Will Heels’ opener be the ‘Omarion Hampton show’? How to watch, stream UNC vs. Minnesota

After each practice, you can find Omarion Hampton taking reps on the JUGS machine. He pumps his arms, mimicking a running motion, and catches pass after pass in the corner of UNC’s indoor practice facility.

His post-practice reps have become as routine as Hampton is dependable. It’s hard to overstate how essential the running back has become to this Tar Heel team — a roster filled with unknowns and question marks as UNC heads to Minneapolis for its Thursday season opener against Minnesota.

“We’re gonna be a lot better team this year at the end than we are at the beginning,” UNC head coach Mack Brown said on Friday, “because we’ve got so many new things we’ve got to fix.”

For Hampton, it’s been less fixing, more fine-tuning. He wants to improve his pass protection and work on catching the ball out of the backfield (thus the jugs machine).

But outside of that, there “ain’t much that’s broke” in his game. The junior has amassed 1,905 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns in his college career, including a standout sophomore campaign with 1,504 yards and 15 touchdowns.

And, as tight-lipped as North Carolina has been ahead of its season-opener, it’s no secret the running back will be a focal point of UNC’s offense.

“I think Omarion, he could be on any team in the country and you’d lean on him,” offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey said this fall. “I believe that. He is the best running back in the country, in my opinion. I mean, we’d be dumb not to run the football.”

That’s one position you can go ahead and fill in on your depth chart, if you’re keeping track at home. As for the quarterback, that’s still a question mark. Brown indicated on Friday both Max Johnson and Conner Harrell could play in the game, depending on how the game unfolds, leaving Minnesota and UNC fans alike guessing.

The Tar Heels’ inexperienced offensive line is also shrouded in uncertainty. Willie Lampkin is the only member of that corps who has started a college game. Lampkin and Co. will be facing a defense led by Corey Hetherman — historically known for blitzing but new to Minnesota.

The Gopher’s exact defensive schemes are unknown. Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck briefly touched on the variety of packages last week in his press conference but, unsurprisingly, didn’t go into detail.

Despite the secrecy, Brown confidently stated “they will be one of the best fronts we’ll face.”

“It will be really a test of the two lines of scrimmage,” Brown said.

And how about UNC’s “Minister of Mayhem” in Geoff Collins? UNC’s new defensive coordinator has focused on transforming the Tar Heels’ defense with an aggressive, high-energy approach.

“It’s better for everybody,” graduate defensive lineman Desmond Evans said this fall. “Everyone’s flying around, having a good time [and] enjoying what they’re doing.”

Evans said Collins has allowed the defense to play with more freedom. To him, that simple, less-systematic approach looks like, “allowing the defense to get takeaways, sacks, tackles for loss and [give] the offense the ball back.”

The Tar Heels’ defense have clearly embraced the changes under Collins, but are still unproven. And they’ll need every bit of their fall camp energy against a formidable Minnesota team that, like UNC, is dealing with its own set of uncertainties heading into Thursday.

“When you look at new quarterbacks on both sides, new coordinators on defense on both sides, an away game for us on national TV,” Brown said. “A lot of fun stuff to look forward to next week.”

How to watch

The game can be seen on Fox Sports on cable/satellite services or over-the-air on local affiliates. It can be streamed on such services as DIRECTV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, Sling Blue and YouTube TV.

Betting odds

The Tar Heels are now a slight favorite — 1.5 points by ESPN, which puts the over/under at 50.5 points.

North Carolina at Minnesota

When: Thursday, Aug. 29, 8 p.m.

Where: Huntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis.

TV: Fox

Series: Last year’s game in Chapel Hill, a 31-13 UNC win, was the first between the schools.

This story was originally published August 27, 2024 at 6:00 AM.