Game Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University football team will hold its 2014 home opener on Saturday, as the Pirates square off against No. 21/24 William and Mary at Armstrong Stadium. The game is slated for a 6 p.m. kickoff.
 
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Last Time Out: The Pirates (0-1) opened the Connell Maynor Era this past Saturday with a hard-fought 41-28 loss at Old Dominion, despite a career-high and school-record 407 passing yards from junior quarterback Jaylian Williamson (Chesapeake, Va.). Senior running back Jorrian Washington (Los Angeles, Calif.) caught four passes for a career-high 99 yards and a touchdown, while freshman linebacker Hayden Gregory (Nashville, Tenn.) led the defense with 10 tackles and a sack.
 
William and Mary's Last Game: The Tribe (0-1) opened the 2014 season this past Saturday with a 34-9 loss at Virginia Tech. Despite the loss, William and Mary is ranked No. 21 in The Sports Network Top 25 poll and No. 24 in the FCS Coaches Poll.
 
The Series: William and Mary leads the all-time series between the two teams 4-0, and the Tribe won last season's meeting 31-7 in Williamsburg, Va. The two teams last met at Armstrong Stadium in 1998, when William and Mary won 41-34. This will be the Tribe's second-ever trip to Armstrong Stadium, as three of the last four meetings were held at Zable Stadium.
 
Pirates at Home: Hampton went 3-2 at home last season, picking up wins against North Carolina A&T (31-26), Delaware State (30-7), and North Carolina Central (29-21). In five games at Armstrong Stadium in 2013, the Pirates averaged 31.2 points per game on offense. Hampton's last home win over a non-conference opponent came in 2011, when the Pirates defeated Princeton 28-23.
 
Pirates in Home Openers: The Pirates are 44-26-1 in home openers dating back in 1943, and Hampton has lost its last two home openers – including a 30-27 loss to Tennessee Tech last season. Prior to 2012, the Pirates had won nine straight home openers dating back to 2003.
 
Vs. the CAA: The Pirates are 2-11 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 0-4 against William and Mary. The Pirates have never faced Albany, Delaware, Elon, Maine, Stony Brook, or Towson.
 
The Coaches: Maynor is in his first season at the helm at Hampton after four years as the head coach at Winston-Salem State – where he went 45-6 and made three straight trips to the NCAA Div. II Playoffs. Jimmye Laycock is in his 35th season as the head coach at William and Mary, where he is 222-166-2. During his tenure, the Tribe have won four conference titles and made nine NCAA playoff appearances.
 
Coach Maynor Says: "Our guys came out last week and fought hard. They didn't give up, and that's really all you can ask for. I'm disappointed in the result, but not the effort. You just go out there, give it all you've got, and look up at the scoreboard after the game to see where you stand."
 
Coach Maynor on William and Mary: "They're a very good team … (from looking at tape of the Virginia Tech game), we know they want to come downhill at you, so we have to try to take the run game away, force them to throw. They held an ACC school to 34 points and scored nine on them, so I'd say that was a pretty good effort. This will be a big test, and we look forward to the challenge."
 
Williamson Had a Record Day: Williamson had a record day at Old Dominion this past Saturday, 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.
 
Washington a Threat: Washington led the Pirates in rushing last season, tallying 699 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 6.1 yards per carry and 58.2 rushing yards per game. He had three 100-yard rushing games in 2013, including a season-high 137 yards at Morgan State. In addition, Washington averaged 23.5 yards per kickoff return in 2013, and he is the last Pirate to run back a kickoff for a touchdown – he last did that in the 2012 opener at Tennessee Tech, taking a kickoff back 100 yards for the score. On Saturday at Old Dominion, he caught four passes for a career-high 99 yards, including a 75-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the fourth quarter.
 
Key Making an Immediate Impact: Junior defensive back Breon Key (Hampton, Va.) made his presence felt on the basketball court for the Pirates last season, but it didn't take him long to get acclimated to the football field again in 2014 – as he nabbed two interceptions at Old Dominion this past Saturday in his team debut. The Phoebus (Hampton) High product is the first Pirate to intercept two passes in a game since Lyndell Gibson did it against Norfolk State in 2012.
 
Gregory, Rose Earn MEAC Weekly Honors: Gregory was named MEAC Rookie of the Week for his 10-tackle, 1.0-sack performance this past Saturday at Old Dominion, and senior Ronald Rose (Fort Washington, Md.) was named MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Week after grading out at 94 percent, recording five pancake blocks, and helping the Pirates amass 416 yards of total offense.
 
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.
 
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.