Game Notes

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Hampton University football team, under the direction of second-year head coach Donovan Rose, will open the 2010 in historic fashion on Thursday, when they take on the Chippewas of Central Michigan at 7 p.m. EST at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

Not only will this be Hampton's first-ever meeting against Central Michigan, it will also mark the first time in program history that the Pirates will face an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team.

The Chippewas went 12-2 last season, going a perfect 8-0 in the Mid-American Conference and beating Troy 44-41 in the GMAC Bowl to close out the season on a five-game winning streak. Central Michigan was ranked No. 23 in the final Associated Press Poll and No. 24 in the final USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll.

The Chippewas come into this season with a new head coach in Dan Enos, who spent four years as an assistant at Michigan State before coming to Mount Pleasant.

In all, Hampton (5-6, 3-5 MEAC in 2009) returns 63 letterwinners from last year's squad, including seven starters on offense and nine starters on defense. With so many starters returning, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, the Pirates come into 2010 expecting big things, despite being picked to finish fourth in the MEAC in the conference's preseason poll.

The Pirates return two First Team All-MEAC selections from last year, as well as one Second Team All-MEAC selection. Among the returners will be redshirt-senior linebacker Julio Sanchez (Miami, Fla.), who was named the MEAC's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Pirates with 98 tackles last season.

The Pirates are 72-32-3 all-time in season openers and have won their last six. Hampton defeated North Carolina Central 31-24 at Armstrong Stadium to open last season, and in 2008, the Pirates opened the schedule by beating Jackson State 17-13 in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge. The last time Hampton lost a season opener was in 2003, when Villanova beat the Pirates 41-6.

Rose is 1-0 in season openers as a head coach. He won his head coaching debut last season, as the Pirates defeated North Carolina Central 31-24 at Armstrong Stadium. Thursday's contest against Central Michigan will mark the first time Rose opens the season on the road as a head coach.

The Pirates have scored in 25 straight season openers, dating all the way back to 1985, when Hampton opened the season with a 10-6 win over Johnson C. Smith. A 44-0 loss to Tennessee State to open the 1984 season was the last time Hampton was shut out in a season opener. In that 25-year span, the most points the Pirates have scored in a season opener came twice, when they defeated Johnson C. Smith 48-6 to kick off the 1992 season, before beginning 1993 with a 48-6 win over Livingstone. Hampton has scored 126 points in its last five season openers, an average of 25.2 per game.

If you're unable to make it to Mount Pleasant, Mich. for the game, you can follow along via live stats on the Internet. Simply visit the Chippewas' official athletics website, www.cmuchippewas.com, and follow the links to the football page to access live stats.

After facing Central Michigan, the Pirates will head to the nation's capital on Saturday, Sept. 11 for the Battle for the REAL HU against Howard University at 1 p.m. at William H. Greene Stadium. 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.