DOVER, Del. – The Hampton University football team will hit the road again on Saturday, taking on the Hornets of Delaware State at Alumni Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.
 
Game Notes: Click here.
Radio: WHOV 88.1 FM.
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Last Time Out: The Pirates (1-3, 1-1 MEAC) are coming off a 31-9 loss at North Carolina A&T on Sept. 29, while the Hornets (0-4, 0-1 MEAC) dropped their first conference game this past Saturday with a 20-17 loss at Morgan State.
 
The Series: The Pirates are 27-14 all-time against Delaware State, and Hampton has won six of the last eight meetings between the two teams – including a 21-7 win last season. Hampton has not fallen to Delaware State during Connell Maynor's tenure as head coach, and the Pirates are 12-7 all-time against the Hornets in Dover, Del.
 
Pirates on the Road: Hampton opened the 2016 season with a road game at Old Dominion, falling 54-21, before falling 31-9 at North Carolina A&T on Sept. 29. The Pirates went 2-3 on the road last season, closing out the campaign with a 42-3 defeat of Savannah State. Hampton's only other road win last season came at Morgan State – and the Pirates are a combined 3-10 in true road games under head coach Connell Maynor. Hampton has five true road games this season, including two non-conference games (ODU, Coastal Carolina).
 
Pirates Against the MEAC: The Pirates are 206-179-6 all-time against schools currently competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) after a 31-9 loss at North Carolina A&T on Sept. 29. Since joining the MEAC in 1995, the Pirates have won the conference championship five times, including three straight in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
 
Picked to Finish Fifth: The MEAC preseason poll, voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors, picked the Pirates to finish fifth this season. The Pirates picked up one first-place vote and 265 points, while defending co-champion North Carolina A&T was picked to repeat. Twarn Mixson and Christian Faber-Kinney were both Preseason First Team selections, while Dwayne Garrett, Donovan Johnson, Ryan Gould, and Myles Morris all earned Preseason Third Team honors.
 
Mixson Among the Leaders: Mixson led the MEAC in both receiving yards (93.4 per game) and receptions (5.4 per game) last season, becoming just the second Pirate ever to have a 1,000-yard receiving season (1,027). Mixson had five 100-yard receiving games last season, including a season-high 172 yards at Savannah State, and he caught a season-high four touchdowns in the season opener against Kentucky State. He also displayed his arm in 2015, completing three of his five pass attempts – and all three completions were for touchdowns.
 
Proctor Coming On: After a career-high 188-yard performance on Sept. 29 at North Carolina A&T, in which he caught 12 passes, wideout Rashawn Proctor leads the MEAC in both receiving yards (114.2) and receptions per game (8.0). He caught nine passes for a then-career-high 161 yards in the season opener at Old Dominion (the first 100-yard receiving game of his career), and he added eight catches for 61 yards and a touchdown against William & Mary.
 
Williamson Airing it Out: Four weeks into the 2016 season, quarterback Jaylian Williamson leads the MEAC in passing, averaging 242.5 yards in the air per game. A large part of that came to the tune of 388 yards on 32-for-54 passing on Sept. 29 at North Carolina A&T. That total ranks fifth in program history; Williamson now has two of Hampton's five best single-game passing performances (in terms of yardage); he also holds the program record for passing yards in a game, thanks to the 407 he racked up in 2014 at Old Dominion.
 
At or Near the Top: Through four weeks, the Pirates lead the MEAC in passing offense (249.5 yards per game), opponents' first downs (16.8 per game), opponents' fourth-down conversions (1-for-4), and on-side kick recoveries (1-for-2). Hampton is also second in the MEAC in scoring defense (29.0 points per game), time of possession (34:01 per game), and redzone defense (71.4 percent), while ranking third in scoring offense (19.5 points per game), total offense (364.2 yards per game), total defense (393.2 yards per game), pass defense (198.8 yards per game), punt return average (17.0 yards per return), punting (32.8 yards per punt), and fourth-down conversions (8-for-13).
 
Carter Returning: Eric Carter Jr. will be in the backfield again this season, making his return after suffering a season-ending knee injury in the Pirates' 2015 opener. Carter was second on the team in rushing as a freshman in 2014, averaging 5.8 yards per carry while racking up 541 yards on 94 carries. He had three 100-yard rushing games that season, including a season-high 120 in an upset of then-nationally ranked Bethune-Cookman. He also had 113 yards at Delaware State and 103 at Howard. Carter had 41 yards on nine carries in his return at Old Dominion, averaging 4.6 yards per carry, before averaging 4.6 yards per attempt against William & Mary.
 
Johnson Breaks Out: Yahkee Johnson had his breakout with the Pirates this past Saturday, rushing for a game-high 115 yards on 12 carries against William & Mary. He averaged almost 10 yards per carry (9.6). He also had three catches for 11 yards, and in three games so far this season, Johnson is third in the MEAC in rushing, averaging 64.2 yards per game after a 9-carry, 27-yard effort at North Carolina A&T.
 
Garrett Providing Depth: Garrett had his best game as a Pirates against Florida A&M last season, celebrating Senior Day with a career-high 147 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown for Hampton's lone 100-yard rushing effort of the season. Garrett, a transfer from San Diego State, averaged 7.4 yards per carry, and for the season, he was ninth in the MEAC in rushing with 52.1 yards per game. For the season, Garrett had 478 yards on 87 carries and two touchdowns, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. He led the Pirates with 57 rushing yards against Howard, averaging 6.3 yards per carry.
 
Faber-Kinney Reliable: After being named Second Team All-MEAC in 2013, Faber-Kinney was a First Team All-MEAC selection each of the last two seasons. He led the conference in punting in 2015, averaging 40.9 yards per kick and recording 11 punts of at least 50 yards. He pinned nine punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line, and he had a season-long boot of 59 yards at William & Mary. Faber-Kinney also starred in track & field last season, winning MEAC titles in both the indoor heptathlon and outdoor decathlon. Faber-Kinney is third in the MEAC in punting after four weeks (40.0 yards per punt).
 
For more information on Hampton University football, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5757, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.