North Carolina seeks to use ground attack to defeat struggling Florida State

North Carolina (4-4, 1-3 ACC) at Florida State (1-7, 1-6), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ACC Network)

BetMGM College Football Odds: North Carolina by 2 1/2.

Series record: FSU leads 17-3-1

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

North Carolina seeks to build on its most impressive win of the season, a 44-14 win over Virginia on Saturday. The Tar Heels had been in a tailspin, dropping four straight games, but are now in position to fight for bowl eligibility in November with a win over struggling Florida State. The Seminoles are 1-6 in ACC games, their worst mark since joining the conference in 1992.

KEY MATCHUP

Florida State run defense vs. UNC run game. Omarion Hampton has run for 1,006 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Florida State coach Mike Norvell called Hampton the ACC’s top back and the best the Seminoles have faced. Stopping the run has not been a strength for Florida State, which ranks 106th in the FBS and allows 190.75 yards rushing per game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Florida State: RB Lawrance Toafili leads the team in carries (70) and yards rushing (279). But the senior only had six carries for 26 yards and one reception for seven yards in the Seminoles’ 36-14 loss at Miami. Florida State needs to establish the run to defeat UNC and be balanced with redshirt freshman QB Brock Glenn expected to start.

UNC: RB Omarion Hampton. The preseason Associated Press All-American is sixth nationally in rushing (125.8 yards per game) and tied for 22nd in the Bowl Subdivision with nine rushing touchdowns. He’s coming off a 105-yard effort with two touchdowns in the win at Virginia.

FACTS & FIGURES

UNC’s three wins in the series came in 2001 under John Bunting, 2010 under Butch Davis and 2016 under Larry Fedora. … Tar Heels coach Mack Brown has lost all eight meetings against the Seminoles, the first six coming from 1992-97 during his first coaching stint in Chapel Hill followed by losses in 2020 and 2021 in his second stint. … The Tar Heels are coming off a 10-sack performance in the Virginia win, their most in a game since 2000. … Florida State is 8-0 in November the last two seasons.

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The Associated Press