Game Notes

NORFOLK, Va. – The Hampton University football team will open the 2014 season, and the Connell Maynor Era, on Saturday, heading to Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium to take on Old Dominion at 3:30 p.m.
 
TV: Sinclair Broadcasting Group; Antenna (33, 33-1 HD), Cox (2, 1002 HD), FIOS (11, 511 HD), DirecTV (33), Charter (9, 709 HD). Note: the above channel listings are for Hampton Roads; for national listings, click here.
Radio: WHOV 88.1 FM (Richie Summerville, Donovan Rose, and Jay Lang on the call).
Live Stats: Click here.
 
The Series: Old Dominion leads the all-time series between the two teams 3-0, and the Monarchs won the last meeting 45-7 in 2012 at Armstrong Stadium. Hampton last visited Norfolk in 2011, when ODU won an offensive shootout 45-42. This will mark just the second time that the Pirates have played ODU on the road.
 
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. This will mark the fifth straight year in which the Pirates open the season away from Armstrong Stadium (the Pirates' 2011 opener was a neutral-site game, where the Pirates beat Alabama A&M 21-20 in Chicago, Ill.).
 
Pirates in Season Openers: The Pirates are 74-35-3 in season openers dating back in 1902, and Hampton has lost three of its last four (the win coming on a neutral field against Alabama A&M in 2011). From 2004-09, the Pirates won six straight season openers.
 
Vs. Conference USA: Old Dominion is the only school currently in Conference USA that the Pirates have faced.
 
On TV: This will be the first of four televised games for the Pirates this season; in addition, the Pirates will be on ESPNU three times this season, starting with their match-up at North Carolina A&T on Thursday, Oct. 9. The annual Battle of the Bay between Hampton and Norfolk State will be shown on ESPNU via tape delay, and the Pirates' home finale against Bethune-Cookman will be televised live on ESPNU on Thursday, Nov. 13.
 
The Coaches: Connell Maynor is in his first season at the helm at Hampton after four years as the head coach at Div. Ii Winston-Salem State – where he went 45-6 and won three straight CIAA championships. Bobby Wilder is 46-14 in five seasons at Old Dominion and is embarking on ODU's first season as an FBS program.
 
Coach Maynor Says: "We're excited to finally get to game week … our guys are ready to hit somebody else for a change. We know we have a tough task ahead of us, and we welcome the challenge. We're just ready to hit someone other than ourselves."
 
Coach Maynor on ODU: "They're a great team, well-coached, disciplined … they do all the little things well. They have a great quarterback; it seems like he never makes a bad decision. The key for us will be ball control; if we can keep (Taylor Heinicke) on the sidelines, that'll help."
 
Pirates Land Six on MEAC Preseason 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: junior linebacker Joshua Thorne (Oxon Hill, Md.), 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.
 
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. 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.
 
Washington a Threat: Washington led the Pirates in rushing last season, tallying 699 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 6.1 yards per carry and 58.2 rushing yards per game. He had three 100-yard rushing games in 2013, including a season-high 137 yards at Morgan State. In addition, Washington averaged 23.5 yards per kickoff return in 2013, and he is the last Pirate to run back a kickoff for a touchdown – he last did that in the 2012 opener at Tennessee Tech, taking a kickoff back 100 yards for the score.
 
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 he 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.
 
Signalcallers: Sophomore Bryan Bailey (Woodruff, S.C.) and junior Jaylian Williamson (Chesapeake, Va.) have battled throughout the preseason for the starting quarterback job, and both players had solid 2013 seasons. Bailey, as a freshman, threw for a team-high 1,131 yards and nine touchdowns in nine games – completing 56.1 percent of his passes. Williamson, in eight games, threw for 676 yards and five touchdowns. Bailey had three touchdown passes against North Carolina A&T – his first collegiate state – and again against Howard; his 263 passing yards at Norfolk State were a season high. Williamson threw for a season-high 190 yards and two scores against Tennessee Tech, completing a season-high 61.1 percent of his passes.
 
McGee Dangerous in the Defensive Backfield: McGee is the Pirates' top returner in the defensive backfield this season, racking up 65 total tackles last season (including 35 solo stops) to rank fifth on the team. He was also tied for the team lead in interceptions with four, to go along with five pass breakups. He recorded an interception in three straight games North Carolina A&T, Norfolk State, Delaware State) last season, and McGee had a season-high 12 tackles (seven solo) against Howard.
 
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.