UNC Football: Ty Chandler reaches 1,000-yard mark

UNC football running back Ty Chandler reached the 1,000-yard mark for the season against the Wofford Terriers.

Ty Chandler is the 31st player in North Carolina football history to reach the 1,000-yard rushing mark. He secured his place in the Tar Heel record books with a spectacular first quarter performance against the Wofford Terriers on Saturday afternoon that saw him gain 78 yards on just 10 carries.

Chandler ran for 44 yards on the first drive of the game, which included a pair of 13-yard gains en route to the Tar Heels’ first score of the day. North Carolina’s next offensive possession began with back-to-back runs of 19 and 11 from Chandler, followed by a couple of short ground gains later in the drive, to total 78 yards for the game. Chandler made an early exit from the game after that drive, a drive that gave him 1,004 yards for the season.

Along with hitting the 1,000-yard mark for the season, Chandler boasts 13 touchdowns and a yard-per-carry average north of six. He’s had three games of over 100 yards this season — including a 198-yard performance against Virginia in week three — and a career-high 213 yards and four touchdowns in an upset victory over ninth-ranked Wake Forest on November 6. He’s scored a rushing touchdown in all but three games this season, and he’s also compiled 200 receiving yards and a touchdown on just 12 catches.

Chandler was solid but never spectacular in a sometimes limited role at the University of Tennessee, so this final college season with the Tar Heels will undoubtedly help him achieve his ultimate goal of reaching the NFL in 2022. After showcasing his speed and agility on his way to 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns, there are likely to be a number of teams willing to at least take a flyer on Chandler.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on Ty Chandler, and the UNC football program.