Game Notes

BALTIMORE, Md. – The Hampton University football team will kick off a string of three straight road games on Saturday, as the Pirates head to Hughes Stadium to take on Morgan State at 1 p.m.
 
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Last Time Out: The Pirates (3-3, 2-2 MEAC), in their second season under head coach Connell Maynor, are coming off a 21-7 Homecoming win over Delaware State this past Saturday, while the Bears (3-2, 3-0 MEAC MEAC), in their second season under head coach Lee Hull, are coming off a 42-3 win over Savannah State this past weekend.
 
Coach Speak: "It was a huge win (against Delaware State) … with it being Homecoming, all the distractions, so many people here, so much stuff going on … for the guys to be able to stay focused and ready to get the win at home is huge. It's so tough to get the guys to play well with all the distractions … for the guys to stay focused and play for 60 minutes to get the win was huge for us."
 
Coach Maynor on Morgan State: "Coach Hull's doing a great job with that team … they represented the MEAC well in the playoffs last year against Richmond. They've got a good team, good program, and they've done a good job trying to defend their title. It's Homecoming for those guys, it's a big game, so we've got to be prepared to match the intensity and play Pirate football for four quarters."
 
The Series: The Pirates are 24-37-2 all-time against Morgan State, despite losing each of the last two meetings between the two teams – including a 38-35 defeat at home last season. Dating back to 1995, the Pirates have won 15 of the last 20 meetings between the two teams, including a stretch of six straight wins from 2003-08. Prior to last season's loss, the Pirates had won three straight in the series. Hampton is 5-11 against Morgan State in Baltimore, Md.
 
Pirates on the Road: Hampton has had just one true road contest so far this season, falling 24-14 at Norfolk State on Sept. 26. The Pirates went 1-5 on the road last 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, fallen 47-13 to North Carolina Central on Nov. 8, and fallen 30-29 to Howard on Nov. 22. This will be the first true road game of the season for the Pirates.
 
Pirates Against the MEAC: The Pirates are 202-177-6 all-time against schools currently competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) after beating Delaware State 21-7 this past weekend to improve to 2-2 in conference play this season. Hampton is 10-10 against Bethune-Cookman; 27-14 against Delaware State; 8-13 against Florida A&M; 48-43-1 against Howard; 24-37-2 against Morgan State; 25-27-1 against Norfolk State; 26-17-2 against North Carolina A&T; 18-7 against North Carolina Central; 5-0 against Savannah State; and 11-8 against South Carolina State. Since joining the MEAC in 1995, the Pirates have won the conference championship five times, including three straight in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
 
Pirates Picked to Finish Sixth: The MEAC preseason poll, voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors, picked the Pirates to finish sixth this season. In addition, the Pirates landed eight players on the conference's preseason teams, headlined by wideout Twarn Mixson, defensive lineman Miles Grooms, linebacker Joshua Thorne, and punter Christian Faber-Kinney – all of whom were First Team selections. Four Pirates were named Preseason Second Team All-MEAC: offensive lineman Michael Young, defensive lineman Charles Owens, wideout Rashawn Proctor, and offensive lineman Torrian White.
 
Counting To 1,000: The Pirates' game against rival Howard on Sept. 18 was the 1,000th in the history of Hampton University football. Hampton won that game 37-19, and heading into this weekend, the Pirates are 551-418-34 all-time (a .549 winning percentage).
 
Quarterback Returns Home: For David Watford, who transferred to the Pirates from the University of Virginia, Hampton is home. Watford played his high school football at nearby Hampton High, totaling over 3,000 yards as a senior en route to All-District and All-Region honors. He did not throw an interception that season, guiding the Crabbers to an 11-2 record – the only losses coming to eventual state champion Phoebus. In 2012 with U.Va., Watford set a school record with 244 completions, and against Georgia Tech, he completed a school-record 43 passes for a career-high 376 yards. In his Pirates debut against Kentucky State, Watford threw for 335 yards and five touchdowns – four of which went to T.J. Mixson. He also threw three touchdowns against both Richmond and North Carolina A&T. Through six weeks, Watford leads the MEAC in passing (246.5 yards per game) and total offense (280.2 yards per game). He has at least one touchdown pass in each of the Pirates' first six games.
 
Mixson Leading Pirates Receivers: Mixson was a First Team All-MEAC selection last season and was on the conference preseason First Team. In 2014, Mixson led the team and the MEAC in receiving, averaging 68.3 yards per contest. He caught 5.6 passes per game, and Mixson had a team-high 615 receiving yards on the season with six touchdowns. He opened the 2015 season in style against Kentucky State, catching seven passes for 135 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught five passes for 93 yards and a score against Richmond, while also throwing a touchdown pass. He then racked up 119 receiving yards against Howard, before catching five passes for a career-high 136 yards against North Carolina A&T. He had a receiving touchdown and a passing touchdown in that contest. Through six weeks, Mixson leads the MEAC in receiving yards (95.3 per game) and receptions (5.3 per game), and he is third in all-purpose yards (97.2 per game).
 
At or Near the Top of the Pile: Through the first six weeks of the regular season, the Pirates are at the top or near the top of the MEAC in several statistical categories. Hampton leads the conference in total offense (388.0 yards per game) and passing offense, averaging 252.2 yards per game through the air. The Pirates' 17 sacks on defense are also best in the conference. Hampton is second in the MEAC in interceptions with six. Hampton is also second in the MEAC in rushing defense (127.0 yards per game) and third in scoring offense (27.7 ppg), while ranking third in the conference in total defense (305.8 yards per game). The Pirates are also second in the MEAC in both pass efficiency (126.5) and pass defense efficiency (105.7). Hampton also leads the MEAC in red zone defense and is second in red zone offense, and the Pirates are third in the MEAC in third down conversions, executing 39.5 percent of the time.
 
Grooms a Force on the Line: Grooms was a Preseason First Team All-MEAC selection coming into 2015, after being named Third Team All-MEAC in 2014. He was sixth on the team with 52 total tackles in 2014, while also ranking second on the team in tackles for loss (13.0) and third in sacks (5.0). His 10 quarterback hurries were a team high, and Grooms also forced a pair of fumbles last season. In the opener against Kentucky State, Grooms had four quarterback hurries, seven tackles, and 1.5 sacks. He also had two sacks and three tackles for loss in the Pirates' win over Delaware State. After six weeks of play, Grooms leads the MEAC in sacks with 4.5.
 
Thorne a Tackling Machine: Thorne had 113 total tackles last season, leading both the team and the MEAC while recording 100 tackles for the second straight season. Thorne was a Second Team All-MEAC selection in 2014, and he also led the team with 13.5 tackles for loss – while his 5.5 sacks tied for the team lead. Thorne averaged 5.5 tackles per contest, and twice last season he racked up a career-high 19 tackles: at Delaware State and at North Carolina Central. He also had three sacks and six tackles for loss in Hampton's shutout win over the Hornets. Thorne was a Preseason First Team All-MEAC selection leading into the 2015 season.
 
Faber-Kinney One to Watch Out For: After being named Second Team All-MEAC in 2013, Faber-Kinney was a First Team All-MEAC selection last season. He led the conference in punting in 2014, averaging 42.9 yards per kick and recording 14 punts of at least 50 yards. The VaSID Second Team All-State selection pinned 10 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line, and he had a career-long 72-yard punt at Delaware State. Faber-Kinney, who was also a Third Team All-MEAC honoree in the indoor heptathlon and outdoor decathlon, was a Preseason First Team All-MEAC selection coming into the 2015 campaign. Through six weeks, Faber-Kinney is second in the MEAC in punting (40.8 yards per punt).
 
Coaching Staff Changes: Michael Ketchum is but one of the new faces roaming the Pirates sideline this season, coming over from Delaware State to serve as defensive coordinator. Tremayne Henry, who served as defensive coordinator for part of last season, will coach the defensive line in 2015. Marc Bacote also joined the staff, where he will serve as safeties coach, and Bryant Foster has come on board to serve as cornerbacks coach and defensive pass game coordinator. Former Pirate Marcus Wade has also joined head coach Connell Maynor's staff, serving as a graduate assistant.
 
Pirates Wideouts Standing Out: Mixson received all of the accolades, but the Pirates receiving corps boasted two other high-caliber threats on the outside. In fact, two Pirate receivers ranked in the top 10 in the conference in receptions per game last season; Rayshad Riddick was tied for fourth in the MEAC with 4.2 catches per game, while Proctor was sixth in the MEAC with 4.1 catches per contest. Proctor was also seventh in the MEAC in receiving yards, averaging 50.0 per game. So far this season, Proctor ranks tied for seventh in the MEAC in receptions (3.6 per game) and eighth in receiving yards (47.8 per game).
 
For more information on Hampton University athletics, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.