A dominant ground game and rare defensive stop had the UNC football team celebrating on Saturday, Sept. 9 in front of its home fans, as it came-from-behind and took down App State, 40-34, in yet another offensive thriller.
This game looked very reminiscent of last year’s – teams moving the ball at will and struggling to get defensive stops. Offensive production came from virtually anyone in the second half, with UNC and App State combining for 54 second-half points.
During the 2022 battle in Boone, the Tar Heels and Mountaineers combined for 62 fourth-quarter points.
Omarion Hampton was college football’s top running back in Week 2, running for an insane 234 yards and 3 touchdowns on 26 carries. He practically picked up a first down, averaging nine yards per carry.
Hampton sits fifth among FBS leaders in total rushing yards (271), so it’d be hard not to start him against Minnesota on Saturday.
Drake Maye threw for over 200 yards, but he was, once again, largely held in check for a Heisman Trophy contender’s standards.
What does UNC need to do better offensively so it can move to 3-0? Or will the Tar Heels follow the same offensive blueprint from the win against App State?