CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Drake Maye threw two of his four touchdown passes to Tez Walker, Omarion Hampton ran for two touchdowns and North Carolina shed a two-game losing streak by beating Campbell 59-7 on Saturday afternoon.

Hampton gained 144 rushing yards on 15 carries and North Carolina’s much-maligned defense shined at times.

The Tar Heels (7-2) needed a pick-me-up before returning to Atlantic Coast Conference play following upset losses to Virginia and Georgia Tech, falling from a No. 10 national ranking all the way out of the poll.

Some North Carolina starters, including Maye, on offense were pulled by late in the third quarter. Maye ended 16-for-23 for 244 yards in the air.

Campbell (4-5), a member of the Football Championship Subdivision’s Coastal Athletic Association, had 287 yards of total offense. Quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams threw for 185 yards and ran for 51 yards.

North Carolina scored first on Maye’s 10-yard pass to Walker, who was in action despite spending time in an Atlanta hospital following the Tar Heels’ loss a week earlier at Georgia Tech. They connected again on a 31-yard scoring play late in the first half.

The Camels drew even as Williams threw to Chaney Fitzgerald for a 19-yard touchdown on a third-and-goal play in the first quarter.

Hampton ran 54 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 8:56 left in the second quarter. Hampton eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the season on that run.

Campbell then had a five-minute drive go for naught when Caleb Dowden missed wide left on a 33-yard field goal attempt.

After Walker’s second touchdown, the Tar Heels executed a hurry-up offense to score when Hampton plowed into the end zone from 4 yards out for his 12th rushing touchdown of the year.

Maye threw touchdown passes to John Copenhaver and J.J. Jones in the third quarter. Backup quarterback Conner Harrell ran and threw for touchdowns in the fourth.

FOOT NOTES

By reaching 1,000 yards, Hampton became the fastest North Carolina player to do since Giovani Bernard needed just eight games in 2012. … Campbell, which had about a 40-mile trip, dropped to 0-3 vs. in-state opponents this season. … The Camels’ only other game all-time against an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent came with a 2020 loss at Wake Forest. They dropped to 0-11 against Football Bowl Subdivision foes.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

North Carolina played its first game of the season without a national ranking Saturday. While defeating Campbell won’t likely be enough to climb back into the poll, other results could shuffle the rankings enough for the Tar Heels to land a Top 25 spot in Sunday’s next poll.

THE TAKEAWAY

Campbell: The Camels put together a couple of promising first-half drives but committing four turnovers pretty much doomed any chance of an upset. They’ve given up more than 40 points in three of their losses.

North Carolina: The Tar Heels might have sorted out some issues, particularly on defense, and that was the main objective. North Carolina reached the 40-point mark for the sixth game this season.

UP NEXT

Campbell: Saturday vs. CAA leader Delaware in the home finale

North Carolina: Saturday vs. Duke in the home finale.