Top-ranked Miami enters its Halloween night matchup at North Carolina with a 7-0 record and a 14-1 mark over its last 15 games dating back to early November 2025. The Hurricanes, who have not held the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 since 2002, lead the nation with a scoring margin of 33.7 points per game and feature two Heisman Trophy contenders in quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Malachi Toney.
Miami's Dominant Start
Mensah leads the country in completion percentage at 81.4% and ranks second in FBS with 22 passing touchdowns while averaging 307.3 passing yards per game (fourth nationally). Toney paces the FBS with 66 receptions and has become the first wide receiver on a 7-0 team to surpass 900 receiving yards and 10 touchdown catches since DeVonta Smith in 2020. Miami also boasts the No. 1 second-quarter point differential (+95) and No. 3 third-quarter differential (+57) in FBS, along with a +7.6 average in 'middle 8' scoring.
North Carolina Seeks Redemption
The Tar Heels, coached by Bill Belichick according to the preview, saw their momentum halted by an overtime home loss to Syracuse after leading by 10 points in the fourth quarter. North Carolina has won the last five meetings in the series, including two victories over Miami coach Mario Cristobal in 2022 and 2023, but those Hurricanes teams finished a combined 12-13 overall.
Game Information
The game kicks off Saturday, Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET from Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C. It will be televised on ABC and streamed on Fubo. Miami enters as a 14-point favorite.
Prediction
SportsLine's computer model, which has simulated the Week 9 matchup 10,000 times, projects the total to fall under 52.5 points. The model is on a 68-59 run on top-rated college football picks this season.
