Game Notes

DURHAM, N.C. – The Hampton University football team, riding a three-game winning streak, will keep to the road on Saturday, when they head to O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium to take on the Eagles of North Carolina Central at 4 p.m.

The Pirates (3-1) have won three straight after defeating Delaware State 20-14 on Sept. 30, while the Eagles (2-2), under the direction of head coach Mose Rison, snapped a two-game losing streak with a 27-16 win over North Carolina A&T on Sept. 25.

Hampton sits atop the MEAC standings with a perfect 3-0 mark, but this will not be a conference game for the Pirates; though NCCU has joined the MEAC, the Eagles are not yet eligible for the conference title.

Freshman running back Antwon Chisholm (Belle Glade, Fla.) is the reigning MEAC Rookie of the Week for the second time this season after his 15-carry, 157-yard performance against Delaware State. Chisholm is fifth in the MEAC in rushing, averaging 92.3 yards per game so far this season.

Through three games so far this season, junior quarterback David Legree (Brooklyn, N.Y.) has completed 47 of 95 passes (49.5 percent) for 502 yards and seven touchdowns. Legree passed for a career-high 206 yards and four touchdowns on Sept. 18 against North Carolina A&T, earning MEAC Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors – all after a 133-yard, two-touchdown performance on Sept. 11 at Howard.

Legree is fifth in the MEAC in total offense so far this season, averaging 156.5 yards per game.

So far this season, the Pirates are third in the MEAC in scoring defense, giving up just 22.2 points per game, while sitting fifth in total defense after giving up 297.2 yards per contest. Hampton is also third in the conference in rushing defense, only allowing opponents 125.8 yards per game on the ground – and the Pirates are tied with North Carolina A&T for the conference leads in sacks, bringing down opposing quarterbacks 11 times so far this season.

Senior linebacker Darius Johnson (Sussex, Va.) has a MEAC-high 36 tackles (16 solo, 20 assisted) so far this season, while senior Kenrick Ellis (West Palm Beach, Fla.) leads in tackles per game with 10.0. Senior linebacker Brandon Peguese (Greensboro, N.C.) leads the MEAC in sacks (5.5, 1.38 per game) and is second in the conference in tackles for loss (9.0 for 39 yards). Junior Micah Pellerin (New Orleans, La.) leads the MEAC with eight pass breakups, while senior Romeo Pellum (Long Beach, Calif.) is second with seven.

The Pirates are 15-5 all-time against North Carolina Central and have won the last six meetings – including last year's season opener, where the Pirates defeated the Eagles 31-24 at Armstrong Stadium to give head coach Donovan Rose his first career win. The two teams first met in 1924, with the Pirates winning 31-0. Hampton won the first nine meetings between the two schools, before NCCU got its first win against Hampton in 1951, winning 28-6. The Eagles would win five straight before Hampton won 17-13 in 1984. Last year's meeting between Hampton and NCCU was the first since 1992.

Saturday's contest at North Carolina Central will be Hampton's fourth road game of the season; the Pirates are 2-1 on the road this season after falling 33-0 at Central Michigan to open the season on Sept. 2, defeating Howard 31-21 in William H. Greene Stadium on Sept. 11 and beating Delaware State 20-14 in front of a national television audience at Alumni Stadium on Sept. 30. During Rose's tenure, the Pirates are 4-4 on the road, having gone 2-3 in away contests last season.

Fans unable to make it to O'Kelly-Riddick 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.