Hampton 52, Gardner-Webb 21

October 8, 2005

In a Division I-AA showdown between the country’s second ranked offense of Gardner-Webb and the second ranked defense of Hampton University, defense won the war as the No. 8 Pirates cruised to a 52-21 win to remain the only undefeated team in the Top 25. Defensively the Pirates (6-0) limited the Runnin’ Bulldogs (2-3) to 272 total yards and forced six turnovers, while on the offensive end Alonzo Coleman rushed for172 yards and a school record five touchdowns.

The Pirates jumped out to a quick 3-0 as Ardell Daniels’ 53-yard return of the opening kickoff gave Hampton the ball at the Gardner-Webb 12-yard line. The Pirate offense stalled and was forced to settle for a 22-yard field goal by Andrew Paterini.

Hampton increased its lead to 10 early in the second quarter on Coleman’s first score of the night, an 8-yard burst with 10:38 to play. Defense would set up Hampton’s next score when Kendall Langford forced a fumble by GWU quarterback Nick Roberts and Ray Lewis recovered giving the Pirates solid field position once again. This time it was Daniels with a 6-yard touchdown run and a 17-0 Pirate lead as the clock read 7:26 before the half.

On the ensuing Gardner-Webb possession, Lewis made his presence felt once again, this time intercepting Roberts and returning it 37 yards to the Gardner-Webb 3-yard line. Coleman’s 3-yard plunge up the middle increased the Hampton lead to 24-0 and all but dashed any hopes of a Runnin’ Bulldogs victory.

However, a special teams miscue by Hampton helped Gardner-Webb get on the board before the break. Long snapper Kensley Dougan sailed a snap over the head of punter Cameron Muro and the -44 yard fumble gave Gardner-Webb the ball inside the Hampton 20-yard line. The Pirate defense kept the Runnin’ Bulldogs out of the end zone, but Hunter Smith’s 28-yard field goal got GWU on the board.

After trading possessions early in the third quarter both teams were able to force turnovers, but only the Pirates could take advantage. Gardner-Webb’s J.P. Weaver recovered a fumble by Hampton wide receiver Onrea Jones (2 rec, 40 yds) at the Pirate 42-yard line, yet the Runnin’ Bulldogs promptly returned the favor. On the ensuing snap, Travarous Bain intercepted a Nick Roberts’ pass at his own 20 and returned it 72 yards down to the Gardner-Webb eight. One play later, Alonzo Coleman had his third touchdown and the Pirates a commanding 31-3 lead midway through the third.

With Roberts struggling against the Hampton defense, GWU coach Steve Patton turned to backup quarterback Devin Campbell for a spark. Campbell came in and guided the Runnin’ Bulldogs to an 11-play, 84-yard scoring drive, ending with a 25-yard touchdown strike to tight end Matt Skeen to bring Gardner-Webb to within three touchdowns, 31-10.

The Pirates would go on to add three more touchdowns, including scoring runs of 33 and 71 yards by Coleman, and nine yards by Daniels.

The performance by Coleman and Daniels (18 att, 133 yds, 1 TD) marked the third time that the duo has rushed for 100 yards in the same game, but the victory rests primarily on the shoulders of the Pirate defense.

A Gardner-Webb offense that came into the game averaging 530 yards and 44 points per game, was forced to punt or turned the ball over on its first seven possessions thanks to a Hampton defense that blitzed nearly every play early on. With linebacker Justin Durant (11 tackles) leading the way, the Pirates held GWU to 79 yards at the half and 272 for the entire game. Other sound defensive efforts were turned in by Ray Lewis who picked off a pass and recovered a fumble, and Kyle Whitehurst who also had an interception and a forced fumble to go along with six tackles.