Hampton set to host Richmond in first round of I-AA playoffs

November 20, 2005

Hampton, Va. – The 2005 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) champion Hampton University will host the Spiders of Richmond on Saturday, Nov. 26 in the first round of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. Ickoff is set for 8:00pm.

In the 16-team field announced today on ESPN News, the Pirates are one of the top four seeds along with New Hampshire, Appalachian State and Texas State. This will be the first ever meeting between these two schools located less than 70 miles apart.

“It’s truly an honor to receive one of the top four seeds,” said 14-year head coach Joe Taylor. “It’s a precedent to the hard work that the players and the coaching staff have put in. When we made the move to Division I-AA we said that we wanted to be one of the top programs in the country. And after today, I think we can definitely say we’re there.”

This is the second consecutive trip to the NCAA playoffs for 14-year Coach Taylor and the Pirates, and their fourth appearance since moving up to Division I in 1995. However, it will mark the first time in 12 seasons that the Pirates will host a playoff game at Armstrong Stadium. In 1993 Hampton hosted Albany State in the first round of the Division II playoffs.

The No.2 ranked Pirates enter Saturday’s game with an undefeated mark of 11-0 and carrying the nation’s longest winning streak and the third longest home winning streak which now stands at 12 games following Hampton’s 44-6 victory over Savannah State.

At 8-3 overall, 7-1 in the Atlantic 10, Richmond won a share of their league title with a convincing 41-7 win over William & Mary. The Spiders enter the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the country having won seven straight and eight of their last nine games, with the only loss coming at I-A Vanderbilt.

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