Miami's victory was powered by a fourth-quarter defensive play in which DE Marquise Lightfoot forced a fumble by UNC QB Billy Edwards Jr., recovered by DL Justin Scott. The Hurricanes capitalized on the short 37-yard field position, culminating in WR Malachi Toney scoring the game-winning touchdown.
Darian Mensah and Chris Wheatley-Humphrey prepare to lead the Hurricanes onto the field at Kenan Stadium on October 31, 2026. | John Sexton / Miami Hurricanes On SI
Miami QB Darian Mensah and RB Chris Wheatley-Humphrey prepare to lead the team onto the field. The win marked the Hurricane's fourth road victory of the season.
Darian Mensah warms up at Kenan Stadium on October 31, 2026. | John Sexton / Miami Hurricanes On SI
Miami QB Darian Mensah warms up his throwing arm before kickoff. Mensah put on a clinic against the Tar Heels, completing 79.5% of his throws for 274 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Elija Lofton prays before a game at Kenan Stadium on October 31, 2026. | John Sexton / Miami Hurricanes On SI
Miami TE Elija Lofton prays in the endzone before the game. Lofton was elite with the ball in his hands, totaling 48 yards on three receptions.
Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney celebrate after a touchdown at Kenan Stadium on October 31, 2026. | John Sexton / Miami Hurricanes On SI
Miami QB Darian Mensah celebrates with WR Malachi Toney after a touchdown to open the scoring. Mensah and Toney are both leading Heisman Trophy candidates, with the team launching its Heismen campaign to support the duo last Monday.
Darian Mensah celebrates with Michael Irvin after a touchdown at Kenan Stadium on October 31, 2026. | John Sexton / Miami Hurricanes On SI
Miami QB Darian Mensah celebrates with NFL- and Miami-legend Michael Irvin. Irvin has been a mainstay on the sidelines for the Canes since the 2024 season.
Mark Fletcher scores a touchdown at Kenan Stadium on October 31, 2026. | John Sexton / Miami Hurricanes On SI
Miami RB Mark Fletcher rushes to the endzone for his first touchdown of the game. Fletcher ended with 86 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns.
Mark Fletcher celebrates after scoring a touchdown at Kenan Stadium on October 31, 2026. | John Sexton / Miami Hurricanes On SI
Miami RB Mark Fletcher holds up the "U" after recording a touchdown.
Cooper Barkate receives a pass from Darian Mensah at Kenan Stadium on October 31, 2026. | John Sexton / Miami Hurricanes On SI
Miami WR Cooper Barkate hauls in a 40-yard play to place the Hurricanes in red-zone territory. The play set up K Jake Weinberg for a 25-yard field goal.
Elija Lofton celebrates after picking up a first down at Kenan Stadium on October 31, 2026. | John Sexton / Miami Hurricanes On SI
Miami TE Elija Lofton celebrates after picking up a first down.
Matthew McCoy exchanges words with Jaylen Harvey at Kenan Stadium on October 31, 2026. | John Sexton / Miami Hurricanes On SI
Miami OL Matthew McCoy exchanges words with UNC DL Jaylen Harvey.
Ryan Rodriguez celebrates with Mark Fletcher after a touchdown at Kenan Stadium on October 31, 2026. | John Sexton / Miami Hurricanes On SI
Miami OL Ryan Rodriguez celebrates with RB Mark Fletcher after a touchdown. Fletcher's hat trick enabled him to break the Hurricanes' all-time career touchdowns record.
Ben Congdon celebrates after Mark Fletcher's touchdown at Kenan Stadium on October 31, 2026. | John Sexton / Miami Hurricanes On SI
Miami OL Ben Congdon hypes up Miami fans after RB Mark Fletcher's fourth-quarter touchdown.
Justin Scott celebrates after sacking Billy Edwards Jr. at Kenan Stadium on October 31, 2026. | John Sexton / Miami Hurricanes On SI
Miami DL Justin Scott celebrates after assisting a sack against UNC QB Billy Edwards Jr. Scott recorded four tackles and a fumble recovery in the win.
Elija Lofton runs for a first down at Kenan Stadium on October 31, 2026. | John Sexton / Miami Hurricanes On SI
Miami TE Elija Lofton runs for a first down.
Malachi Toney celebrates after scoring a touchdown at Kenan Stadium on October 31, 2026. | John Sexton / Miami Hurricanes On SI
Miami WR Malachi Toney spikes the ball after scoring his second touchdown of the game. Toney ended with 86 total yards and two touchdowns.
Ethan O'Connor hugs Khristian Dunbar-Hawkins at Kenan Stadium on October 31, 2026. | John Sexton / Miami Hurricanes On SI
Miami DB Ethan O'Connon hugs UNC DB Khristian Dunbar-Hawkins after the win.
Malachi Toney and Monroe Toney celebrate with Hurricanes fans after a win at Kenan Stadium on October 31, 2026. | John Sexton / Miami Hurricanes On SI
Miami WR Malachi Toney and DB Monroe Toney celebrate with Hurricanes fans after the win.
Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Twitter /X, Facebook , YouTube , Instagram , and TikTok for the latest news.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/miami as Scenes From Miami Football's Halloween Thriller Against UNC: Photo Gallery .
