The Miami Hurricanes found a way to do what a number of top contenders have failed to do this year: win. The Hurricanes did just that Saturday night in Chapel Hill, squeaking by the North Carolina Tar Heels 38-35.

It was far from a dominating performance for Miami, which came into the game as two-touchdown favorites. The final score was close for a reason, and that reason sat squarely on one side of the ball.

To be fair to the Canes, plenty went right offensively. Miami rolled up 416 yards of total offense and scored five touchdowns and a field goal on six of its seven offensive possessions. The Hurricanes then ran out the clock on their eighth and final drive to seal it.

That’s good work. Most weeks, an offense that efficient wins going away.

This was not most weeks.

Corey Hetherman’s defense had no answers for North Carolina

On the defensive side of the ball, the game was an unmitigated disaster for defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman’s unit, and it looked too much like a 2024 group that faded terribly late in the season to cost the team a playoff spot.

North Carolina punted on its opening drive. From that point, the Tar Heels scored touchdowns on their next four possessions and grabbed a 28-24 lead in the fourth quarter.

Hetherman’s defense did come up with one crucial turnover when Marquise Lightfoot forced a fumble and Justin Scott recovered it after the Hurricanes had regained the lead at 31-28. Aside from that takeaway and the opening punt, Miami couldn’t keep Carolina out of the end zone for the rest of the night.

Much of the blame lies in two areas: a suddenly lacking pass rush and a secondary that’s having a hard time sticking in coverage.

Miami rotated its coverages, as usual. However, North Carolina quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. found his targets time and again in the gaps of the Hurricanes’ coverage. Miami had no answer for UNC tight end Jelani Thurman, who finished with five catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns.

The lack of pressure only made those coverage issues worse. The Hurricanes couldn’t get off the field, much less force the second-and- third-and-long situations that give a defense a real chance to stall out a drive.

Secondary struggles are becoming a pattern for Miami

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Miami have issues in the secondary, either.

The Hurricanes struggled to stop Florida State’s offense in a 43-35 double-overtime win on Oct. 17. In that one, Seminoles quarterback Ashton Daniels hit Deuce Robinson for a 75-yard touchdown shortly after Miami retook the lead in the fourth quarter. That score eventually forced overtime, where the Canes managed to prevail. Pittsburgh also hit on big plays against Miami last week, connecting on 36- and 49-yard touchdowns and a 53-yard near-touchdown.

Three straight weeks of explosive plays allowed through the air is no longer a fluke. It’s a trend, and opposing offensive coordinators have certainly taken notice.

Bottom line: it’s a problem Miami has to figure out quickly. The schedule doesn’t offer much time to sort it out. The Hurricanes hit the road to face Notre Dame on Saturday, then return home for games against Duke and Virginia Tech.

Miami should be favored the rest of the way after the trip to South Bend. But if Hetherman and his players can’t find a way to tighten up the pass defense, the Hurricanes could fall victim to the upset bug before the season is over.

An offense this productive can only bail out a leaky defense so many times. Whether this group can fix it in time is still unknown.