Week four of the college football season saw 13 college running backs from our state hit the coveted 100-yard mark.
Leading the charge, Gardner-Webb’s Carson Gresock powered his team to a 42-21 victory over Presbyterian, posting 134 yards on 22 carries with three touchdowns. His teammate Quasean Holmes also had a stellar day, adding 132 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries.
North Carolina Central’s J’Mari Taylor delivered a big performance in the Eagles’ 66-24 win over North Carolina A&T, rushing for 137 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, including a 66-yard run. In Division III, Guilford’s Malik Woodard posted the highest yardage of the week, amassing 167 yards on 19 carries with two scores in a 44-35 win over Sewanee. His teammate, Evan Sullivan, added another 118 yards, helping the Quakers pile up 397 yards on the ground against the visiting Tigers.
Omarion Hampton from the University of North Carolina put up 139 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries despite a tough 70-50 loss to James Madison. Trevon Hester of Winston-Salem State ground out 141 yards on 28 carries to help his team edge Virginia State 15-14.
Here’s a full list of each of the 100-yard rushers for week four:
Top Rushers (Sorted by Total Yards):
- Malik Woodard (Guilford) – 167 yards, 2 TDs on 19 carries
- Anthony Byrd (NC Wesleyan) – 146 yards, 1 TD on 16 carries
- Trevon Hester (Winston-Salem State) – 141 yards on 28 carries
- Omarion Hampton (North Carolina) – 139 yards, 3 TDs on 19 carries
- J’Mari Taylor (North Carolina Central) – 137 yards, 2 TDs on 19 carries
- Carson Gresock (Gardner-Webb) – 134 yards, 3 TDs on 22 carries
- Quasean Holmes (Gardner-Webb) – 132 yards, 2 TDs on 19 carries
- Star Thomas (Duke) – 111 yards, 2 TDs on 17 carries
- LJ Turner (Catawba) – 110 yards, 1 TD on 14 carries
- Travon Tensley (Shaw) – 106 yards on 18 carries
- Julian Milligan (Fayetteville State) – 117 yards, 1 TD on 12 carries
- Evan Sullivan (Guilford) – 118 yards on 19 carries
- Jadien Deaton (Brevard) – 112 yards on 14 carries
There have been 36 instances this season where a North Carolina college back has tallied a 100-yard rushing performance (and three players have reached 200). Here is the complete list, sorted by most yards to fewest:
PLAYER (SCHOOL) DIV ATT YDS TD LONG AVG DATE OPPONENT Omarion Hampton (North Carolina) FBS 25 210 3 53 8.4 Week 3 North Carolina Central Mari Adams (Davidson) FCS 19 207 2 40 10.9 Week 3 Point Zayvion Turner-Knox (Lenoir-Rhyne) D2 30 204 3 30 6.8 Week 2 Bowie State Anthony Byrd (NC Wesleyan) D3 21 192 2 37 9.1 Week 2 at Averett Malik Woodard (Guilford) D3 19 167 2 37 8.8 Week 4 Sewanee Anthony Byrd (NC Wesleyan) D3 29 163 1 17 5.6 Week 3 Ferrum TJ Thomas Jr. (Elon) FCS 11 163 1 74 14.8 Week 2 at North Carolina Central Quavaris Crouch (Johnson C. Smith) D2 21 161 1 75 7.7 Week 1 vs. Tuskegee Anthony Byrd (NC Wesleyan) D3 16 146 1 41 9.1 Week 4 Huntingdon Trevon Hester (Winston-Salem State) D2 28 141 0 23 5.0 Week 4 at Virginia State Omarion Hampton (North Carolina) FBS 19 139 3 48 7.3 Week 4 James Madison Mohamed Nyanamukenga (Livingstone) D2 24 138 0 26 5.8 Week 3 Allen Tay Long (Barton) D2 22 137 1 28 6.2 Week 3 at Chowan J’Mari Taylor (North Carolina Central) FCS 19 137 2 66 7.2 Week 4 North Carolina A&T Maurice Smith (Chowan) D2 16 136 1 57 8.5 Week 3 Barton Demond Claiborne (Wake Forest) FBS 17 135 1 48 7.9 Week 1 North Carolina A&T Carson Gresock (Gardner-Webb) FCS 22 134 3 22 6.1 Week 4 at Presbyterian Quasean Holmes (Gardner-Webb) FCS 19 132 2 51 6.9 Week 4 at Presbyterian Rahjai Harris (East Carolina) FBS 26 131 2 63 5.0 Week 2 at Old Dominion Omarion Hampton (North Carolina) FBS 30 129 0 16 4.3 Week 1 at Minnesota J’Mari Taylor (North Carolina Central) FCS 24 128 2 21 5.3 Week 1 vs. Alabama State Mari Adams (Davidson) FCS 15 128 2 75 8.5 Week 2 Catawba Travon Tensley (Shaw) D2 20 126 0 34 6.3 Week 1 Elizabeth City State Jordan Waters (NC State) FBS 20 123 2 50 6.2 Week 1 Western Carolina Star Thomas (Duke) FBS 22 122 0 22 5.5 Week 3 Connecticut Kenji Christian (North Carolina A&T) FCS 16 121 1 22 7.6 Week 1 at Wake Forest Evan Sullivan (Guilford) D3 19 118 0 26 6.2 Week 4 Sewanee Julian Milligan (Fayetteville State) D2 12 117 1 34 9.8 Week 4 Elizabeth City State Jadien Deaton (Brevard) D3 14 112 0 44 8.0 Week 4 Belhaven Star Thomas (Duke) FBS 17 111 2 25 6.5 Week 4 at Middle Tennessee LJ Turner (Catawba) D2 14 110 1 26 7.9 Week 4 at UVA Wise Mason Sheron (Davidson) FCS 10 108 3 79 10.8 Week 2 Catawba Wesley Graves (NC A&T) FCS 26 106 1 16 4.1 Week 2 Winston-Salem State Travon Tensley (Shaw) D2 18 106 0 22 5.9 Week 4 Lincoln (PA) Davion Gause (North Carolina) FBS 16 105 1 18 6.6 Week 2 Charlotte TJ Thomas Jr. (Elon) FCS 14 101 1 60 7.2 Week 3 Western Carolina
