UNC football looks to start winning streak in road game against Florida State :: WRALSportsFan.com
 North Carolina Tar Heels |
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 Florida State Seminoles |
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| ACC Network | Saturday, November 2nd 3:30 PM EDT | |
Chapel Hill, N.C. — The North Carolina Tar Heels football team is looking to start a winning streak this weekend after snapping a four-game losing streak.
North Carolina (4-4, 1-3 ACC) will need to win two of its remaining four games to become bowl eligible. The Tar Heels are coming off a 41-14 win Saturday afternoon against Virginia.
“That’s the best we’ve played … as a team, the entire game, since Minnesota,” head coach Mack Brown said.
Saturday marked North Carolina’s first win since the 45-10 win over North Carolina Central on Sept. 14.
“Winning is amazing,” Brown said. “It solves a whole lot of issues.”
Brown said he believes North Carolina will play its best football on the back half of the season.
“I’ve said since the beginning I thought this would be a team that would play better at the end of the year because … the three quarterbacks, the inexperience at quarterback, the inexperience on the offensive line, [a] new defensive coordinator,” Brown said. “And, we have a chance to do that.”
Brown praised senior wide receiver J.J. Jones’ efforts against Virginia. Jones caught five passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns.
Jones’ second touchdown came on a 31-yard pass from quarterback Jacolby Criswell with 5 seconds left in the second quarter. The extra point put the Tar Heels up 24-6 at halftime.
“I think that was probably the play of the game,” Brown said of Jones’ touchdown.
Brown said he also thought Saturday was Criswell’s best game. Criswell completed 19 of 30 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns.
Junior running back Omarion Hampton had 26 carries for 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Hampton also had three receptions for 37 yards.
Hampton has surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons. Hampton is only one of nine North Carolina rushers to accomplish that feat.
“He’s obviously one of the best players in our school history,” Brown said of Hampton.
Hampton leads the ACC in rushing with 1,006 yards.
Florida State (1-7, 1-6 ACC) went undefeated in the regular season in 2023 and won the ACC Championship but was snubbed by the College Football Playoff selection committee. The Seminoles were picked to win the ACC, but have instead struggled.
Saturday’s game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised on the ACC Network.
“They’ve had struggles like we’ve had with injuries and tough breaks,” Brown said.
Florida State enters Saturday’s game on a four-game losing streak. The Seminoles lost 36-14 to Miami on Saturday.
“Their defensive front is the best we’ll play,” Brown said of Florida State.
Brown said the Florida State offense has been “inconsistent’ due to young, inexperienced quarterbacks. The Seminoles played two freshmen quarterbacks against Miami: Luke Kromenhoek and Brock Glenn.
UNC last beat Florida State on Oct. 1, 2016.
In Brown’s second stint as North Carolina head coach, he lost to the Seminoles in 2020 and 2021.
North Carolina injuries
North Carolina will monitor injuries to defensive backs Marcus Allen and Jakeen Harris during practice throughout the week.
Brown said offensive lineman Jonathan Adorno (upper body) and defensive lineman Leroy Jackson (lower body) both had operations to treat season-ending injuries.
Source: wralsportsfan.com