Behind a career day from running back Omarion Hampton, Carolina romped to its second straight blowout victory on Saturday afternoon, defeating Florida State 35-11 in Tallahassee.

Hampton set career highs in both carries (32) and total yards (265), all while scoring all five of UNC’s touchdowns on the day. On the ground, the junior star amassed 172 yards and scored four times, becoming the first UNC running back to score four rushing touchdowns since Ty Chandler in 2021. Hampton also passed both Natrone Means and Ethan Horton to move into seventh place on UNC’s all-time rushing yards list with 3,083 for his career. In addition, Hampton became the first ACC running back to record seven consecutive 100-yard rushing games since 2021.

Through the air, Hampton added three catches for 93 yards, including a 49-yard catch-and-run for his fifth touchdown.

By and large, UNC had little use for the passing game against the Seminoles; quarterback Jacolby Criswell threw only 17 passes, and the Tar Heels only threw the ball three times in the second half. The run-heavy game plan resulted in a decisive time-of-possession advantage, as UNC held the ball for nearly 40 minutes.

Defensively, the Tar Heels continued their positive momentum from the dominant win at Virginia the weekend before. Carolina held a hapless Florida State offense to 201 total yards and only 42 on the ground. The UNC defensive front created havoc for Seminole quarterbacks Brock Glenn and Luke Kromenhoek all day, totaling seven sacks – half of which came from sophomore defensive lineman Beau Atkinson. Of the Seminoles’ 10 drives, five ended in punts, one ended in a turnover on downs and two ended in interceptions from Will Hardy and Alijah Huzzie. Florida State averaged a paltry 4.4 yards per play and 1.5 yards per rush.

The win is Carolina’s second straight after a four-game losing streak. The Tar Heels are now 5-4 overall and 2-3 in league play. Saturday’s victory is also the first for head coach Mack Brown against Florida State, as the Hall of Famer had lost his previous 11 meetings with his alma mater. In a strange twist, UNC has won three of its last four visits to Doak Campbell Stadium, despite a 4-17-1 all-time record against Florida State.

UNC will be back in action when it hosts Wake Forest on Saturday, November 16 at Kenan Stadium.

 

Featured image via Associated Press/Colin Hackley

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