UM at North Carolina: Matchups to Watch
By David Villavicencio
HurricaneSports.com
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – After a pair of home games at Hard Rock Stadium, the Miami Hurricanes head to Chapel Hill to face the North Carolina Tar Heels.
The No. 8/8 Hurricanes (6-0, 4-0 ACC) are one of eight undefeated teams remaining in FBS, and the only one from the ACC. A week ago, the Hurricanes extended their winning streak to 11 straight dating to October 2016 with a 27-19 win over Syracuse.
Miami’s current 11-game winning streak is its longest since the 2002 season, when Miami finished the tail end of a 34-game winning streak. It’s the second-longest streak nationwide at the FBS level, just one game behind South Florida’s 12-game winning streak. For the first time since 2013, Miami has started 6-0 overall and for the first time since joining the ACC in 2004, Miami is 4-0 in conference play.
North Carolina (1-7, 0-5 ACC) carries a slim 10-9 all-time series lead, including a 5-2 advantage in games played in Chapel Hill. Miami has lost two in a row to the Tar Heels and is looking for its first win at Kenan Stadium since 2013. The Hurricanes lost last year’s game, 13-20, at Hard Rock Stadium.
Here are three matchups to watch in Saturday’s game.
Miami WR Ahmmon Richards vs. North Carolina’s secondary
Ahmmon Richards is one of the most dynamic wide receivers in the country, but he is coming off a game that he was not entirely happy with. The sophomore had six catches for 99 yards against Syracuse a week ago, but dropped a few passes that prevented him from putting up even bigger numbers.
“Just got to stay focused throughout the game,” Richards said. “I made a few plays here and there, but I don’t look at that. I just look at the drops and I just have to get better. It’s just a focus thing. Even when you’re tired, you tend to let your hands down and stuff like that, so it’s more of staying focused when you’re tired.”
Richards will look to return to form against an experienced Tar Heel secondary, led by veterans M.J. Stewart and Myles Dorn. Stewart has 30 tackles on the year, including two sacks, and has eight pass breakups. Dorn ranks third on the team with 50 tackles and leading the team with two interceptions.
Miami DB Malek Young vs. North Carolina WR Anthony Ratliff-Williams
Malek Young has emerged as a top corner for the Hurricanes in his sophomore campaign. The 5-foot-9 defensive back has recorded 20 tackles (14 solo), six pass breakups and an interception this season, while routinely covering the opponent’s top receiving threat.
“He’s a fearless competitor and that’s the number one thing I tell the guys is compete when you’re not worried about getting beat and even if you do get beat, you just come back and compete,” Miami cornerbacks coach Mike Rumph said of Young. “He has that in him, he has tremendous ball skills like I said and the main this is Malek plays very confidently. He feels like he’s one of the top corners when he gets out there and that’s what we instill in him every week, just understanding that you’re going to go against the best guy and you’re going to take him man-to-man and I want you to take him out of the game.”
This week, Young will likely see a lot of Anthony Ratliff-Williams. The sophomore WR/KR leads North Carolina with 311 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns and is third on the team with 18 receptions. Ratliff-Williams is also a threat in the return game, setting a school record vs. Louisville with 199 kickoff return yards on five returns.
Miami DL Chad Thomas vs. UNC OL Bentley Spain
Chad Thomas vs. Bentley Spain is a battle of senior standouts that lead their respective lines. The 6-foot-6, 275 lb., defensive end entered the season on the Bronco Nagurski Award watch list and has lived up to expectations. Thomas heads into Saturday’s contest with 15 tackles (eight solo), six tackles for loss and three sacks.
Spain is an experienced left tackle, having appeared in 41 games in his career. The 6-foot-6, 310 lb., lineman is an Outland Trophy candidate and is expected to contend for All-ACC and All-America honors.
Thomas and Spain will be a matchup to watch on Saturday, pitting two of the ACC’s best at their positions against each other for four quarters.
Kickoff against the Tar Heels is set for noon from Kenan Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
