Game Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University football team will celebrate Homecoming and Senior Day on Saturday at Armstrong Stadium, when the Pirates square off against Savannah State at 2 p.m.

It will be the 2012 home finale for the Pirates.

The Pirates (1-5, 1-3 MEAC) fell 37-20 on the road to North Carolina Central on Thursday, Oct. 18, while the Tigers (1-6, 0-4 MEAC) won its Homecoming game against Edward Waters 42-35 this past Saturday.

Running back Jeremiah Schwartz (Orlando, Fla.) has four 100-yard rushing games on the season, following his 20-carry, 129-yard performance at North Carolina Central. For the season, Schwartz is averaging 5.5 yards per carry, and he's found the endzone seven times on the season.

Schwartz is second in the MEAC in rushing, averaging 101.0 yards per game.

So far the season, quarterback Travis Champion (Moreno Valley, Calif.) has completed 60.2 percent of his passes (106-for-176) for 1,093 yards and five touchdowns. He's averaging 182.2 passing yards per game, the third-best average in the MEAC, and he is seventh in the conference in pass efficiency (112.7).

Champion is a big reason why the Pirates are third in the MEAC in passing offense, averaging 211.7 yards per game.

A bright spot for the Pirates so far this season has been its special teams play; heading into this week's game against Savannah State, Hampton leads the MEAC and is 11th in the nation in punting, averaging 38.4 yards per kick, while also sitting first in the conference and 10th in the nation in kickoff returns, averaging 25.5 yards per kick.

Hampton is third in the MEAC in field goals, going 5-for-7 on the season, and is tied for the conference lead in PATs at a perfect 15-for-15.

Individually, Jordan Stovall (Elgin, S.C.) in second in the MEAC and sits 28th in the nation in punting, averaging 40.5 yards per punt. Taurean Durham (Uniondale, N.Y.) is sixth in the conference in field goals, having made five of his seven tries for a .714 clip.

Antwon Chisholm (Belle Glade, Fla.) is averaging 22.0 yards per kickoff return, the third-best average in the MEAC.

The Pirates are 4-0 all-time against Savannah State after winning last year's meeting 22-5 in Savannah, Ga. Last year's meeting was the first with the Tigers as a member of the MEAC. Prior to last season, Hampton faced Savannah State in 2003, 2004, and 2005 – winning all three match-ups by an average of 41.3 points per game. The Pirates won 48-13 in 2003, before taking a 58-7 win in 2004 and a 44-6 win in 2005.

Hampton is 2-0 all-time against the Tigers in Armstrong Stadium.

The Pirates are 192-162-6 all-time against schools currently competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) after going 5-3 in the conference last season. Hampton is 9-9 against Bethune-Cookman; 23-13 against Delaware State; 8-13 against Florida A&M; 47-40-1 against Howard; 24-35-2 against Morgan State; 24-25-1 against Norfolk State; 25-15-2 against North Carolina A&T; 17-6 against North Carolina Central; 4-0 against Savannah State; and 11-6 against South Carolina State.

This is the Pirates' 17th year as a member of the MEAC, as they initially became a member back in 1995. Since joining the MEAC, the Pirates have won the conference championship five times, including three straight in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

For his career as head coach, Donovan Rose is 11-8 at Armstrong Stadium. The Pirates are 1-2 at home so far this season, after falling 45-7 to Old Dominion on Sept. 8 and 38-26 to Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 29 before picking up their first win of the season on Oct. 15, a 28-14 defeat of rival Norfolk State.

The Pirates are 49-33-2 all-time in Homecoming games, and their 30-27 overtime win over North Carolina Central last season stopped a four-game Homecoming losing streak. Prior to last season, Hampton hadn't won a Homecoming game since beating Winston-Salem State 13-3 in 2006, which was the last of six straight Homecoming wins.

As a Division I program, the Pirates are 11-6 in Homecoming games.

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.