Every time the 6-foot, 220-pound running back receives a handoff, he looks to impose his physical presence, shedding tackles and sprinting downfield with reckless abandon.
And when it comes to finishing near the goal line, where it’s imperative for a tailback to absorb contact and run straight ahead, Hood embraces the challenge.
“I know my chance to push it in, and there’s nothing like punching it in on a defense to take the air out of their lungs,” he said. “It’s something I’ve always done — whenever it’s on the goal line, being able to be the guy to get it in no matter what.”
Despite a career-best performance in North Carolina’s 17-13 loss to South Carolina on Thursday, the sophomore didn’t get the ball when UNC ran three plays inside the Gamecocks’ 9-yard line in the final minutes. In fact, he didn’t even see the field.
Hood ran for a career-high 138 yards on 12 carries, capped by a 29-yard run on the Tar Heels’ final possession. But he was pulled after the next play so he could catch his breath. He didn’t return until fourth-and-goal from the 8.
“We were in a hurry-up mode at that point,” Coach Larry Fedora said. “And we didn’t get him back into the game.”
Fedora said UNC can’t substitute during hurry-up mode, but the Tar Heels made two changes on the final set of downs — bringing in Romar Morris for Ryan Switzer on second-and-goal before Switzer came in for Morris on third-and-goal.
Before the third-and-goal play, Hood walked onto the field before running backs coach Larry Porter grabbed Hood’s jersey and pulled him back onto the sideline.
