Omarion Hampton, defense carry UNC to dominant victory over Florida State

The Tar Heels marched into Tallahassee and destroy the Seminoles in ACC football action Saturday.

Where have today’s North Carolina Tar Heels been hiding throughout college football season?

For the second-consecutive week, UNC delivered a dominant, well-rounded performance that led it to victory. This time, it came against a preseason ACC Championship pick in Florida State, with North Carolina never trailing after the second quarter in a 35-11 win.

It wouldn’t be a Tar Heels victory without a big game from star running back Omarion Hampton, who scored all FIVE of UNC’s touchdowns and is now seven on the program’s career rushing yards list.

Hampton recorded four on the ground: his first giving North Carolina a 6-3, second-quarter lead it never relinquished, his second extending the Tar Heels’ lead to 13-3 two minutes before halftime, his third a 31-yard burst to open UNC’s second-half scoring (3:12 into the third quarter), then his fourth coming on fourth down with 2:50 left in the third quarter.

If you thought Hampton only contributed on the ground, think again. Hampton added North Carolina’s fifth and final touchdown, too, catching a third-down shovel pass from Jacolby Criswell and taking it 49 yards into the end zone. At that point, UNC led 35-11 three minutes into the fourth quarter.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DB4s35muYKh/

It was the Tar Heels’ defense, though, that made an initial impact on Saturday afternoon.

North Carolina generated SEVEN sacks against Seminoles quarterbacks Brock Glenn and Luke Kromenhoek, with five coming in the first half alone. UNC held FSU to under 100 first-half yards, after doing so the previous week at Virginia, then later ended the game with just 201 total yards allowed.

The Tar Heels won’t be going to the College Football Playoff this year, but they’re suddenly back in bowl game contention after a second-straight convincing win.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.