Game Notes

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – The Hampton University football team will take to the road again on Saturday, when they head to Oliver C. Dawson Bulldog Stadium to take on South Carolina State at 1:30 p.m.

The game will be nationally televised via tape delay on ESPNU at 10:30 p.m.

The Pirates have won five straight following a hard-fought 7-6 win over archrival Norfolk State this past Saturday, while the Bulldogs (4-2, 2-1 MEAC) fell 14-0 to Bethune-Cookman this past Saturday to snap their 21-game conference winning streak.

The Pirates are 11-5 all-time against the Bulldogs, though South Carolina State has won the last four meetings – including a 21-9 decision at Armstrong Stadium last season. Hampton last beat the Bulldogs in 2005, taking a 14-10 win at Armstrong Stadium. Prior to 2006, the Pirates had won 11 of the 12 all-time meetings between the two teams. Hampton holds a 4-3 all-time edge over South Carolina State at Oliver C. Dawson Bulldog Stadium, though South Carolina State won the last meeting there in 2008 by a 35-18 score. Before 1996, the two teams had only faced off twice: in 1937, when Hampton won 7-6, and in 1938, when Hampton won 21-6.

So far this season, the Pirates are third in the MEAC in scoring defense, giving up just 18.0 points per game, while sitting fourth in total defense after giving up 297.7 yards per contest. Hampton is also fifth in the conference in rushing defense, only allowing opponents 150.8 yards per game on the ground – and the Pirates are tied for fifth with Morgan State in the conference in sacks, bringing down opposing quarterbacks 11 times so far this season.

Senior Kenrick Ellis (West Palm Beach, Fla.), who leads Hampton in tackles with 52, leads the MEAC in tackles per game with 10.4 so far this season. Senior Brandon Peguese (Greensboro, N.C.) leads the MEAC in sacks (6.0, 1.00 per game) and is second in the conference in tackles for loss (11.0 for 48 yards). Junior Micah Pellerin (New Orleans, La.) leads the MEAC with 10 pass breakups, while senior Romeo Pellum (Long Beach, Calif.) is tied for seventh with seven.

Having played in five of Hampton's six games so far this season, freshman running back Antwon Chisholm (Belle Glade, Fla.) is already making his presence felt. Chisholm, a three-time MEAC Rookie of the Week, has racked up 426 rushing yards on 61 carries so far this season, an average of 7.0 yards per carry, while finding the end zone three times. Chisholm's 85.2 rushing yards per game are fifth-best in the MEAC. Chisholm rushed for a career-high 157 yards on 15 carries in a Sept. 30 win at Delaware State, while he also rushed for 114 yards against North Carolina A&T and 98 yards this past Saturday against Norfolk State, accounting for the Pirates' only touchdown in that contest.

The Pirates are 81-31 against schools from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. This is only the Pirates' 16th year as a member of the MEAC, as they initially became a member back in 1995. Since joining the MEAC, the Pirates have won the conference championship five times, including three straight in 2004, 2005 and 2006. In 2006, the last time the Pirates won the MEAC, Hampton went 10-2, losing only to South Carolina State in the regular season and to New Hampshire in the NCAA playoffs. Prior to joining the MEAC, the Pirates were members of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).

Saturday's contest against South Carolina State will be Hampton's fifth road game of the season; so far this year, the Pirates are 3-1 on the road, with their lone loss coming in the season opener at Central Michigan on Sept. 2. The Pirates have beaten Howard (31-21), Delaware State (20-14) and North Carolina Central (27-13) on the road so far this season. During his tenure as head coach, Donovan Rose is 4-5 on the road.

Fans unable to make it to Oliver C. Dawson Bulldog Stadium can follow along with Saturday's contest via live stats on the Internet. Simply visit the official Hampton University athletics website, www.hamptonpirates.com, and click the link on the front page for live stats.

The game will also be broadcast live on WHOV 88.1 FM, with Shemar Woods and Matt White calling the action.

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.