I don’t know if it was the bye week, the beautiful fall air or just a hunger for victory, but the UNC football team put together its most complete performance of 2024 on Saturday afternoon at Virginia.
North Carolina’s offense moved the ball and scored at will, defense prevented the Cavaliers from gaining any sort of momentum and, when the final seconds ticked away in the fourth quarter, the Tar Heels left Charlottesville with a 41-14 victory.
Today’s win meant more than just any other win – it was in honor of Tylee Craft.
UNC (4-4, 1-3 ACC) took the lead for good on Jacolby Criswell’s first touchdown pass, a 37-yard strike to J.J. Jones with 5:23 left in the opening quarter, then distanced itself from Virginia with a 17-point second quarter.
North Carolina’s offense was good in the first half, but its defense was great. The Tar Heels generated six sacks, after not recording a single one two weeks ago – and held the Cavaliers to under 100 yards.
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When the game ended, UNC increased its sack total to 10, led by three from Kaimon Rucker. North Carolina limited Virginia to 288 yards, the lowest yardage total an opponent has gained against the Tar Heels since Week 3, when NC Central gained just 167 yards.
Omarion Hampton delivered yet another signature performance for the UNC offense, carrying the football 26 times for 105 yards and two touchdown. Not only was today Hampton’s third game of the year with multiple touchdowns – or sixth-consecutive game with 100 yards – but Hampton reached 1,000 rushing yards for the second straight season.
All year long, North Carolina had been looking for a wide receiver to step up lead its unit. J.J. Jones did exactly that today, catching five Criswell passes for a career-high 129 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Now two weeks removed from a fourth-consecutive defeat, the Tar Heels only need two more wins to reach a bowl game.
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