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Football Closes Home Slate Hosting William & Mary For Senior Day Saturday

HAMPTON, Va. (Nov. 14, 2025) … The Hampton Pirates will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday as they close out the 2025 home schedule hosting William & Mary at 1 p.m. inside Armstrong Stadium.
Senior Day is a special event when Hampton fans, alumni, parents and friends salute those who will be playing in their final home game in a Pirate uniform.

The group of six players will finish their careers at home when they suit up and run on to turf at the Armstrong Stadium.

The six include Jonathan Ward, Harold O'Neal III, Jordan Watkins, Ta'Von Burrows, Julian Ganthier and Daniel Ufua. The Senior Day ceremony will begin approximately 12:45 p.m.

The group will have the chance to make history, as well. Hampton has yet to defeat the Tribe. The two teams have played on 10 occasions with William & Mary coming out on top each time.

Two years ago, the Pirates looked likely to snap the streak only to see the Tribe pull away in the game's final moments. Last season, Hampton took a 7-0 lead before William & Mary rallied and stormed back for a decisive win over the Pirates in Williamsburg.

The Game
Hampton (2-8, 0-6) will face William & Mary 6-4, 5-2) for the final time as a member of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA). Next season, the Tribe moved to the Patriot League for football. William & Mary will remain a member of the CAA for other sports.

The Pirates are also looking for their first victory over the nearby rival. William & Mary has won the previous 10 meetings against Hampton including a 49-7 victory a year ago in Williamsburg.

The game pits William & Mary's potent offensive attack against Hampton's top-ranked pass defense. Tribe quarterback Tyler Hughes has thrown for 2,037 yards in 10 games with 15 TDs and just one interception.

The Pirates yield just 162.2 ypg through the air. Defensive backs Will Hicks (21) and Cam Sturdifen (33) are among the league leaders in tackles. Linebacker Harold O'Neal III is the CAA's second-leading tackler with 101 total stops, 10.1 per game. Fellow linebacker Michael Matthews-Canty ranks 21st with 6.4 tackles per game.

In 2023, Hampton looked poised to post its first victory over the Tribe in the last match-up at Armstrong Stadium. The Tribe ended up with a 31-10 victory, but it was anything but easy for the Tribe. The score was tied 10-10 midway through the fourth quarter and the Pirates had the ball in the redzone, potentially moving toward the game-winning score. But the Tribe turned three late Hampton interceptions into a trio of touchdowns pull away.

Of note is the difference in turnover margin. The Tribe is first in the CAA with a plus-six margin. Hampton is 11th at minus-six.

The Pirates in November
The Pirates are 125-108-1 (.537) in games played in the month of November. Hampton is 0-2 in November 2025 and has lost seven straight games in the month. The last win was a 42-35 victory at Maine in 2023.
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Will Hicks

#7 Will Hicks

DB
6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
 Michael Matthews-Canty

#51 Michael Matthews-Canty

LB
6' 3"
Sophomore
Cam Sturdifen

#11 Cam Sturdifen

DB
6' 2"
Senior
Daniel Ufua

#12 Daniel Ufua

LB
6' 1"
Redshirt Junior
Jonathan  Ward

#60 Jonathan Ward

LS
5' 10"
Senior
Jordan Watkins

#16 Jordan Watkins

DB
6' 2"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Will Hicks

#7 Will Hicks

6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
DB
 Michael Matthews-Canty

#51 Michael Matthews-Canty

6' 3"
Sophomore
LB
Cam Sturdifen

#11 Cam Sturdifen

6' 2"
Senior
DB
Daniel Ufua

#12 Daniel Ufua

6' 1"
Redshirt Junior
LB
Jonathan  Ward

#60 Jonathan Ward

5' 10"
Senior
LS
Jordan Watkins

#16 Jordan Watkins

6' 2"
Senior
DB