Game Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University football team will close out the 2014 season with the Battle for the Real HU on Saturday, squaring off against rival Howard at 1 p.m. at Greene Stadium.
 
Radio: WHOV 88.1 FM (Richie Summerville, Donovan Rose, and Jay Lang on the call).
 
Last Time Out: The Pirates (3-8, 2-5 MEAC) upset nationally-ranked Bethune-Cookman 40-35 on Thursday, Nov. 13 in their home finale, a game that was televised live on ESPNU. Freshman quarterback Jerrell Antoine (Orlando, Fla.) threw for a career-high 249 yards and five touchdowns, while freshman running back Eric Carter Jr. (Fayetteville, N.C.) ran for a career-high 124 yards, averaging 9.2 yards per carry.
 
The Bison's Last Game: The Bison (4-7, 2-5 MEAC) defeated Central Connecticut State 28-25 in a non-conference tilt this past Saturday. Greg McGhee rushed for 80 yards and three touchdowns in the second half as Howard overcame a 25-7 deficit.
 
The Series: The Pirates are 47-42-1 all-time against Howard, though the Bison have won each of the last three meetings – including a 42-39 double-overtime thriller in Armstrong Stadium last season. Prior to Howard three-game winning streak in the series, the Pirates had won 14 straight games against the Bison. Howard also won the last meeting between the two teams in Washington, D.C. taking a 20-10 win in 2012. Overall, the Pirates are 11-14 against Howard in games recorded to have played in Washington, D.C.
 
Pirates On the Road: Hampton went 1-6 on the road last season, with that win coming at Norfolk State – where the Pirates beat their rivals 27-17. The Pirates are 1-4 on the road so far this season, having dropped their season opener at Old Dominion, 41-28, on Aug. 30, fallen 42-17 at Richmond on Sept. 13, fallen 31-14 at North Carolina A&T on Oct. 9, defeated Delaware State 23-0 on Oct. 25, and fallen 47-13 to North Carolina Central on Nov. 8.
 
Against the MEAC: The Pirates are 200-174-6 all-time against schools currently competing in the MEAC after a 40-35 win over Bethune-Cookman on Nov. 13. Hampton is 10-10 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. Gary Harrell is in his third season as head coach at Howard, guiding his alma mater.
 
Antoine Getting It Done: Having started each of the last four games, Antoine is a combined 66-for-118 through the air for 727 yards and eight touchdowns. His career-best game was on Nov. 13 against Bethune-Cookman, where Antoine threw for 249 yards and five touchdowns. Antoine went 21-for-34 through the air in the upset win, without throwing an interception. 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. On Nov. 8 at North Carolina Central, he threw for 171 yards and a touchdown. Antoine has been named MEAC Rookie of the Week three times this season.
 
Carter Making His Mark: The Pirates' contest at Delaware State on Oct. 25 was Carter'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. Carter racked up his second career 100-yard rushing game on Nov. 13 against Bethune-Cookman, carrying the ball 13 times for a 124 yards – an average of 9.2 yards per carry.
 
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 second in the MEAC with 4.5 catches per game, while redshirt sophomore Rashawn Proctor (Hampton, Va.) is fifth in the MEAC with 4.0 catches per contest. Proctor is also sixth in the MEAC in receiving yards, averaging 48.0 per game, while Riddick's 40.2 receiving yards per game are 10th-best in the conference.
 
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 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. He had his best game of the season on Nov. 13 against Bethune-Cookman, racking up 10 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
 
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. Prevost hit two field goals – one from 29 yards, the other from 30 – in Hampton's upset win over Bethune-Cookman on Nov. 13.
 
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.