Game Notes

DURHAM, N.C. – The Hampton University football team will hit the road on Saturday to square off against the Eagles of North Carolina Central at 2 p.m. in O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.
 
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Last Time Out: The Pirates (2-7, 1-4 MEAC) fell 38-35 to Morgan State this past Saturday for Homecoming, despite 164 passing yards and two touchdowns from freshman quarterback Jerrell Antoine (Orlando, Fla.), who was named MEAC Rookie of the Week for the second straight week.
 
The Eagles' Last Game: The Eagles (4-5, 3-2 MEAC) fell 34-20 to nationally-ranked Bethune-Cookman this past Saturday, dropping N.C. Central out of the first-place logjam in the conference standings. The game was tied 20-20 midway through the fourth quarter before the Wildcats scored 14 unanswered points in the final three and a half minutes.
 
The Series: The Pirates are 18-6 all-time against North Carolina Central, including last season's 31-26 win at Armstrong Stadium for Hampton's Homecoming. Overall, Hampton has won nine of the last 10 meetings, with the Eagles' lone win coming in 2012, when they won 37-20 in Durham, N.C. This series dates all the way back to 1924, when the Pirates won the first meeting 31-0. Hampton is 3-3 in games recorded to have taken place in Durham, N.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 1-3 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, and defeated Delaware State 23-0 on Oct. 25.
 
Against the MEAC: The Pirates are 199-173-6 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; 18-6 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. Jerry Mack is in his first season at the helm at N.C. Central, becoming the third-youngest head coach in all of NCAA Div. I.
 
Coach Maynor Says: "(Last week was) a hard-fought game. Our kids showed a lot of intestinal fortitude, to be down 14-0 before even getting off a snap on offense, and nobody put their head down, nobody quit, nobody pointed any fingers. Now it's just a matter of finishing … find a way to finish, find a way to make a play in the fourth quarter."
 
Coach Maynor on N.C. Central: "They're a very good football team, they were tied for first going into last week (at Bethune-Cookman). The score was 34-20, but it wasn't that lopsided, it was really just a toss-up midway through the fourth quarter. We've gotta be prepared … they're still hungry, they still think they can win the MEAC with a tie."
 
Antoine Getting It Done: Having started each of the last two 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 this past Saturday against Morgan State, he threw for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Antoine has been named MEAC Rookie of the Week each of the last two weeks.
 
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 second in the MEAC with 4.6 catches per game, while redshirt sophomore Rashawn Proctor (Hampton, Va.) is sixth in the MEAC with 3.9 catches per contest. Proctor is also sixth in the MEAC in receiving yards, averaging 44.3 per game, while Riddick is eighth in the conference with 42.0 receiving yards per contest.
 
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.). Washington 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 167.7 all-purpose yards per game, and his 81.7 rushing yards per game are third-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 is second in the MEAC in tackles, third in tackles for loss, and seventh in sacks, had a career-high 19 tackles – including six for loss and three sacks – at Delaware State on Oct. 25.
 
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 this past Saturday 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.