Game Notes
HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University football team will play at Armstrong Stadium for the first time this season on Saturday, when they take on the Aggies of North Carolina A&T at 6 p.m.
The Pirates (1-1, 1-0 MEAC) are 24-15-2 all-time against North Carolina A&T and have won six straight and eight of the last nine meetings between the two teams. The Pirates won last year's meeting 27-24 at Aggie Stadium. The last time North Carolina A&T beat Hampton was in 2003, when the Aggies beat the Pirates 38-28 at Aggie Stadium. The last time Hampton lost to the Aggies in Armstrong Stadium was in 2000, when North Carolina A&T won 31-28. Hampton is averaging 43.3 points per game over the last six contests against the Aggies. The Pirates hold a 5-3 advantage in the series at Armstrong Stadium; the last time North Carolina A&T beat Hampton at Armstrong Stadium was in 2000, when the Aggies won 31-28.
North Carolina A&T (0-2, 0-1 MEAC) is coming off a 24-13 loss at the hands of Norfolk State.
Saturday's contest will be Hampton's first home game of the season and one of just four on the 2010 schedule. The Pirates were 3-3 at Armstrong Stadium last season, beating North Carolina Central, Howard and Florida A&M, while also losing to Delaware State, South Carolina State and Morgan State. The Pirates had two shutouts at home last season, beating Howard 37-0 and Florida A&M 25-0. Head coach
Donovan Rose is 3-3 at home for his career.
Since 1943, the Pirates are 42-31-1 in home openers, and they've won their last seven debuts at Armstrong Stadium. The last time Hampton lost a home opener was in 2002, when the Pirates fell 28-26 to Southwest Missouri State. In all, the Pirates have won 11 of their last 15 home openers, dating back to 1995 – the program's first year in Division I. The Pirates are 0-2 in home openers against North Carolina A&T, falling 24-20 in 1996 and 1998. Hampton won its home opener against North Carolina Central 31-24 last season.
The Pirates are 78-31 against schools from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. This is only the Pirates' 16th year as a member of the MEAC, as they initially became a member back in 1995. Since joining the MEAC, the Pirates have won the conference championship five times, including three straight in 2004, 2005 and 2006. In 2006, the last time the Pirates won the MEAC, Hampton went 10-2, losing only to South Carolina State in the regular season and to New Hampshire in the NCAA playoffs. Prior to joining the MEAC, the Pirates were members of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).
The Pirates went 3-5 in MEAC play last season, having defeated North Carolina A&T 24-14 before falling to Delaware State 21-6. They got back in the winning column in the MEAC with a 37-0 win over Howard, before dropping a 46-6 decision to the Norfolk State and falling 21-9 at home to South Carolina State. Hampton suffered yet another close 27-24 loss to Bethune-Cookman, but they bounced back with an impressive 25-0 win over Florida A&M before losing the season finale to Morgan State 16-13.
Fans unable to make it to Armstrong Stadium can follow along with Saturday's contest via live stats on the Internet. Simply visit the official Pirates 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.
