UNC Football survives another crazy game against Appalachian State

It wasn’t pretty by any means, but the UNC football program survived once again in another classic contest against Appalachian State.

As the three-game series with Appalachian State comes to a close, it’s safe to say that fans of the UNC football program wouldn’t mind not seeing the Mountaineers for quite some time.

Just when we thought the two programs couldn’t top last year’s 63-61 thriller, they combined for a very dramatic two-overtime contest, one that fortunately resulted in a North Carolina victory.

It was a sluggish start for both offenses, as the Tar Heels failed to capitalize deep in drives. The “Ram” package, one that worked well for the Tar Heels a week ago, wasn’t productive in this one, as the Mountaineers made two big stops while North Carolina was trying to utilize this package.

The two teams exchanged blows as they responded to what their opponent did, but neither really grabbed this game by the horns. This resulted in a back-and-forth battle that led us to the fourth quarter, where tons of drama ensued.

After Appalachian State took the lead early in the fourth quarter, the UNC football program responded with a 75-yard drive that lasted only 1:25 in game time, capped off by an Omarion Hampton score (we’ll get to him more in a minute).

Holding a 27-24 lead, the Tar Heels defense forced the Mountaineers to kick a game-tying field goal with 1:22 remaining, leaving plenty of time for Drake Maye and company to work with.

Maye (and the Tar Heels offense other than Hampton) wasn’t at its best, but they were able to drive down the field to put the special teams unit in a position to win the game.

Ryan Coe was summoned to attempt a game-winning 39-yard field goal, and his first attempt missed wide. Fortunately, he would get another chance, as Appalachian State called a timeout to ice the kicker.

Although the Mountaineers regretted the decision right away, it came back to help them.

Coe went on to miss the second attempt badly, as the game was now forced to head to overtime.

Both teams scored easily on their opening drive, forcing a second overtime in Chapel Hill.

The Tar Heels had the ball first, and capped off its drive with a Maye rushing touchdown. On the two-point conversion (which by rule the Tar Heels had to go for), Maye was crushed before crossing the goalline, leaving it up to the defense to make a stop.

North Carolina did just that, as they forced the Mountaineers to turn the ball over on downs to end it.

Was it a pretty game? Not by any means. Did the Tar Heels deserve to win this one? Probably not.

Regardless, it’s a win that Mack Brown and the UNC football program will take, using it as a way to improve moving forward.

Back to Hampton, who is the main reason why North Carolina was even in this game. Overall, Hampton recorded a career-high 234 yards and three touchdowns, as he became the first UNC football player since Ty Chandler in 2021 to rush for more than 200 yards in a single contest.

His outing marks the most yards that a Tar Heel has run for in a home opener at Kenan Stadium, surpassing Derrick Fenner’s previous record of 216 which was set in 1986.

Although the UNC football program was heavily favored in this one, we all knew that it would be another nail-biting contest between the two programs. The good news is that it once again ended in the Tar Heels’ favor.

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