After one quarter of play in Saturday’s UNC-Campbell game, UNC looked a lot like the same team with consecutive losses in its back pocket.
The Tar Heels and Camels were tied at seven apiece, with Campbell’s FCS offense moving the ball at will. UNC must have pressed an in-game reset button between quarters, because it looked like a brand new team from there on out.
Headlined by star running back Omarion Hampton’s fourth-consecutive 100-yard outing, which included him reaching 1,000 yards for the season on a momentum-swinging, second-quarter touchdown run, the Tar Heels rode a balanced offensive attack to a 59-7 victory.
Just as UNC did so well before its 2-game slide, it dominated the second quarter and put Saturday’s matchup out of reach.
First up for Carolina was Hampton’s 1,000-yard-reaching, 54-yard touchdown run nearly halfway through the second quarter.
Nearly six minutes later, the Drake Maye-Devontez Walker connection worked for a 31-yard score. With 27 seconds left in the half, Hampton punched the ball in the end zone for a 4-yard score, giving UNC a 28-7 lead going into halftime.
Carolina didn’t stop out of the break.
Just 37 seconds into the second half, Maye connected with tight end John Copenhaver for a 25-yard touchdown. J.J. Jones, UNC’s receiving yardage leader, caught a 21-yard pass halfway through the third quarter for his first score of the year.
Carolina kicker Noah Burnette added a 43-yard field goal to round out the third-quarter scoring, then backup quarterback Conner Harrell gashed the Campbell defense for a 61-yard touchdown run.
The Tar Heel defense didn’t play too bad, holding an opponent to single-digits for the second time this year, but Campbell’s offense is nowhere near the level of an FBS school.
This is exactly the type of rebound game UNC needed. It dominated in every aspect of the game, looking a lot like the early-season team on the edge of a CFP spot.
And what better day to win big than on a beautiful, sunny November day in Kenan Stadium?
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