Hampton, VA – In their home opener, the HU Pirates (3-0; 3-0 MEAC) faced off against the Bears of Morgan State University (1-3; 0-1 MEAC) on a rainy night at Armstrong Stadium.  This would be the first time that these teams faced-off on either team’s home territory in 5 years.  The last five match-ups between these two MEAC opponents took place in the Meadowlands, home of the NY Giant and Jets, as part of the New York Urban League Classic.  Having “home field advantage” proved beneficial for the Pirates as they downed the Bears in overtime, 24-17.

 

The Pirates were led by quarterback #TJ Mitchell# (6-3, 189, R-So, Virginia Beach, VA), who threw his third consecutive 3-touchdown game.   Mitchell accumulated 253 yards of total offense on the night. The Bears were carried by running back Chad Simpson, who rushed for 142 of Morgan State’s 270 yards.

 

The Pirates jumped out on the Bears, scoring a quick 14 points in the first quarter. The first score for the Pirates took place on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell to senior defensive end #Marcus Dixon# (6-4, 295, Rome, GA).  Dixon’s time at the tight end position proved to be fruitful for the Pirates as his touchdown capped a six play, 68-yard drive for HU.  Within three minutes, Mitchell connected with junior wide receiver #Jeremy Gilchrist# (5-10, 174, Virginia Beach, VA) for a 73-yard touchdown reception in two plays for 74 yards. Hampton would score once more in the half on a 32-yard field goal by #Carlo Turavani# (5-10, 180, Fr., Ontario, Canada) in the second quarter.

 

The Bears came alive in the second quarter as James Meade connected on a 43-yard field goal with less than 6:39 reminding in the half. It was not long before Simpson got into the swing of things. Simpson capped a 10 play, 65-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown run to go into the half with a score of 17-10 in favor of the Pirates.

 

The second half was a battle of the defenses as neither team wanted to give up a score. The Bears would squeeze one in as Simpson had a 5-yard touchdown run to finish a 14 play, 64-yard drive to knot it all up at 17-17. This would be the last score in regulation as the defenses took total control.

 

The Pirates’ defense was anchored by Buck Buchannan Award candidate #Kendall Langford# (6-6, 294, Sr., Petersburg, VA), who had nine total tackles (5 solo, 4 asst.), a forced fumble and a pass break-up.  An impressive defensive showing was also displayed by Dixon, who also added nine tackles (5 solo, 4 asst.), including 2.5 tackles for a loss of 10 yards and a sack for a loss of five yards. Morgan State’s defense was led by Kofi Nkrumah, who led all tacklers with 13 total tackles.

 

Hampton received the first possession in overtime. After two failed attempts, the Pirates finally reached the end zone as Mitchell connected with #Justin Brown# (6-2, 200, Jr., Surfside Beach, SC) on a 30-yard touchdown reception.  In combination with a successful point after by Turavani, Hampton secured a 24-17 lead. Morgan State got the same opportunity as the Pirates in the overtime period but it was difficult for the Bears to make a play with the pressure that was put on by Hampton’s defense. The Pirates held Morgan State scoreless in overtime, allowing them to claim a 24-17 victory in at Armstrong Stadium.

 

The Pirates will be back in action on Saturday, September 29^th as they host the Hornets of Delaware State University for Alumni Day at Armstrong Stadium. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m. For additional information, please contact the HU Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5757.