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HAMPTON, Va. – The Pirates of Hampton University came into Saturday's game against new cross-town rival Old Dominion with high hopes, but three blocked punts would change all of that, as the Pirates dropped their first home game of the season 28-14.

 

The Monarchs scored their first 14 points, despite just 17 yards of total offense, after they got the ball on Hampton's 1-yard line after a bad snap between long snapper Vincent Harper and kicker Jordan Stovall. It would take ODU quarterback Thomas DeMarco two plays to get the first score of the day.

 

On the ensuing play, John Darr would force Lorenzo Shinhoster to fumble the ball on the kickoff and the Monarchs recovered the ball on the Pirates 11-yard line, but the Pirates defense would get into the action with James Butts forced another fumble on the 1-yard line.

 

Special teams would plague the Pirates again after the offense could not get anything going, when Stovall's punt was blocked by Deron Mayo and recovered by Colby Goodman in the end zone to put the Monarchs up 14-0 early in the first quarter.

 

Hampton's defense would continue to work hard and keep the Pirates in the game when linebacker Darius Johnson hit Goodman and forced him to fumble the ball on ODU's 12-yard line. The Pirates would capitalize after running back Antwon Chisholm rushed in from three yards out to give Hampton their first score of the game and make it 14-7 in favor of ODU.

 

ODU's next score would come from an 11-play, 76-yard drive, when DeMarco rushed in from five yards out to make the score 21-7 to end the first quarter.

 

Hampton would get a third punt blocked late in second quarter, when Desmond Williams came through the right side and got a piece of Stovall's kick and he Monarchs took over at Hampton's 9-yard line. ODU took three plays to score when DeMarco connected with Prentice Gill from nine yards out to make the score 28-7 headed into the half.

 

In the second half, the Pirates defense would hold ODU scoreless, but the Pirates offense just could not get in the end zone. Hampton would score to start the fourth quarter, when Steve Robinson ran in from one yard out to make the score 28-14.

 

The Pirates would get as close as ODU's 17-yard line when quarterback David Legree was sacked on third down and then fumbled the ball on 4^th and 16. Hampton got two more shots following that play at a score, but the first would end in a three-and-out. The Pirates' final chance would end in an interception with less than a minute to play.

 

“Nothing to say can change how I feel right now,” Pirates coach Donovan Rose said. “You need all three phases to win this game, and we came up short on one today.”

 

The Pirates defense held ODU to 251 yards of total offense and just 69 yards on the ground, as they were led by Brandon Peguese, who had a game-high 14 total tackles and 4.0 tackles for a loss of seven yards.

 

The Pirates offense finished the game with 223 yards of total offense, with 143 yards passing. Both of Hampton's touchdowns came on the ground.

 

Hampton will be back home next Saturday, as they host the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman for Homecoming 2010. Game time has been set for a 2 p.m. kickoff, and the game will be televised via tape delay on ESPNU at 10:30 p.m.

 

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.