Advertisement

FSU football's struggling defense faces another stiff challenge in UNC RB Omarion Hampton

peter holland jr., tallahassee democrat
·3 min read

Florida State football's defense struggled against Miami's running game, which led to a 36-14 loss to the Hurricanes last week.

This Saturday, FSU's run defense will be tested again against North Carolina, which will kick off at 3:30 p.m. at Doak Campbell Stadium.

While the Seminoles (1-7, 1-6 ACC) were able to contain Miami's Heisman-contending QB Cam Ward, the defense allowed 230 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

In three of the last four games, FSU's defense allowed a running back to rush over 100 yards, averaging 129.75 yards a game and at least one rushing touchdown.

This Saturday, FSU will face its toughest running back on its schedule. After an impressive 41-14 victory over Virginia, Omarion Hampton led the Tar Heels (4-4, 1-3) with 105 rushing yards and two TDs.

JIM HENRY: FSU football fans deserve action, not apologies after historic freefall

After the win, the 6-foot, 230-pound back reached 1,006 rushing yards, ranking him fourth in the country. He also leads the nation with 158th attempts among backs.

"He's a big back. He's got great size, speed when he gets in an open field," FSU coach Mike Norvell said.

"You can see his vision show up. He's a tough guy to tackle. You definitely have to get him stopped before he gets out in the open field, so I mean, he's a real complete back."

FSU's starting defensive tackle, Darrell Jackson, coming off a strong performance with three tackles and two sacks, is confident enough to shut down UNC's running game once everyone is in sync.

“Just play technique,” Jackson said. "Do your job. Like, it ain't nothing to it. Just do your job. We can stop him."

Another notable Tar Heel to watch is quarterback Jacoby Criswell. After taking over the starting job in Week 4 against James Madison, Criswell has thrown for 1,660 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions.

Norvell also mentioned that UNC's offensive line is creating open lanes for Hampton, who is projected to be one of the top running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft.

"They're big up front," Norvell said.

"They've been able to create movement and space, and then obviously, (they) have some dynamic guys they're giving the ball to who have made it happen for him."

More: FSU football fans deserve action, not apologies after historic freefall | Jim Henry

How to watch FSU vs. UNC game

  • Date: Saturday,

  • Time: 3:30 p.m.

  • Where: Doak Campbell Stadium/ Tallahassee, Florida

  • TV: ACC Network

FSU football schedule 2024: TV channels, dates and start times

All times Eastern

* = ACC

Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football struggling defense new challenge: UNC RB Omarion Hampton