring from a yard out, putting the Tar Heels in front 28-24 in the fourth quarter.
Miami answered quickly. Mark Fletcher Jr. capped a 75-yard drive with his second short touchdown run, and the Hurricanes defense then forced the only turnover of the night, a fumble that set up a 9-yard scoring pass from Darian Mensah to Malachi Toney.
Billy Edwards Jr. kept the Tar Heels alive, moving them 75 yards in five plays and finding Trech Kekahuna for a 15-yard touchdown with under a minute of clock used on the drive. Edwards also threw two 8-yard scores to tight end Jelani Thurman and a 16-yarder to Jordan Shipp.
The game was close throughout. Miami opened with a 13-play, 74-yard drive for a 7-0 lead, led 17-14 at the half and carried a 24-21 edge into the fourth quarter.
The loss leaves North Carolina at 4-4 overall and 2-3 in ACC play, and the program is still winless in 12 tries against a No. 1 team. Miami moved to 8-0 and next faces No. 5 Notre Dame.
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