MACOMB, Ill. – Turnovers often prove costly in football, and Thursday night was no exception for the Hampton University football team. The Pirates turned the ball over nine times in a 42-9 loss to Western Illinois at Hanson Field.

This marks the second straight year in which the Pirates (0-1) lost their season opener.

Hampton quarterbacks threw six interceptions against the Leathernecks, and the Pirates lost all three of their fumbles. All 42 of Western Illinois' points came as a result of Hampton turnovers.

Nikko Watson started the scoring at the 6:51 mark of the first quarter, finding the end zone from one yard out. Kevin Kintzel then completed the two-point conversion to give the Leathernecks (1-0) an 8-0 lead.

The Pirates got on the board for the first time this season in the second quarter, capping off an eight-play, 64-yard drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Jaylian Williamson (Chesapeake, Va.) to senior Antwon Chisholm (Belle Glade, Fla.) at the 8:27 mark.

The two-point conversion failed, and the Leathernecks held an 8-6 lead.

After Western Illinois punted, and pinned the Pirates deep in their own territory, Kintzel forced a fumble – which Ryan Demming scooped up and returned six yards for the touchdown, giving the Leatherneck a 15-6 lead.

Western Illinois held that lead at the half.

Hampton again turned the ball over on its first possession of the second half, as Dallas Nichols picked off Williamson and returned it 97 yards for the touchdown to give the Leathernecks a 21-6 lead after the PAT failed.

The Pirates' next possession also ended in an interception, as Jonathan Rollins picked off sophomore Brian Swain (Laredo, Texas). Western Illinois didn't score on the ensuing drive, but Swain was intercepted by Kintzel later in the quarter, resulting in a 12-yard scoring return and a 28-6 lead with 6:56 left in the third quarter.

With less than a minute left in the third quarter, Nichols recovered a Hampton fumble at the Pirates' 30-yard line, kicking off a five-play drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run from Trenton Norvell with 14:22 left to put Western Illinois up 35-6.

After another Swain interception, Western Illinois was forced to punt – but the Pirates turned the ball over on the return. The Leathernecks needed just two plays to score again, as Kareem Adewole caught a 12-yard pass with 11:15 left to expand the lead to 42-6.

Hampton went 43 yards on 12 plays on the ensuing drive, and freshman Adam Brown (Cincinnati, Ohio) kicked a 40-yard field goal to cut the lead to 42-9 with 3:53 to play.

Williamson threw for 113 yards and a touchdown, completing six of his 14 passes. Chisholm caught a team-high three passes for 56 yards and a score, while also leading the Pirates with 37 yards on 10 attempts.

Seniors Delbert Tyler (Monroeville, Pa.) and Carvin Johnson (New Orleans, La.) each had a team-high 11 tackles for the Pirates, while sophomore Joshua Thorne (Oxon Hill, Md. ) and redshirt-junior Courtney Bridget Jr. (Baltimore, Md.) each added 10 tackles.

The Pirates defense held Western Illinois to 262 yards on Thursday, and only 99 of those yards came through the air.

Hampton also blocked a pair of Western Illinois field goal attempts; junior Khambrel McGee (Miami, Fla.) blocked a 42-yard attempt in the second quarter, and senior Matthew Davis (Chesapeake, Va.) blocked a 23-yard attempt later in the same quarter.

The Pirates will be back in action on Saturday, Sept. 7, when they head to Zable Stadium in Williamsburg, Va. to take on William & Mary at 7 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.