Game Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University football team will hold its home finale on Thursday night, celebrating Senior Night by taking on No. 18/20 Bethune-Cookman at 7:30 p.m. in Armstrong Stadium. The game will be televised live on ESPNU.
 
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Last Time Out: The Pirates (2-8, 1-5 MEAC) fell 47-13 at North Carolina Central this past Saturday. Freshman quarterback Jerrell Antoine (Orlando, Fla.) threw for a career-best 171 yards and a touchdown, while redshirt sophomore wideout Rashawn Proctor (Hampton, Va.) caught five passes for a team-high 81 yards. Junior linebacker Joshua Thorne (Oxon Hill, Md.) tied his career high with 19 tackles.
 
The Wildcats' Last Game: The Wildcats (8-2, 5-1 MEAC) beat Norfolk State 13-7 this past Thursday in Norfolk, Va. Bethune-Cookman has won six of its last seven games – its lone loss in that stretch a 13-7 defeat at the hands of South Carolina State on Oct. 25.
 
The Series: The Pirates are 9-10 all-time against Bethune-Cookman, though the Wildcats have won the last six meetings between the two teams – including a 42-12 win over Hampton in Daytona Beach, Fla. last season. Hampton's last win over Bethune-Cookman came in 2007, when the Pirates left Daytona Beach with a 31-24 win. That win was the last of four in a row for the Pirates. The Pirates are 4-5 against Bethune-Cookman in Hampton, Va.
 
Pirates at Home: Hampton went 3-2 at home last season, picking up wins against North Carolina A&T (31-26), Delaware State (30-7), and North Carolina Central (29-21). In five games at Armstrong Stadium in 2013, the Pirates averaged 31.2 points per game on offense. So far this season, the Pirates are 1-4 at home after falling 42-14 to William and Mary on Sept. 6, defeating Miles College 34-30 on Sept. 20, falling 17-10 to South Carolina State on Sept. 27, falling 21-13 to Norfolk State on Oct. 18, and falling 38-35 to Morgan State on Nov. 1.
 
Against the MEAC: The Pirates are 199-174-6 all-time against schools currently competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) after Saturday's 38-35 loss to Morgan State. Hampton is 9-10 against Bethune-Cookman; 26-14 against Delaware State; 8-13 against Florida A&M; 47-42-1 against Howard; 24-37-2 against Morgan State; 25-26-1 against Norfolk State; 26-16-2 against North Carolina A&T; 18-7 against North Carolina Central; 5-0 against Savannah State; and 11-8 against South Carolina State.
 
The Coaches: Connell Maynor is in his first season at the helm at Hampton after four years at Winston-Salem State – where he went 45-6 and made three straight trips to the NCAA Div. II Playoffs. Brian Jenkins is in his fifth season at Bethune-Cookman, where he has won at least a share of three MEAC titles.
 
Coach Maynor Says: "I think the score wasn't indicative of how we really played (last week). We didn't play all that well in the first quarter, the first half, but we were tied 7-7 with five minutes to go in the half before all pandemonium broke loose. The game changed from that point on, like a tornado blowing in off the sea."
 
Coach Maynor on Bethune-Cookman: "They're a very good football team, very well-coached. They're disciplined, they're fast, they're good on offense, good on defense … they're athletic, and there's a reason they're two-time defending champions. We'll have to play one of our best games of the year to compete with that."
 
Antoine Getting It Done: Having started each of the last three games, Antoine is a combined 28-for-51 through the air for 307 yards and three touchdowns. He threw for 143 yards and a score in his collegiate debut at Delaware State on Oct. 25, and against Morgan State on Nov. 1, he threw for 164 yards and two touchdowns. This past Saturday at North Carolina Central, he threw for a career-high 171 yards and a touchdown. Antoine was named MEAC Rookie of the Week after both the Delaware State and Morgan State games.
 
Carter Making His Mark: The Pirates' contest at Delaware State on Oct. 25 was freshman running back Eric Carter Jr.'s coming-out party. The Fayetteville, N.C. native carried the ball 10 times for 113 yards and a score, marking the first 100-yard performance of his collegiate career. Carter averaged 11.3 yards per carry against the Hornets.
 
Strong Receiving Corps: Through this past Saturday's action, two Pirate receivers rank in the top 10 in the conference in receptions per game; Junior Rayshad Riddick (Portsmouth, Va.) is third in the MEAC with 4.3 catches per game, while Proctor is tied for fourth in the MEAC with 4.0 catches per contest. Proctor is also sixth in the MEAC in receiving yards, averaging 48.0 per game.
 
Pirates Land Six on Preseason MEAC Squads: The Pirates landed six players on the conference's preseason teams, headlined by junior defensive lineman Miles Grooms (Richmond, Va.) and sophomore kicker Anthony Prevost (Chesterfield, Va.) – both of whom were named Preseason First Team. Three Pirates were named Preseason Second Team All-MEAC: Thorne, senior defensive back Khambrel McGee (Miami, Fla.), and junior punter Christian Faber-Kinney (Williamsburg, Va.). Senior running back Jorrian Washington (Los Angeles, Calif.) was named Preseason Third Team All-MEAC.
 
Pirates Land Four on CFPA FCS Watch List: Four Pirates are on the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) FCS Watch List: Washington, Faber-Kinney, Grooms, and Prevost. The CFPA is entering its seventh year of recognition, and the 2014 CFPA award winners will be announced on Jan. 14, 2015.
 
Washington a Threat Everywhere: Washington did his damage on Aug. 30 at Old Dominion as a receiver, catching four balls for 99 yards and a score – a 75-yard catch-and-run in the fourth quarter. On Sept. 6 against William and Mary, he had 250 all-purpose yards – including 113 receiving yards and a touchdown (a 50-yard catch-and-run in the second half). Against Miles on Sept. 20, Washington rushed for 92 yards on 14 carries, averaging 6.6 yards per rush and scoring once. On Sept. 27 against South Carolina State, he rushed for a career-high 176 yards and a score, and he rushed for a team-high 142 yards against Delaware State on Oct. 25. Washington leads the MEAC with an average of 161.0 all-purpose yards per game, and his 81.9 rushing yards per game are fourth-best in the conference.
 
Thorne a Tackling Machine: Thorne was one of four Pirates to record over 100 tackles last season, ranking third with 115 (65 solo, 50 assisted). He is the Pirates' top returning tackler for 2014, and Thorne was named Preseason Second Team All-MEAC. Thorne recorded 12.5 tackles for loss last season, ranking second on the team, and his 4.0 sacks were third-most on the squad. He had a season-high 15 tackles at South Carolina State last season, before recording 14 stops against Howard. Thorne led the Pirates on defense on Sept. 6 against William and Mary, racking up 10 tackles and half a sack. Against Miles on Sept. 20, Thorne had 10 tackles, including a team-high two sacks. He also had a team-high 11 tackles against South Carolina State on Sept. 27, before adding 10 tackles against Norfolk State on Oct. 18. Thorne, who leads the MEAC in tackles, is tied for seventh in tackles for loss, and tied for ninth in sacks, had a career-high 19 tackles – including six for loss and three sacks – at Delaware State on Oct. 25. He tied that career high this past Saturday at North Carolina Central.
 
Grooms Raking in the Awards: Grooms turned a lot of heads in 2013, ranking second in the MEAC in both sacks and tackles for loss en route to earning First Team All-MEAC honors. Because of that, Grooms comes into the 2014 season on the CFPA FCS Watch List, and he is a Preseason First Team All-MEAC selection. Grooms tallied 9.5 sacks last season to lead the team, and his 18.5 tackles for loss amounted to 88 yards. He recorded 3.5 sacks against Delaware State on Oct. 26 of last season, and he had 3.0 tackles for loss at Bethune-Cookman on Nov. 16.Grooms was sixth on the team with 57 total tackles in 2013. He recorded his first sack of 2014 against William and Mary on Sept. 6. He added five tackles on Sept. 20 against Miles, and he led the team with three quarterback hurries. Three of his four tackles against North Carolina A&T were for a loss. He also had two quarterback hurries on Nov. 1 against Morgan State.
 
Prevost an All-American: Prevost wasn't just a First Team All-MEAC honoree last season; he was named an SBN Sports Black College All-American and an FCS Honorable Mention All-American by the Beyond Sports Network. All of this after hitting 17 of 19 field goals and tying for second in the conference in scoring among kickers last season. Prevost is a Preseason First Team All-MEAC selection coming into this season, and he is on the CFPA FCS Watch List. In addition, Prevost – who hit three field goals against Delaware State last season – has been named a Preseason First Team All-American by Beyond Sports Network, while the Sports Network named him a Preseason FCS Second Team All-American. His career-long field goal is 43 yards, which he tied at Delaware State on Oct. 25.
 
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.