Carolina running back Omarion Hampton set new career highs with 35 carries and 244 rushing yards and continued to climb his way up the UNC record books in a 31-24 win against Wake Forest on Saturday night at Kenan Stadium.

Hampton’s banner evening was his eight straight outing with at least 100 rushing yards, which is a UNC record. He amassed 100 yards in the first quarter alone, marking the second straight game the junior hit the century mark in a single quarter. Hampton’s effort also marked the third time in his career he has surpassed 200 rushing yards in a game. Only two other Tar Heels – Mike Voight and Amos Lawrence – have equaled that feat.

In the process, Hampton passed both Don McCauley and Kelvin Bryant to move into fifth place on UNC’s all-time rushing yards list. A touchdown run in the fourth quarter tied Hampton with Bryant and Marquise Williams for fourth place on the school’s all-time total touchdowns list.

That touchdown run effectively sealed the game, giving UNC a 31-17 lead with 2:26 remaining. Carolina had initially taken a 14-point lead at 24-10 after a 42-yard interception return for a touchdown by linebacker Power Echols in the third quarter. It’s the third interception returned for a touchdown by the Carolina defense this season, one shy of tying a school record.

“I just jumped up and caught it,” Echols said of the play. “As soon as I caught, I was going to the end zone.”

 

Echols’ interception was one of three turnovers forced by the Tar Heel defense, including a key strip sack late in the fourth quarter which set up Hampton’s touchdown. The takeaways proved vital on a night when the Carolina offense – outside of Hampton – sputtered more than it sizzled. Quarterback Jacolby Criswell finished with just 132 passing yards and two total touchdowns – one passing and one rushing. He was sacked five times and gave away a key fumble inside the UNC 10-yard line which led to a Wake Forest touchdown.

“It all starts with me,” Criswell said. “People can blame the play-calling. People can blame this and that… I wasn’t efficient today. We’re a really good football team and we won that football game, but at the end of the day, I have to be better.”

But the offense ran through the All-America candidate at running back: when counting his five receptions (the most on the team), Hampton touched the ball on 40 of UNC’s 75 total plays. He accounted for 260 of UNC’s 362 total yards of offense and accrued more than double the rushing yards of the entire Demon Deacons team (114).

“He’s so powerful,” UNC head coach Mack Brown said of Hampton. “He gets better in the fourth quarter… he’s got 4.4 speed at 220 pounds. That’s freakish. But to be unselfish, to be a team guy that the players all love and admire, is a very unique quality that makes him special.”

“I try to be a good teammate,” Hampton said. “I try to be an all-around back. Try to be someone that Jacolby can pass it to… blocking for him. And also running the ball.”

Carolina has won four straight games overall against Wake Forest and five straight in Chapel Hill. Saturday’s win improves the Tar Heels to 6-4 overall and 3-3 in ACC play, the team having won three straight games to clinch bowl eligibility. Carolina will be back in action when it visits Boston College next Saturday at 12 p.m.

 

Featured image via Associated Press/Chris Seward

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