Mark Fletcher Jr. scores three times as Miami holds off North Carolina 38-35 to stay unbeaten

Mark Fletcher Jr. didn't pile up yards in Chapel Hill on Saturday night, but he scored three times. The senior running back finished with three touchdowns as No. 1 Miami held off North Carolina 38-35 and improved to 8-0. The Hurricanes also ended a five-game losing streak against the Tar Heels and won at Kenan Stadium for the first time since 2017.

According to ClutchPoints, Fletcher ran 13 times for 43 yards and caught two passes for another 43. His first score came in the second quarter, when he took a short pass from Darian Mensah 31 yards for a 14-7 Miami lead. Then he scored twice on 2-yard runs after halftime, and each one put Miami back in front. The first answered North Carolina's opening drive of the third quarter and made it 24-21, Field Level Media reported. The second came with 7:49 left and made it 31-28. ClutchPoints counts 10 total touchdowns for Fletcher this season and 36 in his college career.

The defense made the play that decided the game. On North Carolina's next possession, Marquise Lightfoot sacked Billy Edwards Jr. and knocked the ball loose, and fellow lineman Justin Scott recovered, the Miami Hurricanes athletics site reported. Six plays later, Mensah found Malachi Toney for a 9-yard touchdown. That cushion mattered because the Tar Heels scored again on their last drive. Mensah completed 22 of 29 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns, and Toney caught seven passes for 75 yards and two scores.

Bill Belichick's team fell to 4-4. North Carolina has now lost two straight by a combined four points, after a 31-30 loss to Syracuse a week earlier. The Tar Heels play at UConn next.

What it means for Notre Dame

Miami has outscored opponents 381-142 this season, or about 47.6 points to 17.8 per game. The defense has slipped lately, though. The Hurricanes allowed 49 points total in their first five games, then gave up 35 to Florida State, 23 to Pittsburgh and 35 to North Carolina, about 31 a game over that stretch. They won all three, but Saturday's trip to No. 5 Notre Dame (NBC) is their toughest test yet. The Irish are 7-1, and their only loss came after they beat North Carolina 37-26 earlier in the season.

The market agrees. Across the seven venues on this site's game page, Notre Dame is favored. On Novig, the Irish are -153 on the moneyline and Miami is +144. Notre Dame is favored by 3.5 points, and the venues are far apart on that number. Novig has the Irish at -141 at -3.5. Fanatics has the same line at -105, the best price anywhere. That gap is wider than the sportsbook hold, which runs from 4.3% to 6.7% on the spread. The total is 55.5. DraftKings has the best over price at -110, and BetMGM has the best under at -108.

That total makes sense given Miami's offense. Fletcher has scored in close games, and Mensah has been efficient. But a defense that just gave up 35 points to a .500 team will have to tighten up in South Bend to keep Miami unbeaten.