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Bill Belichick had better have one heck of a master plan for when Malachi Toney and No. 1 Miami roll into Chapel Hill to take on North Carolina.
The Hurricanes boat-raced Pittsburgh 52-23 to improve to 7-0 (5-0 in ACC) thanks to a Heisman-worthy day from their sophomore superstar. Toney brought in a program-record 16 catches for 194 yards and three touchdowns, giving him a nation-leading 66 receptions for the season with 952 yards and 11 TDs (both third). Darian Mensah's 385 passing yards and four scores helped keep the Canes the top offense by points and yards.
Miami has a huge matchup at Notre Dame looming, but they can't afford to overlook UNC, which is much improved in Year 2 under the six-time Super Bowl champion coach. That said, the Tar Heels (4-3, 2-2) are fresh off a heartbreaking 31-30 overtime loss to Syracuse in which they blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead.
Here's when the Hurricanes and Tar Heels square off this week.
Miami, ranked No. 1 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, hosts North Carolina on Saturday in their Week 9 game. The game will air on ABC with streaming options including Fubo, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.
The Hurricanes and Tar Heels kick off at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
This screams of trap game. The jokes around "Chapel Bill" still land, but not nearly with the same roaring laughter they did when the Tar Heels went 4-8 last year. The offense remains questionable at best, but the defense has a recognizable tint of Belichick in it, allowing 20 points or fewer in all four wins and with some real playmakers. Defensive lineman Xavier Lewis is tied for the ACC lead with seven sacks, while Gregory Smith III (three INTs) and Jaiden Patterson (six pass breakups) have made life for opposing receivers difficult.
The question is what Belichick will scheme up for Toney. Miami funnels so much of its offense through their star wideout; of Mensah's 204 pass attempts this season, 74 have gone to No. 1, a whopping 36.3% target share. Expect constant double or even triple teams Toney's way and for UNC to force Daylyn Upshaw, Cooper Barkate and Elija Lofton to be the difference-makers.
Carolina hasn't been as strong against the run (13th in the ACC), and the punishing combo of Mark Fletcher Jr. and Javian Mallory should be able to take advantage. When teams have beaten the Tar Heels, they've scored at least four touchdowns on them. Jordan Shipp is a talented receiver who could pose a threat to the Canes' banged-up secondary, but one home-run hitter hasn't been enough to stop Miami yet.
As of 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, tickets to Miami-UNC in Chapel Hill were available for as low as $83. To see a full list of ticket prices, visit StubHub.