Running back Omarion Hampton scored five touchdowns and North Carolina picked up a 35-11 road victory against Florida State on Saturday in Tallahassee, Fla.
It marked the first time in Hall of Fame coach Mack Brown’s career that he directed a victory against his alma mater.
Hampton reached the end zone four times on running plays as he rolled up 172 yards on the ground with 32 carries. He eclipsed the 3,000-yard rushing mark for his career.
He also scored on a 49-yard pass from quarterback Jacolby Criswell, who finished with 211 yards on 13-for-17 passing. Hampton had 93 yards on three catches.
The Tar Heels (5-4, 2-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) turned in a strong defensive performance for the second week in a row, following a four-game losing streak with a pair of dominant triumphs.
Florida State (1-8, 1-7) had 201 yards of total offense compared to North Carolina’s 500.
Brock Glenn threw a 28-yard pass to Ja’Khi Doulgas in the third quarter for the Seminoles’ only touchdown, with Lawayne McCoy’s two-point conversion run closing the gap to 21-11.
Glenn finished 6-for-11 for 123 yards in the air. Backup quarterback Luke Kromenhoek threw interceptions on back-to-back series in the second half.
The Seminoles scored first on Ryan Fitzgerald’s 56-yard field goal. Then they came up with a big defensive play, stopping North Carolina on fourth-and-goal from the 1.
Later in the half, Hampton bowled in on a third-and-goal from a yard out to put the Tar Heels on top. Hampton’s 2-yard run with 1:57 left in the first half helped stretch the lead to 14-3 at the end of a 93-yard drive.
Hampton, a preseason All-American, scored on third-quarter runs of 31 and 1 yards as twice the Tar Heels navigated 75 yards for touchdowns.
Alijah Huzzie and Will Hardy grabbed the interceptions for North Carolina’s defense. Beau Atkinson recorded 3 1/2 sacks.
Three of North Carolina’s victories this year have come on the road.
–Field Level Media
