Game Notes

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Hampton University football team will close out the 2015 season on the road on Saturday, taking on the Tigers of Savannah State at 1 p.m. at Ted Wright Stadium. The Pirates have a chance to finish above .500 for the first time since 2011.
 
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Last Time Out: The Pirates (5-5, 4-3 MEAC), in their second season under head coach Connell Maynor, are coming off a 33-0 win over Florida A&M this past Saturday, while the Tigers (1-7, 1-5 MEAC), in their third season under head coach Earnest Wilson III, fell 20-17 in overtime to Norfolk State this past weekend.
 
Coach Speak: "It was a big win for us (against Florida A&M), real proud of our guys, sending the seniors out the way they did with a shutout. With a win this week, we'll have a winning season, get back over .500, and in our second year trying to get this program turned around, going in the right direction … I think we're heading in the right direction."
 
Coach Maynor on Savannah State: "You look at their record and think this is an easy win and they're not that good, but watch the tape and you see a different team. They've been playing people tough, and we expect them to play us tough. They're a dangerous football team; they can put up a bunch of points and they've got a solid defense, so we've got to be sound and we have to execute."
 
The Series: The Pirates are 5-0 all-time against Savannah State, and this will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2012 – when Hampton won 21-13 at Armstrong Stadium. The two teams first met in 2003, with the Pirates winning 48-13 at home. Hampton is 2-0 against Savannah State in Savannah, Ga., with a 58-7 win in 2004 and a 22-5 win in 2011.
 
Pirates on the Road: Hampton has had four true road contests so far this season, falling 24-14 at Norfolk State on Sept. 26 before defeating Morgan State 20-10 on Oct. 17, falling 40-7 to William & Mary on Oct. 24, and falling 34-20 at South Carolina State on Oct. 30. Hampton is 1-1 so far on this stretch of three straight road contests. 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.
 
Pirates Against the MEAC: The Pirates are 204-178-6 all-time against schools currently competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) after beating Florida A&M 33-0 this past Saturday to improve to 4-3 in conference play this season. Hampton is 10-10 against Bethune-Cookman; 27-14 against Delaware State; 9-13 against Florida A&M; 48-43-1 against Howard; 25-37-2 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 11-9 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 553-420-34 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 10 weeks, Watford leads the MEAC in passing (203.9 yards per game) and is second in total offense (225.0 yards per game). He has at least one touchdown pass in each of the nine games he's played this season.
 
Antoine Getting it Done: After starting the last five games of the 2014 season, quarterback Jerrell Antoine completed 85 of 157 passes for 967 yards and 11 touchdowns. His best game of the season came in the Pirates' upset win over nationally-ranked Bethune-Cookman, when he went 21-for-34 through the air for 249 yards and five touchdowns. He followed that performance with a 19-for-39, 240-yard performance at Howard – a game in which he threw two touchdowns. Antoine threw at least one touchdown pass in every game he started, and he had two touchdown passes against Morgan State. Antoine also rushed 52 times for 200 yards and two touchdowns. Antoine made his first start of 2015 at South Carolina State, completing 17 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns, and he had two more touchdown passes this past Saturday against Florida A&M.
 
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 both a receiving touchdown and a passing touchdown in that contest. Through 10 weeks, Mixson leads the MEAC in receiving yards (85.5 per game) and receptions (5.0 per game), and he is sixth in all-purpose yards (87.1 per game).
 
At or Near the Top of the Pile: Through the first 10 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 field goals (6-for-7), while ranking second in total offense (356.1 yards per game), passing offense (223.9 yards per game), pass efficiency (122.4), pass efficiency defense (106.7), sacks on defense (24), first downs (193), and red zone defense (66.7 percent). The Pirates are third in the MEAC in scoring defense (23.0 points per game), total defense (320.2 yards per game), and passing defense (174.9 yards per game).
 
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. He also had four tackles for loss, a sack, and two quarterback hurries against Florida A&M. After 10 weeks of play, Grooms is second in the MEAC in sacks with 7.5.
 
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. He led the Pirates with 12 tackles this past Saturday against Florida A&M, and Thorne's 301 career tackles are fifth-most in program history.
 
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 10 weeks, Faber-Kinney is third in the MEAC in punting (40.5 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 is ninth in the MEAC in receiving yards (40.8 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.