Hampton 37, Bethune-Cookman 7

Hampton, VA – The Hampton University Pirates (6-4, 4-2) took advantage of a wounded Bethune-Cookman squad to knock the No. 10 ranked Wildcats from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 37-7 thrashing in front of 5,321 fans at Armstrong Stadium in Hampton, Virginia. The win kept Hampton’s Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title hopes alive, while putting the Wildcats in a must win situation in their final two contests of the season.

With Wildcat quarterback Allen Suber, the Preseason MEAC Offensive Player of the Year, sidelined with an injured foot sustained in last week’s battle at North Carolina A&T, the Pirate defense was able to force four turnovers and hold Bethune-Cookman who was averaging more than 35 points per game to just one touchdown.

After limiting the Wildcats (9-1, 5-1 MEAC) to a mere 23 yards in the first quarter, the Pirates got on the board first with a 30-yard field goal by Tellis Bolden at the 4:33 mark of the opening period. Down 3-0 and without Suber, the league’s leading rusher, the Wildcat offense turned to the passing game behind reserve quarterback Scott Austin. Austin completed 19-of-33 pass attempts for 224 yards, but the constant pressure from the Hampton defense prevented Bethune-Cookman from finding the end zone for much of the afternoon.

The Pirates extended their lead on the first play of the second quarter as fullback Joe Wilson touched the football for only the second time this season, resulting in a 19-yard touchdown reception from Tim Frazier. The scoring grab in the left corner of the end zone ended an 8-play, 72-yard drive. With the addition of Bolden’s extra point, Hampton held a 10-0 advantage.

On the strength of Austin’s arm, Bethune-Cookman threatened on its next possession, getting down to the Pirate 25-yard line following a 36-yard strike to Thomas Unri. Holding the Wildcats to just 49 yards rushing, 215 yards below their average, the Hampton defense dug in and forced its third turnover of the half when linebacker Kitwana Jones (8 tackles, 1 sack) stripped the ball from Wildcat fullback Brad Lee. Ira David Dawson pounced on the loose ball, and consequently killed all Wildcat hopes of a first half score.

Sharing snaps with starting quarterback Tim Frazier, Hampton’s Kerry Dixon entered the ball game with 4:09 to play before the break, looking to add to the Pirates’ 10-0 lead. Dixon and the Pirates used just seven plays, the big one coming on a 54-yard reception by Jerome Mathis, to get in the scoring column once again. On third-and-8 from the Hampton 24-yard line, Dixon found Mathis (3 rec., 124 yards) on a 15-yard crossing route—and one missed tackle late—the Pirates were in scoring position at the Wildcat 22-yard line. The Pirates offense gained just five more yards to set up Bolden’s second field goal, a 37-yard kick that gave Hampton a 13-0 lead at the half.

Looking to rebound from last week’s setback at Florida A&M, the Pirates emerged from the locker room with possibly more focus than they’ve shown in the second half of any game this season. The Wildcats received the ball to begin the second half, and on fourth-and-7 from their own 46-yard line, were forced to punt. Pirate freshman Dontrail Potter raced around the left side of the Bethune-Cookman offensive line and blocked Davis Player’s punt, giving Hampton great field position at the Wildcat 47-yard line.

Pirate running back Rian Thompson and the Hampton offensive line was the story from there on out. Running behind an offensive line that controlled the line of scrimmage for the entire game, Thompson (35 att., 168 yds., 2 TD) pounded out 55 yards on the ensuing Hampton possession, capping it off with a 13-yard bolt around the left end, running through Wildcat linebacker Lonnie Estes for a 20-0 Pirate advantage.

“Last week we didn’t bring our “A” game,” stated an excited Thompson, whose career high 168 yards was his second 100-yard performance of the season. “Today we really stepped up our game and it showed.”

Following an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Pirates on the following kickoff, the Wildcats took the field from their own 41-yard line looking to prevent a shutout. Austin quickly guided Bethune-Cookman down inside the Pirate 20-yard line with two 20-yard completions, and for the first time all afternoon, the Wildcats established a real scoring opportunity. With the ball at the Pirate 12-yard line Austin’s pass attempt to Robert Smith fell incomplete, but a pass interference penalty gave the Wildcats a first down at the 2-yard line. One play later, Brad Lee made up for an earlier fumble with the scoring run, cutting the Hampton lead to 20-7.

A reserve defensive back that plays primarily on special teams, Potter exploited the hole in the Wildcat punt team once again, recovering a blocked punt in the end zone for his first career touchdown and making the score Hampton – 27, Bethune-Cookman – 7 heading into the four quarter.

Bolden added his third field goal of the day, and Pirate defensive back Dirul Diaab’s second interception—which he returned for 49 yards—set up Thompson’s second touchdown, an 11-yard run to provide the final margin.

“It was a good day today,” said Diaab through a grin that had been dormant the past two weeks. “We needed everyone to step it up and we did. We went out there and just had fun. When we do that I feel that no one can come close to us.”

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