Carolina overcame a sleepy start Saturday afternoon against Campbell, scoring 21 second-quarter points on the way to a 59-7 win in Kenan Stadium. The victory snaps Carolina’s brief two-game losing streak.
“I’m proud of our guys,” said head coach Mack Brown afterward. “They did what you’re supposed to do. They took a team that they were better than and dominated them.”
Quarterback Drake Maye only played two and a half quarters, but still put together another solid day in what is likely his penultimate home game as a Tar Heel. Maye finished 16-23 for 244 yards, four touchdown passes and no interceptions before being relieved by backup Conner Harrell in the third quarter. In the process, Maye took over sole possession of fifth place in UNC history in both touchdown passes (passing T.J. Yates) and total offense (passing Bryn Renner).
North Carolina wide receiver Devontez Walker (9) catches a touchdown pass in front of Campbell cornerback Tyus Fields (11) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
On the ground, running back Omarion Hampton continued to perform at an All-ACC level. Hampton carried the ball 15 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns, securing his fourth consecutive 100-yard game. He’s the first Tar Heel to do that since Giovani Bernard in 2012. Hampton’s first touchdown, a 54-yard jaunt in the second quarter (the third-longest of his college career), also put him over 1,000 yards on the season in just its eighth game. That’s the fastest such achievement by a UNC running back since Bernard in 2012 as well.
But the Tar Heels’ longest play of the day came on the legs of Harrell, who took an option around the right side 61 yards for a touchdown, his first of his college career. Harrell followed that up with a 41-yard touchdown pass to receiver Chris Culliver, in what was the first catch of the freshman’s career.
“He’s gonna be real special,” said receiver Tez Walker, who caught two touchdowns against the Camels. “He’s a real good player, and I’m very proud of him… those go routes, he reps those every day. We knew it was gonna come for him at some point.”
Carolina put up those gaudy numbers despite losing the time of possession battle to the Camels by nearly 17 minutes. Much of the Camel advantage was built in the first half, when the visitors played Carolina to a 7-7 score after 15 minutes and caused some angst around the stadium. The Camels were driving to tie the game at 14-14 early in the second quarter, but had to settle for a short field goal instead. That field goal ended up shanked, triggering a UNC scoring avalanche that made the score 28-7 on the stroke of halftime.
The Tar Heels could have made that lead even larger, but a miscommunication between the offense and the field goal unit as time expired forced Carolina to “settle” for its 21-point advantage. At the very least, it gave head coach Mack Brown and his staff plenty to talk about as the team prepares for a visit from Duke next weekend.
Among other statistical oddities from a mostly-dull afternoon in Kenan: receiver J.J. Jones hauled in what turned out to be Maye’s final touchdown pass of the game, a 21-yard score in the third quarter. Though Jones ranks second on the team in catches this season, it was his first touchdown reception in more than a year. His last came at Miami in October 2022.
Carolina will be back in action Saturday in Chapel Hill when it hosts Duke. The Tar Heels have won four straight against the Blue Devils, and Brown has not lost to Duke since 1989. A kickoff time on Saturday is yet to be announced.
Featured image via Associated Press/Nell Redmond
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