UNC chops down the Seminoles behind Hampton’s five touchdowns

SPORTS

CHAPEL HILL– A multitude of adjectives could describe Omarion Hampton.

And on Saturday, he was every good one you could think of.

Despite an up-and-down season, Hampton is a dominant and consistent force for the North Carolina offense. After nine games, he has notched almost 1,200 yards with 13 rushing touchdowns. The Cleveland, NC native added 265 receiving yards and a touchdown catch to his impressive stat line.

That receiving touchdown came in this Florida State matchup, where he scored every touchdown for the Tar Heels.

That play was no easy gain either.

Starting quarterback Jacolby Criswell dropped back to pass early in the fourth quarter and, while under duress, shovel-passed the ball to Hampton while he was in the backfield.

Hampton took that pass, weaved through the Seminole defense, and 49 yards from scrimmage later was sitting in the endzone for his 5th total touchdown of the day.

That would be the last points of the day to finalize the score at 35-11 in favor of the team in baby blue.

But the offense were not the only ones to carry the team to victory.

The Tar Heel defense gave up 14 or fewer points for the 2nd week in a row and added seven sacks and two turnovers to aid them in taking home the victory.

Sophomore defensive lineman Beau Atkinson led the defensive effort while having a career game recording 3.5 sacks on FSU. That was half of UNC’s sacks on Saturday, bringing his season total to 6.5.

Junior safety Will Hardy decided to prevent any more FSU points in the fourth quarter with about seven minutes or so left to go. Florida State quarterback Luke Kromenhoek dropped back and heaved a deep pass along the right hash, where it looked like a player in maroon brought down the ball. However, senior wideout Ja’Khi Douglas fumbled the ball while going to the ground, and Hardy made a real heads-up play to corral the wild ball mid-air.

Kromenhoek threw another interception and came in to relieve starter Brock Glenn multiple times during this game. Glenn took over the starting signal-caller job after D.J. Uiagalelei became a huge disappointment for the Seminoles this year.

Since then the Seminoles’ season has been in disarray.

Glenn and Kromenhoek traded places multiple times during the game. That goes to show the struggles that FSU has had all year with finding a reliable choice under center. However, it should be noted Kromehoek did throw both of his team’s interceptions and was only two of seven on his pass completions for 36 yards. In contrast, Glenn threw a touchdown on 6-for-11 passes completed for 123 yards.

Yet I doubt Carolina cared about who was under center because the ’Noles’ carousel at QB only boded well for the Heels, who are now just a game away from bowl eligibility.

In my last article, I questioned whether the Heels could be consistent after last week’s 41-14 trouncing of Virgina. It seems they can be.

Hampton has of course, been who he is, but Criswell has proven to be a steady force in the pocket for the Heels. He isn’t throwing around All-American numbers, but he continues to be reliable in a year of uncertainty and transition for Carolina and his play should be acknowledged.

The defense has forced multiple turnovers in each of the last two games. This is in part due to the immense pressure the defensive line has put on opposing quarterbacks. 17 total sacks in two games is nothing to turn your nose up at.

Since giving up 70 points to the James Madison Dukes this unit has shown improvement. The Heels could easily have a better record, as they have lost no game by more than 10 points since the James Madison loss.

While Omarion Hampton’s dominant performance is a headline-worthy story, UNC fans should not dismiss some of the improvements made throughout the season by Mack Brown’s team.

A one-win Seminole squad is barely a good barometer to judge your team. However, the positives can’t be ignored, so don’t count the Heels out from getting on a streak and finishing the season with seven, maybe eight, maybe nine wins.

Tar Heel fans have often been faced with disappointment from UNC football. It’s just a fact. Look at the last two years’ mid-season collapses.

BUT.

Do not count out this squad and the improvements they’ve shown.

The season is truly in their hands.

Thomas Hicks is a journalist with video, PR, and writing experience who studied at UNC and the Hussman School of Journalism and Media. Thomas is always looking for work and the next story! He loves working with his camera or with his pen. This reporter can be contacted at thomasjhicks55@gmail.com, LinkedIn: Thomas Hicks and X: ThomasJ_H