Game Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University football team will close out the 2011 season on Saturday, when the Pirates square off against Morgan State at Armstrong Stadium at 1 p.m.

The Pirates (6-4, 4-3 MEAC) are coming off a 42-6 win over Delaware State this past Saturday – a game in which Hampton recorded six interceptions and returned two for touchdowns – while the Bears (5-5, 4-3 MEAC) lost their second straight game this past Saturday, falling 47-14 at home to MEAC champion Norfolk State.

Freshman quarterback Bradford Hudson (Chesapeake, Va.) has seen his share of time behind center in the latter part of the season for the Pirates, coming in on Nov. 5 against Howard. Getting the start this past Saturday against Delaware State, Hudson went 12-for-23 through the air for 162 yards and two touchdown passes.

In two games, Hudson is completing 50.0 percent of his passes (19-for-38) for 210 yards and a pair of scores.

Sophomore running back Antwon Chisholm (Belle Glade, Fla.), the reigning MEAC Rookie of the Year, is averaging 4.3 yards per carry, and is currently fifth in the MEAC in rushing with an average of 72.5 rushing yards per game. He rushed for over 100 yards for the fourth time in his career against Delaware State, tallying 140 yards on 19 carries.

Senior wide receiver Dyrri McCain (Norfolk, Va.) is having by far the best season of his Hampton career; through 10 games, McCain has caught 43 passes – second-most on the team – for a team-high 639 yards and five touchdowns. He is averaging a team-best 14.9 yards per catch, and McCain's 63.9 receiving yards per game are good enough for fifth-best in the MEAC. McCain has two 100-yard receiving games this season: a six-catch, 123-yard effort against Princeton and a career-high 143 yards on eight catches against North Carolina Central.

Sophomore linebacker Delbert Tyler (Monroeville, Pa.) is currently third MEAC in tackles with 103, averaging 10.3 per game, while junior linebacker Lyndell Gibson (Virginia Beach, Va.), a Virginia Tech transfer, is fourth in the conference with 100 tackles, an average of 10.0 per game.

Gibson, the reigning MEAC Defensive Player of the Week, is also sixth in the MEAC in tackles for loss, totaling 13.0 for 46 yards.

Senior defensive back Micah Pellerin (New Orleans, La.) leads the MEAC in passes defended, thanks to 14 pass breakups and three interceptions on the season. Junior defensive back Destin Route (Atlanta, Ga.) is tied for fourth in passes defended with nine pass breakups and one interception on the season.

The Pirates are 22-35-2 all-time against Morgan State, having won 12 of the last 14 meetings between the two teams – including a 21-16 win at Hughes Stadium last season. The Bears last beat Hampton in 2009, escaping Armstrong Stadium with a 16-13 victory. The two teams first met in 1922, with Hampton winning 6-0. The Pirates won six straight in the series from 2003-08, before the Bears snapped that streak in 2009.

Hampton is 8-16-1 all-time against Morgan State in Hampton, Va.

The Pirates are 190-159-6 all-time against schools currently competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) following a 23-17 win over Florida A&M on Sept. 8, a 35-31 loss at Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 22, 34-24 loss at Norfolk State, a 30-27 overtime win over North Carolina Central, a 22-5 win over Savannah State, a 10-7 loss to Howard and a 42-6 win over Delaware State this past Saturday.

Hampton is 9-8 against Bethune-Cookman; 23-13 against Delaware State; 8-12 against Florida A&M; 47-40-1 against Howard; 22-35-2 against Morgan State; 23-25-1 against Norfolk State; 25-15-2 against North Carolina A&T; 17-5 against MEAC newcomer North Carolina Central; 4-0 against MEAC newcomer Savannah State; and 11-6 against South Carolina State.

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.

Live video streaming of Saturday's game will be available; simply visit the football page on www.hamptonpirates.com and click the All-Access Video Streaming link. The cost of viewing the game online is $5.95.

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.