Game Notes

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Hampton University football team will look to get back into the win column on Saturday, as they head to Bragg Memorial Stadium to face the Rattlers of Florida A&M at 3 p.m.

The Pirates (5-4, 4-2 MEAC) have lost three straight following this past Saturday's 23-18 Homecoming loss to Bethune-Cookman, while Florida A&M (6-3, 5-1 MEAC), under the direction of former Pirates head coach Joe Taylor, are tied for second in the conference after squeaking past North Carolina A&T 22-19 in overtime for their third straight win.

The Pirates are 7-11 all-time against the Rattlers, despite winning four of the last five meetings between the two teams. Hampton spoiled former Pirates head coach Joe Taylor's homecoming last season, defeating Florida A&M 25-0 at a soggy Armstrong Stadium, but the Rattlers took the last meeting at Bragg Memorial Stadium, beating Hampton 45-24 in 2008. The series started all the way back in 1937, when FAMU beat Hampton 25-20. Since the Pirates moved to Division I in 1995, Hampton is 6-7 against FAMU; their first meeting with Hampton as a Div. I team came in 1996 – when the Rattlers won 59-58 in six overtimes. FAMU leads the all-time series at Bragg Memorial 4-2.

Saturday's contest against Florida A&M will be Hampton's sixth road game of the season. So far this year, the Pirates are 3-2 on the road, having defeated Howard (31-21), Delaware State (20-14) and North Carolina Central (27-13), while losing to Central Michigan (33-0) and South Carolina State (10-7).

For his head coaching career, Donovan Rose is 5-5 on the road.

So far this season, the Pirates are fourth in the MEAC in scoring defense, giving up just 18.8 points per game, while sitting second in total defense after giving up 280.7 yards per contest. Hampton is also third in the conference in rushing defense, only allowing opponents 134.9 yards per game on the ground after holding Bethune-Cookman to just 114 rushing yards this past Saturday.

Senior Kenrick Ellis (West Palm Beach, Fla.), who leads Hampton in tackles with 84, leads the MEAC in tackles per game with 10.5 so far this season. Senior Brandon Peguese (Greensboro, N.C.) is second in the MEAC in sacks (7.0, 0.78 per game) and is second in the conference in tackles for loss (19.5 for 85 yards). Junior Micah Pellerin (New Orleans, La.) leads the MEAC with 14 passes defended (1.56 per game), while senior Romeo Pellum (Long Beach, Calif.) is third with 12 (1.33 per game).

Having played in eight of Hampton's nine 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 578 rushing yards on 112 carries so far this season, an average of 5.2 yards per carry, while finding the end zone four times. Chisholm's 72.2 rushing yards per game are sixth-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 on Oct. 16 against Norfolk State, accounting for the Pirates' only touchdown in that contest.

Through nine games so far this season, junior quarterback David Legree (Brooklyn, N.Y.) has completed 104 of 216 passes (48.1 percent) for 1,137 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 145.6 yards per game.

Fans unable to make it to Bragg Memorial 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.

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.