CHAPEL HILL -- With a 33-24 win over No. 12 Miami on Saturday, North Carolina clinched a bowl bid for the second straight season.
The Tar Heels have not been to consecutive bowl games since 1997 and 1998. They also won their third straight against Miami, fifth straight against a ranked opponent and improved to 4-0 all-time at home against the Hurricanes. All of the above is good, junior cornerback Kendric Burney said, but it's not the end of the season.
"There's still a lot more we can do," said Burney, who had three interceptions, scored a touchdown and had an assist in a second defensive touchdown.
With two road games left, the Heels (7-3, 3-3 ACC) can still climb the bowl ladder, perhaps as high the Gator Bowl, but after an 0-3 ACC start, UNC coach Butch Davis was happy with how far his third team has come this season.
"This is a huge step for this football program," said Davis, who improved to 3-0 against his former program. "You get momentum, you get a wave of enthusiasm going and your ride it and you keep it going."
The Tar Heels have been riding a wave of momentum on defense. They have been hot since giving up an 18-point lead in a 30-27 loss to Florida State on Oct. 22. They have forced eight turnovers in the three subsequent wins, including four on Saturday.
Burney returned an interception 77 yards in the second quarter to give UNC a 20-7 halftime lead, and then stretched UNC's lead back to double-digits after Miami made it a 23-17 game.
The Florida State collapse played an integral part in UNC's resistance in the second half on Saturday.
"This is not going to be another Florida State," Burney told his teammates at the half.
He was right. In a wild play that pushed the replay booth into overdrive, Burney picked off Miami quarterback Jacory Harris at UNC's 10-yard line. Burney, who set a new single-game ACC record with 170 interception return yards, weaved through would-be tacklers down to Miami's 46-yard line and then lost control of the ball, fumbling it forward.
Safety Melvin Williams, one of 11 UNC seniors playing in their final home game, caught Burney's fumble in midair and took it the final 44 yards to the end zone.
The play was ruled a touchdown on the field and confirmed by the video review.
"To me it looked like he pitched it forward, but I can't get involved with it," Miami coach Randy Shannon said. "I mean it's a game; one play shouldn't make a difference in a game."
Miami actually bounced right back after Williams' touchdown at 9:28 in the fourth quarter. Harris led a 2-minute drive, capped by a 14-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham, that made it 30-24.
UNC's offense, which accounted for only one touchdown, did its job when it mattered most. Ryan Houston (24 carries, 76 yards) ran eight times on an 11-play drive, which chewed up more than 5 minutes and set up a game-clinching 33-yard field goal by Casey Barth, who hit four field goals.
The seventh win means UNC is guaranteed a bowl spot because the ACC has a maximum of eight teams that can be bowl eligible and nine bowl tie-ins.
Not that Carolina was ready to celebrate a bowl berth.
"Everyone kinda knew we'd get to this point," quarterback T.J. Yates said. "We were just trying to beat a good team today."
It was a win-win then for the Tar Heels.
North Carolina 33, No. 12 Miami 24
Miami | 0 | 7 | 10 | 7 | -- | 24 |
North Carolina | 0 | 20 | 3 | 10 | -- | 33 |
NC--Little 29 pass from Yates (Barth kick), 14:12. Mia--Berry 1 run (Bosher kick), 11:44. NC--FG Barth 22, 8:21. NC--FG Barth 42, 4:05. NC--Burney 77 interception return (Barth kick), :56.
NC--FG Barth 32, 8:47. Mia--FG Bosher 39, 5:19. Mia--Cooper 3 run (Bosher kick), 1:18.
NC--M.Williams 44 interception return (Barth kick), 9:28. Mia--Graham 14 pass from J.Harris (Bosher kick), 7:21. NC--FG Barth 33, 1:57.
| Mia | NC |
First downs | 24 | 17 |
Rushes-yards | 25-116 | 32-116 |
Passing | 319 | 213 |
Comp-Att-Int | 28-51-4 | 17-31-0 |
Return Yards | 14 | 217 |
Punts | 4-46.0 | 6-38.5 |
Fumbles-Lost | 1-0 | 2-0 |
Penalties-Yards | 3-20 | 3-35 |
Time of Possession | 29:34 | 30:26 |
RUSHING--Miami, Cooper 15-63, Berry 6-41, Bosher 1-26, Benjamin 1-(minus 1), J.Harris 2-(minus 13). North Carolina, Houston 24-76, Boyd 2-31, Little 3-11, Elzy 1-3, J.White 1-0, Yates 1-(minus 5).
PASSING--Miami, J.Harris 28-50-4-319, Team 0-1-0-0. North Carolina, Yates 17-31-0-213.
RECEIVING--Miami, Hankerson 7-92, Cooper 7-37, Byrd 4-61, M.James 3-15, Berry 2-50, Benjamin 2-19, A.Johnson 1-23, Graham 1-14, Collier 1-8. North Carolina, Pianalto 5-51, Ramsay 2-40, Little 2-35, Houston 2-26, Highsmith 2-20, J.White 1-25, Jackson 1-12, Rome 1-3, Harrelson 1-1.
Att.--57,500.
