HAMPTON, Va. – Despite three touchdown passes from quarterback David Watford, the Hampton University football team fell to Richmond 31-28 on a stormy Saturday afternoon at Armstrong Stadium.
 
The Pirates are now 1-1 on the season.
 
Watford finished the day with 239 yards on 17-for-33 in the air. Twarn Mixson, the reigning MEAC Offensive Player of the Week, caught five passes for 93 yards and a touchdown – while also passing for a touchdown.
 
Rashawn Proctor caught two touchdown passes, finishing the day with 58 yards on four catches.
 
Richmond turned the ball over on the game's opening possession, as Breon Key nabbed an interception at midfield and returned the ball 35 yards. On the ensuing play, Mixson threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Proctor to give the Pirates a 7-0 lead at the 13:14 mark.
 
Later in the first quarter, the Pirates took a 14-0 lead when Watford found Mixson on a 15-yard strike to wrap up a 7-play, 51-yard drive.
 
With 2:33 left in the first quarter, Richmond got on the board on a 1-yard score from Jacobi Green to cut the Pirates' lead to 14-7. But Hampton answered on the ensuing drive, going 87 yards in 17 plays before Watford hit Shakim Alonzo from five yards out.
 
With 10:33 left in the half, the Pirates led 21-7.
 
Richmond cut the lead to 21-10 with 26 seconds left in the half after a 44-yard field goal from Peter Yoder.
 
The Spiders (1-1) also scored on its first possession of the second half, cutting the Pirates' lead to 21-16 after Kyle Lauletta hit Porter Abell from 16 yards out. Richmond went for two after the score and the conversion failed.
 
The Pirates answered on the ensuing possession, going 67 yards in nine plays. Watford threw his third touchdown pass of the afternoon, a 30-yard score to Proctor with 2:42 left in the third quarter to put Hampton ahead 28-16.
 
But Richmond scored 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter – cutting the lead to 28-23 with 14:53 left in the fourth quarter on a 12-yard run from Seth Fisher, before taking the lead with 10:58 remaining, when Lauletta found Reggie Diggs for a 38-yard touchdown.
 
Jaston George led the Pirates defense with eight tackles, while Tyrone Ward and Joshua Thorne each added seven stops. Miles Grooms and Charles Owens each had a sack.
 
Key's interception was the lone turnover of the game.
 
The Pirates will be in Washington, D.C. on Friday to take on rival Howard in the AT&T Nation's Football Classic at RFK Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and the game will be televised live on ESPNU.
 
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.