Game Day Notes: Miami Hurricanes at North Carolina

RV/RV MIAMI HURRICANES (0-1, 0-0 ACC) HEAD COACH: Manny Diaz (Florida State, 1995) | CAREER: 0-1 (first season) | AT MIAMI: 0-1 (first)

AT

NR/NR NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS (1-0, 0-0 ACC) HEAD COACH: Mack Brown (Florida State, 1974) | CAREER: 245-122-1 (31st season) | AT UNC: 70-46-1 (11th season)

THE GAME

• The Miami Hurricanes continue their first season under the direction of head coach Manny Diaz on Sat., Sept. 7 against ACC Coastal foe North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C. Start time for the conference opener for both teams is set for 8 p.m. on ACC Network live from Kenan Stadium.

• The game will be Miami's first ever broadcast on the new ACC Network with Dave O'Brien (play by play), Tim Hasselbeck (color) and Katie George (sideline) on the call. Joe Zagacki (pxp) and Don Bailey, Jr. (color) are in the 560 WQAM radio booth for their 18th season together, while Josh Darrow will handle the sideline duty. Alfredo Alvarez (pxp) and Joe Martinez (color) will also carry the game live on WMYM 990 AM.

THE SERIES

• The series between the two programs is tied, 11-11; the two schools have m=et every single year since Miami joined the ACC prior to the 2004 season.

• Miami has won two straight matchups in the series, including a dominant 47-10 win last year that featured three UM defensive touchdowns.

• Neither program has won three straight matchups in the series since the Tar Heels did it from 2007-09. Prior to 2004, the two teams had not met since 1963. North Carolina leads the series in Chapel Hill, 5-3, while Miami leads the all-time series 8-6 in games played at home vs. the Tar Heels.

THE HURRICANES

• Miami returns 12 starters and 39 letterwinners from a 2018 team that finished with a trip to the New Era Pinstripe Bowl in New York, N.Y. Mark Richt announced his retirement at season's end, and Manny Diaz was named the 25th head coach in University of Miami program history on Jan. 2.

• The Hurricanes dropped their season opener against #8/#8 Florida on Aug. 24, falling to the Gators, 24-20, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

• On Aug. 12, Diaz named redshirt freshman Jarren Williams Miami's starting quarterback for the season. Williams, who beat out redshirt sophomores Tate Martell and N'Kosi Perry in a three-man battle during training camp, made his first career start against the Gators on Aug. 24 and finished 19-for-30 for 214 yards and one passing touchdown. He was the first UM freshman to start a season opener since Brad Kaaya in 2014.

• UM debuted the latest 'Turnover Chain' - sporting a gaudy '305' charm - and its 'Touchdown Rings,' a reward for offensive touchdowns, in the opener.

• Miami had eight players earn major preseason accolades, including multiple players named to more than one major award watch list. Among them were LB Shaq Quarterman (Butkus Award, Bednarik Award), DL Jonathan Garvin (Bednarik, Walter Camp POY) and WR K.J. Osborn (Biletnikoff)

• Diaz, who spent the previous three seasons as defensive coordinator for the Hurricanes (2016-18), retooled Miami's offensive staff upon his hire, bringing Dan Enos from Alabama as offensive coordinator and hiring four other new coaches for offense. He hired longtime colleague Blake Baker, who spent the last four seasons at Louisiana Tech, as defensive coordinator and added Todd Stroud as assistant head coach / defensive line coach.

THE OPPONENT

• North Carolina is under the direction of Mack Brown, who is in the first season of his second stint with the Heels and 31st season as a head coach.

• The Heels opened their season on Aug. 31 against South Carolina in Charlotte, N.C., winning, 24-20, vs. the Gamecocks at Bank of America Stadium.

• The Tar Heels were led on offense by true freshman QB Sam Howell, who threw for 245 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start at UNC.

UM OPENS ACC PLAY ON TOBACCO ROAD

• Miami plays its first conference game under under head coach Manny Diaz in a Sept. 7 matchup at North Carolina. Miami has opened its ACC schedule with the Tar Heels in back-to-back years; UM thumped the Heels, 47-10, in last year's matchup.

• Miami has a 9-6 record all-time in ACC openers since joining the conference in 2004, including wins in all three ACC openers while Diaz was defensive coordinator under Mark Richt from 2016-18.

• The Hurricanes will be opening ACC play on the road for the fifth time in six years (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019).

• Miami is opening ACC play with UNC for the third time; in addition to last year's win, UM fell, at home, 24-28 on Sept. 27, 2008.

QB WILLIAMS IMPRESSES IN FIRST START

• Redshirt freshman Jarren Williams made the first start of his collegiate career on Sat., Aug. 24 against Florida. Williams finished 19-for-30 for 214 yards and 1 TD.

• Williams beat out QBs Tate Martell and N'Kosi Perry in a three-man battle and was named starting QB on Mon., Aug. 12.

• Williams, a consensus four-star prospect in high school, saw action in one game in 2018 vs. Savannah State (Sept. 8).

• Williams was ranked among the top-10 dual-threat passers in the Class of 2018 by every scouting service, and was ranked the No. 106 overall prospect by ESPN.

• The Lawrenceville, Ga., native picked UM over offers from Ohio State, Alabama, Florida and Georgia, among others.

CHAIN RETURNS, TD RINGS MAKE DEBUT

• One of the most recognizable sights in all of college football over the last two seasons, the latest version of the turnover chain was on full display in Miami's opener vs. Florida.

• The new chain, sporting a 10-inch '305' charm that contains more than 2,000 white sapphire stones, was worn four times vs. the Gators, including the first-ever appearance when DL Scott Patchan recovered a fumble.

• The season opener vs. the Gators also served as the debut for Miami's offensive reward: the touchdown rings, which combine to spell out "Hurricanes".

• The touchdown rings were first worn by TE Brevin Jordan and were later worn by RB DeeJay Dallas, who scored on a 50-yard touchdown run out of the 'Wildcat.

MIAMI OPENS ACC PLAY ON TOBACCO ROAD VERSUS NORTH CAROLINA

• Miami opens Atlantic Coast Conference play on the road for the fifth time in the past six years when it battles North Carolina at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Sept. 7. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m.

• The Hurricanes will be opening their conference schedule against the Tar Heels for the second straight year and for the third time ever; Miami toppled UNC, 47-10, at Hard Rock Stadium last year.

• Miami has won back-to-back meetings vs. the Tar Heels, but the all-time series is tied, 11-11. The two programs have met every year since Miami joined the ACC (2004), with UM leading, 8-7, since then.

• The Hurricanes are opening their season with two straight games away from home for the first time since 2012, when UM traveled to Boston College and Kansas State for the first two games of the year.

• Miami will be playing its first game ever broadcast on the ACC Network when it travels to play UNC.

• Head coach Manny Diaz will be squaring off against his former boss at Texas, Mack Brown, who is back at North Carolina after a five-year hiatus from coaching. Diaz worked at Texas from 2011-13.

HURRICANES HAVE CRUISED IN ACC OPENERS SINCE DIAZ'S ARRIVAL

• Ever since his arrival as a member of Mark Richt's staff in January 2016, Manny Diaz and the Miami Hurricanes have cruised through ACC openers, compiling a perfect 3-0 mark in three seasons.

• In Diaz's three years as defensive coordinator, the Canes dominated at Georgia Tech (2016), at Duke (2017) and at home vs. North Carolina (2018), winning those games by an average of 25.3 points.

• Miami has a 9-6 all-time record in ACC openers and have opened play on the road nine times (5-4).

• Diaz's unit was a big reason for Miami's win last year, as his defensive group came up with three touchdowns in a 47-10 rout. The Hurricanes defense recorded six turnovers in the victory and its three defensive TDs tied a program mark, set Sept. 23, 2000 - in a 47-10 victory at West Virginia.

WILLIAMS WINS QUARTERBACK BATTLE, WILL MAKE SECOND START

• QB Jarren Williams was announced as Miami's starting quarterback by head coach Manny Diaz on Monday, Aug. 12 after winning a quarterback battle that started in spring ball and lasted into camp.

• In his first start as quarterback vs. Florida on Aug. 24, Williams finished 19-for-30 for 214 yards and the first passing TD of his career. He became UM's seventh freshman QB to start a game since 2008.

• Williams beat out QBs Tate Martell and N'Kosi Perry for the starting spot. Williams will make the second start of his career on Sept. 7 against North Carolina; he is the first freshman to start a season opener since Brad Kaaya started as a true freshman against Louisville on Labor Day weekend 2014.

• Williams saw action in one game as a substitute during his true freshman year; he finished 1-for-3 with one 17-yard pass and a one-yard rushing touchdown against Savannah State on Sept. 8, 2018.

• A consensus four-star prospect out of Central Gwinnett High School, Williams was ranked as the No. 6 dual threat quarterback by ESPN.com. He was a 2018 U.S. Army All-American Bowl selection.

• Williams chose Miami over Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia and Ohio State, among other schools.

TURNOVER CHAIN 3.0 UNVEILED, TOUCHDOWN RINGS MAKE DEBUT

• When DL Scott Patchan pounced on a Gators fumble in the first quarter of Miami's game on Aug. 24, fans inside the stadium and across the country awaited the unveil of the newest Turnover Chain.

• The chain, which previously featured a charm in the shape of the iconic 'U' (2017) and Sebastian the Ibis (2018), features a 10-inch charm with the famous '305' Miami area code with more than 2,000 white sapphires; the charm weighs 500 grams. The chain took roughly three months to complete.

• In addition to Patchan, LB Shaq Quarterman (fumble recovery), S Amari Carter (interception) and striker Romeo Finley (interception) each wore the turover chain in Miami's opener vs. the Gators.

• After QB Jarren Williams hit TE Brevin Jordan for a touchdown pass in the second quarter, the newest reward was showcased: the Touchdown Rings. Made mostly of orange and green sapphires, the Touchdown Rings weigh 100 grams and contain close to 500 stones between the pair.

DALLAS IMPRESSES IN FIRST GAME AS MIAMI'S STARTING RUNNING BACK

• After playing behind 2019 Seattle Seahawks' draft selection Travis Homer the last two years, RB DeeJay Dallas was listed as UM's starting running back after an impressive offseason and fall camp.

• In his first career start, Dallas had a game-high 131 all-purpose yards, including a game-high 94 rushing yards. He had a career-high four catches and scored on a 50-yard TD run out of the 'Wildcat' formation.

• Though he was not a starter last season, Dallas was all over the field for the Hurricanes. The Georgia native had the longest rush of any player (83 yards), the longest kick return of any player (53) and the longest punt return (65). He ranked first on the Hurricanes in all-purpose yards (1,260).

• Dallas ended the year second in rushing yards (617) and tied for the team lead with six rushing TDs.

• In 27 career games, Dallas has found the end zone 11 times (10 rushing TDs) despite starting one game.

• Dallas became a father this offseason; though his own name is Demetrius, he named his son DeeJay.

JORDAN HAS BIG OPENER, IS SETTING THE STANDARD AT #TIGHTENDU

• Playing his first season of college football, TE Brevin Jordan emerged as a go-to target in the Miami offense in 2018; Jordan was second in UM in receptions (32) and was second in touchdowns (four).

• Jordan was named to the All-ACC Second Team after a standout first year, starting 12 of 13 games.

• Jordan enjoyed a strong opener vs. Florida on Aug. 24, starting the game and finishing with a team high five-catches for a career-best 88 yards and one TD, on a 25-yard pass from QB Jarren Williams.

• A Las Vegas native and high school teammate of QB Tate Martell and S Bubba Bolden, Jordan was named to the Mackey Award preseason watch list (nation's top tight end) and was preseason All-ACC.

• Jordan was named a Midseason Freshman All-America by ESPN. The talented sophomore was rated the No. 1 tight end in the country by ESPN.com and 247Sports.com and was the No. 2-rated TE by Rivals.

• Jordan and fellow sophomore Will Mallory are expected to play a major role in their first years under offensive coordinator Dan Enos. Jordan missed most of the spring due to an injury, helping Mallory earn major reps as the team's primary tight end. Redshirt junior Michael Irvin II will also be a key factor.

DIAZ SQUARING OFF AGAINST A FAMILIAR FOE FOR ANOTHER WEEK

• For the second straight week to open his career as University of Miami head coach, Manny Diaz will be competing against a former colleague. Diaz will face off against former boss Mack Brown, who was head coach at Texas during Diaz's tenure as defensive coordinator for the Longhorns from 2011-13.

• In his first game as head coach, Diaz was facing off against his former colleague Dan Mullen, now coach of the Gators, on Aug. 24. Diaz worked for Mullen for two seasons at Mississippi State (2010, 2015).

• Diaz left Starkville, Miss., to accepted the defensive coordinator job at Miami in January 2016.

OSBORN MAKES FIRST CAREER START, HAS BEEN LOCKER ROOM LEADER

• One of Miami's most important additions of the offseason was transfer K.J. Osborn, who transferred to Miami for his final year of eligibility after an impressive four-year career at Buffalo with the Bulls.

• Osborn was selected as one of two players to represent Miami at ACC Kickoff, the conference's annual media day, despite not having played a down at that point. Osborn has been cited by coaches and teammates as a key locker room influence. He was selected one of four captains for the Florida game.

• In his first ever game at The U, Osborn started and caught four passes for 41 yards - both second-most on Miami. He had a long catch of 18 yards and tied for third-most catches of any player in the game.

• In three seasons at Buffalo, Osborn totaled 1,490 yards and 12 touchdown receptions. He was a secondteam All-MAC selection as a junior. Born in Ypsilanti, Mich., he went to IMG Academy for high school.

HURRICANES RETURN TO NORTH CAROLINA FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2017

• Miami will be making its first trip to the state of North Carolina since the 2017 ACC Championship Game in Charlotte, N.C. Since joining the ACC prior to 2004, Miami has made traveled to the Tar Heel State on 21 occasions and has compiled a 14-7 record in games played in the state and a 13-6 mark in ACC games.

• The Hurricanes have played 19 games that count towards ACC standings in N.C. and two that haven't; one was a 45-10 win over Appalachian State in 2017, the other a loss to Clemson for the 2017 ACC title.

• The Hurricanes have averaged 30.66 points per game in its 21 trips to the state since the 2004 season.

NINE HURRICANES MAKE THEIR DEBUTS IN SEASON OPENER VS. FLORIDA

• Nine Hurricanes made their debuts in Miami's season opener vs. the Gators, including two players who started: LT Zion Nelson and WR K.J. Osborn. Nelson was one of just four freshmen to debut vs. Florida.

• Joining Nelson as true freshmen were DL Jahfari Harvey, DB Te'Cory Couch and DB Christian Williams.

• Osborn was among five players who transferred to Miami this offseason and made their debuts; the other who debuted were P Louis Hedley, DL Trevon Hill, QB Tate Martell and DL Chigozie Nnoruka.

• Hedley punted four times (42.5 yard average), Hill had two tackles and Osborn had four receptions.