Game Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University football team will return to Armstrong Stadium this Saturday for the first of back-to-back home games, playing host to North Carolina A&T at 12 p.m.
 
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Last Time Out: The Pirates (2-2, 1-1 MEAC), in their second season under head coach Connell Maynor, are coming off a 24-14 loss to Norfolk State this past Saturday, while the Aggies (2-1, 0-0 MEAC), in their fourth season under head coach Rod Broadway, are coming off a bye week following a 14-7 win over Elon on Sept. 19.
 
Coach Speak: "We had a tough opponent last week in Norfolk State; I said in the press conference I thought they were the best 0-3 team in FCS, and they proved me right. It was a well-played game; we just didn't execute in the second half. They took control of the game in  the third quarter."
 
Coach Maynor on North Carolina A&T: "They're picked to win the conference. They're a good football team, picked to win for a reason. They're well-coached, disciplined, they don't make a lot of mistakes. They've very good on offense and defense. You look at their team from a year ago … they could've easily gone 11-0 last season, and that's why they were picked to win (the MEAC) this year."
 
The Series: The Pirates are 26-16-2 all-time against North Carolina A&T, having won each of the last eight meetings before last season's 31-14 loss in Greensboro, N.C. Since 1996, after Hampton's transition to Div. I, the Pirates are 12-5 against the Aggies. Prior to last season, North Carolina A&T had last defeated Hampton in 2003; the Pirates are 8-3 against the Aggies in games recorded to have been played in Hampton, Va.
 
Pirates at Home: Hampton is 1-1 at home this season after beating Kentucky State 35-20 and falling 31-28 to Richmond to open the 2015 season. The Pirates went 2-4 at home last season, with the highlight coming in the form of a 40-35 win over nationally-ranked Bethune-Cookman in the team's home finale on Nov. 13. The Pirates fell 42-14 to William and Mary on Sept. 6, defeated Miles College 34-30 on Sept. 20, lost 17-10 to South Carolina State on Sept. 27, fell 21-13 to Norfolk State on Oct. 18, and lost 38-35 to Morgan State on Nov. 1 of last season.
 
Pirates Against the MEAC: The Pirates are 201-176-6 all-time against schools currently competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) after falling 24-14 to Norfolk State this past weekend to fall to 1-1 in conference play this season. Hampton is 10-10 against Bethune-Cookman; 26-14 against Delaware State; 8-13 against Florida A&M; 48-43-1 against Howard; 24-37-2 against Morgan State; 25-27-1 against Norfolk State; 26-16-2 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 550-417-34 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 Richmond, and through four weeks, Watford leads the MEAC in passing (260.8 yards per game) and total offense (290.2 yards per game). He has at least one touchdown pass in each of the Pirates' first four 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 a career-high 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. Through four weeks, Mixson leads the MEAC in receiving yards (91.0 per game) and scoring (7.5 ppg), is second in receptions (5.0 per game), and is third in all-purpose yards (93.8 per game).
 
At or Near the Top of the Pile: Through the first four 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 passing offense, averaging 264.5 yards per game through the air, while the Pirates' six interceptions on defense are also best in the conference. Hampton's defense also leads the conference in sacks (11), and the Pirates sit atop the MEAC in first downs on offense, averaging just over 21 a game. The Pirates are second in the MEAC in rushing defense, holding opponents to 152.2 yards per game. Hampton is also second in the MEAC in both pass efficiency (127.3) and pass defense efficiency (106.8). Hampton is third in the MEAC in both scoring offense (28.5 ppg) and scoring defense (23.5 ppg), and the Pirates' 385.5 yards of total offense per game are the third-best average in the conference. Hampton is also third in total defense, giving up 348.0 yards per game.
 
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. After four weeks of play, Grooms leads the MEAC in sacks.
 
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 four weeks, Faber-Kinney ranks third in the MEAC in punting (40.3 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 ranks tied for fifth in the MEAC in receptions (3.8 per game) and sixth in receiving yards (51.2 per game). Leon Shorter is seventh in the MEAC with 44.0 receiving yards 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.