By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — From the abyss after a four-game losing streak, Omarion Hampton has run North Carolina back to bowl eligibility.
With the help of some big defensive plays, the Tar Heels beat Wake Forest for the fourth consecutive time, holding on for a 31–24 win on a cool night at Kenan Stadium to earn their fifth consecutive bowl trip.
UNC (6–4, 3–3 ACC) takes a three-game win streak to Boston College next Saturday.
Big O was big-time, with 238 rushing on 32 carries, both career-highs, 254 total yards and the game-clinching six-yard touchdown run with 2:26 left. He ran for at least 100 yards for a school-record eighth consecutive game and joined Amos Lawrence and Mike Voight as the only Tar Heels with three consecutive 200-yard rushing games.
Linebacker Power Echols’ 42-yard third-quarter interception return, one of two UNC interceptions, helped UNC take control, and Travis Shaw’s fumble recovery with 5:40 left set up Hampton’s touchdown.
Quarterback Jacolby Criswell didn’t have to be spectacular but was solid, completing 14 of 22 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown. His favorite target was Hampton, who caught all six passes that came his way, although J.J. Jones led UNC with 33 reception yards and a touchdown.
Carolina drove 80 yards to a first-and-goal at the Wake Forest 3. But the fourth sack of the drive forced a 34-yard Noah Burnette field-goal attempt that dinked off the left upright. Wake Forest took advantage of two pass-interference penalties — the second one a bad call — to drive 65 yards for a 33-yard Matthew Dennis field goal.
Hampton rushed nine times for 59 yards on an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive. Criswell scrambled, darted through the line and leaped into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown run with 12:26 left in the first half.
With the offensive line giving Criswell excellent protection, he drove UNC 56 yards in seven plays for a 24-yard Burnette field goal with one second left to give UNC a 10–3 halftime lead.
Wake Forest quarterback Hank Bachmeier got hurt on the second play of the second half, but backup Michael Kern completed a 29-yard pass on the next play that led to the Deacs’ first touchdown drive. He threw for 43 yards on a 7-play, 75-yard drive, with running back Demond Claiborne getting a 2-yard touchdown run to tie it at 10 with 12:20 left in the third quarter.
Carolina quickly responded as Hampton rushed for 38 of his 53 rushing yards on an amazing run during a 75-yard scoring drive. Criswell scrambled and found J.J. Jones in the back of the end zone. Jones just barely got one foot inbounds on the 15-yard touchdown pass play to give UNC the lead.
Echols stretched the lead to 14 points 81 seconds later by jumping to intercept a Kern pass and returning it down the right sideline for a touchdown. It was his fourth career interception.
It’s the first season since 2013 that UNC has had three pick-sixes in a season after Kaleb Cost did it against Pittsburgh and Jahvaree Ritzie against Virginia.
Criswell gifted points to Wake Forest (4–6, 2–4) with a fumble at the UNC 7. Claiborne scored on an option pitch from there on the next play to slice Carolina’s lead to 24–17.
Two UNC three-and-outs sandwiched Desmond Evans’ second career interception.
Wake Forest drove for an inconsequential touchdown after Hampton’s score, a 16-yard touchdown pass from Kern to Taylor Morin with 1:15 left, to cut the lead to eight.
It was victory formation for UNC after Kaimon Rucker recovered the onside kick.
NOTES — UNC plays its final road game of the season at 12:10 p.m. Saturday against Boston College. The Eagles (5–5, 2–4) lost 38–28 at No. 14 SMU on Saturday. … Hampton passed Kelvin Bryant for fifth on UNC’s all-time rushing list. … Although Hampton’s eight straight 100-yard rushing games is a school record, Don McCauley had a seven-game streak in 1970 and would have had eight if the Peach Bowl had counted. … Burnette moved to third all-time on the UNC scoring list. … Chris Culliver was the UNC wide receiver wearing Tylee Craft’s No. 13 jersey. The field featured two Tylee Strong logos at the 25-yard lines. … Carolina linebacker Caleb LaVallee missed the game with a lower-body injury. … ACC commissioner Jim Phillips was at the game. … The “blue out” game was a bust because most fans wore coats in the cold temperatures and few had light-blue coats. … UNC has a four-game win streak against Wake Forest and leads the series 73–36–2.
UNC 31, Wake Forest 17
ACC standings
| Team | ACC | All |
|---|---|---|
| No. 14 SMU | 6–0 | 9–1 |
| No. 17 Clemson | 7–1 | 8–2 |
| No. 12 Miami | 5–1 | 9–1 |
| Syracuse | 4–3 | 7–3 |
| No. 22 Louisville | 4–3 | 6–4 |
| Georgia Tech | 4–3 | 6–4 |
| Pittsburgh | 3–3 | 7–3 |
| Duke | 3–3 | 7–3 |
| North Carolina | 3–3 | 6–4 |
| Virginia | 3–3 | 5–5 |
| Virginia Tech | 3–3 | 5–5 |
| Boston College | 2–4 | 5–5 |
| N.C. State | 2–4 | 5–5 |
| Wake Forest | 2–4 | 5–5 |
| Stanford | 2–5 | 3–7 |
| California | 1–5 | 5–5 |
| Florida State | 1–7 | 1–9 |
Saturday’s games
North Carolina 31, Wake Forest 24
No. 17 Clemson 25, Pittsburgh 20
Syracuse 33, California 25
Stanford 38, No. 22 Louisville 35
No. 14 SMU 38, Boston College 28
No. 8 Notre Dame 35, Virginia 14
Thursday’s game
N.C. State at Georgia Tech, 7:30, ESPN
Saturday’s games
Wake Forest at No. 12 Miami, noon, ESPN
No. 14 SMU at Virginia, noon, ESPN2
UConn at Syracuse, noon, ACCN
North Carolina at Boston College, 12:10, The CW
Charleston Southern at Florida State, 1:30, ESPN3
Pittsburgh at No. 22 Louisville, 3:30 or 4 p.m., ESPN2
Stanford at California, 3:30, ACCN
The Citadel at No. 17 Clemson, 3:40, The CW
Virginia Tech at Duke, 8 p.m., ACCN
| 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 | L, 70–50 | 3–1 |
| 28 | at Duke | L, 21–20 | 3–2, 0–1 ACC |
| October | |||
| 5 | vs. No. 18 Pittsburgh | L, 34–24 | 3–3, 0–2 |
| 12 | vs. Georgia Tech | L, 41–34 | 3–4, 0–3 |
| 26 | at Virginia | W, 41–14 | 4–4, 1–3 |
| November | |||
| 2 | at Florida State | W, 35–11 | 5–4, 2–3 |
| 16 | vs. Wake Forest | W, 31–24 | 6–4, 3–3 |
| 23 | at Boston College | 12:10 p.m. | The Cw |
| 30 | vs. N.C. State | TBA | TBA |
Photo via @UNCFootball
tarheeltribune.com 