Healthy Elijah Hood breaks out in UNC football's win over Georgia Tech

Elijah Hood was ready to play.

After two weeks of rest — thanks to the No. 15 North Carolina football team’s bye week — Hood felt better than he had in weeks going into Saturday’s matchup against Georgia Tech.

“He felt that he was loose,” wide receiver Bug Howard said. “Talking to him before the game, he was just ready to go. He was just pumped up.”

From the start of the game, Hood’s eagerness showed. He bolted 45 yards on his first carry, and later in that opening drive, he rushed for a touchdown to give UNC a 7-0 lead. From there, the Tar Heels (7-2, 5-1 ACC) dominated offensively for a 48-20 win over the Yellow Jackets (5-4, 2-4 ACC).

Hood’s performance only improved from the opening drive, as he finished the first quarter with 114 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries.

When hearing his early stats, Hood laughed in disbelief. But quarterback Mitch Trubisky wasn’t surprised.

“That’s how we expect him to run,” Trubisky said. “We expect him to run wild like that. So it was good to see.”

It was the first time in Hood’s UNC career that he tallied over 100 yards in a quarter, and it was Hood’s first time playing at home since Pittsburgh on Sept. 24, since he sat out against Virginia Tech after getting injured in the win over Florida State.

Between the injury and the toll of taking on physical teams like the Seminoles, it’s been a while since Hood felt healthy.

And that had kept him from showing his full potential this season. Before today, he was averaging 68 yards per game.

“It’s been frustrating for him mentally, because he hasn’t been at 100 percent, so he hasn’t done the things that he really wants to do,” Head Coach Larry Fedora said. “‘Cause for him it’s all about contributing to the team, and the success of the team.”

The team could not afford a slow run game against the Yellow Jackets. Hood said leading up to Saturday, the coaches told the running backs and the offensive line they needed 200 yards rushing — a feat UNC had not accomplished all season.

“They were relying on me and T.J. (Logan) to go out there and make sure that got done,” Hood said. “And we were able to do that. We were able to find holes and make plays happen.”

When the offensive line opened up holes, it was all Hood needed to break free. He finished the game with 168 yards on 12 carries and tied his career high with three touchdowns. He averaged 14 yards per rush, compared with a five-yard average before Saturday.

“I don’t know,” Hood said. “I just was explosive today.”

Behind Hood, the rushing offense delivered on what the team needed — totaling 283 yards on the day.

But it wasn’t just for the team. Hood had something to prove. And now that he was healthy, Hood was ready to make a statement.

“Before the game, he was just anxious to get out there and run the football…” Howard said.

“He was just ready to show people that he — he’s back."

@rblakerich_

sports@dailytarheel.com