UNC Football: Omarion Hampton Steps Up Against App State

The UNC Football program sometimes struggled against Appalachian State on Saturday night. However, there was one bright spot.

From the opening kickoff against Appalachian State on Saturday night, it felt like the UNC football program was behind the eight-ball. It seemed the Mountaineers had more energy, a better game plan, and a more will to win. Of course, it is an in-state battle, and the last two matchups have been thrillers, coming down to the wire.

Some of the struggles may be attributed to Appalachian State facing FCS opponent Gardner-Webb in week one and didn’t have to use as much energy as the Tar Heels had to versus the Gamecocks to pick up their respective victories. One of the glaring weaknesses was on the offensive side of the ball, as it seemed Carolina could never get the passing game opened up for Drake Maye.

Luckily for the UNC football program, despite being without their lead running back, British Brooks, due to a lower-body injury, the running game was a bright spot thanks to sophomore Omarion Hampton.

Establishing the running game has been a point of discussion since the end of the 2022 season among UNC football coaches and fans alike. Maye led the team in rushing in 2022, and for the Tar Heels to be successful, we knew going into the season that couldn’t be the case this year. The first two games show that the run game is clearly being focused on (and successfully).

British Brooks rushed for 103 yards on 15 carries in the season opener, while Hampton had 16 carries and two touchdowns. The Tar Heels approached its week two matchup with a similar mindset.

As mentioned, Brooks missed the game due to injury. Hampton, however, had a career night in the 2023 home opener. He rushed for 234 yards on 26 carries and three touchdowns, including a 68-yard touchdown. Through the first two games, Carolina is averaging 5.8 yards per carry, rushing for 487 yards on 84 carries. Brooks and Hampton have been responsible for most of those yards, while Maye has only rushed for 82 yards in 2023, a drastic change from last season.

The Mountaineers’ defensive game plan was obvious, take Drake Maye out of the game and force the Tar Heels to beat them in any other way possible. With many two-high safety looks from Appalachian State, it allowed Carolina to run the ball more than they otherwise might have with the passing game limited. So while Maye clearly needs someone (or multiple targets) in the receiving game to step up, being able to establish the run game might open up that passing game later in the season.

UNC football fans must remember, that the Tar Heels have a new offensive coordinator in Chip Lindsey and this isn’t Phil Longo’s air raid offense that we were used to the previous seasons. Despite having a Heisman contender at quarterback, there will be more of a focus on the run game. Teams are also figuring out how to gameplan against this new offensive look from Carolina.

If the Tar Heels can successfully run the ball week in and week out like they have the first two weeks of the season, it could turn into a “pick your poison” type of situation for UNC football opponents. Thankfully for the Tar Heels, the run game did just enough against the Mountaineers on Saturday night to escape with a victory.

It has been a few years since Carolina had a dynamic duo in the backfield (Michael Carter and Javonte Williams, anyone?). Based on the first two performances of the year, if Brooks and Hampton can create that thunder/lightning type backfield, the running game can lead to more success for the offense and hopefully open up that passing game.

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