Final Stats
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Senior running back LaMarcus Coker ran for 112 yards on 24 carries as he recorded his second 100-yard rushing game and quarterback Herbert Bynes threw for 208 yards and two touchdowns, as Hampton University handed North Carolina A&T its first loss of the season with a 24-14 victory Saturday night.
“Hats off to Coach Lee and his staff, because they did a great job with those athletics. It was a tough win, but it's our first conference win, so I will take it and move on from there,” said Pirates head coach
Donovan Rose.
In the first quarter, neither team could really get their offensive units moving and it seemed as if it was going to be a defensive battle between the Pirates and the Aggies.
“I thought that it was really going to be a big defensive battle going on for a while, as it was scoreless in the first half and then 7-7 for a while and then 14-7 and I knew that they were known for keeping their opponents under 20 points, in the case with Winston-Salem State and Norfolk State,” said Rose.
The Aggies (2-1, 1-1 MEAC) started strong and scored first, as quarterback Carlton Fears found Terrence Whitaker for a 29-yard touchdown for a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter.
The Pirates (2-1, 1-0 MEAC) were not going to be outdone, as they scored the next 24 points of the game. Bynes found senior receiver Damon McDaniel twice on touchdowns of 62 and 23 yards in the second quarter, as Hampton took a 14-7 lead into halftime after making good on a two-point conversion.
The Pirates would get the only score of the third quarter, as freshman kicker Jordan Stovall kicked a 36-yard field goal to put the Pirates up 17-7.
Hampton's defense would get into the mix to show everyone that they are better than many have made them out to be, as Brandon Roundtree caught his second interception of the night, but this one he took five yards for the score to give Hampton a 24-7 led.
The Aggies had one more score in them, as running back Mike Mayhew scored off a 59-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to make the final score 24-17.
'This was the first time that we have put everything together but I didn't like all of the penalties that were called on us but we are going to go back work on those and make the necessary adjustments so that we can continue to get better,” said Rose.
On the night, the Pirates defense forced three turnovers, including a turnover on downs against an Aggies team that didn't have any turnovers coming into the game. The defense was led by Julio Sanchez who finished the night with 10 total tackles (six solo, four assisted) and 2.5 tackles for a loss of five yards.
Hampton's offense finished the night with 333 yards of total offense, which was led by the duo of Coker and Bynes; Bynes with 208 yards passing with two touchdowns. Bynes connected with McDaniel on five of those passes and he had 104 yards receiving on the night. Coker rushed for 112 yards and caught three passes for 42 more yards on the night.
The Pirates will be back in action at home on Saturday, as they host the Hornets of Delaware State. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. For more information on Hampton University football, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.
