Box Score

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University football team looked to do something it had not done since 2006: win its Homecoming game. Celebrating Senior Day in front of a crowd of over 12,000 fans, the Pirates fell short yet again against the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman University on Saturday.

 

The Wildcats used an explosive second half to come out on top 23-18 at Armstrong Stadium.

 

Turnovers were the topic of the day for the Pirates. They struggled with turnovers all season long and the Wildcats used it to their advantage on Saturday. Hampton had five turnovers against the Wildcats, who turned them into 16 points as they improved to 9-0 for the first time since 2002. Bethune-Cookman also stayed perfect at 6-0 in the MEAC, as the Wildcats almost assured themselves a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Football Championship.

 

“The turnover battle is the name of the game,” said Pirates head coach Donovan Rose. “You give a team like that those kinds of opportunities, they will take advantage.”

 

Hampton's defense was able to hold the Wildcats to just three points after running back Antwon Chisholm fumbled for the Pirates' first turnover. The Pirates defense then forced a key turnover on downs when Carson Byrd sacked Matt Johnson on a 4th-and-goal to give the Pirates back the ball.

 

Hampton was able to score 10 points in the first half and do something that no one has done against the Wildcats all season, which was leading a game at the half. The Pirates went into the half leading 10-3 and it looked like everything was going their way.

 

That was until the first play from scrimmage in the second half, when a bad hand-off between quarterback David Legree and Chisholm put the ball on the ground, which the Wildcats' Daniel Rose picked up and took 54 yards for B-CU's first score of the second half to tie the game at 10-10.

 

“Momentum bounced B-CU's way,” Rose said, “but I believed to the last draw we had a chance to win.”

 

On the very next play, Hampton's Javaris Brown fumbled the kickoff and B-CU's Tim Burke picked up the ball; eight plays later, the Wildcats found themselves on top of the Pirates 16-12 early in the third quarter after Robert McIntosh took a blocked extra point down for a two-point score.

 

The Pirates were not going to be outdone; following a three-and-out by the Wildcats, Hampton put together a three-play, 53-yard drive for a touchdown after Robinson rushed for 51 yards on a 3^rd-and-8 to put the Pirates back on top 18-16 late in the third quarter.

 

The score was Robinson's second of the game.

 

The final score of the game came when Bethune-Cookman recovered its fourth fumble of the afternoon and went 26 yards in just five plays to give the Wildcats the final score of 23-18.

 

The Pirates defense was the order of the day, as they held a Bethune-Cookman offense that was averaging 496.6 yards per game and scoring 44.1 points per game to just 248 yards of offense and just one touchdown drive. Hampton also held the Wildcats to just 114 yards rushing.

 

That Pirates defense was led by seniors Darius Johnson and Kenrick Ellis, who combined for 25 tackles and two tackles for a loss of three yards. The Pirates defense sacked quarterback Matt Johnson three times.

 

Hampton's offense finished the game with 284 yards of offense, with 192 of those yards coming on the ground. Robinson led the charge for the Pirates, as he recorded two touchdowns and rushed for 84 yards on just seven carries.

 

The Pirates will be back in action on Saturday, as they travel to Tallahassee, Fla. to face former coach Joe Taylor and the Rattlers of Florida A&M University at 2 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.