THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 30, 1994 TAG: 9410300180
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
Hampton is leaving the CIAA after this season, but it will leave as champion for the third consecutive year.
Down a point in the second quarter, the Pirates scored the next 34 to crush Elizabeth City State, 40-7, Saturday at Roebuck Stadium.
The Pirates won with field position and defense. Hampton held ECSU to 4 yards rushing and 52 yards total offense.
Hampton (8-1, 7-0 CIAA) opened the scoring when Lamonte Still scored on a 2-yard run to cap a four-play, 35-yard drive with 7:33 left in the first quarter. Todd Covington missed the extra point.
ECSU (3-6, 2-5) put together its only scoring drive in the first quarter. The Vikings marched 51 yards in 13 plays and scored when quarterback Kenny Crump tossed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Abe Jones on a fourth-and-2 play with 13:26 to go in the half. Wilton Evans' extra point gave the Vikings a 7-6 lead. The drive was sustained on two successful fourth-down runs.
The Elizabeth City State lead was short-lived. Kevin White returned the ensuing kickoff 29 yards to the ECSU 44; the Vikings were also called for a late hit, pushing the ball to the 29. Seven plays later, Malcolm Benson scored from 2 yards out with 10:17 left in the half.
The Vikings could not move the ball and Hampton took over on its own 40 after a punt. On second-and-4, quarterback Matthew Montgomery connected with Benson for a 27-yard gain down to the ECSU 16. Two plays later, Benson rambled 10 yards with 5:50 to go in the half, making it 20-7.
Benson scored again on a 37-yard run in the third quarter, and Covington's kick put Hampton up 27-7.
An interception by Hampton's Kevin Williams set up another Pirates score. Six plays later, Montgomery hit Ivan Holland with an 18-yard touchdown pass as Hampton took a 33-7 lead.
Another ECSU turnover gave Hampton the ball in prime scoring position. Joshua Auston stripped Aaron Murchison at the ECSU 25. John Meredith recovered and lateraled to Kevin Williams, who took the ball to the ECSU 5. On the next play, Darrell Flythe ran in.
Crump was under pressure all day. He was 4-for-13 for 48 yards and was sacked six times for 54 yards. Murchison, ECSU's top running back, gained just 25 yards on 16 carries.
``Our offensive line just broke down in the second half,'' said Vikings coach George Moody. ``It's disappointing because I know we are capable of playing better football. But we have two or three people breaking down on every play. It disrupts our offense.''
As Hampton's coaching staff and players walked off the field with T-shirts that read ``Leaving As Champions,'' Pirates coach Joe Taylor discussed Hampton's shift to Division I-AA.
``It's good to go out this way,'' he said. ``It gives us some credence for moving up. Winning the conference again was one of our goals. Nobody gave it to us, because we have a tendency to bring out the best in everyone.'' by CNB