Complete Game Notes (PDF)      Video Interview with Henry Frazier III     

THE GAME                                                                                                                                
North Carolina Central University “Eagles” vs. Hampton University “Pirates”

THE KICKOFF                                                                                                                          
Saturday, October 22, 2011 – Kickoff at 2:00 p.m. 

THE SITE                                                                                                                                   
Armstrong Stadium (17,000 capacity/natural grass) - Hampton, Va.

2011 RECORDS                                                                                                                      
N.C. Central (1-5 overall, 0-3 MEAC); Hampton (3-3 overall, 1-2 MEAC)

MEDIA COVERAGE                                                                                                                
Radio: WEED 1390 AM (Rocky Mount, N.C.); WARR 1520 AM (Warrenton, N.C.); “GameCentral” at NCCUEaglePride.com. Starts at 1:30 p.m. (Chris Hooks, play-by-play; Joe Simmons, color analyst)

Video: HamptonPirates.com (http://www.hamptonpirates.com/showcase) - $5.95 - starts at 1:30 p.m.

QUICK HITS                                                                                                                             
•   North Carolina Central University visits Hampton University for homecoming.
•   NCCU is on a four-game losing skid, while Hampton has lost three of its last four contests.
•   Hampton leads the gridiron series 16-5 against NCCU.

THE SERIES                                                                                                                             
This will be the 22nd football meeting between North Carolina Central University and Hampton University since the teams first met in 1924. Hampton leads the series 16-5. The Pirates have won each of the past seven meetings, with NCCU’s last victory in the series coming on Sept. 24, 1983 in Durham, N.C., by a score of 24-20. The Eagles last win at Hampton was on Oct. 2, 1954 by a score of 28-0. The Pirates have won seven of the 10 known meetings in Virginia (site of first game in 1924 is unknown).

10/9/2010 - Hampton 27, NCCU 13 (Durham, N.C.)
9/5/2009 - Hampton 31, NCCU 24 (Hampton, Va.)
11/14/1992 - Hampton 31, NCCU 19 (Hampton, Va.)
11/16/1991 - Hampton 44, NCCU 28 (Durham, N.C.)
9/29/1990 - Hampton 33, NCCU 21 (Hampton, Va.)
9/30/1989 - Hampton 27, NCCU 7 (Durham, N.C.)
9/22/1984 - Hampton 17, NCCU 13 (Hampton, Va.)
9/24/1983 - NCCU 24, Hampton 20 (Durham, N.C.)
10/2/1954 - NCCU 28, Hampton 0 (Hampton, Va.)
10/3/1953 - NCCU 25, Hampton 0 (Hampton, Va.)
10/4/1952 - NCCU 21, Hampton 12 (Hampton, Va.)
9/29/1951 - NCCU 28, Hampton 6 (Durham, N.C.)
10/5/1935 - Hampton 31, NCCU 0 (Durham, N.C.)
10/20/1934 - Hampton 20, NCCU 0 (Hampton, Va.)
9/29/1933 - Hampton 7, NCCU 0 (Durham, N.C.)
10/1/1932 - Hampton 19, NCCU 0 (Hampton, Va.)
10/3/1931 - Hampton 24, NCCU 0 (Durham, N.C.)
10/26/1929 - Hampton 25, NCCU 0 (Hampton, Va.)
11/3/1928 - Hampton 38, NCCU 7 (Durham, N.C.)
10/16/1926 - Hampton 20, NCCU 0 (Durham, N.C.)
1924 - Hampton 31, NCCU 0

THE LAST MEETING                                                                                                              
Hampton 27, NCCU 13 (Oct. 9, 2010 - Durham, N.C.): Hampton University rallied from a 13-point deficit to score 27 unanswered points for a 27-13 road victory over North Carolina Central University inside O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham, N.C. Clinging to a one-point lead in the middle of the fourth quarter, Hampton sealed the win by returning two interceptions for touchdowns. The first was a 55-yard scamper by lineman Matt Davis, who leaped in the air to snare a lofted screen pass. The second pick-six was scooped off the turf by senior safety Ricardo Silva, who raced 68 yards to the end zone and sent the home fans scattering towards the exits with 2:10 left to play. Isiah Thomas did a little of everything for the visiting Pirates. The junior wide receiver topped the team in rushing with 63 yards and a touchdown on just seven carries, an average of 9.0 yards per run. Thomas also completed both of his pass attempts for 37 yards and a touchdown, accounting for both of Hampton’s offensive scores, while also catching three passes for 33 yards. Hampton’s regular signal caller, David Legree, completed 11-of-23 pass attempts for 141 yards and ran for 23 yards. Javaris Brown collected four receptions for 60 yards, including the 19-yard go-ahead touchdown on an end-around pass from Thomas at 9:14 of the fourth quarter. Hampton’s balanced offensive output resulted in 341 total yards, an average of 6.3 yards per play, with 163 yards on the ground and 178 yards through the air. NCCU posted 339 yards of total offense, including 144 yards passing and 195 yards rushing, the second-best ground game of the season for the Eagles. Senior running back Tim Shankle led the way with 107 rushing yards on 26 carries, including a 3-yard opening score. NCCU starting quarterback Michael Johnson threw for 134 yards and a touchdown on 13-of-24 passing with an interception. Redshirt freshman Jordan Reid replaced Johnson late in the contest due to an injury and completed 2-of-7 passes for 10 yards with an interception. Senior running back Tony McCord grabbed a team-high four receptions for 10 yards, while Stanley Wright hauled in a 31-yard pass for a touchdown at 10:56 of the second quarter to give the Eagles a 13-0 advantage. NCCU sophomore place-kicker Frankie Cardelle missed a pair of field goals and had a field goal and an extra-point kick blocked. Defensively, the Eagles were paced by senior linebacker Kenneth Campbell with nine tackles, including 1.5 hits for a loss, a pass break-up and a quarterback hurry. Silva and senior defensive lineman Kenrick Ellis recorded 15 takedowns apiece for Hampton, while Ellis added 4.0 stops behind the line of scrimmage.

THE LAST TRIP TO HAMPTON                                                                                            
(Sept. 5, 2009 - Hampton 31, NCCU 24 - Hampton, Va.) North Carolina Central University could not overcome a handful of miscues and a baker’s dozen worth of penalties, as Hampton pulled out a 31-24 victory inside Armstrong Stadium in Hampton, Va. NCCU was flagged 13 times for 106 penalty yards, not including the positive yards gained on plays that were negated by the yellow markers on the field. Most notably, an apparent 57-yard touchdown strike to red-shirt freshman receiver Andrew Johnson that would have put the Eagles on top by eight points with three minutes left in the game, was called back from a holding penalty. That was immediately followed by a delay of game penalty and an illegal motion infraction that backed the Eagles up to their own 24-yard line. Trying to protect a one-point lead and facing fourth down and 32 yards to go, NCCU rookie punter Brian Haselsberger could not handle a bouncing snap from center and managed to only kick the ball back to the line of scrimmage. Two plays later, Hampton senior running back LaMarcus Coker rumbled 29 yards for the game-winning touchdown with 1:28 left. The Pirates converted the two-point conversion to make the margin seven points, which held up as the final score. NCCU out-gained the Pirates with 284 yards of total offense, including 152 yards rushing, compared to 226 total yards by the home team.

ABOUT HAMPTON UNIVERSITY                                                                                        
Founded in 1868 as the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, Hampton University boasts an enrollment of 5,402 students. Notable alumni include Booker T. Washington and Emmy Award winning comedian Wanda Sykes. The Pirates compete on the NCAA Division I (FCS) level as members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

THE COACHES                                                                                                                       
North Carolina Central: Henry Frazier III (Bowie State, 1993) is in his first season as head coach at NCCU. Prior to his arrival in Durham, N.C., Frazier spent seven seasons (2004-10) at the helm of the Prairie View A&M University Panthers football team. He took over a program that experienced the nation’s longest losing streak, dropping 80 straight contests from 1989-98, and transformed the Panthers into SWAC champions in 2009. Among his many coaching honors is the 2009 Eddie Robinson National FCS Coach of the Year award. Frazier also served as head coach at his alma mater, Bowie State University (1999-2003).

Hampton: Donovan Rose is in his 21st season with the Hampton University football program and the third as head coach. In his first season as head coach, he guided the Pirates to 5-6 overall record, including a 3-5 mark in the MEAC. In his second season as head coach in 2010, the Pirates went 6-5 with a 5-3 conference record. As a secondary coach, defensive coordinator and assistant head coach, Rose’s philosophy and coaching style has attracted attention from both the American Football Coaches Association and the NFL. He was selected as the 2003 AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year in Division I-AA and the All-American Football Foundation Mike Campbell Top Assistant Coach Award. A 1979 graduate of Hampton University, Rose was an All-CIAA performer who was named the conference defensive player of the year during his senior year. Donovan also earned All-American honors and was named a starter and captain on the 1978 All-Star Team, which was played in New Orleans Super Dome. He later signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent in 1980, and also played for several championship teams in the Canadian Football League, winning the Grey Cup with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1984. In 1986, he joined the Miami Dolphins and led the team in interceptions. Rose retired from Miami in 1988. Since Rose’s return to Hampton in 1991, the Pirates have won 14 championships, graduated over 200 student-athletes and placed over 45 players in professional leagues. Rose has developed and placed several players in the pros and recruited several players who were either drafted or became free agents in the NFL. His most notable recruits have been Cordell Taylor, second-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1998, and Kendall Langford, third-round pick and starting defensive end for the Miami Dolphins in 2008.

LAST WEEK                                                                                                                             
Morgan State 52, NCCU 3: North Carolina Central University fumbled eight times and committed five total turnovers, while Morgan State University amassed 42 first half points and cruised to a 52-3 road victory at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium. Morgan State scored early and often, as the Bears found the end zone on six of their seven first-half possessions. NCCU, on the other hand, had five first-half possessions that ended in three plays or less. With a 42-3 cushion at intermission, Morgan State outgained the Eagles 284 total yards to 52 in the opening 30 minutes. In fact, NCCU went into the locker room with negative-17 yards rushing. MSU junior running back Travis Davidson sparked a dominant Bears’ running attack with 142 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. As a team, the Baltimore visitors piled up 259 total ground yards as part of 415 yards of total offense. Freshman quarterback Seth Higgins completed 13 of 18 passes for 156 yards and two scores for the Bears, with touchdown strikes to sophomore receiver Chuka Okakpu and junior tight end Jorge Young. NCCU starting quarterback Michael Johnson completed 5 of 11 passes for 69 yards and was sacked twice, all in the first half. Sophomore Jordan Reid, who played the entire second half, came off bench to throw for 61 yards on 6-of-12 passing and was sacked three times. Redshirt freshman Idreis Augustus topped the Eagles with 43 yards rushing, while the team finished with just 38 total ground yards after being tackled behind the line of scrimmage nine times. NCCU senior linebacker Brandon Outlaw recorded a game-high 12 tackles, including 1.5 hits for a loss. Junior defensive lineman Stephen Young contributed three takedowns with 1.5 sacks, while redshirt freshman linebacker Ty Brown added three hits and an interception. In Morgan State’s first visit to NCCU in 30 years, the Bears handed the Eagles their worst home loss in 60 years (Dec. 1, 1951 – Florida A&M 67, NCCU 6).

Norfolk State 34, Hampton 24: Hampton University never recovered from a disastrous first quarter Saturday evening at Dick Price Stadium, as Norfolk State won the annual State Farm Battle of the Bay 34-24. Norfolk State scored on each of its first three drives – all of which started in Hampton territory after punts that stalled in heavy crosswinds – going up 17-0 with 4:16 left in the first quarter after a 38-yard field goal from Ryan Estep. Norfolk State led 27-7 at the half. Hampton held the Spartans scoreless in the third quarter and pulled to within three points with 10:09 left in the contest. But Norfolk State scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive to seal the victory. The Pirates had 303 yards of total offense, including 110 on the ground. Hampton quarterback David Legree was the team’s leading rusher, going for 45 yards in 15 carries – on top of his 183 passing yards and two touchdowns.

SEEING YELLOW                                                                                                                    
During NCCU’s contest against Morgan State on Saturday (Oct. 15), the two teams combined for 29 penalties for 300 yards. The Eagles were flagged 16 times for 167 yards, just one yard shy of the squad’s 168 yards of total offense. On the season, NCCU is the fourth-most penalized team in the MEAC with 63 penalties for 571 yards, an average of 95.2 penalty yards per contest. This week’s opponent, Hampton, is the most penalized team in the league with 73 infractions for 617 yards (102.8 penalty yards per game).

LISTEN TO NCCU FOOTBALL VIA THE INTERNET                                                        
Every game of the 2011 North Carolina Central University Eagles football season will be broadcasted by the NCCU Sports Network. Play-by-play announcer Chris Hooks and NCCU Athletic Hall of Famer Joe Simmons will call all of the live action, starting with “Eagle Gameday” a half-hour prior to kickoff. To listen to the broadcast via the internet, visit the NCCU Athletics web site at www.NCCUEaglePride.com and click on “GameCentral.”

THREE EAGLES AMONG NCCU CAREER LEADERS                                                   
- NCCU senior quarterback Michael Johnson currently ranks sixth on NCCU’s all-time career passing list with 4,711 yards through the air. The Durham, N.C., native also ranks sixth with 41 career touchdown passes. Up next: Adrian Warren (2003-06) with 4,676 passing yards; and Brad McAdams (1992-96) with 42 TD passes.
- Junior receiver Geovonie Irvine ranks ninth in career receptions with 120 and 11th among NCCU’s career receiving yards leaders with 1,721 yards. Up next: Will Scott (2006-09) with 121 receptions; Moses Ware (1991-94) with 1,822 receiving yards.
- Senior cornerback David Ingram ranks 10th among NCCU’s career passes defended leaders with 34. Up next: Hassan Smith (1999-2002) with 35.

RARE OFFENSIVE OUTPUT VERSUS THREE-PEAT MEAC CHAMPS                     
NCCU’s 38-point offensive output on Saturday marks the most points scored against South Carolina State by a MEAC opponent since Bethune-Cookman posted 45 points against the Bulldogs in 2006.

EAGLES’ EQUIPMENT RIDES IN STYLE                                                                           
North Carolina Central University and Tru-Pak Moving Systems, Inc., partnered to unveil a brand new truck with NCCU style on Aug. 1 in front of McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium. Tru-Pak Moving Systems, Inc., now “The Official Mover of NCCU Football,” will use the 28-foot truck to transport the Eagles’ gridiron equipment to road games and will be added to Tru-Pak’s fleet of more than 200 trucks. “I can’t think of a finer institution to give this gift to than NCCU,” stated Allyson Siegel, Executive Vice President of Tru-Pak Moving Systems, Inc. “Producing leaders in the world for years in both the classroom and on the athletic field, NCCU is leading the way for other institutions. I am very excited about the upcoming season and look forward to being part of their success in years to come.” The truck will be used primarily to aid the NCCU football program move its equipment to and from the site of competition, which will enhance the travel experience for the student-athletes and support staff; while also giving the institution visibility not only across North Carolina, but nationwide as the truck will be used as part of the normal fleet during the week and the rest of the year. “I’m so excited about our new partnership with Tru-Pak Moving Systems,” said NCCU Athletics Director Dr. Ingrid Wicker-McCree. “As our program grows, we are looking to form great corporate sponsorships such as this. Ms. Allyson Siegel has been wonderful in her support of our athletics program, and most importantly, our student-athletes. We will move in style this season.” Tru-Pak Moving Systems, Inc., has been a family owned and operated full-service moving and storage company for more than 50 years. This company averages 4,500 moves annually. Eagle fans are encouraged to check out their website at www.Tru-Pak.com or call 1-800-659-122 ext. 211.