CORAL GABLES, Fl. — Phillip Dorsett, the University of Miami’s sophomore wide receiver, understands this is a special time for the Hurricanes.
UM (4-2) is 3-0 in conference play and sitting alone atop the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Coastal Division.
But Miami’s current situation won’t mean much if the ’Canes don’t defeat North Carolina (4-2, 1-1) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Sun Life Stadium, the first of three consecutive home games.
“We’ve got to take advantage of this opportunity – 3-0 in the ACC with a chance of going 4-0 after this, and after that basically locking up the Coastal with Florida State and Virginia Tech (in the following weeks),” he said.
“It’s a big opportunity for us and we’re really looking forward to it.”
Dorsett wasn’t looking too far ahead, and he wasn’t overlooking the Tar Heels. He was being real.
Duke (5-1, 2-0) is the only other undefeated team in the division. Miami has already defeated Georgia Tech (2-4, 1-3). Of course the Hurricanes have a long way to go toward advancing to their first ACC Championship game since joining the league in 2004. They’ve only played one division opponent and still have to play UNC, which is on probation and ineligible for the title, Virginia Tech (Nov. 1), Virginia (Nov. 10) and Duke (Nov. 24).
“We feel good, but we can’t get complacent,” Dorsett said. “We’ve got to keep our head on straight and keep working hard and move on so we can win out in the ACC.”
Miami was clearly over-matched in non-conference losses to sixth-ranked (52-13) and seventh-ranked Notre Dame (41-3).
North Carolina, however, is an even fight. They’re not nationally ranked, this isn’t a road game, and this game isn’t the subject of college football’s hype machine. Those were big factors a week ago against Notre Dame.
“I think if we’re all honest with each other the stage got some guys,” UM coach Al Golden said.
That shouldn’t happen this week. The young Hurricanes have had a good week of practice, according to Golden. And they’re at home. Miami played four of its first six games on the road.
“If I was in that meeting when that schedule was made I probably wouldn’t have voted for that,” Golden joked.
North Carolina will provide an interesting matchup. The Tar Heels average 44 points per game while Miami’s defense allows 34.7 points per game.
Regardless, the Hurricanes are brimming with tenuous confidence considering they’ve defeated their previous ACC opponents by withstanding offensive shootouts. Miami beat Boston College, 41-32, it defeated Georgia Tech, 42-36 in overtime, and outlasted North Carolina State, 44-37.
And now they stand on the verge of doing something no UM team has ever done by starting 4-0 in the ACC.
“I hope our guys understand the opportunity they’ve created by winning the first three (ACC games),” Golden said.
They seem to understand. And they also seem to understand they can’t get to heavily involved in talking about advancing to the ACC title game.
“We can’t lose our focus or look too far ahead,” junior safety A.J. Highsmith said. “We have to focus on North Carolina this week and then we’ll take it from there as we go forward.”
