CLEMSON – The challenge of Drake Maye is under the spotlight for Clemson-North Carolina, but head coach Dabo Swinney is headlining a different challenge for Saturday.

Tar Heels running back Omarion Hampton is second in the country with 123.6 rushing yards per game. With over 20 carries a game, he’s a catalyst to North Carolina’s offensive success. Swinney detailed the problems Hampton will present in Death Valley during his Tuesday press conference.

“This is probably as good of a back as we’ve seen. He’s elite, leads the league in rushing. I think he’s second in the nation. He’s elite,” Swinney said.

Maye might be the poster boy, but Hampton’s the supercharger in the Tar Heel’s offensive engine. It’s easy to see what he does in the run game, but he presents a lot more fits. Hampton has 24 catches for 204 yards on the year, and he’s a dual threat.

It’s something that North Carolina schemes into, and Hampton makes it increasingly hard to defend.

“Million RPO’s and play action game and you’ve got a quarterback and he’s just back there having fun. He’s got some toys to play with,” Swinney said. “Running back’s very involved…a lot of screens, so it’s just a well coordinated deal. Very balanced. They’ve only turned it over eight times.”

Maye creates big plays, and even when it might appear a play is over, he can check it down to the best back in the ACC. It’s infuriating for a defense to prepare for but that’s what Wes Goodwin must do. Limiting Hampton’s impact takes a weight off the Clemson defense, or else it’s nearly impossible to stop the North Carolina offense.