West Virginia has gone up against some talented running backs this season and will face one more Wednesday afternoon with North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton.
This season, Hampton has 1,442 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns, averaging 120.2 rushing yards per game. He was named a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, which went to Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II, whom West Virginia has already faced this season.
Towards the end of October when West Virginia squared off against the Doak Walker Award winner, Gordon finished with his most rushing yards in a game this season with 282 as Oklahoma State won 48-34. He has over 1,600 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns this season.
Much like Gordon, Hampton is a true sophomore. They are both also bigger-sized backs, with Gordon listed at six-foot-one and Hampton listed at six-foot.
Both guys were four-star recruits coming out of high school and both burst onto the college football scene as true sophomores.
Per Pro Football Focus, Hampton ultimately graded out higher than Gordon with an 88.2 grade compared to an 82.5 grade for Gordon.
In the rushing game, West Virginia’s defense ought to have its hands full with Hampton and a dual-threat quarterback in Conner Harrell.
Kickoff for tonight’s game is set for 5:30 p.m. EST at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The game will be televised on ESPN.
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