North Carolina @ Miami (FL) preview
Hard Rock Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 17, 2013 ) Miami 27, North Carolina 23
A renewed emphasis on Duke Johnson and the running game in general has Miami performing as well as it has all season. The junior running back eyes his fifth straight 100-yard rushing effort Saturday when the Hurricanes host North Carolina in a battle of teams trying to remain relevant in the ACC Coastal Division. Miami ran for 364 yards in a 30-6 rout of Virginia Tech last weekend – the most rushing yards the Hokies have allowed in coach Frank Beamer’s 28 years at the helm.
Johnson gained a career-high 249 of those yards himself, prompting Beamer to call Johnson “one of the better running backs – maybe the best – that we've ever tried to tackle." The Hurricanes, who also saw Gus Edwards run for a personal-best 115 yards to give Miami a pair of 100-yard rushers for the second straight game, will attempt to impose their will again on the Tar Heels, who rank 107th in FBS in rush defense. North Carolina won its second straight one-score contest last weekend as backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky threw a go-ahead 16-yard touchdown pass on a third-and-15 play late in the fourth quarter in a 28-27 victory at Virginia.
TV: 12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3. LINE: Miami -14.5.
ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (4-4, 2-2 ACC): The Tar Heels successfully completed an onside kick to seal their win against the Cavaliers after Trubisky – only in the game because starter Marquise Williams’ helmet popped off on a sack one play earlier – found T.J. Thorpe on his only play of the contest. Williams finished with 308 yards of total offense in the win to give him 5,079 for his career, allowing him to become the sixth player in school history to surpass 5,000. Mack Hollins was named ACC Receiver of the Week after scoring on catches of 57 and 63 yards versus Virginia – his only two receptions of the game.
ABOUT MIAMI (5-3, 2-2): After averaging 133.3 yards rushing while splitting their first six contests, the Hurricanes ran for 335 yards in a 55-34 win versus Cincinnati before their season-high effort against the Hokies. Johnson’s 11th career 100-yard game tied him with James Jackson for the fourth-most such games in school history and gave him 2,903 rushing yards for his career – 47 behind Jackson for third on Miami's all-time list and 57 behind Edgerrin James in second. Linebacker Denzel Perryman was named a semifinalist for the Butkus Award for the second consecutive season and is the only two-time semifinalist among the 15 candidates.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Miami is also enjoying a plus-5 turnover margin over its last two games after registering a minus-4 margin during its 3-3 start.
2. North Carolina ranks 120th in FBS in total defense and has given up more yards than it has gained in seven straight contests.
3. The Hurricanes are 13-0 under coach Al Golden when forcing at least three turnovers.
PREDICTION: Miami 41, North Carolina 28