CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina fell to NC State, 35-30, on Saturday at Kenan Stadium in the regular season finale for both teams, and it was also UNC Coach Mack Brown’s final game.
UNC dropped to 6-6 overall and 3-5 in the ACC, and the Wolfpack improved to 6-6 and 3-5.
Here are some game notes from the Tar Heels’ loss to State:• Carolina concludes the regular season 6-6, including 3-5 in the ACC and 3-4 at Kenan Stadium.
• UNC is 68-40-6 all-time against NC State, including a 28-22-1 record in Kenan Stadium.
• Mack Brown is 288-155-1 in 36 seasons as a head coach, including 113-79-1 at UNC.
• This was the fourth straight game Carolina has not scored in the first quarter, its longest streak
since 2017.
• UNC and NC State combined for 13 first half points, the fewest in the series since they combined for 13 in 2018.
• Carolina’s six points in the first half were its fewest this season and the fewest in a first half since scoring zero in the first half against Virginia Tech in 2021.
• Omarion Hampton rushed 22 times for 185 yards and caught four passes for 78 yards. He both rushed for and caught a pass for touchdowns.
• Hampton has rushed for 1,660 yards this season, a career-high and the second most in a season
in UNC history (Don McCauley gained 1,720 in 1970).
• This is Hampton’s second-straight season with at least 1,500 rushing yards. He is the fourth ACC player to accomplish this in the last 20 years. Hampton joined Travis Etienne (Clemson), Dalvin Cook (Florida State) and Lamar Jackson (Louisville) as the only ACC players with back-to-back 1,500 yard seasons in the last 20 seasons.
• Hampton passed Michael Carter for fourth all-time in rushing yards by a Tar Heel. Hampton has rushed for 3,565 yards. Carter gained 3,404 from 2017-20.
• Hampton scored on 75-yard run in the third quarter. It was the longest run and the longest
touchdown run in his career.
• It was the longest run by a Tar Heel since Elijah Green’s 80-yard touchdown against Georgia Tech in 2022.
• Hampton made a 47-yard reception touchdown (on a shovel pass from Jacolby Criswell) to give UNC a 30-29 lead with 1:51 to play in the fourth quarter. It was the second-longest catch of his career (49-yard touchdown reception against Florida State earlier this season).
• Hampton scored two touchdowns today and has 40 in his three-year career, third most in UNC
history behind Mike Voight (42) and Leon Johnson (50), who both played four seasons.
• Hampton has 15 rushing touchdowns this season. He is the only player in UNC history with at
least 15 rushing touchdowns in multiple seasons. He also had 15 rushing TDs last season.
• Hampton is the first Tar Heel with four-or-more 150-yard games in back-to-back seasons since
Voight in 1976-77. They are the only two Tar Heels to accomplish that.
• Hampton scored 12 points to pass Charlie Justice for eighth on UNC’s all-time points list with 240, which is the third most among non-kickers.
• This was Hampton’s 10th 100-yard rushing game this season, which ties McCauley (1970) for the most 100-yard rushing games in a season.
• Hampton has 19 career 100-yard rushing games, which ties Kelvin Bryant for the second most in UNC history. Amos Lawrence is first with 25.
• Hampton has 281 carries this season, the third-most in a season in UNC history. McCauley had
324 in 1970 and Voight had 315 in 1976.
• Running back Caleb Hood completed the first pass of his career, a 4-yard toss to Nate McCollum. Hood is 1 for 3 in career pass attempts.
• Hood was the first non-quarterback to complete a pass for the Tar Heels since Rontavius Groves’ touchdown pass to Sam Howell against Miami in 2020.
• Criswell’s 50-yard touchdown pass to Chris Culliver was the longest touchdown of his career and the second-longest completion of his career (53-yard completion to JJ Jones against Georgia Tech this season).
• Criswell’s three passing touchdowns marked the fourth time he has thrown multiple passing
touchdowns this season and the first time with multiple passing touchdowns since throwing two
against Virginia on October 26. It tied his career high (also had three against James Madison on
September 21).
• Culliver’s 50-yard touchdown reception was the longest reception of his career and his second
career touchdown catch.
• Culliver had a career-high 96 receiving yards. Entering the game, he had 80 receiving yards in two seasons.
• JJ Jones, who wore No. 13 in memory of Tylee Craft, caught his sixth touchdown pass of the
season and the 11th of his career.
