Big Play Cedric Gray Slays Miami Again

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Cedric Gray continues to make big plays in big moments for the North Carolina defense.

With 28 seconds remaining, Gray’s tackle to keep Miami tight end Jaleel Skinner in bounds at the 47-yard line and keep the clock running forced Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke to rush a pass up the middle. The deflected throw was intercepted by UNC’s DeAndre Boykins and sealed the Tar Heel win with eight seconds remaining.

“They had no timeouts, so it put their quarterback in a position where he had to go really fast and just sling it,” UNC head coach Mack Brown said in his postgame press conference. “And then that led to the interception. So Ced Gray keeping him in bounds was such a heady play that was bigger than even the interception.”

This time for UNC it was the defense that won the game as North Carolina escaped Miami, 27-24.

“I pride myself on being an intelligent football player, having some football awareness. So that just kind of speaks to the tackle I made on the sideline, trying to keeping the guy in bounds,” Gray said. “I knew that they were trying to stay in bounds. They were trying to do it the whole game. They were doing it before halftime. So just having that awareness to try to keep them in bounds, to keep that clock running, was just kind of what I was thinking.”

It was yet another big play by Gray. Last season vs. the Hurricanes in Chapel Hill, UNC linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel batted Van Dyke’s pass and it was Gray who grabbed the fluttering ball for a game-clinching interception with six seconds remaining.

Eight seconds in 2022, six seconds in 2021. Both UNC wins over Miami. Brown is now 4-0 vs. the Hurricanes since his return.

Gray’s heads-up tackle wasn’t the only big play by the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Charlotte native.

With 12:35 remaining in the fourth quarter and Miami with a 4th-and-one on the UNC 26, Hurricanes running back Jaylan Knighton burst through the Tar Heel defensive line for nine yards before Gray went in for the tackle and punched the ball out. UNC safety Gio Biggers recovered the ball on the 17-yard line.

“On the forced fumble, I mean, you play hard and sometimes good things happen,” Gray said. “That’s just kind of what happened on that play. I was able to knock the ball out and my teammates were there to recover.

“I wouldn’t say it was intentional. But I will say he had the ball on this hand and when I was tackling I definitely came in with a little punch. I mean, it’s fourth-and-one, you’ve got to meet force with force, and I just happened to get my hand on the ball and it popped up.”

It was a massive play that shifted the momentum. Instead of Miami potentially finishing the drive by tying the game, the Tar Heels put together a monster, clock-draining drive of their own. The Tar Heels marched down the field for an 18-play, 8:21 drive to the Miami two-yard line that ended in a field goal that put UNC up two scores.

“I just go out there and play hard. Every snap,” Gray said.

Gray finished with 13 tackles, two quarterback hurries and the forced fumble. For the season, Gray now has 68 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, one pass breakup, two quarterback hurries, and one forced fumble.

Added Boykins, “He’s an intense guy, hard hitter — real hard hitter — he’ll come up and stick you in the hole, he can cover too, long arms.”

Gray arrived at UNC as a 247Sports Composite three-star prospect that primarily played wide receiver. North Carolina was the only power five school to offer him. He is now Carolina’s most important defender.

“Cedric is our most valuable player on defense right now,” Brown said. “He’s the leader, he’s in the middle. You’ve got to be strong up the middle. Our front is playing better, our safeties are playing better, everybody’s learning now to play with more confidence and break on the ball… And we’re so thin at (linebacker) I told Ced and Power (Echols) you can’t get hurt or targeting calls, other than that you’re good. And they played their hearts out tonight. Ced Gray is a special player.”

After the meltdown vs. App State, the disaster against Notre Dame, and the tepid performances vs. FAMU and Georgia State. UNC’s defense finally won a game for the team. North Carolina held the Hurricanes to 41 total rushing yards on 23 carries, including only seven yards on six carries in the second half.

“I think what led to that, honestly, they couldn’t run the ball in the first half. We started off the game early, they could not run the ball on us, really at all,” Gray said. “We just took their run game away. And as the game went on and on, like even in the second quarter, I felt like they passed the ball a lot. So it became a very pass-heavy game. But I mean, that’s what happens when you just stop a run. And the offense does a great job of getting ahead as well. It turns it into a passing game for them.”

The Tar Heels now fly home 5-1 and 2-0 in the ACC. They lead the ACC Coastal. And for this game, the defense carried its weight.

“We put a premium on improving our defense and in executing,” Gray said. “Because we have guys, we’re talented. I mean, I think we all know that we’re a talented bunch. It’s really just about executing and playing to our fullest potential.

“That’s one thing I can say about this defense. We might not be perfect, but we fight. We fight every game and I’m really very, very proud of that.”