UNC Football: DL Desmond Evans, RB Caleb Hood Out For The Season

UNC football running back Elijah Hood and defensive lineman Desmond Evans are out for the season after suffering injuries against Pittsburgh on Saturday.

The UNC football program improved to 7-1 with their 42-24 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday night. With the win, the team also suffered several key injuries. Star edge rusher Noah Taylor left the game with a knee injury and on Monday morning, it was announced that he will miss the rest of the 2022 season.

There is more negative news now coming out of Chapel Hill. Two other guys who left Saturday’s game with injuries, defensive lineman Desmond Evans and running back Caleb Hood, have also been ruled out for the rest of the season now. Their injuries haven’t fully been announced, other than just being touted as “upper body.”

These are big losses for Mack Brown and his team, as they also recently lost Ray Vohasek for the season. Now, the defensive front in particular is a concern moving forward. Taylor has arguably been the defense’s most consistent performer. He’s certainly been the team’s best pass rusher, racking up 3.5 sacks as well as six tackles for loss this season.

Defensive coordinator Gene Chizik and his group have shown immense improvement over the past month or so. After Pittsburgh moved the ball at will in the first half, North Carolina’s defense didn’t allow a single point in the second half.

While Drake Maye and the electric offense will continue to get the credit, the defense deserves a mention for their performance as well. With the recent losses of Vohasek, Taylor, and now Evans, it’ll be a huge test to the depth of the front seven.

As for the running back position, Hood had taken over the reins as the clear lead back. He excelled against Miami just a few weeks ago, as he accumulated 124 yards from scrimmage. It’s a frustrating injury for Hood, as injuries have plagued his college career thus far. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry on 43 attempts this season.

Now, offensive coordinator Phil Longo has to once again find some rhythm in the running game. That starts with finding a clear-cut No. 1, as we’ll likely continue to see a split in reps over the next few weeks. Freshman Omarion Hampton seemed to have won the job early in the season, but he has seen fewer snaps lately.

Elijah Green has been seeing the field more and more, while DJ Jones also returned from injury this past weekend. Talented freshman George Pettaway hasn’t gotten many snaps since early in the season, but he could get another shot. It’s tough to tell who will be the starter moving forward, but Hood and Evans are two more big losses for UNC.

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