The North Carolina Tar Heels handed the Miami Hurricanes their first conference loss of the season Saturday, winning 18-14 in Miami's Sun Life Stadium.
The game was cut to a one-point deficit after Miami's Stephen Morris capped off a 94-yard drive with a five-yard quarterback keeper in the middle of the third. But the Tar Heels responded with 48-yard field goal by Casey Barth on the following possession to give North Carolina a little more breathing room.
The Hurricanes lost any real hope of coming back when Morris' left ankle buckled under his weight in the fourth quarter. He was assisted off the field and did not return, replaced by sophomore Ryan Williams.
Williams helped lead Miami on drives of 48 yards and 59 yards on their final possessions, but both ended on downs with the Hurricanes needed more than just a field goal.
Box Score Hero: North Carolina running back Giovani Bernard once again put the team on his back with 177 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. He also chipped in four receptions for 36 yards.
Rankings Ramifications: Neither of these teams received any votes in any of the major polls last week so North Carolina is unlikely to springboard into the top 25 come Sunday.
But Did They Cover? North Carolina was unable to hold up its end of the deal as 7.5-point favorites.
Next Week's Schedule: North Carolina will be carrying a four-game winning streak into its rivalry game on the road against Duke on Saturday. On the other end, the Hurricanes are staying at home with No. 12 Florida State coming into town for a huge ACC matchup.
This story originally appeared on SBNation.com.