UNC at Miami football game-day guide: How to watch, betting line, game notes.
No. 20 North Carolina heads into its final regular-season game at No. 9 Miami a much more complete program than it was a year ago. But Saturday’s game will be an indication of just how much farther the Tar Heels have to go to be an elite team.
A win, and they’re in position to possibly receive an Orange Bowl bid. The Heels (7-3, 6-3 ACC) need more to happen starting with Clemson beating Notre Dame in the ACC championship game. And there is still a possibility that Carolina, ranked 17th in the College Football Playoff rankings, would not leapfrog Miami, which is also 10th in that poll.
“This is championship-level stuff, because you’re playing for a chance to go to a potentially a major bowl,” UNC coach Mack Brown said during his weekly video conference on Wednesday. “And last year, we were trying to get to a bowl on this game. We’re just trying to get bowl eligible. So we’ve put ourselves in a different category right now.”
A loss to the Hurricanes (8-1, 7-1) though would feel like much of the same category for the program. A fifth-place finish in the ACC standings and a feeling that, in many respects, the team did not reach its potential.
How to watch UNC football at Miami
The game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. Saturday and will be televised on ABC.
Betting odds: Heels are road underdogs
Miami was favored by 2.5 points as of Friday evening. The over/under is 68.
Game notes: Closing out record-setting offense
▪ Record breaking Part I: Carolina needs just 499 combined yards in its final two games (Miami and a bowl) to eclipse the old record for average yards per game in a season. The Heels currently average 534.5 yards per game. The program record was set in 2015 with 486.9 yards per game.
▪ The ACC changed its COVID-19 testing days to ensure no team would get on a plane and complete its travel only to have the game canceled. Teams are now tested Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday then again after the game is played. The league can thank the public feud between Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and FSU’s Mike Norvell for that.
▪ Record breaking Part II: Carolina has scored 40 or more points in four consecutive games putting it within reach of tying the school record of six that has stood for more than 100 years. The 1914 squad recorded 40 points or more in six straight games.
▪ Miami quarterback D’Eriq King could give UNC fits with his feet. The Heels have had trouble defending dual-threat quarterbacks this season. In games against Florida State’s Jordan Travis (107 yards, 2 TDs), Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong (66 yards, TD), Virginia Tech’s Braxton Burmeister (51 yards), Notre Dame’s Ian Book (48 yards), the Heels allowed an average of 227.5 yards rushing.
▪ UNC used a rotation of quarterback Jefferson Boaz, running back Elijah Green and receiver Austyn Chestnut on its scout team offense to replicate all the skills of King.
▪ UNC and Miami have played every season since the Canes’ joined the ACC in 2004 and have split those meetings 8-8. The Heels hold a 12-11 advantage overall in series history.
▪ Miami defensive end Quincy Roche, a graduate transfer from Temple, is the Football Bowl Division’s active leader in sacks with 30.0.
* Hurricanes’ starting safety Al Blades Jr., is out the rest of the season after revealing he was diagnosed with myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart that has been linked to COVID-19.
UNC at Miami
When: 3:30 p.m., Saturday
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
Watch: ABC