The North Carolina Tar Heels prevailed over the Miami Hurricanes to remain perfect on the season. The 41-31 win moved UNC to 6-0 heading into a home game against the Virginia Cavaliers this coming Saturday.
CFB 3 Things We Learned: Michigan | Georgia | Notre Dame | Ohio State | Oregon | Washington
What did we learn about the North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday?
Devontez Walker is a Difference Maker
The transfer wide receiver was initially ruled ineligible for action in the 2023 season. North Carolina appealed, and Walker was allowed to compete, making his season debut on October 7 in limited snaps. It is fair to say that he arrived on the field in the nick of time, as North Carolina does not beat Miami without him. Walker was outstanding on Saturday night, catching six passes for 132 yards with three touchdowns. No other Tar Heels had more than two catches. Walker added two rushes for 19 yards and already looks like an explosive weapon that adds another element to the North Carolina offense.
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The Defense Continues to Make Plays
North Carolina’s defense will give up yards. They’ll give up big plays and points as well. However, the unit has improved, and they continue to do a great job of creating havoc plays. North Carolina forced four turnovers on the Miami Hurricanes, including two interceptions from Tyler Van Dyke. UNC has 12 forced turnovers on the season, and Kaimon Rucker has 6.5 sacks. The defense surrendered 30.8 points per game in 2022, but they have dropped that number to just 21 in 2023. The improvement on defense has turned the Tar Heels from a good team with an elite offense to an excellent team with a chance at the ACC Championship.
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Omarion Hampton is an All-ACC RBOmarion Hampton has become a significant piece for the North Carolina offense, and his emergence has helped make this a much more balanced attack. Hampton ran for 197 yards on 24 carries, an average of 8.2 yards per rush. He has run for 658 yards on the season and has eight touchdowns. The sophomore back is just three yards behind Jawhar Jordan for the top rushing mark in the ACC. With the top quarterback in the league in Drake Maye, one of the best receivers in the ACC in Walker, and the emergence of Hampton at running back, UNC has the top trio of weapons in the conference.
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