Darian Mensah threw for three touchdowns, and No. 1 Miami scored twice in the final eight minutes to pull out a 38-35 victory over North Carolina on Saturday night in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Mark Fletcher Jr. scored three touchdowns, and Malachi Toney had two scoring receptions, including a 9-yarder with 2:33 remaining that gave the Hurricanes (8-0, 6-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) their first double-digit lead.
Billy Edwards Jr. threw two of his four touchdown passes to Jelani Thurman in the first half for the Tar Heels (4-4, 2-3). Edwards completed 28 of 34 passes for 341 yards, including a 15-yard scoring strike to Trech Kekahuna with 1:38 left. Miami ran out the clock after the score. North Carolina recovered a pair of onside kicks following the touchdown, but committed a penalty on each play.
North Carolina, bidding for its first victory over a No. 1 team in 12 opportunities, took a 28-24 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Tar Heels capped an 8 1/2-minute drive that covered 75 yards in 16 plays with Demon June’s 1-yard run with 11:46 remaining.
Miami went ahead 31-28 on Fletcher’s 2-yard run on fourth-and-1 with 7:49 to play. Following Marquise Lightfoot’s strip sack of Edwards, the Hurricanes drove 37 yards for their final touchdown.
Mensah, who was part of a dramatic victory for Duke on the same field last year, completed 22 of 29 passes for 274 yards.
The Tar Heels opened the second half with a go-ahead touchdown drive, capped by Edwards’ 16-yard scoring pass to Jordan Shipp. Miami answered with Fletcher’s 2-yard run to regain the lead at 24-21.
Miami led 17-14 at halftime on Jake Weinberg’s 25-yard field goal with 22 seconds left before the break.
Mensah threw five passes on a game-opening 13-play drive. All four of his completions went to Toney, including a 2-yard scoring pass.
North Carolina drove 84 yards in 11 plays to tie the score after Edwards connected with Thurman for an 8-yard touchdown.
Miami regained the lead on Mensah’s pass to Fletcher, who turned it into a 31-yard catch-and-run touchdown.
Edwards then found Thurman in the back of the end zone for another 8-yard touchdown.
Mensah threw for 153 yards in the first half, while Edwards had 152.