Football teams are only allowed to have 11 players on the field at a time – anything more is a five-yard penalty.
The South Carolina Gamecocks used a bold strategy on Saturday night and used 13 players.
It is extremely likely that it was a total accident. It’s clear that many people on the defensive side of the ball were pretty confused.
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North Carolina Tar Heels running back Omarion Hampton (28) scores the opening touchdown against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. (Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)
But at the very least, they had a two-man advantage inside the five-yard line. So the worst that could happen was that UNC would have just been half the distance to the goal line after South Carolina stopped them, right?
Wrong.
Despite 13 players, UNC running back Omarion Hampton punched in a one-yard touchdown.
Five Gamecocks lined up at the line of scrimmage, while eight others played behind them. It was still no match for Hampton, who found the end zone to open up the scoring in the Duke’s Mayo Classic.
North Carolina Tar Heels running back Omarion Hampton (28) scores the opening touchdown against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. (Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)
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To add insult to injury, South Carolina was still penalized for too many men on the field. Of course, the Tar Heels declined.
Hampton also opened the scoring in the second half with another touchdown, his second of the night.
The embarrassing moment was apparently a sign of things to come. The Tar Heels led by just three points at the half, but they quickly scored two unanswered touchdowns in the beginning of the third quarter to take a three-possession lead.
A South Carolina Gamecocks helmet during the game between the Vanderbilt Commodores and the South Carolina Gamecocks on November 5, 2022, at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. (Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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South Carolina recovered a surprise onside kick to start the second half, but turned the ball over on downs. UNC answered with a touchdown, forced a three-and-out, and then scored again.
UNC wouldn’t score again for the rest of the night, but South Carolina was held to just a field goal in the second half, losing the game, 31-17.
