No. 17 UNC Upsets No. 10 Miami as Javonte Williams Leads Dominant Ground Game

The No. 17 North Carolina Tar Heels have capped off their best regular season in five years with an impressive 62-26 victory over No. 10 Miami on Saturday.

The Tar Heels have posted their most wins (eight) since 2016 and best winning percentage (.727) since 2015. Head coach Mack Brown has paid immediate dividends for the program, improving its victory total by five in his first season last year and leading the team to a fourth-place finish in the ACC this year.

Miami's regular season is ending on a down note, but 2020 has been a success for the program. Head coach Manny Diaz led the Hurricanes to an 8-2 record, their first time with a winning percentage of at least .800 since 2003 (.846).

Michael Carter and Javonte Williams wasted no time putting the Tar Heels in the driver seat. The duo had three rushing touchdowns in the first quarter to help put North Carolina up 21-3. They combined for 544 yards and five touchdowns on 47 carries.

Notable Game Stats

• Sam Howell, QB (UNC): 14-of-19, 223 yards, TD
• Michael Carter, RB (UNC): 24 carries, 308 yards, 2 TD; 2 receptions, 9 yards
• Javonte Williams, RB (UNC): 23 carries, 236 yards, 3 TD
• Dyami Brown, WR (UNC): 4 receptions, 167 yards
• D'Eriq King, QB (MIA): 18-of-30, 239 yards, 2 TD, INT
• Brevin Jordan, WR (MIA): 6 receptions, 140 yards, TD

Historic Rushing Day Carries Tar Heels to Victory

Carter and Williams were playing their own game within the game by trying to top the other.

Quarterback Sam Howell did well to set them up on the Tar Heels' first drive of the game with a 51-yard completion to Dyami Brown. Williams finished it off four plays later with a two-yard score.

Williams broke the school's single-season record for rushing touchdowns with his second score of the day.

Not to be outdone, Carter had a 65-yard score on North Carolina's next offensive play. Both stars cracked the century mark in the first half.

Williams entered the game averaging 6.7 yards per attempt, while Carter was even better at 7.1 yards per carry. They increased those totals in a historic effort against a lifeless Miami defense.

Thanks to huge days by Carter and Williams, North Carolina's offense had 10 of its 13 drives end in points. This marks the fourth time this season the Tar Heels have scored at least 50 points.

Brown has his team playing well down the stretch. They have won four of their last five games, with the lone loss coming against No. 2 Notre Dame.

The tandem of Carter and Williams, as well as an efficient passing game, have given North Carolina one of the most potent—and dangerous—offenses in all of college football.

Hurricanes Not Ready to Join Elite Programs

Coming into this game ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press Top 25 and 10th in the College Football Playoff standings, Miami's long-awaited return to prominence seemed like it was coming to fruition.

Miami failed its first major test of the season with a 42-17 loss against Clemson. There's no shame in losing to one of the best programs in the nation that is chasing a spot in the CFP.

A matchup with North Carolina seemed like a chance for the Hurricanes to beat a high-caliber opponent. Instead, it turned into another ugly debacle in which the defense couldn't get any stops.

Saturday was a sobering reminder of how much work remains for Diaz and his coaching staff to truly bring the Hurricanes back among the nation's elite. Their two losses this season were against the only teams they've played that are currently ranked in the AP Top 25.

Diaz may be able to bring Miami back to the top of the heap in the ACC, but it's clear he still has a lot of work to do in order to make that happen.

What's Next?

Saturday marked the end of the regular season for both teams. They will be placed in bowl games when the postseason schedule gets announced.