Box Score

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Hampton University football team dropped its first conference game of the season Thursday night, as the Pirates' comeback bid fell short against Bethune-Cookman at Municipal Stadium 35-31.

The Pirates (2-2, 1-1 MEAC) appeared to have won the game in the closing seconds, when senior quarterback David Legree (Brooklyn, N.Y.) appeared to complete a touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Isaiah Thomas (Washington, D.C.) on a 4th-and-10 from the B-CU 12-yard line to give Hampton a 37-35 lead with four seconds remaining.

But replay showed the pass was incomplete, giving the Wildcats the ball and the win.

Bethune-Cookman (2-1, 1-1) actually came from behind late in the fourth quarter to take the 35-31 lead, doing so with 2:50 left to play when Jackie Wilson threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Poole to cap a six-play, 80-yard drive.

The Wildcats struck first in a game that was delayed nearly an hour due to bad weather, when David Allen found the end zone from eight yards out with 9:27 left in the first quarter to put Bethune-Cookman up 7-0.

Junior kicker Taurean Durham (Uniondale, N.Y.) got the Pirates on the board nearly four minutes later with a 20-yard field goal to cap a four-play drive, before the Wildcats extended their lead to 14-3 at the 4:59 mark of the quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run from Allen.

Legree hooked up with Thomas on a 50-yard bomb with 1:50 left in the first quarter to get the Pirates in the end zone for the first time on the night, closing Bethune-Cookman's lead to 14-10. Legree would add a three-yard touchdown run with 3:47 left in the half and a 37-yard scamper with 1:26 left to put the Pirates up 24-14 at the half.

Bethune-Cookman opened the second half with a 10-play, 65-yard drive, scoring when Allen connected with Poole from six yards out to bring the Wildcats to within a field goal, 24-21, with 11:28 left in the third quarter.

Wilson then hit Arkee Smith on a 33-yard touchdown with 37 seconds left in the quarter to give the Wildcats a 28-24 lead.

The Pirates defense came up big in the fourth quarter, giving the Pirates a 31-28 lead with 9:15 left to play when junior defensive lineman Jeremy Jermin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) intercepted Wilson and returned the ball 20 yards for the touchdown.

The Pirates tallied 417 yards of total offense, 233 of which came on the ground. Sophomore running back Antwon Chisholm (Belle Glade, Fla.) led the way with 62 yards on 16 carries. Legree, who had two touchdowns on the ground, ran 15 times for 45 yards.

Legree also went 14-for-29 through the air for 225 yards, marking the third straight game in which he's passed for at least 200 yards.

Thomas was Hampton's leading receiver, catching four balls for 94 yards and a score.

Junior defensive back Justin Blake (Piscataway, N.J.) led the Pirates with 11 tackles on the night to tie the game high, including six solo stops. Junior linebacker Lyndell Gibson (Virginia Beach, Va.) had nine tackles.

Sophomore defensive end Robert Copeland (Hampton, Va.) forced two fumbles, recovering one.

The Pirates will be off next weekend, returning to action on Saturday, Oct. 8 when they welcome Princeton to Armstrong Stadium for a 1 p.m. kickoff. 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.