Written by Bob Sutton, reported by Associated Press, and contributed by Graham Hill, a WRALSportsFan writer.

Campbell Fighting Camels	7
North Carolina Tar Heels	59
Final

Chapel Hill, N.C.

Drake Maye tossed four touchdown passes, two of which were caught by Tez Walker. Additionally, Omarion Hampton scored two rushing touchdowns as North Carolina snapped a two-game losing streak with a dominating 59-7 victory over Campbell on Saturday.

On 15 attempts, Hampton accumulated 144 yards rushing and North Carolina’s often-criticized defense showed moments of excellence.

The North Carolina Tar Heels, with a record of 7-2, were in need of a boost after suffering unexpected defeats against Virginia and Georgia Tech. These losses caused them to drop from a No. 10 ranking in the nation to being completely removed from the rankings.

In the third quarter, some players from North Carolina’s offense, including Maye, were taken out. Maye finished the game with 244 passing yards, completing 16 of 23 attempts.

Campbell (4-5), a part of the Coastal Athletic Association in the Football Championship Subdivision, recorded 287 yards in overall offense. Quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams passed for 185 yards and rushed for 51 yards.

The Tar Heels of North Carolina took an early lead with Maye’s 10-yard throw to Walker, who played despite being hospitalized in Atlanta after their previous loss to Georgia Tech. They teamed up once again for a 31-yard touchdown towards the end of the first half.

The Camels caught up when Williams passed to Chaney Fitzgerald for a 19-yard touchdown during a third-and-goal play in the opening quarter.

In the second quarter, with 8:56 remaining, Hampton scored a touchdown, putting his team in the lead. This run also brought his total yards for the season to over 1,000.

Unfortunately, despite Campbell’s five-minute drive, their efforts were ultimately fruitless as Caleb Dowden’s 33-yard field goal attempt went wide to the left.

Following Walker’s second touchdown, the Tar Heels utilized a fast-paced offense to secure another score. Hampton powered his way into the end zone from 4 yards away, earning his 12th rushing touchdown of the season.

In the third quarter, Maye successfully completed touchdown passes to both John Copenhaver and J.J. Jones. In the fourth quarter, backup quarterback Conner Harrell scored touchdowns by running and throwing the ball.

FOOT NOTES

Hampton became the quickest North Carolina athlete to reach 1,000 yards, achieving this milestone in a shorter amount of time than any other player since Giovani Bernard in 2012, who did it in just eight games. Campbell, who had a roughly 40-mile journey, now holds a record of 0-3 against in-state rivals this season. Their sole encounter with an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent was in 2020 when they suffered a loss against Wake Forest. As a team, they have yet to secure a win against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents, with a current record of 0-11.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

On Saturday, North Carolina played their first game of the season without being ranked nationally. Although beating Campbell may not be sufficient for them to re-enter the rankings, other outcomes could potentially change the rankings enough for the Tar Heels to secure a spot in the Top 25 in the upcoming poll on Sunday.

THE TAKEAWAY

Campbell: The Camels had some successful drives in the first half, but unfortunately, their four turnovers ultimately prevented them from pulling off an upset. They have allowed over 40 points in three of their defeats.

The Tar Heels of North Carolina may have resolved some problems, specifically in terms of defense, which was their main goal. They achieved a score of 40 points in their sixth game of the season.

UP NEXT

On Saturday, the last home game of the season will be against the current leader of the Colonial Athletic Association, Delaware.

Saturday’s game against Duke will be the final home game for North Carolina.

Scoring Summary

The Tar Heels from North Carolina emerged victorious with a 59-7 win over the Fighting Camels of Campbell on Saturday in Chapel Hill.

In the fourth quarter, Conner Harrell threw a 41-yard pass to wide receiver Chris Culliver for a touchdown. North Carolina then scored a point after, bringing the score to 59-7.

In the fourth quarter, Conner Harrell, the quarterback for the Tar Heels, scored his first ever touchdown with a 61-yard run. North Carolina extended their lead to 52-7 after successfully making the extra point.

In the third quarter, North Carolina’s kicker Noah Burnette successfully kicked a 43-yard field goal, increasing their lead to 45-7.

Drake Maye ended the day with 16 successful passes out of 23 attempts, resulting in 244 yards and 4 touchdowns.

In the third quarter of the game, J.J. Jones, the wide receiver, caught a 21-yard pass thrown by Drake Maye for a touchdown. North Carolina then scored a total of 42 points after successfully making a point after touchdown.

In the third quarter of the game, Drake Maye completed a 25-yard pass to tight end John Copenhaver for a touchdown. This increased North Carolina’s lead to 35-7 after the extra point was successfully kicked.

At the halfway point in the game, North Carolina was winning against Campbell with a score of 28-7.

In the second quarter, Omarion Hampton scored a 4-yard touchdown, his second of the game. North Carolina extended their lead to 28-7 with a successful PAT.

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In the second quarter, Drake Maye completed a 31-yard touchdown pass to Tez Walker, marking his second touchdown of the game. With the successful point after attempt, North Carolina increased their lead to 21-7.

In the second quarter, Omarion Hampton scored a 54-yard touchdown. The North Carolina team regained the lead with a score of 14-7 after a successful point after touchdown.

In the first quarter, Hajj-Malik Williams made a 19-yard touchdown pass to Chaney Fitzgerald, resulting in a score of 7-7 after the successful PAT by Campbell.

In the initial quarter, Drake Maye completed a 10-yard pass to Tez Walker, resulting in his fifth touchdown of the season. This gave North Carolina a 7-0 lead after a successful point after attempt.

Pregame:

On Saturday, North Carolina will face Campbell in an attempt to break their two-game losing streak. The Tar Heels had a strong start to the season, winning their first six games and earning the No. 10 spot in the AP Top 25 rankings.

That was the best start for the program since 1997. But the Tar Heels have lost to Virginia and Georgia Tech the past two weeks to fall completely out of the rankings.

The defense has regressed significantly in the past two games, particularly in the fourth quarter of their away game against the Yellow Jackets where they allowed 246 rushing yards.

The Camels are a team in the Championship Subdivision.

What is at risk?

Two weeks prior, the Tar Heels had a record of 6-0, their best start since 1997, and were ranked No. 10 in the AP Top 25 poll.

They have dropped in the rankings following two consecutive losses in the Atlantic Coast Conference, one of which was against a Virginia team with only one win.

UNC must come together again as they take a break from conference games to play against the Camels, a local team from the Championship Subdivision.

KEY MATCHUP

The University of North Carolina’s defense struggled against Campbell University’s running game. In their last two games, the Tar Heels have taken a major step back defensively, especially when it comes to stopping the run. Prior to their game against Virginia, UNC was ranked fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference for run defense, allowing an average of 113.8 yards per game. However, they gave up 228 yards to Virginia and a whopping 348 yards, with 246 of those yards coming in the fourth quarter, against Georgia Tech.

According to UNC coach Mack Brown, Campbell has been performing well in the FCS with an average of 152.6 rushing yards per game. He also stated that if he were in their position, he would focus on running the ball.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Campbell’s quarterback, Hajj-Malik Williams, is performing well this season. He is currently in the top 15 of the FCS for averaging 262.2 passing yards per game and has thrown 16 touchdowns. He also has the second highest completion percentage in the country at .743.

RB Omarion Hampton from UNC has emerged as a top-tier runner, currently ranking fourth in the nation with an average of 115.4 yards per game. His impressive performance on the field has been a valuable asset to star quarterback Drake Maye’s passing game. In his most recent game, Hampton ran for 153 yards and scored two touchdowns, bringing his total rushing touchdowns this season to 10.

FACTS & FIGURES

Campbell is 0-10 all-time against Bowl Subdivision opponents, including instate losses at Appalachian State (2014, 2020), Wake Forest (2020) and East Carolina earlier this season. … UNC held Georgia Tech scoreless in the first and third quarters, yet scored 24 points and 22 points in the third and fourth quarters. … The Camels’ loss to Richmond last weekend snapped a two-game winning streak. … Maye is third nationally in total offense (352.2) and fourth in passing (319.9). … The Tar Heels are No. 3 in the Bowl Subdivision ranks in total offense (509.4) and No. 16 nationally in scoring (36.6). … UNC is getting quality production at tight end from Bryson Nesbit, who had three catches for 93 yards and a touchdown against Virginia then posted a similar line (three catches for 89 yards and a score) against Georgia Tech. Nesbit has four TD catches this year. … Campbell joined the Colonial Athletic Association in July. The school dropped varsity football as a program after the 1950 season before resuming play in August 2008.

Source: wralsportsfan.com