Game Notes

NORFOLK, Va. – The Hampton University football team will be on the road this Saturday for another rivalry game, heading to Dick Price Stadium for the annual Battle of the Bay against Norfolk State. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.
 
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Last Time Out: The Pirates (2-1, 1-0 MEAC), in their second season under head coach Connell Maynor, are coming off a 37-19 win over Howard this past Friday, while the Spartans (0-3, 0-0 MEAC), in their first season under head coach Latrell Scott, are coming off a 45-7 loss to Marshall this past weekend.
 
Coach Speak: "We're glad to be here, glad to be playing this game. It's a great rivalry. We've got to give it our best this week. Big rivalry game at their place, tough environment, Norfolk State will be licking their chops, ready to play. We have to do a better job, cutting down on turnovers, get better at tackling on defense, and shore up our special teams."
 
Coach Maynor on Norfolk State: "I said this on the (MEAC weekly conference call) that I think Norfolk State is the best 0-3 team in all of FCS football. They've played some very good football teams, and they were in every game at halftime. Coach Scott and his staff have done a tremendous job, and you can tell the players are disciplined … I told my guys that this might be the best football team they play all season."
 
The Series: The Pirates are 25-26-1 all-time against Norfolk State, having won four of the last seven meetings – despite last season's 21-13 loss to the Spartans in Armstrong Stadium. Since 1996, after Hampton's transition to Div. I, the Pirates are 13-6 against the Spartans. Prior to last season, Norfolk State had last defeated Hampton in 2011, when the Spartans won 34-24 in Norfolk, Va. Hampton is 13-12-1 against Norfolk State in Norfolk, Va.
 
Pirates on the Road: 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 201-175-6 all-time against schools currently competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) after opening conference play this past weekend with a 37-19 win over Howard. Hampton is 10-10 against Bethune-Cookman; 26-14 against Delaware State; 8-13 against Florida A&M; 48-43-1 against Howard; 24-37-2 against Morgan State; 25-26-1 against Norfolk State; 26-16-2 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: This past Friday's game against rival Howard 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 550-416-34 all-time (a .550 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 Mixson. He also threw three touchdowns against Richmond, and through three weeks, Watford leads the MEAC in passing (287.7 yards per game) and total offense (319.7 yards per game). He has at least one touchdown pass in each of the Pirates' first three games, and Watford has yet to be sacked this season.
 
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 a career-high 135 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught five passes for 93 yards and a score against Richmond, while also throwing a touchdown pass. After racking up 119 receiving yards against Howard, Mixson leads the MEAC in receptions (6.0 per game), receiving yards (115.7 per game), scoring (10.0 ppg), and all-purpose yards (115.7 per game).
 
At or Near the Top of the Pile: Through the first three 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 scoring offense, averaging 33.3 points per contest so far this season. Hampton also leads in total offense, averaging 407.3 yards per game, while the Pirates' 292.7 passing yards per contest are also a MEAC best. Hampton's defense also has a MEAC-best nine sacks through three games, while the offense has yet to give up a sack (the only team in the MEAC to boast that). The Pirates are third in the MEAC in scoring defense, giving up 23.3 points a game. Hampton is second in the MEAC in rushing defense (152.0 ypg) and third in total defense (354.3 ypg), and the Pirates also rank second in the MEAC in both pass efficiency and pass defense efficiency. The Pirates rank third in the MEAC in interceptions on defense, and their offense is best in the MEAC in terms of third-down conversions (55.0 percent).
 
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 Saturday's opener against Kentucky State, Grooms had four quarterback hurries, seven tackles, and 1.5 sacks. After three weeks of play, Grooms is tied for the MEAC lead in sacks.
 
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 three weeks, Faber-Kinney ranks fourth in the MEAC in punting.
 
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 sixth in receiving yards (50.7 per game). Leon Shorter is fifth in the MEAC with 51.7 receiving yards 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.