Tar Heels announce captains for noon football clash against Campbell

You know what the best thing about sports is?

After each game – no matter a win or a loss, teams can press the reset button.

You can bet the UNC football program already pressed reset last weekend, the moment after its second-consecutive loss to Georgia Tech. Carolina went from 6-0 three weekends ago, on the outside looking into the College Football Playoff, to having its ACC Title hopes in serious danger.

The Tar Heels have a golden chance to get back in the win column today, as they host in-state FCS opponent Campbell University for a 12 p.m. ET kickoff. You can bet the Camels, who are 4-4 just like Georgia Tech, are looking to shock the college football world by pitching a rare, FCS-over-FBS upset.

Captaining UNC for its Military Appreciation Day game are star quarterback Drake Maye (offense), defensive standout Kaimon Rucker and running back-turned-defensive back D.J. Jones (special teams).

Even though Maye’s Heisman Trophy chances are pretty much shot, due to the Tar Heels losing back-to-back games against sub-.500, unranked opponents, Maye still has his team’s offense among one of the country’s best. Carolina’s 509.4 yards per game is third-highest in the FBS, while his 2,559 passing yards rank him seventh in the FBS.

Rucker is one of the rare bright spots on a struggling defensive unit that, earlier this season, we thought had finally turned a corner. He leads Carolina with 11 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hurries and 7.5 sacks. Even with UNC dropping its last two games, Rucker combined for 11 tackles, showing he was one of the few Tar Heels who could actually wrap up a ballcarrier.

Jones has appeared in all eight games, with his role primarily on special teams. He has five total tackles to his name, including a half-TFL.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Story originally appeared on Tarheels Wire