Tag: British Brooks

Brooks and Rucker take home ACC POTW honors for UNC

British Brooks and Kaimon Rucker, instrumental to UNC’s season-opening win against South Carolina, earned ACC Player of the Week honors.

There are few other feelings in sports that match starting a season 1-0.

Those teams get to claim they’re “undefeated” for at least one more week. Some of these 1-0 schools might enjoy that mark for the entire season, while others might fall back to .500 the following week.

UNC is one of the lucky schools who gets to stay undefeated heading into its Week 2 clash, as the Tar Heels rode a strong, second-half defensive performance to a 31-17 victory over South Carolina.

UNC generated nine sacks – more than half of its 2022 total (17). The ground game racked up 168 yards and two scores, while Drake Maye threw for over 250 yards and two touchdowns.

Because of their respective roles in the Tar Heels’ win, British Brooks and Kaimon Rucker earned ACC Player of the Week honors.

Brooks, named ACC Running Back of the Week, led the Heels’ ground game with a game-high 103 rushing yards on 15 carries. This game was an emotional return for Brooks, who played his first game since 2021.

Rucker, tabbed defensive lineman of the week, led all players with 5.5 tackles for loss and tied for a game-high two sacks.

Both Brooks and Rucker helped UNC start 1-0 for the second consecutive season. They’re now preparing for their first home game of 2023, as the Tar Heels prepare to host App State on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 5:15 p.m.

There was some history made when the two in-state rivals matched up last year, with Carolina prevailing in a high-scoring affair.

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Brooks leads four Tar Heels with Player of the Game honors in win vs. Gamecocks

British Brooks, Kaimon Rucker, Ryan Coe and Ben Kiernan all earned Player of the Game honors for their role in UNC’s Saturday victory.

It’s been an amazing Labor Day weekend for the UNC football program and its fans.

That all started Saturday night, when an experienced but revamped Tar Heel squad stifled South Carolina, 31-17, in the season opener for both teams under the bright lights of Bank of America Stadium.

There were so many positives from UNC, particularly with the defensive unit that was one of college football’s worst in 2022. The Tar Heels’ defensive generated nine sacks – more than half the 2022 total (17) – and held the Gamecocks to just three second half points.

UNC running back British Brooks, playing in his first game since 2021, showed no signs of rust. He gained a game-high 103 rushing yards on 15 carries, averaging 6.9 yards per carry. This earned him the Tar Heels’ Offensive Player of the Game.

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There were so many Tar Heels who could’ve earned Defensive Player of the Game, but that honor went to starting Jack linebacker Kaimon Rucker. It’s easy to see why Rucker was picked – he led all UNC defensive players with six solo tackles, including a game-high 5.5 for loss, plus tied for the team lead with two sacks.

The Tar Heels’ special team were pretty solid, too, which earned new transfer kicker Ryan Coe and longtime punter Ben Kiernan Special Teams Player of the Game honors. Coe kicked a 37-yard field goal and was a perfect 4/4 on extra points, while Kiernan punted twice for 85 yards.

UNC has another tough test coming up on Saturday, Sept. 9, as it welcomes App State to Kenan Stadium for its home opener. We all remember what happened last time these two squads played…

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British Brooks shines in emotional return from injury

UNC’s British Brooks shares an on-field moment with Mack Brown after rushing for 100+ yards in his return game from injury.

Last season, North Carolina running back [autotag]British Brooks[/autotag] was posed for a big year, being named a starter for the 2022-2023 season. Sadly, that big year would have to pause after it was announced that Brooks would miss the entire year after tearing a knee ligament.

Many wondered if we would see Brooks again in Carolina Blue next year. Thankfully, he did, returning to UNC for one final year, and is already off to a great start. The Tar Heel led North Carolina’s ground game in UNC’s season-opening win against South Carolina, accounting for 103 yards on 15 carries.

It was a sight to see as Brooks’s vision, speed, and power were fully displayed.

After the game ended, Brooks could be seen on the field with Mack Brown as the two embraced the moment.

Brown discussed Brooks’s exceptional return while meeting with the press following the win.

“He was just so proud that he made it back,” Brown said. “That young guy did an unbelievable job of getting healthy and played so well tonight.”

Brown said this when asked about the special moment they shared on the field following the win.

“I said I am so proud of you (Brooks). A lot of people can’t do what you just did. What a great message to DeAndre Boykins and some of those who are hurt now. You took an awful situation and turned it into a positive by coming back and being able to play to help your team win.”

Brooks, a native from Gastonia, North Carolina, rushed for 100 yards for the second time in his career a year. Having his return game in his backyard is as memorable as it gets.

What UNC head coach Mack Brown said after win over South Carolina

UNC football head coach Mack Brown, who earned his 100th victory on Saturday, Sept. 2 against South Carolina, spoke to the media after.

If you’re a UNC football fan, you have a ton to be proud of right now.

The Tar Heels put on one of their best defensive performances in recent memory – against an SEC opponent, nonetheless, sacking South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler nine times (more than half of 2022 total) and holding the Gamecocks to just a field goal in the second half, in a 31-17 victory.

The ground game, led by 103 yards from British Brooks in his first game action since 2021, generated 168 yards total and two scores. Wide receiver Kobe Paysour and John Copenhaver stepped up tremendously in the absence of Devontez Walker and Nate McCollum, combining for 10 catches, 118 yards and two touchdowns.

Even with two interceptions, Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye still completed 24 passes for 269 yards and two scores.

All this should have UNC stay put at 21st in the AP Poll come Week 2, It might be good enough to climb the ranks a bit, which would help their College Football Playoff chances.

Carolina’s performance had head coach Mack Brown smiling from ear-to-ear. Check out what he had to say after the season-opening triumph:

Tar Heels hold Gamecocks to three second-half points in season-opening victory

UNC rode a strong ground game, significantly improved defense and two Drake Maye touchdown passes to a 31-17 win over South Carolina.

UNC football fans waited seemingly forever for a performance like tonight’s.

The Tar Heels showed tremendous effort on both sides of the football, limited the big plays they gave up and created some of their own.

That all led to a 31-17 victory over the University of South Carolina, on Saturday night, under the bright lights of Bank of America Stadium in uptown Charlotte.

This was UNC’s first win in the series since 2019, its fourth win in 11 tries against the Gamecocks, plus its second consecutive season starting with a victory.

How did the Heels do it tonight?

They went into halftime with a slight, 17-14 advantage, then came out looking like a whole new team.

UNC was up in South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler’s grill all night, sacking him nine times and forcing him to make a plethora of bad throws. The ground game, led by British Brooks gaining 103 yards in his first game action since 2021, found the end zone twice and racked up 168 yards. Despite his two interceptions, Drake Maye enjoyed a solid showing, completing 24/32 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns.

The Tar Heels’ first score of the game came on the first of Omarion Hampton’s two, goal-line touchdown runs just over five minutes into the game, then the last score came on John Copenhaver’s SportsCenter Top 10-worthy TD reception with six minutes remaining in the third quarter.

If there was one glaring takeaway from tonight’s win, it was undoubtedly the defense – for several reasons.

The Heels’ nine sacks was more than half their 2022 total – 17. Kaimon Rucker and Amari Gainer, the Florida State transfer, led the way with two apiece.

UNC’s defense held the Gamecocks to three – yes, you read that correctly – three second-half points. This was even with Spencer Rattler, the 2021 Preseason Heisman Trophy favorite at Oklahoma, under center.

In comparison – the 2022 Tar Heel defense allowed the sixth-most yards in the entire FBS.

Next up for UNC is its Kenan Stadium opener, as it hosts App State on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 5:15 p.m. This is a rematch of last year’s historic Labor Day weekend matchup, when the Heels and Mountaineers combined for 62 fourth-quarter points.

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5 things to watch for in UNC Football opener against South Carolina

UNC’s first football clash of the year is Saturday, Sept. 2 against South Carolina. Look out for the following five keys in the matchup.

Week 1 – a fresh start for college football teams across the country.

People get to see new stars and familiar faces for their favorite teams. Heisman Trophy campaigns get underway. Upsets are bound to happen, while title favorites begin their quests – will anyone be able to stop Georgia this year?

The University of North Carolina football team is one of many who gets to press “reset” – and it is very thankful to do so.

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The Tar Heels were a fringe College Football Playoff team last year, starting 9-1 with wins over schools like App State, Pitt and Wake Forest, whom they clinched the ACC Coastal Division against.

No one could have possibly seen what was coming next. UNC lost four consecutive games to end the season, including the first of four against a struggling Georgia Tech squad that, eventually, missed out on bowl action. Drake Maye threw for a career-high 448 yards against Wake Forest, then failed to eclipse 300 in the Heels’ final four contests.

With Maye, a deadly tight end trio, the entire running back room returning and a dangerous linebacking corps, as part of a hopefully-improved defense, the Heels need to beat South Carolina Saturday if they want any shot at the College Football playoff.

Before the Saturday matchup, we look at five things to watch in this ACC-SEC clash.

5 things to watch for in UNC vs Florida A&M matchup

As Carolina is set to open up their season against Florida A&M, we take a look at a few key things you should know before you watch.

The UNC football program is set to host Florida A&M for the HBCU celebration game this Saturday night with a new era on the horizon.

This will mark the first time Carolina plays week zero as they look to have a better start to the year than their 17-10 defeat to Virginia Tech a season ago.

UNC is 84-43-4 in season-opening games with [autotag]Mack Brown[/autotag] holding a record of 10-3 during his tenure as Carolina head coach.

This will also be the Tar Heels’ 10th time playing in August, holding a 5-4 record in the month.

This will be the first game without quarterback Sam Howell commanding the huddle, officially passing the torch to recently named stater Drake Maye. A new QB isn’t the only change UNC will have stepping on the field this season, as they will also debut new-look defense with Gene Chizik calling the shots.

Carolina will look different this year, and this game can pinpoint what fans can expect this season. We take a look at five things all UNC fans should watch for this weekend. One of those guys that UNC fans can’t wait to suit up is five-star freshman Travis Shaw. It appears we should see some glimpses of Shaw sprinkled throughout the game, so it will be interesting to see how quickly his play adjusts to the collegiate level.

Making it worse for UNC, Caleb Hood and Elijah Green have been sidelined for parts of training camp, opening the door for freshman Omarion Hampton and George Pettaway to receive carries. The good news for UNC is that the depleted core will get their first workload against Florida A&M.

UNC RB D.J. Jones feels prepared to start in season opener

UNC running back D.J. Jones is excited for his new opportunity as the starting running back for the Tar Heels.

The UNC football program is preparing to take on Florida A&M Saturday with adjustments being made to battle injuries and position-clogged jams.

One of the adjustments that has been made is running back [autotag]D.J. Jones[/autotag] being named a starter after news broke that British Brooks would be sidelined for the season due to injury. Jones is the second most experienced running back behind Brooks, pinpointing to the rationale for the start.

Jones is set to be backed up by freshmen Omarion Hampton and George Pettaway after sophomores Caleb Hood and Elijah Green missed time in training camp due to their own injuries.

Now, with the game just a few days away, Jones took time to speak with the media about the opportunity he has this weekend.

“It’s just been everything I’ve been working for, everything I’ve been training for every day I’ve been here.” Jones continued, “Film, body, healthy, confident, everything is hitting right now.”

Jones opened up about Brooks being sidelined, saying he hates it for the fifth-year senior, noting that the move to RB1 wasn’t positive because Brooks is out. He did speak about Brooks’ new role on the team, which is helping coach the running backs this season.

“He’s a vet. He knows what he’s talking about, and honestly, I trust him more than I do the coaches,” Jones jokingly said. “That’s the type of person British is. It’s been great the past couple of days, and I know he will help us in any way he can.”

Jones had 60 carries for 253 yards last season for the Heels. He didn’t find himself in the end-zone last season, but odds says that will come Saturday.

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UNC RB British Brooks expected to miss all of 2022 season

UNC football running back British Brooks is expected to miss all of the 2022 season after suffering a lower body injury.

The UNC football program received some bad news on Saturday night after practice inside of Kenan Memorial Stadium.

Running back [autotag]British Brooks[/autotag]d left the practice with an injury and now a new report from Inside Carolina says that Brooks will miss all of the 2022 season with the injury. Per the website, the injury that Brooks sustained will keep him out as a school official confirmed the report.

Brooks is a fifth-year senior that opted to return to UNC for another season and take advantage of his extra year of eligibility. He was expected to be the lead back in the Tar Heels’ backfield this season:

North Carolina’s projected starting running back British Brooks will miss the 2022 season after suffering an injury during Saturday night’s practice. A school official confirmed the season-ending lower body injury.

In his career at UNC, Brooks has 461 career rushing yards with five touchdowns. He had 124 yards on 15 carries in the season finale at N.C. State a year ago.

UNC has now suffered serious injuries to two key players on their offense with Antoine Green expected to miss 8-10 weeks.

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2022 UNC Football Preview: Running back

We take a look at the 2022 running back position preview as British Brooks, and D.J Jones looks to take the driver seat this season.

This season UNC fans are in for a special treat when it comes to the running back position. After a dreadful 6-7 season, one of the highlights came from running the ball with transfer Ty Chandler carrying the work load, leading him to get drafted in the fifth round by the Minnesota Vikings.

Now with another running back sent to the NFL, UNC finds themselves needing another lead back for the second year in a row

Senior [autotag]British Brooks[/autotag] and junior [autotag]D.J. Jones[/autotag] are set to be the two feature backs competing to carry the rock like Javonte Williams once did. UNC, often a run heavy team, could take on that same identity as they prepare to move past the Sam Howell era.

It’s no secret that head coach Mack Brown loves to use multiple backs with a conservative style drive down the field. This will open the door for fresh legs with each running back on the roster possessing a useful skill.

As the regular season approaches, we decided to continue our position preview with the running back position and look at, not only Brooks and Jones, but the depth behind them.