Game Notes

RICHMOND, Va. – For the second straight week, the Hampton University football team will race a nationally-ranked opponent, as the Pirates hit the road to take on No. 18/21 Richmond on Saturday at 6 p.m. in Robins Stadium.
 
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Last Time Out: The Pirates (0-2) dropped their home opener this past Saturday, falling 42-14 against nationally-ranked William and Mary. Hampton amassed 442 yards of total offense, and junior quarterback Jaylian Williamson (Chesapeake, Va.) had another strong game, throwing for 335 yards and a touchdown. Senior Jorrian Washington (Los Angeles, Calif.) had 250 all-purpose yards, including 113 receiving yards.
 
Richmond's Last Game: The Spiders (1-1) fell 45-13 at Virginia this past Saturday, despite racking up 422 yards of total offense. Richmond had 363 passing yards, 266 of which came from Virginia transfer Michael Strauss. Wideout Stephen Barnette caught 10 passes for 124 yards. The Spiders outgained the Cavaliers 422-330.
 
The Series: Hampton is 0-1 all-time against Richmond, with the only meeting in the series coming in 2005. Richmond came into Armstrong Stadium for the FCS (then Div. I-AA) Playoffs that season and left with a 38-10 win in the first round. This will be Hampton's first trip to Robins Stadium.
 
Pirates on the Road: Hampton went 1-6 on the road last season, with that win coming at Norfolk State – where the Pirates beat their rivals 27-17. The Pirates are 0-1 on the road so far this season, having dropped their season opener at Old Dominion, 41-28, on Aug. 30.
 
Against the CAA: The Pirates are 2-12 against teams that currently compete in football in the CAA, with both of those wins coming against James Madison. Hampton is 2-0 against JMU; 0-3 against New Hampshire; 0-1 against Richmond; 0-2 against Rhode Island; 0-1 against Villanova; and 0-5 against William and Mary. The Pirates have never faced Albany, Delaware, Elon, Maine, Stony Brook, or Towson.
 
The Coaches: Connell Maynor is in his first season at the helm at Hampton after four years at Winston-Salem State – where he went 45-6 and made three straight trips to the NCAA Div. II Playoffs. Danny Rocco is in his third season as the head coach of the Spiders, where he came into 2014 with a 14-9 mark and a share of the 2012 CAA title.
 
Coach Maynor Says: "(The William and Mary game) was a tough loss. We came out flat for whatever reason in the first half. We just told the guys that they have to do the little things every day, and they just have to not worry about last week … just keep your focus and try not to make the same mistakes this week."
 
Coach Maynor on Richmond: "They're a very good football team. They played (Virginia) tough; it was a tight game for most of the first half. I think they're just as good as, if not better than, William and Mary. You look at the film, they're not as bad as they looked against Virginia."
 
Williamson with a Strong Start: Williamson had a record day at Old Dominion on Aug. 30, throwing for a school-record 407 yards against the Monarchs. He did so in completing 32 of his 45 passes, throwing for three touchdowns – including a 75-yard catch-and-run connection with Washington. Williamson's performance marked the first time since Herbert Bynes in 2008 that a Pirate has thrown for 400 yards in a game – and it's only happened three times in program history. He followed that up this past Saturday with 335 passing yards against William and Mary, completing 23 of 34 passes. Williamson didn't eclipse the 200-yard mark in 2013, and he's already broken the 300-yard barrier twice this season. His 371.0 passing yards per game lead the MEAC, and he also leads the conference in both pass efficiency (162.7) and total offense (355.5 yards per game).
 
Washington a Threat: Washington is listed as a running back, but he's dangerous everywhere on the field. He did his damage on Aug. 30 at Old Dominion as a receiver, catching four balls for 99 yards and a score – a 75-yard catch-and-run in the fourth quarter. This past Saturday against William and Mary, he had 250 all-purpose yards – including 113 receiving yards and a touchdown (a 50-yard catch-and-run in the second half). Washington leads the MEAC with an average of 246.5 all-purpose yards per game, and he is tied for fourth in the MEAC with 5.0 receptions per game, while his 1.06.0 receiving yards per game rank third in the MEAC.
 
Pirates Land Six on MEAC Preseason Squads: The Pirates landed six players on the conference's preseason teams, headlined by junior defensive lineman Miles Grooms (Richmond, Va.) and sophomore kicker Anthony Prevost (Chesterfield, Va.) – both of whom were named Preseason First Team. Three Pirates were named Preseason Second Team All-MEAC: junior linebacker Joshua Thorne (Oxon Hill, Md.), senior defensive back Khambrel McGee (Miami, Fla.), and junior punter Christian Faber-Kinney (Williamsburg, Va.). Washington was named Preseason Third Team All-MEAC.
 
Pirates Land Four on CFPA FCS Watch List: Four Pirates are on the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) FCS Watch List: Washington, Faber-Kinney, Grooms, and Prevost. The CFPA is entering its seventh year of recognition, and the 2014 CFPA award winners will be announced on Jan. 14, 2015.
 
Grooms Raking in the Awards: Grooms turned a lot of heads in 2013, ranking second in the MEAC in both sacks and tackles for loss en route to earning First Team All-MEAC honors. Because of that, Grooms comes into the 2014 season on the CFPA FCS Watch List, and he is a Preseason First Team All-MEAC selection. He tallied 9.5 sacks last season to lead the team, and his 18.5 tackles for loss amounted to 88 yards. He recorded 3.5 sacks against Delaware State on Oct. 26 of last season, and he had 3.0 tackles for loss at Bethune-Cookman on Nov. 16. Grooms was sixth on the team with 57 total tackles in 2013. He recorded his first sack of 2014 this past Saturday against William and Mary.
 
Prevost an All-American: Prevost wasn't just a First Team All-MEAC honoree last season; he was named an SBN Sports Black College All-American and an FCS Honorable Mention All-American by the Beyond Sports Network. All of this after hitting 17 of 19 field goals and tying for second in the conference in scoring among kickers last season. In addition, Prevost – who hit three field goals against Delaware State last season – has been named a Preseason First Team All-American by Beyond Sports Network, while the Sports Network named him a Preseason FCS Second Team All-American.
 
McGee Dangerous in the Defensive Backfield: McGee is the Pirates' top returner in the defensive backfield this season, racking up 65 total tackles last season (including 35 solo stops) to rank fifth on the team. He was also tied for the team lead in interceptions with four, to go along with five pass breakups. He recorded an interception in three straight games North Carolina A&T, Norfolk State, Delaware State) last season, and McGee had a season-high 12 tackles (seven solo) against Howard.
 
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.