ORANGEBURG, S.C. – The Hampton University football team dropped its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) opener on Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, falling 30-6 to South Carolina State.

The Pirates fell to 0-5 overall on the season and 0-1 in conference play.

The Bulldogs struck quickly to open the game, capping off a nine-play, 46-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown run from Dondre Brown with 9:56 left in the first quarter. The PAT was good to give SCSU a 7-0 lead.

SCSU then took a 9-0 lead with 4:07 left in the quarter; the Pirates started a drive at their own 1-yard line, and Nick Belcher tackled the ball carrier in the end zone on the first play for a safety.

Brown scored again with 2:49 left in the second quarter, this time from one yard out, to cap off a 13-play, 75-yard drive for the Bulldogs, and SCSU went up 16-0 after the converted PAT.

The Pirates got on the board at the end of the first half, going 43 yards in 12 plays before freshman kicker Anthony Prevost (Chesterfield, Va.) kicked a career-long 43-yard field goal with two seconds left in the half to cut SCSU's lead to 16-3.

Prevost added a 31-yard field goal with 8:08 left in the third quarter to cut the Bulldogs' lead to 16-6.

Prevost is a perfect 5-for-5 in field goals this season.

SCSU answered on the ensuing drive, going 81 yards in eight plays before D. Freeman-Lewis found the end zone from eight yards out with 5:05 left in the quarter to give the Bulldogs a 23-6 lead.

The Pirates moved the ball down the field on the ensuing possession, getting all the way to the SCSU 27-yard line. But Darius Drummond intercepted a pass and returned the ball 78 yards for the touchdown, giving the Bulldogs (3-2, 1-0 MEAC) a 30-6 lead with 36 seconds left in the third quarter.

Hampton had just 229 yards of total offense, while SCSU had 433 total yards.

Freshman fullback Marcus Hampton (Williamstown, N.J.) led the Pirates in rushing with 44 yards on 12 carries, averaging 3.7 yards per carry. Sophomore wide receiver Rayshad Riddick (Portsmouth, Va.) caught a team-high five passes for 52 yards.

Sophomore quarterback Jaylian Williamson (Chesapeake, Va.) was 8-for-20 in the air for 49 yards and went without a touchdown for the first time this season.

Senior defensive back Carvin Johnson (New Orleans, La.) led the Pirates with 12 tackles, while also recovering a fumble and picking off a pass. Sophomore linebacker Joshua Thorne (Oxon Hill, Md.) had 10 tackles, including team-best 2.0 for loss.

The Pirates will not be back in action until Saturday, Oct. 12, when they celebrate Homecoming by taking on North Carolina A&T at 2 p.m. at Armstrong Stadium. 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.