HAMPTON, Va. – Behind a four-touchdown performance from Deondre Francois and a record-setting receiving outing from Jadakis Bonds, Hampton outlasted North Alabama 40-34 at Armstrong Stadium on Saturday.

Bonds set a Big South Conference record for consecutive games to start a season with a touchdown reception.  The sophomore wideout caught a career-high 11 passes for 127 yards and a pair of touchdowns to raise his receiving total to nine on the year.

The lone scoring of the first quarter came on the opening possession as the Pirates drove 80 yards in 12 plays with Francois scoring on a one-yard run.  The extra-point snap was off and A.J. Bracey returned it for two points for the Lions as Hampton held a 6-2 lead with 9:26 left in the first.

Hampton pushed the lead to 13-2 barely 30 seconds into the second quarter as Will Robinson scored on an eight-yard run with 14:28 left.   Francois connected with Bonds on his first touchdown reception with a six-yard strike after Hampton forced a turnover on a sack by Desmond Sturdivant to pus hthe lead to 20-2.

The second half is when the offenses for both teams found a stride.   North Alabama scored on its first possession as Christian Lopez found Dexter Boykin on a 55-yard scoring pass just 17 seconds into the quarter to bring the deficit to 20-8 .  Jaxton Carson scored on a one-yard run as the Lions trimmed the margin to 20-15 with 8:12 left in the third.  

Hampton put the lead back over a touchdown on a 27-yard Evan Lomax field goal with four minutes left in the third at 23-15.

Five combined touchdowns in a 36-point, 62-minute fourth quarter saw the scoreboard go wild.   The Lions scored twice in a three-minute span as Lopex connected with Jakob Terry on a 30-yard pass with 14:23 and then a 25-yarder to Andre Little with 11:26 left.   The extra-point pass on the second touchdown was intercepted in the end zone by Jave Brown who returned it 100 yards for two Hampton points as the Pirates trailed 27-25.

Francois answered the two touchdown passes with two of his own to KeyRon Catlett on a six-yard pass and then a 41-yarder to Bonds with 3:17 left to put Hampton up 40-27.   Lopez finished the scoring on an 18-yard pass to Corson Swan with 2:18 remaining.

Defensively, Oral Varcciann was the leading tackler with 10 for Hampton.

BY THE NUMBERS
543 – Hampton's total offense output on Saturday which is the second highest total under head coach Robert Prunty.  The Pirates amassed 611 yards of offense against Virginia University of Lynchburg last season.
347 – Season high passing yards for Deondre Francois on 28-of-41 passing.
196 – Yards gained on the ground by the Pirates
100 -- Two-point conversion return by Jave Brown to tie the NCAA FCS mark for longest return. 
46 – Yards allowed on the ground by the Pirates – a season low allowed.   Elizabeth City State ran for 55 yards in the season opener which was the previous low.
29 – season high first downs for Hampton
2 - Number of defensive PATs combined in the contest

Hampton now hits the road for its first official Big South Conference matchup taking on Gardner-Webb on October 12 at 1:30 pm in Boiling Springs, N.C.

For more information on Hampton University football, please contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5757 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.