Football | 10/22/2021 6:10:00 PM

North Carolina A&T (3-3, 2-1 BIG SOUTH) vs. No. Hampton (2-4, 0-2 BIG SOUTH)
Date: October 23, 2021 
Time: 2 p.m. EST
City/Venue:  Hampton, Va./Armstrong Stadium   
Series: Hampton leads, 26-18-2
Radio: Donal Ware (pxp); Al Swann (analyst); Billy Covington (analyst)

NORTH CAROLINA A&T AGGIES: Kennesaw State became the first team to shut out the Aggies in seven years. The Aggies' last shutout was also in the Atlanta, Ga., area as S.C. State beat A&T 13-0 in the old Georgia Dome. The Aggies did make three trips inside the red zone but came away with two missed field goals and a miss on 4th-and-1. The Owls also slowed down the Aggies running game, holding A&T to its worst rushing performance in 13 years as the Aggies ended the day with only 31 yards. However, Jamison Warren (6-foot, 180, FR, WR, Kernersville, N.C.) did have a season-high five receptions for 43 yards.                         

The shocking thing about the Aggies loss to the No. 13 team in the nation is that they held Kennesaw State to 14 points. They also held the Owls under their rushing average of 288.4 yards per game as KSU ran for 222. Another shocking thing about the loss is that the Aggies defense forced three turnovers. All those factors usually equate to a win, but KSU's defense was so dominant it erased an A&T solid defensive effort. Jacob Roberts (6-0, 235, SO, LB, Charlotte, N.C.) led the Aggies with a career-high 15 tackles. 

A&T turns its attention to an old friend from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in Hampton. The two teams have been playing since 1925. The two teams will meet for the 47th time on Saturday, but they will meet for the first time since 2016. The Aggies have won the last three meetings, but the Pirates won the previous eight before the three-game losing streak. A&T's previous trip to Hampton occurred on Oct. 3, 2015, when the Aggies won 45-31. 

A&T HEAD COACH SAM WASHINGTON: Sam Washington is a 1982 graduate of Mississippi Valley State. Washington is 22-8 (.733) as the Aggies head coach in his third season on the field and fourth overall. In his rookie season as a head coach, Washington was named the 2018 MEAC coach of the year after leading the Aggies to a MEAC title and a Celebration Bowl victory. In year two, the Aggies won the MEAC again under Washington and took home the Celebration Bowl. In addition, he has two HBCU national titles, and Washington is off to the best two-year start of any football coach in A&T history. He comes into Saturday's game 13-3 (.813) against conference opponents. 

HAMPTON PIRATES:  The Pirates are in the midst of a three-game losing streak, most recently a 35-5 defeat at the hands of Charleston Southern. Hampton has been outscored 116-64 throughout the three-game skid. 

Junior wide receiver Jadakis Bonds and his 6-foot-4 frame are a matchup nightmare for opposing defensive backs. The All-Big South first-team selection has already compiled 38 receptions for 514 yards and five touchdowns, all of which lead the Pirates by a wide margin. His best game of the season came on Oct. 2 against Norfolk State, when he caught six passes for a season-high 155 yards and two touchdowns. Bonds is coming off a season-high 11 catch performance against Charleston Southern heading into Saturday's showdown with A&T. 

Freshman running back Elijah Burris is already a two-time Big South freshman of the week honoree. Burris leads the Pirate backfield with 391 rushing yards and five scores on the ground. The true freshman is averaging j4.8 yards per carry. In his first taste of collegiate action, Burris put forth his lone 100-yard rushing game with 138 yards and three rushing touchdowns in the season-opener against Virginia Union. 

HAMPTON HEAD COACH: Pirate head coach Robert Prunty is entering his fourth year at the program's helm. Prunty brings Power Five experience to Hampton after being the outside linebackers and defensive ends coach at Texas Tech from 2010-12. He was also the associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator at Cincinnati from 2014-16 before his final stop before Hampton at East Carolina in 2017. He has never faced A&T as a head coach. He has an overall record of 14-14 (.500) but a Big South record of just 1-7 (.125). His lone conference victory came against Presbyterian on Nov. 2, 2019, a 40-17 triumph. His son, Robert Prunty, Jr., is a redshirt sophomore defensive back for Hampton. 

THE QUARTERBACKS:  Fowler had perhaps his roughest outing of the season. He completed just 14 of 35 passes for 176 yards. However, Fowler had been playing well during the Aggies three-game winning streak. He had completed 47 of 68 passes (.691) for 610 yards, six touchdowns and only two interceptions during the Aggies win streak. He still leads the Big South in passing efficiency (139.3), yards per attempt (7.98) and passing yards per completion (14.05). 

Redshirt senior Jeff Duffey leads the Hampton offense into action. He is second in the conference behind Fowler in passing yards per completion (13.10). Duffey has two 300-yard passing performances to his credit this season. He completed 14 of 22 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-32 win over Howard earlier this season. He also had 57 yards rushing on 10 carries in the game. He completed 22 of 44 for 370 yards and four touchdowns in a 47-44 overtime loss to archrival Norfolk State. He did toss three interceptions in the game. In his last outing versus Charleston Southern, he was only 19-for-42 for 148 yards and one INT. 

GAME NOTES: 

• The last time the Aggies were in Hampton, Va., A&T punt returner had a record-breaking day. He returned four punts for 203 yards and a touchdown. His 50.75 yards per punt return set a new school record. 
• The Aggies have won just twice in Hampton, Va., since 2000. The Aggies are 10-12-1in Hampton all-time. 
• Hampton is the second of three HBCU's the Aggies will play this season. They defeated N.C. Central 37-14. They will play S.C. State on Nov. 13. 
• The Aggies are looking to avoid their first two-game losing streak in five years. The last time the Aggies lost back-to-back games came in 2016 with losses to N.C. Central and Richmond at the end of the season.
• Hampton won five MEAC championships from the late 90s to the early 2000s. Their last MEAC title came in 2006. Since their previous conference title, the Pirates are 71-79 (.473) and have had five different coaches. 
• Hampton University will have COVID protocols in place for their home game against the Aggies. They will not be selling tickets at the game. Fans need to bring a negative COVID test or proof of vaccination before entering the stadium.