Omarion Hampton and Beau Atkinson earn well-deserved ACC Weekly Honors

All of a sudden, the North Carolina Tar Heels look like a competent ACC football program.

On Saturday, UNC dominated Florida State, a preseason CFP contender, 35-11 in a game which was decided in the second quarter. North Carolina’s defense played a massive role in the outcome, but it was star running back Omarion Hampton who nearly single-handedly gave his team a victory.

The Tar Heels generated seven sacks, led by 3.5 from reserve lineman Beau Atkinson. UNC held the Seminoles to under 100 yards in the first half, then 201 throughout the whole game.

Hampton scored a career-high five touchdowns: four on the ground, then a 49-yard score on a shovel pass from Jacolby Criswell.

For their impacts on Saturday’s game, it’s no surprise that Atkinson and Hampton were named ACC Players of the Week. The ACC tabbed Atkinson Defensive Lineman of the Week, plus it named Hampton Running Back of the Week.

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Hampton continues to showcase he’s one of the best running backs in program history, generating 265 scrimmage yards to go along with his five touchdowns. Hampton currently sits at 1,178 rushing yards, his second-consecutive season with over 1,000 yards, plus he continues to climb the program’s all-time rushing yards list.

Atkinson, who isn’t listed as a starter on North Carolina’s depth chart, is quickly proving why he’ll be a key piece of the future. Atkinson has 5.5 sacks in his past two games, 6.5 this season and has nearly doubled his 2023 total.

The Tar Heels have a bye this coming weekend, then make their long-awaited return home to host Wake Forest on Nov. 15. If Hampton and Atkinson have big games, UNC will finally reach bowl eligibility.