By R.L. Bynum

CHAPEL HILL — The case for Jacolby Criswell was pretty simple but not overwhelming as Carolina deals with life after Drake Maye.

The graduate transfer quarterback produced points in his first three drives, and junior Conner Harrell struggled to move the ball on his first three drives. However, Criswell may have closed the case when he led UNC to 21 of its 28 fourth-quarter points as the Tar Heels pulled away for a 45–10 victory Saturday at Kenan Stadium over N.C. Central.

“We decided during the week that we were going to put Jacolby in during the third series regardless,” said Coach Mack Brown, whose team is 3–0 for the third consecutive season. “He threw the ball. We wanted to play both of them. Then he took it right down and scored and we weren’t going to take him out. We’re just trying to play more people because when you see a chance to play, you practice better.”

Brown said the coaching staff would look at every play Saturday night to determine who would start next weekend. He added that he’ll stay with the hot hand.

Although he struggled with accuracy at times, Criswell was 14 of 23 for a career-high 161 yards with a touchdown and a 134 passer rating. Harrell was 2 of 6 for 22 yards and a 64.1 passer rating, although a penalty wiped out a long late-game completion as he directed UNC’s final scoring drive.

“I would say it took some getting used to,” Criswell said. “Obviously, you come into a place you’ve already been, you feel excited. But, at the same time, you’ve still got to earn respect. I was super-excited to come in here to learn the playbook and be with some guys that I was here with before. It was honestly not really a big transition, but it was a transition harder than what I expected. I came in, put my head down and worked.”

Until late in the game, nothing came easily for UNC’s offense other than feeding the ball to junior running back Omarion Hampton, and its defense had tough moments against NCCU (1–2) but had a strong overall effort.

“I think the whole offense has to have the same mindset. We know what we got to do when it comes down to close games and stuff like that … try to have that mindset, and just do it every play,” said Hampton, who ran for 210 yards and three touchdowns, looking unstoppable and piling up plenty of yards after first contact.

Unlike the Maye era, winning will come with success running the ball.

“We’re a team that runs the ball,” Brown said. “We were averaging around 243 yards on the ground coming into the game and had 330 tonight. So we’re gonna run the ball. That’s who we are and that’s who we have to be.”

Criswell, who said he had lost 15 pounds since preseason camp started, said he feels comfortable with his game.

“Throughout the week, the coaches were like, ‘just play the ball you know how to play.’ ” Criswell said. “As we were rolling, I was just so focused on, obviously the O-line — shout out them — I don’t think I got touched the whole game. And the receivers, they did their thing, and then talk about the defense. It felt like everything was just coming [together] perfectly. And it was just all right. I didn’t have to do too much; I didn’t have to be flashy.”

Tight end John Copenhaver caught a career-high six catches for 60 yards.

“This game would have been out of control if not for the penalties,” Brown said of a program-record-tying 16 penalties for 102 yards.

UNC held NCCU to 167 yards, the fewest total yards by an opponent since The
Citadel gained 153 on Sept. 5, 2009, and the first time UNC held an opponent under 200 yards since Idaho had 189 on Sept. 29, 2012.

From a Dez Evans’ offside penalty on the first play to a 34-yard pass completion on a wheel route — with defensive back Kaleb Cost beat on the play — to an Evans roughing-the-passer penalty, UNC’s defense was horrible on NCCU’s drive that started the game.

The Eagles took the opening kickoff and went 75 yards on 12 plays in nearly 7½ minutes to produce a five-yard J’Mari Taylor touchdown run.

“I don’t think these kids feel pressure,” Brown said. “They just go play. Down 7–0, I don’t think they thought the game was in jeopardy. I liked the way that they hung in there and kept doing it, and did a good job.”

UNC (3–0) got momentum after Christian Hamilton recovered a muffed punt to set up UNC at the NCCU 41, and Criswell gave the Tar Heels a spark with points in the next three drives. The scored points on Hampton touchdown runs of 11 and 2 yards in the first five minutes of the second quarter and a 36-yard Liam Boyd field goal in his first career attempt.

UNC’s defense stiffened up for three possessions (allowing only 44 yards total) before NCCU drove 64 yards for a 35-yard Juan Velarde field goal to finish the first half and trim the Tar Heels’ lead to 17–10.

UNC appeared to complete a goal-line stand on that final first-half drive, but an unsportsman-like-conduct penalty on Marcus Allen for taunting turned fourth down into another first-and-goal.  Evans dropped quarterback Walker Harris on a sack for a nine-yard loss on third down to force the field-goal attempt.

“The start of the blowout was the goal line stand,” Brown said. “That’s when it all started because Central knew they couldn’t score.”

Harrell was back for the second series in the second half and produced 18 yards before Criswell returned. He could not get enough yards on a fourth-and-12 completion to Paul Billups.

On the next drive, Criswell completed a 30-yard pass to Hamilton after a good bit of scrambling to convert a third-and-10. Then, Criswell completed passes of 29 yards to Hamilton and 23 yards to tight end John Copenhaver for a touchdown 48 seconds into the fourth quarter.

Cost made up for his earlier mistake on coverage when he leaped for his first career interception. That set up Hampton’s third touchdown on a 4-yard run five plays later.

Carolina made it a rout with a 1-yard Davion “Bullet” Gause touchdown and a 45-yard Charleston French touchdown run.

Cost led the team with four tackles and four assists.

NOTES — Carolina plays its third consecutive home game at noon Saturday (ACC Network) against James Madison. The Dukes (2–0) had the weekend off after opening the season with a 30–7 win at Charlotte and a 13–6 home win over Gardner-Webb. … Max Johnson watched the game from the fifth floor of the Kenan Football Center. … UNC has held its first three opponents to fewer than 100 rushing yards. It was the first time the Tar Heels have done that in three consecutive games since 2010, when they held Clemson to 91 yards, ECU to 46 and Rutgers to 87. … Carolina, a 37½-point favorite, fell to 0–3 against the spread. … UNC has limited its opponents to 43 first downs through three games. That is the fewest number of first downs in the first three games by opponents since 2008 when the Tar Heels held Florida State to 20, Virginia Tech to 11 and Duke to 11 for a total of 42. … It was UNC’s first 28-point quarter since the Tar Heels did it in 2020 in the final period against Wake Forest. … UNC is 73–8 overall when scoring 30 or more points under Brown. … This was the first meeting between UNC and NCCU, which had lost its previous games vs. FBS opponents by an average of 44 points. NCCU is 0–8 against the ACC. … Hampton scored multiple touchdowns for the ninth time in his career after not scoring in the first two games and ran for more than 100 yards for the 11th time. … Boyd filled in for Noah Burnette, who was out of uniform and had a large wrap around his right knee. … UNC players missing the game in addition to Burnette were center Austin Blaske, left guard Aidan Banfield (lower body), rush Kaimon Rucker (lower body), defensive back DeAndrew Boykins (lower body) and defensive back Zion Ferguson (upper body).

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UNC 45, NCCU 10

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Month/ date	Opponent	Time/ score	TV/ record
August
29	at Minnesota	W, 19–17	1–0
September
7	vs. Charlotte	W, 38–20	2–0
14	vs. N.C. Central	W, 45–10	3–0
21	vs. James Madison	Noon	ACCN
28	at Duke	4 p.m.	ESPN2
October
5	vs. Pittsburgh	TBA	TBA
12	vs. Georgia Tech	TBA	TBA
26	at Virginia	TBA	TBA
November
2	at Florida State	TBA	TBA
16	vs. Wake Forest	TBA	TBA
23	at Boston College	TBA	TBA
30	vs. N.C. State	TBA	TBA

Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics Communication