TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Hampton University football team hit the road for its first conference game of the season on Saturday night, falling 44-20 to Florida A&M at Bragg Memorial Stadium.
 
The Pirates fell to 0-3 on the season and 0-1 in MEAC play, while Florida A&M went to 1-2 overall and 1-0 in the MEAC.
 
The Rattlers struck first on the opening possession, going 70 yards in seven plays before Travis Henry threw an 18-yard touchdown pass. The Pirates blocked the PAT and left FAMU with a 6-0 lead, before Hampton took a 7-6 lead on an 8-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Travis Champion (Moreno Valley, Calif.) to Antonio McCloude (Belle Glade, Fla.) with 8:27 left in the first quarter.
 
FAMU took the lead for good with 2:10 left in the opening quarter, after James Owens found the endzone from two yards out to put the Rattlers up 13-7.
 
Taurean Durham (Uniondale, N.Y.) connected on a 24-yard field goal with 11:19 left in the second quarter to cut that lead to 13-10, before FAMU closed the half with 10 unanswered points. Owens scored from seven yards out, before Chase Varnadore hit a 37-yard field goal as the half expired to give the Rattlers a 23-10 lead at the break.
 
Hampton wasted no time striking in the second half, taking the first possession 78 yards in four plays before Champion connected with Andre Griffin (Hampton, Va.) from 33 yards out to cut FAMU's lead to 23-17.
 
Owens had the Rattlers' answer, though, scampering 56 yards for the touchdown on the next possession to once again make it a two-score game. Durham hit his second field goal of the night, a 25-yarder, with 3:33 left in the third to cut FAMU's lead to 30-20.
 
But the Rattlers scored twice more, thanks to a pair of touchdown passes in the fourth quarter from Damien Fleming.
 
Champion led the Pirates offensively with a career-high 347 passing yards, going 28-for-53. Jeremiah Schwartz (Orlando, Fla.) gave the Pirates their first 100-yard rusher of the season, carrying the ball 16 times for 101 yards.
 
He averaged 6.3 yards per carry.
 
Twarn Mixson (Charlotte, N.C.) was Hampton's top receiver Saturday night, catching five balls for 100 yards. Griffin had 85 yards on four catches.
 
Lyndell Gibson (Virginia Beach, Va.) led the Pirates defense with nine tackles.
 
The Pirates are off this coming week, and they will return to Armstrong Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 29 to take on Bethune-Cookman at 6 p.m. 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.