Ailing Hampton U. ready to open full MEAC slate

Photo: Freshman point guard Jordan Brooks, 5-9/165, C.H. Flowers High School, Mitchellville, Maryland is averaging 3.2 ppg and 2.5 assists per game.

Hampton University's men's basketball team continues to deal with injuries going into the full-on start to its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schedule this weekend. The Pirates' top three players are all hurt to some degree as the squad comes out of the break. HU, the preseason favorite to win the MEAC, last played Dec. 29 when it defeated William and Mary 70-63.

Hampton(6-6, 1-0 MEAC) will host Bethune-Cookman Saturday and Florida A&M Monday.

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Who is this guy--Jerry Holmes, HU football coach?

HAMPTON - Events unfolded so quickly and unexpectedly last Saturday that Hampton University football fans barely have had time to process them. Joe Taylor departed for Florida A&M after 16 seasons as the Pirates' coach, and Hampton defensive coordinator Jerry Holmes ascended to head coach.

So the questions linger. Who is this Jerry Holmes guy now in charge of black-college football's most successful program? Does he have what it takes to follow in the beloved Taylor's footsteps?

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MEAC Basketball: I Believe WE Can Fly

Yolanda Adams, I Believe I Can Fly

Yolanda Adams, Be Blessed


Have yourself a Merry Christmas, MEAC/SWAC fans... be blessed!

-beepbeep

Where no SCSU team has won before: Bulldogs prepare for trip to Hampton

By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer

Improved play by his team or catching an opponent having a bad day on defense?

It's an answer South Carolina State head football coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough hopes is proven to be the former going into Saturday's showdown at Hampton University. After putting up a season high in points (49) and total yards (611) against Florida A&M, the Bulldogs (3-3, 2-1) will look to carry over its newfound momentum into another Homecoming matchup with the Pirates (4-2, 3-2).

"I think that we found at least a method to get our offense going," he said Monday. "What we done is we simply focused on things that (quarterback Cleve McCoy) seems to do well and go to work from there. It seems to be pretty good."

McCoy's performance against FAMU (14 of 19 passing for 178 yards, 136 rushing yards) earned him his third career Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week award. He was one of four Bulldog players who won conference honors along with defensive back Markee Hamlin, linebacker Julius Wilkerson and offensive lineman James Lee.

Getting McCoy comfortable, as well as being able to work on offensive execution with key players like tight end Octavius Darby who were unavailable for practice paid off in the Bulldogs' best offensive showing in 27 years.

With Fall Break taking place, the Bulldogs held an even rarer Monday afternoon practice. Going to a place where no SCSU team has never won and playing before a national audience for the second straight week, Pough said it's important for his team to remain sharp.

"That's a concern the fact that we hadn't won there before," he said. "We just got to go in and play at least at a level that's as good or better than what we played last week. It's Homecoming, it's a great crowd. I think the most important part of the whole thing is not necessarily where we're playing but how we play. If we play well, then we should be okay."

SCSU's last visit to Armstrong Stadium saw it take a 10-0 lead, only to surrender two second-quarter touchdown passes by Antwan Smith in losing 14-10. Last year's game won by the Bulldogs 13-6 as their defense once again held the Pirates scoreless in the second half.

Although Hampton's coming off a 20-19 loss to Bay rival Norfolk State, Pough believes the Pirates will be at their best on Saturday.

"We'll see the very best that they have," he said. "Anytime your backs are against the wall, they are going to give you their best shot. You can add to the fact that this will be their largest crowd of the year at their stadium, that gives them extra incentive to play very, very well. It will be as good a Hampton team that has played all this year. It will be similar to what happened when they played Princeton (a game they won 48-27) and some of the other people they've beaten up on."

A major battle is expected upfront where Lee will line up against preseason MEAC Defensive Player of the Year Kendall Langford. Pough hinted how Lee fares against the Pirates' athletic defensive line could have some NFL draft ramifications.

"All of the pro scouts have been in here talking...and they told us that the true measure of James Lee will be once we play Hampton because Hampton's got two guys that are possible first-round guys. Langford for sure and (Marcus) Dixon possibly and when you see (Langford) on tape, he may be as active as any defensive lineman I've seen in a long time. He ran Cleve down last year. He ran Will Ford down last year. Those guys are extremely, extremely active as far as defensive line front personnel is concerned. They don't have (Justin) Durant, but the cupboard ain't bare."

A win not only places SCSU in the race for the MEAC title, but will also give Pough a .500 record against every MEAC team since his arrival in 2002. He's 2-3 against the Pirates, accounting for the Bulldogs only wins in the series.

Another motivation for the Bulldogs is extending their 13-0 record in nationally-televised games under Pough. ESPNU carried the SCSU/FAMU game on tape delay and will do the same this past weekend at Hampton.

"Anything that we can find out at this point that gives us more incentive to win this football game, we'll try and use," Pough said. "But, our overall perspective is to win each game now as we go and hopefully, the other situations would take care of themselves favorably for us as we attempt to continue to win."

BULLDOGS vs. PIRATES

WHO: South Carolina State (3-3, 2-1) at Hampton (4-2, 3-2)
WHEN: Saturday at 2 p.m.
WHERE: Armstrong Stadium in Hampton, Va.
TV: ESPNU (tape delay at 10 p.m.) on Channel 160 on Digital Time Warner Cable, Channel 609 on DirectTV and Channel 148 on The Dish Network
RADIO: WQKI 102.9 FM

Preview: Hampton University vs. Norfolk State University

Marty O'Brien, Daily Press

No. 18 Hampton (4-1, 3-1 MEAC) at Norfolk State (4-1, 3-0)
WHEN: 2 p.m. today. WHERE: Dick Price Stadium in Norfolk. RADIO: WHOV/88.1FM, WNSB/91.1FM.

Why is this game important?

The Battle of the Bay appears to be a true rivalry again. Hampton has dominated the series of late, winning the past four games by an average of 52-9. But the Spartans enter this contest tied for first in the MEAC and with a win over preseason conference favorite South Carolina State. This game usually generates high interest because of the proximity of the schools and the fierce halftime battle between the two fine marching bands. The hype surrounding this game makes it a possibility all 30,000 seats at Dick Price Stadium will be occupied today.

What are Norfolk State's strengths on offense?

Photo: NSU Senior QB Casey Hansen, 6-5/235

The Spartans have controlled the clock for about 32 minutes per game behind a solid short passing game. They don't stretch the field often with the pass, but QB Casey Hansen (204 passing yards per game) is a much better decision-maker than he was a year ago, and he does a nice job of putting the ball where his talented receiver corps can get to it. Sturdy tailback Daryl Jones has powered for 92.4 rushing yards per game, but is not a real breakaway threat. The offensive line is good, and the ball-control attack is a good way to deal with Hampton.

How will the Norfolk State defense deal with Hampton's offense?

A lot depends on how the Spartans' front deals with the Pirates' running attack. The Pirates are averaging just 134.4 yards on the ground. But starting tailback Kevin Beverly returned last week after missing three games and scored three touchdowns in the 48-27 win at Princeton. The Spartans boast physical and talented linebackers and defensive backs, but holding the Pirates below their average of 253 passing yards will be difficult. If the Pirates run wild on the ground, it will be another long day for NSU.

What must Hampton do to win?

Photo: HU Soph. QB T.J. Mitchell, 6-3/

A big key will be whether the defensive line can keep Hansen in the pocket. Hansen does a nice job passing when he gets the time to roll out and find his secondary receivers. If pressured often, he'll occasionally come unglued. You can bet the Spartans' defense will key on MEAC leading receiver Jeremy Gilchrist (31 receptions, 575 yards), so Pirates QB T.J. Mitchell must spread the ball to the other receivers. The best thing the Pirates can do is score some points early, because it's unlikely NSU has the ammo to win a shootout. The guess here is that HU wins 31-21.

Faith in himself: Hampton U Charles Robinson

By MARTY O'BRIEN , Daily Press

Junior linebacker (#58) Charles Robinson's prayers are being answered as he stars for Hampton University.

HAMPTON — Truman Capote had a point about answered prayers causing more pain than unanswered ones. Take Charles Robinson's game-changing interception return for a touchdown in Hampton University's win over Princeton on Saturday.

Robinson prayed for such a moment to atone for blowing a pass-coverage assignment a week earlier in the Pirates' loss to Delaware State.

But as he ran after intercepting the ball last Saturday, his biggest concern was making all 80 yards to the Princeton end zone.

"Eighty yards is a long way to run and I started cramping in my calves and my hamstrings," said Robinson, a 6-foot-4, 212-pound junior who starts at outside linebacker. "Before the game I had said, 'God if your glory can be shown on this field today, let it be shown.'

"My prayer was answered. I let it be shown that it was by kneeling in the end zone in prayer."

Robinson's score early in the third quarter opened the gates to a flood of HU points. The Pirates rallied from a 27-14 deficit to beat the Tigers 48-27.

But the toll on his legs resulted in something unusual, something you probably won't see in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference showdown on Saturday between the Pirates (4-1, 3-1 MEAC) and Norfolk State (4-1, 3-0). Robinson had to sit out a few plays.

"We have packages where linebackers will play 30 or 40 downs a game, but Charles might play 70 plays because he wants to be in on every down," HU defensive coordinator Jerry Holmes said. "I like that about Charles.

"He is very disciplined, one of those guys you can trust out on the field. You can count on him to be in position all of the time."

Which made it all the more stunning when Robinson broke from the Delaware State tight end he was covering to chase the quarterback.

Robinson admits that he guessed Hornets quarterback Vashon Winton was scrambling to run the ball on a play in the fourth quarter with the score tied at 17.

Robinson was wrong and the Hornets scored what proved to be the winning touchdown in a 24-17 victory.

"(Winton) just dumped it over the top to (Jeff Postell) for a touchdown," Robinson said. "That left a bitter taste in my mouth the entire week."

In a team meeting several days later, he promised to play his assignments as close to perfectly as possible.

He was second on the team in tackles at Princeton with 11, but the interception was the most evidence that he was good to his word.

"Charles was right where he was supposed to be," Holmes said. "He rerouted his (receiver) then headed for the flat. The ball was tipped (by HU tackle Kevin Burke) and Charles was right where he was supposed to be.

"He picked off one in the same identical situation last year at Florida A&M and ran for a (45-yard) touchdown."

And just like in the Princeton game, he knelt in the end zone. Part of that reaction is that end zone celebrations are unusual for him.

He says that Coach Mike Smith taught him a lesson at Hampton High that Coach Joe Taylor reiterated at HU.

"They both have won so much that when you score or win a game, they tell you to act like you've been there before," said Robinson, a Daily Press All-Star while at Hampton High.

But Robinson would kneel regardless, because of his faith. He regularly attends Cornerstone Assembly of God in Hampton and says he hopes to serve in some capacity as a youth minister following graduation.

The occasional football setback is too small a matter to shake Robinson's faith. He believes that in sports and in life, redemption is a prayer away.

"I was talking to some of the players in my role as (the football team's) president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes," he said. "I told them that some people will ask 'Where was God?' after a tragedy or something traumatic.

"God will answer: 'Where were you? I've given you the power. All you have to do is open your mouth and pray to me and I'll be there for you.' "

The Robinson file
NAME: Charles Robinson.

SCHOOL: Hampton University.

POSITION: Outside linebacker.

NOTEWORTHY: The 6-foot-4, 212-pound junior is third on the Pirates this season with 29 tackles. ... Returned an interception 80 yards for a TD last week in HU's 48-27 win over Princeton. ... Returned an interception 45 yards for a TD last year in a 59-7 win at Florida A&M. ... Is president of the football team's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. ... Earned all-state and Peninsula District defensive player of the year honors while at Hampton High. ... Helped convince his first cousin, freshman tailback Dennis Mathis, to play for HU.

2007-08 Hampton Basketball Preview

Photo: Hampton Head Baskeball Coach Kevin Nickelberry

by Joel Welser, Collegehoops.net

Hampton Pirates: Overall Rank: #128

Conference Rank: #1 MEAC

2006-07: 15-16, 10-8, 3rd (t)

2006-07 postseason: none

Over the last two years Coach Kevin Nickelberry has done an amazing job recruiting stellar talent into the Hampton program. Last season was supposed to be a major transition year with the new coach and the loss of four key players, but the Pirates still put together a solid season. Hampton started four freshman most of the year and expect improvement from each of them, but senior Rashad West is what makes the team tick. The 6-1 point guard led the team with 17.8 points and 2.6 assists per game and will have to once again be the steadying force on a young team.

Who’s Out:

The depth in the backcourt has taken a hit with the transfer of Demario Mattox and the graduation of Junior Pehoua. Mattox averaged 6.0 points and Pehoua added 3.9 per contest. The depth chart for the guards will be full of new players, but they are talented enough to be quality reserves. Forward Kevin Clark, who averaged 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds and earned seven starts, is not returning to the program.

Who’s In:

Hampton fans hope this recruiting class can perform as well as last year’s. The backcourt is where some help is needed immediately and guards Chris Tolson and Brandon Tunnell will answer the call. The duo will likely spend the season being groomed to take over the starting point guard duties in 2008-2009. Milade Lola-Charles and redshirt freshman Oluwaseyi Oseni have the size, at 6-11 and 6-10, to develop into a dominating duo up front, but it is junior college transfer Donte Harrison who will make an impact on the Hampton frontline right away. Harrison averaged 11.6 points and 11.3 rebounds at Sullivan County Community College in New York. He is a good defender and his long arms will be an asset in the shot blocking department.

Who to Watch:

The development of Vincent Simpson, Theo Smalling, Matthew Pilgrim and Mike Freeman will be the key to the campaign. The foursome did a great job as freshmen, but they need to continue to improve if Hampton wants to reach the NCAA Tournament. Simpson has to become a more consistent shooter for a shooting guard and Smalling could develop a better game on the offensive end, although he may be relegated to being a specialist off the bench with the talent coming in. Pilgrim and Freeman are harder to find faults with and as long as they continue to develop, the duo will be tough to stop. Pilgrim and Freeman combined for 25.2 points and 11.8 rebounds per game.

Final Projection:

With West running the show and the four freshmen now sophomores, nobody should be able to stop the Pirates. Adrian Woodard will provide some experienced depth and that should help the team stay fresher down the stretch. Considering the last two recruiting classes have been among the best the MEAC has ever seen, the future is even brighter than the present. If Hampton can dominate the conference this year, they will own the conference for at least the next few years. The Achilles heel for the Pirates is their poor shooting. The team ranked 234th in the nation in field-goal percentage, 286th in three point field-goal percentage and 249th in free-throw percentage. If it gets worse, the door will be open for teams like Morgan State, Coppin State and North Carolina A&T to capture an NCAA bid.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Rashad West, Senior, Guard, 17.8 points per game

Vincent Simpson, Sophomore, Guard, 5.9 points per game

Matthew Pilgrim, Sophomore, Forward, 11.0 points per game

Theo Smalling, Sophomore, Forward, 2.7 points per game

Mike Freeman, Sophomore, Forward, 14.2 points per game

Too much leads to not enough for Hampton U

David Squires, Daily Press

HAMPTON - When league foe Morgan State scored on its opening possession of the second half Thursday night to tie Hampton University, the Pirates' night of Hip-Hop and hash marks was brewing into a perfect storm.

Lackluster attendance at the home-opening football game for the three-time defending conference champion Pirates.

Lackluster attendance at the concert across the parking lot at the HU Convocation Center, featuring Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, USDA and Eve.

An uninspired performance on the football field by the Pirates, who jumped to a 17-0 lead, then found themselves in a 17-all tie and eventually overtime ď before winning 24-17.

A slight drizzle at kickoff and for part of the first quarter didn't help.

Was this promotions genius, bad planning or related to an interesting conspiracy theory regarding the separation of town U from towns' folk?

As it turns out, it might merely have been the unintended confluence of a couple of rescheduled events -- with HU officials hoping to make the best of the situation.

The game was scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, but when it became a televised game, it was moved to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, according to HU athletic director Lonza Hardy.

The concert, hosted by local promoter Fred Wills, originally was scheduled for July 20, but was rescheduled to Thursday night at 8:30, according to HU Convocation Center marketing director Jewel Baker.

Attendance at the game was announced at 5,360, and Hardy said he expected some students would attend both events.

Hardy anticipated that some of the concert's main acts would not perform until after the game.

In fact, Rick Ross and Young Jeezy were said to have attended the game in the first half.

Hardy also said that he expected attendance to build from Thursday's game, with the next home games featuring perhaps HU's toughest foes of the year: Delaware State on Sept. 29, and South Carolina State for homecoming on Oct. 20.

Meanwhile, Baker, at the concert venue Thursday, was expecting "3,500 to 4,500" at the Convocation Center.

Hardly anyone was in line for the opening of the doors at 7:30 p.m.

Foot traffic began to pick up around 8:45.

"We're expecting to have a good concert," Baker said. "We're expecting a good crowd. We're expecting to have a good time."

No, this was not an attempt by the private HU to become more welcoming of the larger community. Some believe it was just the opposite.

"I feel like they didn't want too many students and other people in the same place at the same time," said Cecil Chaniel, 25, who lives in Hampton. "So they had the game for students and football players at the same time as the concert."

Chaniel, who plays for the Virginia Crusaders, a Hampton Roads-based semipro football team, says he was torn between going to the game and the concert.

He picked the concert because he is a native of Cordele, Ga., and "Jeezy is from Atlanta, so I had to support him."

"If they had this (concert) on Friday, it would have sold out," Chaniel said. "So they're taking away money from the artists who've come to perform."

To add another damper to the evening, Eve came on the video screen at about 11:35 p.m. and announced that because of personal issues she could not perform. The crowd, not surprisingly, was not pleased.

But the main course, Jeezy, hadn't performed yet. And the night's other highlight came moments before Eve's announcement, when Pirates quarterback T.J. Mitchell hit Justin Brown for the game-winning score.

Photo Gallery: The Real HU!

Hampton 59, North Carolina A&T 14

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Van Morgan ran for a career-high 154 yards and scored twice to lead Hampton to a 59-14 victory over North Carolina A&T Saturday, the fourth-straight victory over the Aggies in the series.

Quarterback T.J. Mitchell passed for 210 yards and three touchdowns for the Pirates (2-0, 2-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference). Jeremy Gilchrist caught six passes for 112 yards and a score.

N.C. A&T (0-3, 0-1 MEAC) lost its 19th straight game.

Hampton jumped out to a 17-0 lead, but the Aggies cut into the deficit on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Shelton Morgan to Trey Green late in the first half.

Kevin Teel 70-yard kickoff return for a score increased Hampton's lead to start the second half, but the Aggies converted a Pirate turnover into a 6-yard scoring pass from Morgan to Michael Christen with 11:48 left in the third quarter.

The Pirates answered with a four-play, 75-yard drive ending in Gilchrist's touchdown. Kendall Langford returned an interception 22 yards for another score and the Pirates capped the third quarter with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell to Teel.

Against a Longtime Nemesis, Missed Opportunities Hurt Bison

Photo: Howard University Head Football Coach Carey Bailey

Hampton University 31, Howard University 24

By Matthew Stanmyre, Special to The Washington Post

Howard's football players, sweaty and battered, sat in clumps inside the school's musty auxiliary gymnasium yesterday as sun poured in through the windows above. It had been nearly 40 minutes since the Bison lost to Hampton, 31-24, at Greene Stadium, but first-year coach Carey Bailey wasn't ready to dismiss the game.

"I had a lot of things that were fresh in my mind," Bailey said.

Bailey and the Bison had plenty to mull. There was the missed tackle early in the fourth quarter that allowed the Pirates to take the lead for good. A few minutes later, another blown tackle enabled the Pirates to expand their lead with a 78-yard scoring pass. Even after Howard battled back to get within a touchdown, a missed assignment on the ensuing onside kick helped Hampton escape with its 11th straight victory against the Bison, a streak dating from 1996.

"We had four or five critical errors that took place that we have to eliminate," said Bailey, who made his head coaching debut in what was both teams' season opener. "It's not so much to have an error, but when it's a critical error, that's when it usually costs you points."

Howard learned the familiar lesson Saturday against Hampton, the three-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion. When Bailey took over in February and reviewed game film from the 2006 season, he concluded that the Bison -- though usually competitive -- were often undone by untimely errors, a trend he sought to alleviate in preseason camp.

That continued yesterday. The Bison gained 405 yards of total offense in pushing the defending conference champion to its limit, but couldn't close the deal.

"They're going to be a good football team," said Hampton Coach Joe Taylor, who has won 192 games in 25 years. "There's no question that it's a team that knows what it's trying to get done, and that's a sign of good coaching."

Howard tied the score at 10 with nine seconds left in the third quarter, when quarterback Brian Johnson found wideout Jarahn Williams for a one-yard touchdown pass. But the Bison unraveled on Hampton's next two possessions -- they blew an assignment on a screen pass that went for a score, and then missed a tackle that led to a touchdown that put Hampton ahead 24-10 with 8:14 left.

Howard stayed close, getting within 31-24 with 1:45 left on a touchdown pass from Johnson to Arlandus Hood, but the error on the ensuing onside kick foiled the Bison's upset bid.

Johnson was 21 of 37 for 244 yards and two touchdowns, and Hampton's T.J. Mitchell, a West Virginia transfer, was 19 of 36 for 310 yards and three scores.

"We played hard, but we didn't always play smart," said Bailey, who was the defensive line coach at Minnesota last season. "We'll go back and try and fix some things."