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In a sparsely attended event due to rain, the Campbell Fighting Camels survived a late push from the Hampton Pirates to secure a 30-27 victory. Though the final score indicates otherwise, neither team looked sharp.
The rain hindered both teams' offenses to start the game. In fact, the first quarter took 45 minutes of real-time due to multiple 3-and-out drives from both sides. Campbell quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams came into the game with 11 touchdowns and 2 interceptions no the season. On their first drive, he recorded his third pick of the year. The Pirates turned around and marched down the field. They took an early 7-0 lead courtesy of a 45-yard touchdown run from Elijah Burris.
After a series of 3-and-outs, the Camels got back on track with a 25-yard burst from NaQuari Rogers. He later punched it in to tie the game. Campbell capitalized off another Hampton 3-and-out with one of two downfield bombs to Chaney Fitzgerald. They took a 14-7 lead and, thanks to a turnover on downs by the Pirates, nearly turned it into a two-score game at the end of the half. However, while at the goal line with seconds to spare, the Pirates stood the Camels up and refused another touchdown. On fourth and goal, they stopped a rush at the 1-yard line. A QB sneak from Hampton quarterback Chris Zellous closed the half with a 14-7 score.
Even after halftime with the rain gone and the sun beaming down Hampton's offense couldn't get out of its own way. Their opening drive of the third quarter resulted in yet another turnover on downs. Campbell's offense needed time to rejuvenate too, as they also had a turnover on downs. The Pirates took that turnover and drove down the field. Zellous threw his first touchdown pass of the day to the tight end Evan King. King was streaking down the sideline when Zellous nearly overthrew him. Despite the errant throw, King laid out to tie the game, 14-14.
On the ensuing possession, Campbell missed a 54-yard field goal, turning the momentum to their opponent. Unfortunately for Hampton, their turnover woes continued as Zellous threw an interception. The Camels cashed in off the turnover, taking a 21-14 lead. The start of the fourth quarter was about as bad as it could be for the Pirates. Having gone 3-and-out again, they lined up to punt. Even though the rain had stopped, the long snapper must not have had a good grip on the ball as the snap flew over the punter Tristan Heaton's head. Heaton tried to pick the ball up, but couldn't fully corral it until the defense was on him. Flustered, he kicked the ball straight through his own uprights, resulting in a safety.
After the punt, Camel running back Chris McKay exploded downfield for a 66-yard run on the first play. He followed that up with a 7-yard touchdown run, extending their lead to 30-14. In response, Pirate running back Darran Butts broke off a 47-yard run and an eventual touchdown run, though the Pirates did not get the 2-point conversion.
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All seemed to be lost for Hampton when Williams connected with Fitzgerald for his second bomb of the day – a 40-yard catch that put Campbell in field goal range. However, the Camels turned the ball over on downs again due to a missed 38-yard field goal, keeping the score at 30-20. The Pirates started their next drive, but Zellous recorded his second interception of the game to defensive back Michael Bowles. Even with the interception, the Camels' offense could not generate yardage and were forced to punt.
The Pirates had little time to work with, yet they stuck to the ground game for much of the drive. Finally, with only 58 seconds remaining, Zellous threw his second touchdown of the game to Jaden Wimberly. This time, Hampton kicked the field goal, bringing the score to a manageable 30-27. Hampton's only hope, with one timeout and less than a minute on the clock, was an onside kick. The kick went bouncing past both Campbell and Hampton players, somehow finding its way out of bounds. After a review, the officials ruled that, because a Campbell player touched the ball before it went out of bounds, it was technically Camel football. They took two kneels to finish the game, 30-27.
Both offenses were all out of sorts in this game. Hajj-Malik Williams threw for 238 yards on 14-21 passing with two touchdowns and an interception. Chaney Fitzgerald, Williams' favorite target, racked up 107 yards on just four catches.
The Camels running back duo of McKay and Rogers did most of the heavy lifting. McKay had 97 yards on just eight carries and a touchdown, while Rogers shouldered much of the load with 29 carries for 90 yards and a touchdown. Zellous did not have his best game. He finished 14-28 for 147 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. As usual, the Pirates' running backs powered much of the offense. Darran Butts turned his 17 carries into 124 yards and a touchdown, while Elijah Burris took his 15 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown. With this win, Campbell records their second CAA victory in their first season in the conference.
The Pirates will carry their 3-2 record up to New Jersey to face the 2-3 Monmouth Hawks. Kickoff is at 1:00 PM on Saturday, Oct. 14.
