Miami quarterback Stephen Morris threw for a school-record 566 yards and five touchdowns – including a 62-yard touchdown to Phillip Dorsett with 19 seconds left – to lead Miami to a 44-37 victory Saturday at Sun Life Stadium.
Morris was 26 for 49 with just one interception. He only completed 52 per cent of his passes, but he averaged almost 12 yards per pass.
Overall, the Hurricanes produced 651 yards of total offense in another wild game.
Dorsett caught seven passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns, sixth all-time UM receiving yards for a single-game performance.
Fellow receiver Rashawn Scott added 180 yards and two touchdowns on six catches – tied for tenth all-time in receiving yards.
Miami came out blazing, let up for a couple quarters and charged back late for the victory. Morris threw 271 of his yards and three touchdown passes in the first quarter. UM had a 23-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. But the Canes produced just 44 yards of offense in the second and third quarters before they went on a 10-play, 90-yard drive. The drive culminated with a 4-yard touchdown run by Duke Johnson to make it 30-21 with 54 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Wolpack’s Bryan Underwood got behind safety Vaugn Telemaque and was all alone on the right side of the end zone to make a 28-yard touchdown catch with 10:23 left and trail by only three – 30-27. Niklas Sade missed the extra point to keep UM ahead by three points.
The Canes made it 37-27 on a 13-yard touchdown pass to Scott. The pass, which culminated a seven-play, 76-yard drive, bounced out of the hands of Wolfpack safety Brandan Bishop into Scott’s hands.
But NC State came back with a 60-yard pass that beat cornerback Brandon McGee, followed moments later by a third-and-goal touchdown pass to Rashard Smith to trail 37-34.
UM kicker Jake Wieclaw missed his third field goal of the day, a 43-yard attempt, with about four minutes left in the game.
NC tied the score at 37-37 with a 50-yard field goal with 2:03 left.
Miami forced six turnovers in the game, including an interception by safety A.J. Highsmith on the final play.
The Canes are now 4-1 overall and in first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division with a 3-0 record as they head into next week’s matchup with Notre Dame.