No. 6 Miami Rallies to Down Carolina 34-16

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Posted 4:42PM on Saturday, October 29, 2005

MIAMI (AP) -- Tyrone Moss rushed for career-highs of 195 yards and four touchdowns, three scores after halftime, as No. 6 Miami pulled away to beat North Carolina 34-16 on Saturday. The Hurricanes trailed 16-7 at intermission, then scored three touchdowns in an eight-minute span of the third quarter to take control, setting up a showdown with unbeaten Virginia Tech next Saturday night for first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference's Coastal Division. Moss scored on a 1-yard run in the first quarter, then added second-half scoring runs of 1, 4 and 15 yards to ensure Miami (6-1, 3-1) wouldn't be upset by North Carolina for the second straight year. Quadtrine Hill recovered a punt he blocked in the end zone for the go-ahead score for Miami, which won its sixth straight. And the Hurricanes' defense, which entered ranked No. 1 nationally but yielded 170 first-half yards, kept the Tar Heels to 18 total yards on 30 plays after halftime - 14 of those yards coming in the final minute. Ronnie McGill rushed for 66 yards - he had 67 at halftime - and both touchdowns for North Carolina (3-4, 2-2), which needs three wins in its final four games to become bowl-eligible for the second straight year. Trimane Goddard had two interceptions for North Carolina, which held Miami quarterback Kyle Wright to 111 yards on 11-of-16 passing. But the Tar Heels simply couldn't slow Moss, who became the fifth Miami runner to score four times in one game. His 15-yard touchdown run in the fourth period closed the scoring. The Hurricanes wore circa-1967, kelly green-and-gold throwback uniforms. In the first half, literally and figuratively, they looked nothing like their usual selves. Wright threw all three of his interceptions in the opening two quarters, and North Carolina ran for 117 yards by halftime, with McGill opening the scoring on a 1-yard run to cap the Tar Heels' opening drive. Moss' 1-yard run late in the opening quarter tied the score at 7, but Carolina reclaimed the lead on a bizarre play. Facing a third-and-5 from the Miami 35, Hurricanes center Anthony Wollschlager snapped the ball over Wright's head. It squirmed back inside the 5 and was intentionally kicked out of the end zone by Miami left tackle Eric Winston - potentially saving a touchdown, but giving the Tar Heels a safety and a 9-7 lead. The Heels eventually got their touchdown anyhow. On the ensuing drive, McGill scored from 7 yards, ending an easy eight-play, 50-yard drive to give his team a 16-7 advantage. But from there, it was all Miami, which played its first home game since Hurricane Wilma struck, and storm reminders were everywhere at the Orange Bowl. Miami's ring of honor, bolted to the steel-faced second deck on the north side, was loosened by wind and removed. Some light towers had bulbs blown away, a few sections were cordoned off because of damage, and the scoreboard screen showing the visitors' total was gone. Plus, the upper deck was emptied in the second quarter, with a few thousand fans moved to the lower bowl as a precaution because of gusty winds. © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.