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CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina went into Saturday’s home game against Charlotte down some key Tar Heels, notably perhaps its best defensive player.

Then another Tar Heel went down. And another. And it seemingly kept happening.

A team that had basically no injuries in fall camp that forced anyone out of action, other than lingering issues with senior running back Caleb Hood, was suddenly reaching the level of being snake-bitten.

Starting quarterback Max Johnson was lost for the season in the third quarter of the season-opening win at Minnesota. Before kickoff Saturday of the Heels’ 38-20 victory over Charlotte at Kenan Stadium, UNC announced that defensive backup rush Malaki Hamrick was out along with backup running back Darwin Barlow. But that was just the beginning. In all, based on an observant count, five more Heels left the game at some point because of an injury.

“It's been, it's been two weeks to start the season with a lot of sudden change,” UNC Coach Mack Brown said Saturday. “Let's just put it that way, and the guys and coaches seem to be just handling and moving on next man up. So it'll be fun to see."

At one point Saturday, UNC was without the services of Rucker, All-America running back Omarion Hampton, and future NFL tight end Bryson Nesbit. One could make the case they are Carolina’s three best players.

Rucker felt something when lifting weights Thursday, and the program said he will have a “procedure” and be out a couple of weeks. Brown noted it being more two-to-three weeks.

Hampton had 77 yards on 11 carries before getting banged up. He did not return, but with UNC not in danger of losing to the 49ers, the staff made the safe decision to hold him out the rest of the contest.

"Omarion was running the ball well, he got banged up a little bit, and he could have played,” Brown said. “But we pulled him out because we wanted to make sure he's safe moving forward, and we wanted to see the younger backs.”

One of those younger backs, true freshman Davion Gause, ran for 15 yards on 16 carries and scored his first college touchdown.

Nesbit left with an upper body injury and starting center Austin Blaske went down in the second quarter and did not return. However, true freshman left guard Aidan Banfield and junior defensive tackle Travis Shaw both got banged up, they were able to return to action.

“It was good that we were forced to play without three of our best players,” Brown said. “When Blaske went out early and he said he could go back in, but we didn't him to. And Zach Greenberg goes in. He's never been in a college game before at this level, so that's just kind of the day. It was okay. So, they just kept coming to tell me, and said, 'so-and-so's out.' And I said, okay."

Aside from Rucker, Brown said the others should not miss next week’s home game against North Carolina Central.