NORFOLK, Virginia -- The Hampton University football team forced two turnovers in the fourth quarter at a cloudy Dick Price Stadium on Saturday, capitalizing and beating rival Norfolk State 27-17 in the Battle of the Bay.It marked the first time since 2005 that the road team won in this rivalry. Hampton has now won back-to-back games after opening the season with five straight losses.
The Pirates (2-5, 2-1 MEAC) broke a 17-17 tie with 7:19 left in the fourth quarter, after freshman Anthony Prevost (Chesterfield, Va.) nailed a 40-yard field goal. Norfolk State took over on the next drive, but sophomore Denzel Heath (Charlotte, N.C.) picked off a pass from Omari Timmons near mid-field and returned it to the Spartans' 13-yard line.
Three plays later, junior Jorrian Washington (Los Angeles, Calif.) punched it in from two yards out to give the Pirates a 27-17 lead with 2:14 left to play.
Norfolk State gained big yards in its first two plays of the next drive, but senior Carvin Johnson (New Orleans, La.) picked off Timmons just short of the goal line on the next play to give the ball back to Hampton.
Washington gained 22 yards on the next three plays to ice the game.
Washington rushed for 119 yards on 23 carries, recording 100 rushing yards in a game for the first time in his collegiate career. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry in picking up Hampton's first 100-yard rushing effort of the season.
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Freshman quarterback Bryan Bailey (Woodruff, S.C.) went 19-for-27 in the air for a career-best 263 yards and a touchdown. It was the first time this season a Hampton quarterback eclipsed the 200-yard mark in passing yards.
Wide receivers Leon Shorter (Fort Pierce, Fla.) and Twarn Mixson (Charlotte, N.C.) each caught four passes and eclipsed 100 receiving yards – Shorter had a team-high 111 yards through the air, and Mixson had 105 receiving yards.
The Pirates amassed a season-high 451 yards of total offense.
The Pirates took the game's opening drive 51 yards in 10 plays before Prevost got Hampton on the board with a 27-yard field goal at the 11:47 mark of the first quarter to put the Pirates up 3-0.
Norfolk State (2-5, 2-2 MEAC) answered with a touchdown drive early in the second quarter, when Timmons scored on a 16-yard run with 11:42 left in the first half to give the Spartans a 7-3 lead.
Hampton took a 10-7 lead with 3:19 left in the half, when junior Morris Brailsford (Westbury, N.Y.) capped an 11-play, 70-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.
The Pirates took that lead into the half.
The Spartans opened the second half with a 10-play, 74-yard drive that ended with a 28-yard field goal from Cameron Marouf at the 9:37 mark of the third quarter to tie the game at 10-10.
Hampton drove on its next drive, but wound up turning the ball over on downs. The Pirates then forced the Spartans into a three-and-out, before Hampton needed just three plays to find the end zone again. Bailey hit Mixson for a 32-yard strike, giving Hampton a 17-10 lead with 5:11 left in the third quarter.
Timmons rushed into the end zone from 11 yards out with 14:40 left in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 17-17.
Senior Delbert Tyler (Monroeville, Pa.) led the Pirates defense with 13 tackles, while Johnson added 11 tackles. Sophomore Joshua Thorne (Oxon Hill, Md.) had two sacks. The Pirates intercepted Timmons three times on Saturday, including twice in the final quarter.
The Pirates will return to action on Saturday, taking on Delaware State at Armstrong Stadium at 1 p.m. For more information on Hampton University football, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.
COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
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