Game Notes

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – The Hampton University football team will conclude a string of three straight road games on Saturday afternoon, when the Pirates square off against South Carolina State at 1:30 p.m. in Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.
 
Radio: WHOV 88.1 FM.
 
Last Time Out: The Pirates (4-4, 3-2 MEAC), in their second season under head coach Connell Maynor, are coming off a 40-7 loss to nationally-ranked William & Mary this past Saturday, while the Bulldogs (4-3, 3-1 MEAC), in their 14th year under head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough, defeated Delaware State 34-7 this past weekend.
 
Coach Speak: "We knew (William & Mary) was going to be a tough football team. They're ranked, deservedly so, and I didn't have my team ready to play. We made first-week mistakes … we played like it was Week 1. Defensively, I thought the guys played well, especially early. They kept us in the game, and all we had to do was make a play. We just never could seem to get it going."
 
Coach Maynor on South Carolina State: "They're a good team. (Head coach) Buddy Pough always has a good team. South Carolina State has been one of the teams to beat in this conference for a long time, and it's no different this year. They do a good job scheming you, and then they've got (MEAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year) Javon Hargrave, arguably the best football player in FCS on the defensive side. We've got our hands full … we've got to be at our best, and we look forward to the challenge."
 
The Series: The Pirates are 11-8 all-time against South Carolina State, despite the Bulldogs' 17-10 win at Armstrong Stadium last season. Overall, South Carolina State has won each of the last seven meetings between the two teams, and Hampton's last win over the Bulldogs came in 2005 – a 14-10 victory at Armstrong Stadium. Hampton last won in Orangeburg, S.C. in 2004 (52-36). The Bulldogs led the series 5-4 in games played in Orangeburg, S.C.
 
Pirates on the Road: Hampton has had just three true road contests so far this season, falling 24-14 at Norfolk State on Sept. 26 before defeating Morgan State 20-10 on Oct. 17 and falling 40-7 to William & Mary this past weekend. Hampton is 1-1 so far on this stretch of three straight road contests. The Pirates went 1-5 on the road last season, having dropped their season opener at Old Dominion, 41-28, on Aug. 30, fallen 42-17 at Richmond on Sept. 13, fallen 31-14 at North Carolina A&T on Oct. 9, defeated Delaware State 23-0 on Oct. 25, fallen 47-13 to North Carolina Central on Nov. 8, and fallen 30-29 to Howard on Nov. 22.
 
Pirates Against the MEAC: The Pirates are 203-177-6 all-time against schools currently competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) after beating Morgan State 20-10 on Oct. 17 to improve to 3-2 in conference play this season. Hampton is 10-10 against Bethune-Cookman; 27-14 against Delaware State; 8-13 against Florida A&M; 48-43-1 against Howard; 25-37-2 against Morgan State; 25-27-1 against Norfolk State; 26-17-2 against North Carolina A&T; 18-7 against North Carolina Central; 5-0 against Savannah State; and 11-8 against South Carolina State. Since joining the MEAC in 1995, the Pirates have won the conference championship five times, including three straight in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
 
Pirates Picked to Finish Sixth: The MEAC preseason poll, voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors, picked the Pirates to finish sixth this season. In addition, the Pirates landed eight players on the conference's preseason teams, headlined by wideout Twarn Mixson, defensive lineman Miles Grooms, linebacker Joshua Thorne, and punter Christian Faber-Kinney – all of whom were First Team selections. Four Pirates were named Preseason Second Team All-MEAC: offensive lineman Michael Young, defensive lineman Charles Owens, wideout Rashawn Proctor, and offensive lineman Torrian White.
 
Counting To 1,000: The Pirates' game against rival Howard on Sept. 18 was the 1,000th in the history of Hampton University football. Hampton won that game 37-19, and heading into this weekend, the Pirates are 552-419-34 all-time (a .549 winning percentage).
 
Quarterback Returns Home: For David Watford, who transferred to the Pirates from the University of Virginia, Hampton is home. Watford played his high school football at nearby Hampton High, totaling over 3,000 yards as a senior en route to All-District and All-Region honors. He did not throw an interception that season, guiding the Crabbers to an 11-2 record – the only losses coming to eventual state champion Phoebus. In 2012 with U.Va., Watford set a school record with 244 completions, and against Georgia Tech, he completed a school-record 43 passes for a career-high 376 yards. In his Pirates debut against Kentucky State, Watford threw for 335 yards and five touchdowns – four of which went to T.J. Mixson. He also threw three touchdowns against both Richmond and North Carolina A&T. Through seven weeks, Watford leads the MEAC in passing (226.0 yards per game) and total offense (249.4 yards per game). He has at least one touchdown pass in each of the Pirates' first eight games.
 
Mixson Leading Pirates Receivers: Mixson was a First Team All-MEAC selection last season and was on the conference preseason First Team. In 2014, Mixson led the team and the MEAC in receiving, averaging 68.3 yards per contest. He caught 5.6 passes per game, and Mixson had a team-high 615 receiving yards on the season with six touchdowns. He opened the 2015 season in style against Kentucky State, catching seven passes for 135 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught five passes for 93 yards and a score against Richmond, while also throwing a touchdown pass. He then racked up 119 receiving yards against Howard, before catching five passes for a career-high 136 yards against North Carolina A&T. He had both a receiving touchdown and a passing touchdown in that contest. Through eight weeks, Mixson leads the MEAC in receiving yards (86.8 per game) and receptions (5.0 per game), and he is fourth in all-purpose yards (88.2 per game).
 
At or Near the Top of the Pile: Through the first eight weeks of the regular season, the Pirates are at the top or near the top of the MEAC in several statistical categories. Hampton leads the conference in field goals (4-for-4) and in redzone defense (holding teams to points inside their 20 just 64.9 percent of the time). The Pirates also rank second in the MEAC in passing offense (230.2 yards per game), pass efficiency (120.4), pass efficiency defense (105.2), sacks by the defense (22), and first downs on offense (153), and Hampton is tied for second in redzone offense at 86.4 percent. Hampton is third in the MEAC in scoring defense (24.5 points per game), total offense (349.0 yards per game), total defense (333.1 yards per game), rushing defense (149.2 yards per game), passing defense (183.9 yards per game), interceptions on defense (7), and sacks given up (8).
 
Grooms a Force on the Line: Grooms was a Preseason First Team All-MEAC selection coming into 2015, after being named Third Team All-MEAC in 2014. He was sixth on the team with 52 total tackles in 2014, while also ranking second on the team in tackles for loss (13.0) and third in sacks (5.0). His 10 quarterback hurries were a team high, and Grooms also forced a pair of fumbles last season. In the opener against Kentucky State, Grooms had four quarterback hurries, seven tackles, and 1.5 sacks. He also had two sacks and three tackles for loss in the Pirates' win over Delaware State. After eight weeks of play, Grooms leads the MEAC in sacks with 6.5.
 
Thorne a Tackling Machine: Thorne had 113 total tackles last season, leading both the team and the MEAC while recording 100 tackles for the second straight season. Thorne was a Second Team All-MEAC selection in 2014, and he also led the team with 13.5 tackles for loss – while his 5.5 sacks tied for the team lead. Thorne averaged 5.5 tackles per contest, and twice last season he racked up a career-high 19 tackles: at Delaware State and at North Carolina Central. He also had three sacks and six tackles for loss in Hampton's shutout win over the Hornets. Thorne was a Preseason First Team All-MEAC selection leading into the 2015 season.
 
Faber-Kinney One to Watch Out For: After being named Second Team All-MEAC in 2013, Faber-Kinney was a First Team All-MEAC selection last season. He led the conference in punting in 2014, averaging 42.9 yards per kick and recording 14 punts of at least 50 yards. The VaSID Second Team All-State selection pinned 10 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line, and he had a career-long 72-yard punt at Delaware State. Faber-Kinney, who was also a Third Team All-MEAC honoree in the indoor heptathlon and outdoor decathlon, was a Preseason First Team All-MEAC selection coming into the 2015 campaign. Through eight weeks, Faber-Kinney is third in the MEAC in punting (40.5 yards per punt).
 
Coaching Staff Changes: Michael Ketchum is but one of the new faces roaming the Pirates sideline this season, coming over from Delaware State to serve as defensive coordinator. Tremayne Henry, who served as defensive coordinator for part of last season, will coach the defensive line in 2015. Marc Bacote also joined the staff, where he will serve as safeties coach, and Bryant Foster has come on board to serve as cornerbacks coach and defensive pass game coordinator. Former Pirate Marcus Wade has also joined head coach Connell Maynor's staff, serving as a graduate assistant.
 
Pirates Wideouts Standing Out: Mixson received all of the accolades, but the Pirates receiving corps boasted two other high-caliber threats on the outside. In fact, two Pirate receivers ranked in the top 10 in the conference in receptions per game last season; Rayshad Riddick was tied for fourth in the MEAC with 4.2 catches per game, while Proctor was sixth in the MEAC with 4.1 catches per contest. Proctor was also seventh in the MEAC in receiving yards, averaging 50.0 per game. So far this season, Proctor is eighth in the MEAC in receiving yards (46.6 per game).
 
For more information on Hampton University athletics, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.