Tag: Omarion Hampton

Omarion Hampton named ACC Running Back of the Week

After career performance, North Carolina Running back Omarion Hampton was named ACC Running Back of the Week.

It was an excellent weekend for North Carolina running back [autotag]Omarion Hampton[/autotag], and his efforts are being rewarded by being named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) running back of the week.

Hampton ran the Tar Heels to its double overtime win over Appalachian State on Saturday, finishing with a career-high 234 rushing yards. The Sophomore tacked on three touchdowns, with an impressive 9 yards per average.

Hampton played a prominent role in the victory for UNC, helping the workload after news dropped that the ACC running back of last week, British Brooks, would not play due to a lower-body injury. Hampton became the Tar Heels’ first 200-yard rusher since Ty Chandler did it in 2021 against Wake Forest with 213 yards on the ground.

Despite a slow start in the passing game, UNC’s running back room has lived up to its hype. Hampton and the Tar Heels will return on Saturday to take on Minnesota.

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College football’s top performers in the ACC during Week 2

Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke powered the Hurricanes to a ranked victory with five passing touchdowns to highlight Week 2 in the ACC.

The Atlantic Coast Conference offered a litany of interesting questions after some Week 1 statement victories. Are the Florida State Seminoles serious playoff contenders? Is Duke for real? What’s wrong with Clemson?

Well, all three of those teams responded to those whispers with blowout victories, the smallest margin of which was 35 points. North Carolina held off Appalachian State in overtime in a shootout with 74 combined points.

None of those romps were the most impressive game in the conference, however, as the Miami Hurricanes knocked off then-No. 23 Texas A&M 48-33 to toss their hat in the ring.

Here are the conference’s top stars from Week 2.

What UNC head coach Mack Brown said after win over App State

UNC head coach Mack Brown is very thankful his team pulled out a win against a pesky App State squad. Check out some of his postgame quotes.

Saturday night’s UNC-App State game in Chapel Hill was nothing short of amazing.

It was reminiscent of last year’s back-and-forth thriller in Boone – teams trading offensive blows, defense coming at a premium and rowdy fans.

The Tar Heels came out on top, once again, but not without drama.

After UNC’s defense gave up the opening touchdown of overtime to App State’s Nate Noel, UNC’s offense responded with a rushing score of its own from Omarion Hampton, who enjoyed a career-high 234 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Drake Maye gave the Tar Heels the lead for good immediately after Hampton’s score, finding paydirt on a 13-yard read option, making it 40-34. UNC’s ensuing 2-point conversion failed, but the defense made a rare stop on fourth down moments later to seal the win.

The victory was Tar Heel head coach Mack Brown’s 101st victory in Chapel Hill. It was certainly a win, however, that had him on the edge of his seat like everyone in Kenan Stadium.

Check out what Brown had to say after the back-and-forth thriller, which reminded us we need a UNC-App game every season:

Late defensive stand, Hampton carry Tar Heels to double-OT victory

UNC and App State traded punches all night. The Tar Heels eked out a win, thanks to their running game and a late defensive stop.

In UNC’s season-opening win against South Carolina last week, it was British Brooks’ turn to lead the Tar Heels’ deep rushing attack.

UNC fans also were rarely on the edges of their seats, as the Tar Heels’ defense limited the Gamecocks to three second-half points and sacked Spencer Rattler nine times.

Tonight’s home opener against App State featured another dangerous rusher in Omarion Hampton, but the Tar Heels’ defense looked a lot more like Swiss cheese.

Despite allowing the visiting Mountaineers to rack up nearly 500 yards and take the lead on five separate occasions, UNC rode a 234-yard, 3-touchdown performance from Hampton and made its first fourth down stop in double-overtime, to down App State by a 40-34 mark and move to 2-0.

The Tar Heels won the overtime coin toss and chose to defer, giving the Mountaineers the football first. Starting running back Nate Noel marched App right down the field, giving it a 33-27 lead with his 7-yard touchdown run. Kicker Michael Hughes converted on the extra point to make it 34-27.

UNC responded immediately with Hampton’s third and final touchdown of the game. Tar Heels kicker Ryan Coe, who missed a potential game-winning field goal to end regulation, cashed in on his extra point to tie things at 34.

Per rules of college overtime, Carolina got the ball back. App State held UNC quarterback Drake Maye in check for most of the game, limiting him to 208 passing yards, but fell victim to his 13-yard, read-option touchdown run that proved to be the eventual, game-winning score.

When Carolina needed a big-time play, its best player delivered.

The Mountaineers stopped UNC’s ensuing 2-point attempt, sending a wave of panic throughout Kenan Stadium. The game story was writing itself – Carolina punches the ball into the end zone, only for defense to falter again.

Knowing the magnitude of this matchup and what moving to 2-0 meant for the future of their season, however, the Tar Heels’ defense rose to the occasion on the ensuing drive.

UNC made Aguilar uncomfortable and contained App’s strong ground game. Aguilar threw an incomplete pass on first down, the Heels prevented Noel from gaining the edge on second down and Alijah Huzzie, the East Tennessee State transfer, made a game-saving tackle on third down.

The Mountaineers were 5-for-5 on fourth down – up until Carolina made its most crucial stop in double-overtime to end yet another thriller.

While defense made the game-saving play, it was Hampton who played hero for UNC and kept it in the game. In Brooks’ absence, Hampton ran for 234 yards and three touchdowns, including the tying score in the first overtime. He was the reason Carolina had any semblance of consistency on offense, with Maye struggling to find rhythm and not throwing a single touchdown pass.

Regardless if Brooks returns to the field next week, it’d be hard to take carries away from Hampton based on tonight’s performance.

Hampton played superhero tonight and is the main reason Carolina remains undefeated.

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Omarion Hampton has HUGE night for Tar Heels

UNC football running back Omarion Hampton hit the 200-yard rushing mark in the win over Appalachian State.

With running back British Brooks missing Saturday’s game against Appalachian State with a lower-body injury, it gave another running back an opportunity to step up.

And Omarion Hampton did just that.

The Cleveland, North Carolina native had a monster game for the Tar Heels, rushing for 234 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. He got the Tar Heels on the board in the first quarter with a 68-yard touchdown run and picked up confidence ever since that run.

Hampton punished defenders every time he touched the ball, breaking several tacklers. It was a big spark for North Carolina’s offense in a game where they looked sluggish on both sides of the ball.

The 234 yards are the most by a UNC running back since Ty Chander rushed for 213 back in November of 2021 against Notre Dame. With Hampton’s emergence, it should give UNC a two-headed monster at the position once Brooks returns.

They also have Caleb Hood and Elijah Green at the position, offering multiple options to keep others fresh.

Tar Heels and Mountaineers knotted up at the half

The 2023 UNC-App State football matchup, so far, is not the offensive outburst like last year. Both teams are tied at 10 in the half.

The UNC football home opener against App State is certainly living up to its billing as one of Week 2’s more intriguing P5-G5 matchups.

It’s not the high-scoring affair we saw in Boone last year. Instead, it’s a defensive battle where both teams are forcing three-and-outs with tight pass coverage.

Despite the 10-10 tie at halftime and struggle to score, both UNC and App State ‘s run games are keeping them within striking distance of the end zone. The in-state opponents have already combined for 276 rushing yards.

Carolina’s lone touchdown came early in the second quarter, from a 68-yard Omarion Hampton speed burst downfield. The Mountaineers responded three minutes later with a Joey Aguilar play-action touchdown pass, giving them a short-lived, 10-7 lead.

UNC drove downfield for what looked to be a late second-quarter scoring drive, only for the App State defense to come up with more key stops. Luckily, the Heels have a solid kicker named Ryan Coe, who nailed a 47-yard field goal to know things up at 10.

If the second half goes like the first did, we’re in for an intense battle to the final whistle.

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WATCH: Omarion Hampton opens the scoring for UNC with 68-yard TD

Omarion Hampton starts the scoring party for UNC, speeding downfield for a 68-yard touchdown against App State.

For the kind of football game UNC and App State played in last year (63-61 UNC win), it was surprising to see both teams scoreless after the first quarter of today’s game.

Both schools had chances to score early – the Tar Heels failed to convert on a fourth-and-1 deep in Mountaineer territory, while App State kicker Michael Hughes missed a 40-yard field goal.

Hughes converted on his second chance, this time from 46 yards out, giving the Mountaineers a 3-0 lead four minutes into the second quarter.

That advantage was short-lived, however, as UNC’s offense finally woke up.

Omarion Hampton, starting at running back for the Tar Heels in wake of British Brooks’ new lower-body injury, bursted through the App State defense for a 68-yard touchdown run and a 6-3 UNC lead.

Not even at halftime yet, Hampton has has 95 yards and a score. It’s encouraging to see this type of production from Hampton, especially when Brooks, who was ruled out before the game, ran for 100 yards in the opener against South Carolina.

Will Hampton add any more touchdowns before the game is over? Stay tuned to find out.

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UNC Football: Offensive Keys to the Game against App State

This article details what UNC needs to do offensively against App State in order to start 2023 with two consecutive wins.

It’s been a pretty good week for the UNC football team, mainly because of how it played in Week 1 against South Carolina.

The Tar Heels rode a strong ground game and an uncharacteristically strong defense to a 31-17 victory over neighboring rival South Carolina. UNC’s defense recorded nine sacks – more than half of its 2022 total (17) – while holding the Gamecocks to three second-half points.

Tar Heels starting running back British Brooks, in his first game since 2021, led all players with 103 rushing yards. UNC’s experienced ground game generated a total of 168 rushing yards, meaning quarterback Drake Maye didn’t need to be at his best.

As a result of all this, Carolina moved up to 17th in the latest AP Poll.

UNC’s schedule doesn’t get an easier, as they face a tough App State squad on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 5:15 p.m. in Kenan Stadium.

When the Heels and Mountaineers met last year in Boone, chaos ensued. UNC appeared on the brink of pulling away with a victory, scoring 34 unanswered points, only for App State to come crawling back and tie things up in the fourth quarter.

Both schools combined for 62 fourth-quarter points, yet it was the visiting Tar Heels who pulled out a 63-61 victory.

Heading into Saturday’s matchup, let’s take a deeper dive into what UNC needs to do for a second-consecutive win against their rivals in the Appalachian Mountains:

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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WATCH: Omarion Hampton scores Heels’ first touchdown of 2023

Sophomore running back Omarion Hampton punched the ball into the end zone on third and goal, scoring UNC’s first touchdown of 2023.

Just one drive into UNC’s 2023 football season, the offense is already looking reminiscent of what so many fans became used to last year.

After a beautiful defensive stand against South Carolina, the Heels marched right down the field at Bank of America Stadium to take a 7-0 lead.

The Gamecocks immediately responded to UNC’s drive, garnering a rushing touchdown of their own from Dakareon Joyner.

UNC’s first touchdown came from its crowded running back room, as sophomore running back Omarion Hampton punched the ball in on third-and-goal. His touchdown capped off a 9-play, 70-yard drive that took all of 3:55.

It’s just one drive, but it’s encouraging for the Tar Heels to see immediate offensive production. With Carolina’s top two receivers in Devontez Walker and Nate McCollum already out, it’ll be extra-helpful if the ground game can generate offense.

Drake Maye is already generating some chemistry with his tight ends, as John Copenhaver caught an 18-yard pass to set up the Hampton touchdown. With approximately six minutes left in the opening quarter, Maye is already 3-3 with 34 yards through the air.

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