Southwest Missouri State 28, Hampton 26

Hampton, VA - After scoring 21 points off of turnovers in last week's victory over James Madison, the Hampton University Pirates surrendered 10 points on two lost fumbles of their own, falling, 26-28, at the hands of Southwest Missouri State.

"It was a hard fought football game," stated HU head coach Joe Taylor. "They have a solid football program and you just can't afford to give a team like Southwest Missouri State that many opportunities. However, I'm proud that our players kept fighting and didn't give up."

The Pirates (1-1) found themselves in trouble from the outset when on their first play from scrimmage, running back Cordrea Brittingham fumbled at the Hampton 9-yard line giving Southwest Missouri State great field position. The Bears wasted little time getting on the board as Steve Ennis rushed in from two yards out to open the scoring, and give the Bears the 7-0 lead, just 1:05 into the game.

After going three-and-out on their next two possessions, the Pirates rebounded with a 12-play, 57-yard drive-- highlighted by running back Rian Thompson. Thompson, who led the Pirates in rushing with 85 yards on the day, picked up 30 on the drive, capping it with a 5-yard burst up the middle to knot the score at seven apiece with 3:07 to play in the first quarter.

The second period belonged to the Bears who scored 13 unanswered points, three coming off of the Pirates' second lost fumble, which gave Southwest Missouri State the ball at the Hampton 19-yard line with 1:26 to play before the break. The Pirates' defense held SMS to a field goal, Brian Long's second of the day, a 30-yard kick that gave the Bears a halftime advantage of 20-7.

The Pirates, who managed just 82 yards of total offense in the second half, appeared to emerge from the locker room with a new mindset. They promptly pieced together a solid drive, engineered by quarterback Tim Frazier, who mixed in passes to receivers Zuriel Smith (5 rec., 75 yds) and Jerome Mathis (3 rec., 95 yds), while Thompson and Carlton Morant continued the ground assault. The Pirates drove as deep as the Bears 4-yard line, but came away empty when Tellis Bolden's 20-yard field goal attempt bounced off the left upright.

The Hampton special teams responded quickly when on fourth-and-9 from the SMS 33-yard line, the Pirates got deep penetration and Edward Jenkins tackled SMS punter Robbie Kemp for a 7-yard loss. Inheriting the ball in Bear territory, Hampton capitalized when Thompson added his second score of the day, a 1-yard plunge over the left side, cutting the SMS lead to six at 20-14 with 2:18 remaining in the third quarter.

With the momentum shifting towards the home team, the Pirate defense began to come alive. On third-and-1 from their own 35, the Bears appeared to be stopped when Hampton cornerback Brian Sawyer batted away a pass intended for Tony Hill, only to be called for pass interference. The call may have stuck with the Pirates who just two plays later surrendered a touchdown pass on a blown coverage, from reserve SMS quarterback Michael White to Beno Gore.

With only 71 yards passing and trailing 28-14 going into the final quarter, the Hampton offense opened up and began to rack up yardage. Frazier, who ended the day 15-of-22 for 241 yards and a touchdown, guided the Pirates to two touchdowns in the final five minutes, the last coming with a mere 59 seconds to play, and Hampton trailing 26-28 and needing a two-point conversion. Following a penalty against the Pirates for an illegal substitution, Frazier found tight end David Blount with a quick screen pass to the left side. However, on the reception, Blount's knee hit the ground, ending the play, along with Hampton's hope of a phenomenal comeback.

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