NORFOLK, Va. – The Hampton University football team will kick off the 2016 season on Saturday, taking on Old Dominion at Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
 
Radio: WHOV 88.1 FM.
Video: CUSA.TV
Game Notes: Click here.
 
The Series: ODU leads the all-time series 4-0 after defeating the Pirates 41-28 the last time the two teams met in Norfolk, Va. in 2014. This will mark the third time Hampton faces the Monarchs on the road; the first meeting between the two teams in Norfolk, in 2011, saw ODU come away with a 45-42 win.
 
Pirates on the Road: 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 3-8 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 in Season Openers: Since 1902, Hampton is 75-36-3 all-time in season openers. The Pirates won their season opener a year ago, 35-20 over Kentucky State, breaking their three-game losing streak in season openers. From 2004-2011, the Pirates had won seven of eight season openers.
 
Pirates Against C-USA: Old Dominion is the only school currently in Conference USA that the Pirates have faced.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.