Running back Omarion Hampton scored five touchdowns and North Carolina cruised to a 35-11 road victory against Florida State on Saturday in Tallahassee, Florida. It marked the first time in Hall of Fame coach Mack Brown’s career that he directed a victory against his alma mater. Hampton reached the end zone four times on running plays, rolling up 172 yards on the ground on 32 carries. He eclipsed the 3,000-yard rushing mark for his career. He also scored on a 49-yard pass from quarterback Jacoby Criswell, who finished with 211 yards on 13-for-17 passing. Hampton had 93 yards on three catches. The Tar Heels (5-4, 2-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) turned in a strong defensive performance for the second straight week, snapping a four-game losing streak with a pair of dominant victories. Florida State (1-8, 1-7) had 201 yards of total offense compared to North Carolina’s 500. Brock Glenn threw a 28-yard pass to Ja’Khi Doulgas in the third quarter for the Seminoles’ only touchdown, with Lawayne McCoy’s two-point conversion closing the gap to 21-11. Glenn finished 6-for-11 for 123 yards through the air. Backup quarterback Luke Cromenhook threw back-to-back interceptions in the second half. The Seminoles scored first on a 56-yard field goal by Ryan Fitzgerald. They then came up with a big play on defense, stopping North Carolina on fourth-and-goal from the 1. Later in the half, Hampton scored a third-and-goal from a yard out to put the Tar Heels on top. Hampton’s 2-yard run with 1:57 left in the first half helped extend the lead to 14-3 at the end of the 93-yard drive. Hampton, a preseason All-American, scored in the third quarter from 31 and 1 yard as the Tar Heels twice drove 75 yards for touchdowns. Alijah Huzzie and Will Hardy picked off passes for the North Carolina defense. Bo Atkinson recorded 3 1/2 sacks. Three of North Carolina’s wins this year have come on the road. –Field level media
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