Game Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – Following another bye week, the Hampton University football team will return to Armstrong Stadium on Saturday to take on rival Norfolk State in the annual Battle of the Bay at 1 p.m.

The Pirates (0-4, 0-2 MEAC) fell 38-26 to Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 29, while the defending MEAC champion Spartans (2-4, 0-3 MEAC) have dropped four straight after a 20-17 loss to Delaware State this past Saturday.

Hampton will be looking to avoid its first 0-5 start since 1991.

Senior running back Jeremiah Schwartz (Orlando, Fla.) had a day for the ages against Bethune-Cookman, becoming just the 11th Pirate in history to rush for at least 200 yards in a single game. He ran for 201 yards on 25 carries, averaging just over eight yards a carry.

His total for that game is the 11th-highest single-game rushing total in program history, and Schwartz – who also rushed for 101 yards at Florida A&M on Sept. 15 – is now ranked second in the MEAC in rushing, averaging 90.2 yards per game.

So far the season, sophomore quarterback Travis Champion (Moreno Valley, Calif.) has completed 60.0 percent of his passes (84-for-140) for 874 yards and four touchdowns. He's averaging 218.5 passing yards per game, the second-best average in the MEAC, and he is eighth in the conference in pass efficiency (113.3).

Champion is a big reason why the Pirates are second in the MEAC in passing offense, averaging 236.5 yards per game.

A bright spot for the Pirates so far this season has been its special teams play; heading into this weekend's game against Norfolk State, Hampton leads the MEAC and the nation in punting, averaging 41.7 yards per kick, while also sitting fifth in the conference and 31st in the nation in kickoff returns, averaging 23.1 yards per kick.

Hampton is second in the MEAC in field goals, going 4-for-5 on the young season, and is tied for the conference lead in PATs at a perfect 10-for-10.

Individually, senior Jordan Stovall (Elgin, S.C.) leads the MEAC and sits 20th in the nation in punting, averaging 42.3 yards per punt. Senior Taurean Durham (Uniondale, N.Y.) is third in the conference in field goals, having made four of his five tries for an .800 clip.

Junior Antwon Chisholm (Belle Glade, Fla.) is fourth in the MEAC in kickoff returns, averaging 19.7 yards per return.

The Pirates are 23-25-1 all-time against Norfolk State, though the Pirates have won seven of the last 10 meetings – despite last year's 34-24 loss at Dick Price Stadium. Hampton last defeated the Spartans in 2010, taking a 7-6 win in Armstrong Stadium. In fact, the Pirates have won seven straight home games against Norfolk State. The last time the Spartans won in Armstrong Stadium was in 1996, when they beat the Pirates 14-7.

The Pirates are 11-13 all-time against Norfolk State at Armstrong Stadium.

The Pirates are 191-161-6 all-time against schools currently competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) after going 5-3 in the conference last season. Hampton is 9-9 against Bethune-Cookman; 23-13 against Delaware State; 8-13 against Florida A&M; 47-40-1 against Howard; 24-35-2 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' 17th 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.

Hampton went 5-1 at home last season, with their lone loss at Armstrong Stadium coming against Howard. All told, the Pirates beat Florida A&M, Princeton, North Carolina Central, Delaware State, and Morgan State at home in 2011, averaging 28.7 point per game in their home contests.

For his career as head coach, Donovan Rose is 10-8 at Armstrong Stadium. The Pirates are 0-2 at home so far this season, after falling 45-7 to Old Dominion on Sept. 8 and 38-26 to Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 29.

For fans unable to make it to Armstrong Stadium for Saturday's contest, Hampton will provide live stats to use when following along with the action. To view these live stats, visit the official Pirates website and click the link on that page, or visit http://www.sidearmstats.com/hampton/football/scoreboard.aspx.

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.