HAMPTON, Virginia – Thanks to 256 yards on the ground, the Hampton University football team held on to defeat North Carolina Central 29-21 at a blustery Armstrong Stadium on Saturday afternoon.The Pirates (4-6, 4-2 MEAC) have won four of their last five games.
"We had to make it interesting," head coach Donovan Rose joked. "But I'll take the win."
Freshman Marcus Hampton (Williamstown, N.J.) led the Pirates with a career-high 166 rushing yards on 16 carries. He averaged 10.4 yards per carry and scored a touchdown on the day. Junior Jorrian Washington (Los Angeles, Calif.) added 72 yards on the ground on 22 carries.
Washington also had two touchdowns on the day.
Freshman quarterback Bryan Bailey (Woodruff, S.C.) completed 21 of his 31 passes for 226 yards. Senior Antwon Chisholm (Belle Glade, Fla.) caught a team-high eight passes for 89 yards on the afternoon.
"This is who we are," Rose said of the Pirates' rushing attack. "This is who we have to be. We're a running team, and we're more than just (Washington). Marcus showed that today."
The Pirates were up 29-21 after a 33-yard field goal from freshman Anthony Prevost (Chesterfield, Va.) with 1:18 to play, but the Eagles responded with a 38-yard kickoff return and a long completion from Jordan Reid.
But two throws later, senior Carvin Johnson (New Orleans, La.) made a leaping, one-handed interception at the 2-yard line to end NCCU's hopes of a comeback.
From there, all the Pirates had to do was take a knee.
NCCU (4-6, 2-4 MEAC) jumped out to a 7-0 lead on the opening kickoff after Adrian Wilkins took the kick 96 yards for the touchdown. Hampton first cracked the scoreboard with 6:43 left in the first quarter after a 22-yard field goal from Prevost to cut NCCU's lead to 7-3.
The Pirates took a 10-7 lead with 14:46 left in the second quarter, capping off a 13-play, 80-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown run from Hampton. After forcing an NCCU three-and-out, Hampton scored again when Washington found the endzone from two yards out to cap a 13-play, 95-yard drive and take a 17-7 lead with 10:03 left in the half.
NCCU got on the board again with 6:54 left in the half, when Deyonta Wright ran in from eight yards out to cut Hampton's lead to 17-14.
Prevost hit a 42-yard field goal with 35 seconds left in the half to put the Pirates up 20-14.
Washington's second touchdown of the afternoon came with 8:58 left in the third quarter, when he scored from seven yards out to cap an 8-play, 47-yard drive and take a 26-14 lead after a failed PAT attempt.
Reid cut the lead to 26-21 with a 14-yard run with 4:35 left in the third quarter.
Senior linebacker Delbert Tyler (Monroeville, Pa.) led the Pirates defensively with 11 tackles, leaving him 23 shy of the all-time career tackle mark set by Gareth Brooks. Tyler also had a sack, one of four on the day for the Pirates.
Junior defensive lineman Charles Owens (Upper Marlboro, Md.) had two sacks.
"This might sound bad," Rose said, "but pretty much the moment this game ended, my first thought was Bethune-Cookman. That would be a big statement win for us if we could pull that off."
The Pirates will hit the road on Saturday to take on Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Fla. at 4 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.
Box Score
COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
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