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 Football Index Composite Schedule 
Newsroom Index |
Hampton 31, Norfolk State 14Hampton, VA – The Hampton University Pirates got a career high 115 receiving yards from Offensive MVP Jerome Mathis, including a 61-yard score, and another solid performance from running back Travis Hailes to down the Spartans of Norfolk State, 31-14, in front of a packed crowd of 18,232 in the annual “Battle of the Bay.” The win was the third straight for the Pirates, bringing their record to 5-2, 3-0 in conference play, while the Spartans, who dropped their fourth consecutive contest, stand at 2-4, 0-4 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).After a slow start by both teams that resulted in a scoreless opening quarter, the Pirates struck first behind the outstanding play of the offensive line and the running of Travis Hailes. Hampton began its second possession of the second quarter in great field position at its own 48-yard line. Following an incomplete pass on first down, Hailes— who finished the day two yards shy of his third consecutive 100-yard game—burst to the outside for a gain of 39 yards before being brought down by Norfolk State’s Marcus Gray. Three plays later, he completed the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run to give the Pirates a 7-0 advantage with 9:22 on the clock. The Spartans wasted little time in answering the bell, knotting the score at seven less than two minutes later. With the ball at the Pirates’ 42-yard line, Spartan quarterback Willie Mitchell found wide receiver Darryl Johnson deep in Hampton territory. Pirate cornerback Brian Sawyer stripped the ball loose at the Hampton 6-yard line, but Johnson recovered his own fumble in the end zone making the score 7-7. Just 43 seconds later, the Pirates regained the lead when Rian Thompson capped a 69- yard drive—highlighted by a 46-yard pass from Timothy Frazier to Terrance Patrick—with a 5-yard touchdown run around the left side, bringing the score to 14-7 in favor of Hampton with 7:11 to play before the break. The Spartans were forced to punt on their next possession, and Hampton needed just one play to capitalize. Frazier (7-of-19, 169 yds., 1 TD), who replaced starter Kerry Dixon who suffered a first quarter shoulder injury, found Mathis for a 61-yard scoring strike that proved to be the deciding touchdown. Norfolk State added a touchdown on a 30-yard run by William Smith just before the end of the half, but thanks to a Pirate defense that allowed just 75 yards rushing on the day, that would be the Spartans final score. Led by linebacker and the Defensive Most Valuable Player Vernon Woodson’s game high 13 tackles, Hampton kept Norfolk State’s offense off balance for the remainder of the game, surrendering just 95 yards after intermission. Tack on a 35-yard field goal by Tellis Bolden, and a 16-yard interception return for a touchdown by free safety Travis Oliver, and the Pirates cruised to their third MEAC win of the season, avenging last season’s 20-28 loss to the Spartans.
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