Final Stats

HAMPTON, Va. – The Pirates defense, led by junior linebacker Julio Sanchez, held the Bulldogs and All-American running back Will Ford to just 64 yards rushing on Saturday. Despite the efforts of the Pirates defense, South Carolina State came out on top 21-9 in a dogfight at Armstrong Stadium.

 

Hampton drops to 3-4 on the season and 2-3 in MEAC play, while South Carolina State improves to 6-1 overall and remain unblemished in conference play at 4-0.

 

'We came into the game today and wanted to get the ball in the hands of guys who can get things done. They didn't quit,” said Pirates head coach Donovan Rose.

 

The Bulldogs would score the first 14 points of the game. The first score was a 22-yard pass from quarterback Malcolm Long to Chris Massey to cap a four-play, 45-yard drive for the Bulldogs early in the first quarter. South Carolina State's second score of the game came late in the second quarter, when Long connected with Terrance Smith for his scored passing touchdown of the game on a 13-yard pass to cap a 10-play, 80-yard drive for SCSU to go up 14-0 at the half.

 

In the second half, the Pirates defense came out on a mission, as they stuffed the Bulldogs' opening drive when junior safety Ricardo Silva picked off Long and returned it 15 yards, which would set up a 26-yard field goal by freshman kicker Jordan Stovall to put the Pirates on the board with the score 14-3 in favor of South Carolina State.

 

The one interception by Silva was not enough for the Pirates, Long would get picked off on the Bulldogs' next series by junior Jacobi Fenner, who took it 23 yards for the Pirates. Hampton would convert that into a 1-yard touchdown run by LaMarcus Coker, but Hampton would come up short on the two-point conversion and make the score 14-9 SCSU.

 

What seemed to be the game-changing moment came when the Pirates had the ball on the Bulldogs' 42-yard line and on 3^rd-and-eight Herbert Bynes was sacked to make it 4^th-and-15, but Hampton got a delay of game call to make it 4^th-and-20 … and the Pirates went for a fake punt but it was snuffed by the Bulldogs.

 

“We wanted to do something to get a spark … we worked on it and thought we could convert, had to take a chance with 5, 6 minutes to go. We almost called it off after the penalty, but really thought we needed the spark to keep our momentum,” said Rose.

 

South Carolina State would turn that field position into the final touchdowns of the game to go up 21-9.

 

The Pirates will be on the road next week, as they travel to Winston-Salem, N.C. to face the Rams of Winston-Salem State University. Game time is set for a 2 p.m. kickoff.

 

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.