Game Notes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Hampton University football team will open Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play on Saturday, when they head to William H. Greene Stadium to take on the Bison of Howard University in the “Battle For The REAL HU” at 1 p.m.

Hampton (0-1, 0-0 MEAC) leads the all-time series against Howard 46-39-1, and the Pirates have won 13 straight games against the Bison dating back to the 1997 season. Howard last defeated Hampton in 1996, taking a 26-7 win at Armstrong Stadium. The Pirates blanked the Bison last season at Armstrong Stadium, winning 37-0 and recording their first shutout victory since 2004 over Norfolk State. The last time these two teams met at William H. Greene Stadium, Hampton came away with a 31-24 win in 2007. Hampton is 9-13 all-time on the road against Howard, but 17-13-1 all-time at Armstrong Stadium. Over the last 13 games between these two teams, Hampton is averaging 35.2 points per game on offense – and the Pirates have scored at least 30 points in five of the last six meetings with Howard.

When Hampton opened the 2010 season on the road on Sept. 2, it did so in historic fashion; the Pirates' contest against Central Michigan marked the first time in program history that they played against an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent.

Central Michigan beat Hampton at Kelly/Shorts Stadium 33-0, and the loss marked the end of an impressive streak for the program. Prior to the loss, Hampton had not been shut out in a game since the 1984 season opener, where the Pirates, then an NCAA Division II program, fell 44-0 to Tennessee State. Since that loss, the Pirates had scored in 281 consecutive games.

Howard (0-1, 0-0 MEAC) opened its season this past Saturday with a 38-7 loss at Holy Cross.

The Pirates are 0-1 in road games this season. Hampton went 2-3 on the road last season, and head coach Donovan Rose is 2-4 on the road in his head coaching career. Hampton's two road wins last season came at North Carolina A&T (24-17) and at Winston-Salem State (16-13 in OT). The Pirates have seven road games this season, including this weekend's contest against Howard.

The Pirates are 77-31 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 William H. Greene 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.