Tag: UNC Football

Big Ten program leads as UNC recruiting target sets decision date

Decision day looms for five-star UNC football recruiting target Kendre Harrison.

The recruitment for five-star tight end Kendre Harrison will be coming to an end in the coming weeks as programs will soon learn their fate in the recruitment.

The North Carolina native has officially set a decision date for November 30th, providing a key update to his recruitment. Harrison has a total of 30 offers but will decide between North Carolina, Oregon, Florida State, Tennessee, Miami, and Penn State. However, one program is emerging as the favorite.

And it’s the Oregon Ducks.

As soon as Harrison announced that he would be making his decision on November 30th, the Ducks picked up a crystal ball from 247Sports insider Tom Loy. He also received a prediction from Steve Wiltfong of On3 on Monday as well.

That’s terrible news for North Carolina, a program that was hoping to land a commitment from Harrison not only as a football prospect but a basketball player as well.

Harrison is ranked as a five-star recruit, No. 9 nationally, the No. 1 tight end and No. 2 player in the state of North Carolina per 247Sports. But he’s also a top 50 player in basketball rankings as well, offering that dual-sport ability.

The Tar Heels have put a full-court press on Harrison, using Julius Peppers as a tool in recruiting him. He’s been on UNC’s campus a number of times and the thought of him playing basketball as well would have seemingly helped their chances.

But it appears as if he’s heading to a football powerhouse out West.

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Start time announced for UNC-NC State football regular season finale

You can now start planning for the UNC-NC State football regular-season finale.

No matter who the North Carolina Tar Heels beat in any given football season, there’s one opponent in recent years who they can’t seem to get past: NC State, their in-state rivals from just 30 minutes down the road in Raleigh.

Last year, UNC (6-3, 3-3 ACC) started 6-0 before its epic collapse put it back in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. The Wolfpack (5-5, 2-4 ACC) were part of North Carolina’s late-season slide, stomping the boys in Carolina Blue by a 39-20 mark in Raleigh.

It’s now State’s turn to play in Chapel Hill this season – and you can bet it’ll be a loud, chippy game.

Earlier on Monday, we learned that the Tar Heels and Wolfpack will kick their regular-season finale off at 3:30 p.m. ET.

This is just late enough to have a nighttime atmosphere (it starts getting dark at 5:30 p.m.), but early enough as to where fans – and players – can celebrate afterwards.

If you remember NC State coach Dave Doeren’s infamous words about UNC after last year’s game, he said, “those pieces of **** haven’t beaten us in 1,460 days.” I have no issue with Doeren firing his players up and taking friendly jabs at North Carolina, but saying this about kids is crossing the line.

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The Tar Heels are playing their best football of 2024, winning their past three games behind a combination of Omarion Hampton and strong defense, to climb back into bowl contention. This comes after UNC’s coldest stretch, in which four consecutive losses had fans questioning how much longer Mack Brown would be coaching.

The Wolfpack, ranked in the preseason, are sitting at .500 overall after a quarterback switch and inconsistent play. They will travel to Georgia Tech on Saturday, Nov. 21 before heading up to Kenan.

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Omarion Hampton’s record-breaking game against Wake earns him weekly ACC honors

UNC star running back Omarion Hampton picked up ACC Weekly Honors for the third time this season.

At this point in the college football season, are you surprised at the type of year UNC junior running back Omarion Hampton is experiencing?

In North Carolina’s 31-24 victory over Wake Forest on Saturday, Hampton rushed for a career-high 244 yards on a career-high 35 carries. Hampton also added what would be the game-winning touchdown, channeling his inner Saquon Barkley on a 6-yard, hurdle-and-score with just over two minutes remaining.

Hampton led all FBS rushers with his Week 12 output – and climbed up the Tar Heel record books. Hampton moved into a third-place tie with Marquise Williams (2011-2015) for his 35th rushing touchdown, plus he now owns the program record for consecutive 100-yard games (eight).

After reading all this, it should come as no surprise that Hampton was named ACC Running Back of the Week. This was Hampton’s third time earning the honor – and seventh time overall in his career.

Sitting outside of the Top 5 FBS rushing yardage leaders before the Wake Forest game, Hampton climbed to second with 1,422 rushing yards in 2024. The one man he trails is Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, the should-be Heisman Trophy winner, who currently has 1,893 yards and has the Broncos in the thick of CFP contention.

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Hampton could very well pass 2,000 yards if he continues at his current pace, though he’d have to average 193 rushing yards over UNC’s final three games.

North Carolina ships up to Boston College on Saturday, Nov. 23, hosts NC State for its regular-season finale on Nov. 30, then will play in a bowl game for the sixth-consecutive season – at a date TBD.

There’s no question Hampton is one of the best running backs in Tar Heel history. Is he THE best running back?

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The Tar Heels’ defense works to get Geoff Collins ‘swole’

How ‘swole’ will Geoff Collins be by the end of the season?

Mack Brown brought in former Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins to be his defensive coordinator this season in hopes of getting the defense to a place where it wasn’t a liability.

Over the last three games, Collins has proved just that.

Many had question marks about his capabilities after the team’s four-game losing streak, but Collins implemented an incentive-based system full of cookie cake and push-ups that have motivated his defense.

Power Echols gave us insight into how Collins is doing just that, via Inside Carolina.

He has to do 10 push-ups every time we get a turnover, so we try to get him as swole as possible by the end of practice and get him a good workout in, but he just preaches that each and every day in practice.

Mack Brown had nothing but praise for Collins defense over the last three games.

They’ve stopped the run, they’ve disrupted the quarterback. We forced two turnovers last week, we had three tonight. So now, they’re starting to force more turnovers.

Even Jacobly Criswell acknowledged the strength of the defense on Saturday.

We had a couple of drives to where I fumbled, and just unacceptable by me, and a couple of other things happened to where we just weren’t on rhythm, and the defense did a good job giving us the ball back,

Collins’s incentive-based system for his defense has cultivated a relationship between the DC and players that every team hopes to have.

The fact that players are enjoying what they are receiving and willing to go out and leave it all on the field for Collins proves what we all wondered about his leadership capabilities.

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PHOTOS: Tar Heels roll past Wake Forest, even up conference record

Check out how the game looked from the sidelines as UNC took down Wake Forest.

North Carolina came out of its second bye week to take on its first ACC team at home since its winning streak started. Wake Forest came into Kenan Stadium and served up the Tar Heel’s third straight win against an ACC team.

The star of the show, Omarion Hampton, once again had a stellar performance. He finished with 244 yards and a touchdown on the ground with five receptions for 16 yards through the air as well.

The defense wasn’t going to shy away from the spotlight either as Power Echols intercepted Michael Kern, after Hank Bachmeier left the game injured, for a 42-yard touchdown. They managed two sacks and five tackles for a loss as well.

Check out the photos from the sideline in Carolina’s “Blue Out.”

Omarion Hampton sets new career-high in win over Wake Forest

Saturday night cemented why Omarion Hampton is one of the best players in UNC football history.

I’m running out of ways to write about how talented of a running back UNC’s Omarion Hampton is.

On Saturday night in a closer-than-expected 31-24 victory over Wake Forest, Hampton ran for 244 yards and a touchdown on 35 carries (7 YPC). Hampton set a new career-high with his yardage output, breaking his previous best of 234, set in North Carolina’s 40-34 overtime victory against App State in 2023.

“It’s as good as any,” Tar Heels head coach Mack Brown said, when asked about where Hampton’s career game ranks amongst running backs he’s coached. “I mean, 249 yards is just absolutely unbelievable. I was on a radio show before the season started and somebody said, “where does he rank in the great backs you’ve coached?” And I said he’s in the middle of it. He really is. And there’s some great ones. Everybody in the country would want Omarion Hampton on their team, he’s gonna be a great pro player.”

Not only did Big O set his new career high, but Saturday was Hampton’s eighth-straight game with 100 yards, a new Tar Heels record.

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Hampton is now tied with former UNC quarterback Marquise Williams at 35 rushing touchdowns, which is third all-time. Hampton now has 3,327 career rushing yards, climbing North Carolina legends Don McCauley and Kelvin Bryant on Saturday night.

“It’s so real of a feeling, just knowing that making history here, always growing up a fan, being here and everything like that,” Hampton said on climbing up the all-time list. “It’s so real of a feeling.”

On a night where Jacolby Criswell and his receivers struggled to get the passing game clicking, Hampton’s output was much-needed.

“We just knew we had to make something work because we were just staying on each other, just going to the sidelines knowing we have to make something happen, knowing that whatever it is we’ve gotta make it work,” Hampton said. “I feel like (offensive coordinator) Chip Lindsey did a good job play-calling and everything, to help us set up different runs and everything for the defense. I feel like it just all planned out well.”

To cap off his legendary night, Hampton scored the Tar Heels’ final touchdown. Hampton channeled Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley, one of his favorite pros to watch, on his hurdle-and-score touchdown.

“Yeah he’s definitely crazy,” Hampton said about Saquon. “I’ve always been a fan of Saquon, just his run style and everything like that. Always watched film on him and everything like that. He’s definitely a super-talented guy.”

UNC is extremely lucky to have a back of Hampton’s caliber. His next chance to break even more records comes on Saturday, Nov. 23 in a 12 p.m. kickoff at Boston College.

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Omarion Hampton’s big night, second-half defense helps UNC beat Wake Forest and extend bowl streak

Omarion Hampton enjoyed the game of his life Saturday. UNC’s defense held off Wake Forest late, helping the Tar Heels to a huge win that extend their bowl streak.

If the North Carolina Tar Heels didn’t have Omarion Hampton on Saturday night against Wake Forest, I think tonight’s outcome would look a lot different.

If UNC’s defense didn’t step up in the fourth quarter – albeit an almost collapse – I think we could be saying the same thing.

Thanks to Big O and a resurgent defensive unit, North Carolina beat Wake Forest, 31-17, for its third-consecutive victory and to make a bowl game for the sixth-straight year.

Hampton set multiple career highs – and rewrote the Tar Heel record books – in the best game of his collegiate career Saturday night.

Hampton carried the football a career-high 33 times and set a new career-high with 244 rushing yards, in addition to scoring a fourth-quarter touchdown that extended UNC’s lead to two possessions. He’s now fifth in career rushing yards (3,327), passing Don McCauley and Kelvin Bryant on the night. Hampton’s 35 rushing touchdowns also tie him with former North Carolina quarterback Marquise Williams for third all-time.

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While Hampton stole the headlines, North Carolina’s defense also played a big role.

The Tar Heels allowed a Wake Forest touchdown with under two minutes remaining in the final quarter, but kept Wake scoreless for nearly 20 minutes – after allowing 14 third-quarter points. UNC’s lockdown defense spanned five drives, in which Wake only gained 27 yards on 15 plays.

North Carolina looked lost at one point this season, losing four-straight games and reverting to its old defensive tendencies.

Now, thanks to the best running back in the country and a resurgent defense. the Tar Heels are bowl eligible for a sixth-straight year and one of the ACC’s hottest teams.

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North Carolina becomes bowl eligible with win over Wake Forest

UNC football’s win over Wake Forest has them bowl eligible.

This season has been a rollercoaster for the North Carolina Tar Heels football team. After starting 3-0, the Tar Heels had an embarrassing loss to James Madison which began a four-game losing streak.

In that losing streak, UNC blew a 20-point lead to Duke and lost close games to Pitt and Georgia Tech. Things looked bleak and there were even rumors of Mack Brown stepping down.

But the head coach didn’t panic, neither did his players

UNC responded with a three-game win streak including two on the road and a win on Saturday night against Wake Forest. The 31-24 win over the Demon Deacons put the Tar Heels as bowl eligible as they will be heading to a bowl game for a sixth-straight season.

“Well, I’m so proud of this team because they have overcome so much. We lose a 23-year-old, it’s their dear friend,” Mack Brown said after the game.”A great young person that taught us so much. Third quarterback, offensive line issues, best player on defense gets hurt. But they just kept fighting. And that was Tylee’s slogan, more than anything else. We’ve learned a lot of lessons. We’ve gotten through the storm, we’ve seen some rainbows, now we just have to finish.”

That’s pretty impressive for the Tar Heels, especially how this season has gone for them. They very easily could have continued their slide this season and just gone through the motions, especially with the passing of teammate Tylee Craft. But they didn’t do that. They rallied around each other and have salvaged something this season.

The next step is to continue to finish this season strong including a road game at Boston College next week followed by the season finale at home against NC State and then the bowl game. Closing out strong will be big, no matter what the future holds in Chapel Hill.

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Staff predictions for UNC football vs. Wake Forest

Our staff predictions for the Week 12 battle between the UNC football program and Wake Forest.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are back on the football field Saturday night for a home game against Wake Forest. With just one win needed to become bowl-eligible, the Tar Heels are hoping to clinch that in front of the home crowd.

UNC has now won back-to-back games, beating Virginia and Florida State on the road. They just had a bye week to reset a bit and enter their final three games of the season. UNC certainly is playing some of their best football the past two games and the hope is that they can put it together again in front of the home crowd.

Take a look at our staff picks for the week.

Zack Pearson

Prediction: UNC 38, Wake Forest 21

Record: 6-3

UNC has been playing better overall the past few games, putting together wins over Florida State and Virginia. Their defense has also been fantastic, dominating as of late.

I think they get another dominating performance on that side of the football and limit the Demon Deacons.

Aidan Jensen

Prediction: UNC 45, Wake Forest 37

Record: 8-1

This is the edition of UNC football we’ve been hoping for all season long. The Tar Heels are winners of two straight, dominating Virginia and Florida State on the road. North Carolina’s offense has been impressive, headlined by no one other than Omarion Hampton, but it’s the UNC defense playing particularly exceptional football right now. The Tar Heels have 17 sacks combined in their past two games. North Carolina will be under the Kenan Stadium lights for the first time Saturday, welcoming in-state rival Wake Forest to town. I can’t quite figure out the Demon Deacons, who are just 4-5, but are a perfect 3-0 away from home. Wake QB Hank Bachmeier is one of the ACC’s better gunslingers, so UNC could be in trouble. I think the Tar Heels, needing just one victory for bowl eligibility, pull this one out in a close, high-scoring game.

Matthew Beighle

Prediction: UNC 38, Wake Forest 27

Record: 5-4

The Demon Deacons are 4-5 this season and have dropped recent games to California, Virginia, and Clemson in the conference. They also beat NC State and Stanford. The only common opponent between the two was Virginia, and UNC dominated them on the road. The ground game is virtually non-existent for Wake Forest so it will be a battle of the secondary for UNC and Hank Bachmeier. Wake also has seven players averaging over 10 yards per reception. North Carolina has what it takes to get hot on the offensive side of the ball. However, Wake Forest does too as it ran up the score against Cal 46-36. If the defense can keep receivers in front, this could also be a blowout in favor of the Carolina blue. If not, it will be a shoot-out.

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UNC football goes Carolina Blue Out against Wake Forest

The Tar Heels will host a “Carolina Blue-Out” on Saturday against Wake Forest.

North Carolina will head back home after two road games between their two bye weeks. The last four weeks have been fun for Tar Heels fans, getting back into the winning grove with dominant performances against Virginia and Florida State.

They scored 41 points and held Virginia to just one touchdown in their first road win while scoring 35 points against Florida State and also allowing just one touchdown as a defense.

Last week, they enjoyed another bye week with the opportunity to enhance their skills and chemistry together as they take the field tomorrow at Kenan Stadium in North Carolina.

As they take the field, they will wear a uniform combination that the team hasn’t dawned yet this season. They are promoting a “Carolina Blue-Out” to fans attending the game and as a result, the team will be in Carolina blue helmets, jerseys, and pants.

In the Tar Heels’ announcement post on X (formerly Twitter), Antavious Lane is seen repping the Carolina blue everything.

Lane leads the Tar Heels in tackles this season with 57 total tackles, including 40 solo tackles, which is nine more than any other player on the team. Lane also has one sack for two yards, two pass deflections, and two forced fumbles.

North Carolina will kick off at 8:00 pm ET in Chapel Hill, NC, airing on ACC Network.

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