Miami, Florida – With the win over Pitt now behind them, the No. 1 Miami Hurricanes face the North Carolina Tar Heels in a Halloween showdown. The Canes took care of business at home behind stellar performances from the dynamic duo of Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney. The two Heisman candidates strengthened their cases as Mensah threw for 387 yards and four touchdowns, while Toney shattered his own school record for the most receptions in a single game (16). Sitting at 7-0 (5-0, ACC), the Cardiac Canes will battle a program led by famed NFL head coach Bill Belichick.
A trio of weekly awards for #HeisMensah
Manning Star of the Week ✅⁰
Davey O’Brien Award Great 8 ✅⁰
ACC Quarterback of the Week ✅#HeisMensah | @HeismanTrophy pic.twitter.com/lkapRY4TWf— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) October 27, 2026
At 4-3 (2-2, ACC), the Tar Heels are haunted by a tough 31-30 overtime loss to cellar dweller Syracuse. Favored by 14.5 points, the Hurricanes have a chance to exorcise their demons by breaking a five-game losing streak, trailing 14-11 in the all-time series. North Carolina won the last meeting 41-31 on October 14, 2023, at Chapel Hill. Drake Maye was a menace, terrorizing the Canes with four touchdowns and outdueling Tyler Van Dyke. UM’s last victory in Chapel Hill came on October 28, 2017, with a 24-19 win over the Tar Heels. Ghouls and ghosts, without further ado, let’s look at the players to watch.
North Carolina
Billy Edwards Jr.
Back-to-back games with a TD for Shipp 💪
📺 ACC Network https://t.co/nUbUVivzm2 pic.twitter.com/yAsssokVTN
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) October 24, 2026
Fifth-year senior Billy Edwards Jr. is UNC’s signal caller, tallying 1,531 passing yards, 11 TDs, and five INTs. Edwards was decent against ‘Cuse, throwing for 271 yards and two touchdowns, but it was not enough. The defense blew a 20-10 fourth-quarter lead, allowing the Orange to score twice, sending the game into overtime. He hasn’t thrown a pick since October 10, meaning Miami’s secondary will look to end the streak Saturday night.
Jordan Shipp
Jordan Shipp scores his first TD of the season to open the scoring in Durham 🙌
📺 ESPN2 x @UNCFootball pic.twitter.com/SwV1jdGnBg
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) October 17, 2026
One of the Tar Heels’ key players is Jordan Shipp. The wide receiver recorded 41 receptions for 543 yards and two touchdowns for 2026. Shipp crossed the 100-yard mark for the second time this year in an eight-reception performance, scoring one touchdown. Averaging 13.2 yards per catch, Edwards has a viable option to move the chains. An effective route runner, Shipp can make plays happen with contested catches.
Xavier Lewis
XAVIER. LEWIS. pic.twitter.com/RKc0gudo3o
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) August 31, 2026
Accumulating the second-most sacks in the ACC (7), Xavier Lewis is definitely someone to keep tabs on. Mensah has been sacked eight times, and Lewis will love to disrupt Miami’s high-flying offense any way he can. He’s explosive and quick, complemented by a high football IQ. Lewis will serve as another test for the Canes’ O-line. For comparison, Miami has 20 sacks while North Carolina has 14.
Miami Hurricanes
Malachi Toney
Just another day at the office for @MALACHITONEY2 🤷♂️
📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/MgPrv4HPfz
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) October 24, 2026
Sophomore Malachi Toney is a major reason the Hurricanes rank first in the country in both total offense (551.9 yards per game) and scoring (49 points per game). Toney nearly hit 200 receiving yards, recording 194 yards and three touchdowns in the win over the Pittsburgh Panthers. Considering Syracuse put up 31 points on UNC, there’s no reason to doubt he’ll hit the century mark again. Even coach Belichick said he has no weaknesses.
Cooper Barkate
61-yard house call for Cooper Barkate 😤
📺 ABC x @CanesFootball pic.twitter.com/MlaIuyrO4N
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) October 3, 2026
Man, Cooper Barkate had a rough go against Pitt. Barkate recorded three catches for 32 yards, almost scoring twice but coming away with zilch. Mensah’s deep ball during the second quarter was broken up at the last second, and a similar big play later in the game was derailed. Totaling 24 receptions for 301 yards and four TDs, he’ll get another shot to score at Chapel Hill. Miami is ranked fourth in passing offense (340.7 yards per game) heading into Saturday’s contest.
Mark Fletcher Jr.
Mark Fletcher Jr. made this look smooth🔥
📺 ABC x @ACCFootball pic.twitter.com/UAXHBdIUpY
— CFP (@CFBPlayoff) October 4, 2026
Things are getting interesting now that Javian Mallory is seeing more snaps. Mark Fletcher Jr. rushed 13 times for 41 yards and a touchdown, averaging 3.2 yards per carry last week. With 81 carries for 414 yards and seven TDs, Fletcher has scored in five of six starts. North Carolina ranks near the bottom against the run, allowing 154.7 yards per game. UM, meanwhile, is 18th in the country when it comes to the ground attack, with 211.1 yards per game.
Prediction
I had some concerns about this game, especially after the battle with FSU, but this team is more than capable of going on their business trip and winning. Handily. Syracuse was able to put up points, and the nation’s best offense will do the same. UM remains undefeated with a 45-13 win.
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