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In his press conference for Week 7, Hampton football head coach Robert Prunty assessed the team's loss to Campbell and previewed their matchup with Monmouth.
Per usual with Prunty, he was quick to give the Fighting Camels their due respect.
“Gotta give Campbell credit,” he said. “Good football team. They made more plays than we did. Mike [Minter] has done a good job with those guys.”
Prunty frequently addressed the Pirates' missed opportunities with two failed conversions 4th-and-1. Although they nearly came back at the end, those empty possessions proved pivotal to the Pirates' loss.
Despite those errors, Hampton's resilience in an adverse situation encouraged Prunty.
“We were leading Campbell, I think the game was close all the way through…It goes to show that our guys are in good shape, we just didn't get it done in the end.”
However, the head coach seemed especially pleased with the development of the offensive line. The Pirates boast the most effective and efficient running game in the CAA. Hampton averages 249.2 rushing yards per game. After them is William & Mary with 239.67 yards per game, though they have nearly 75 more rushing attempts.
Part of Hampton's running success comes from their elite running back duo of Elijah Burris and Darran Butts, but the offensive line is clearing space for the backs to run.
“I think they [the offensive line] are getting better,” said Prunty. “We gotta be a little better on those 4th-and-1 plays… I'm happy with the progress they're making.”
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The Pirates face the Monmouth Hawks on Oct. 13. Their head coach, Kevin Callahan, garnered Prunty's respect.
“They're going to be fundamentally sound, they're going to be well coached, and they're going to be physical up front… They're just a well-coached football team in all three phases of the game, and that's what you expect when you play against Coach Callahan.”
Above all, Prunty was most wary of Monmouth's rushing attack. For instance, the Pirates' Elijah Burris leads the league in total rushing yards and total rushing yards per game. The Hawks' Jaden Shirden is right behind him.
“Their running back is unbelievable. He can run over you, he can run past you, he's elusive, he's shifty. He's got the total package.”
Towards the end of the conference, Prunty talked briefly about Monmouth's defense.
“The defensive line plays well with their hands, and the secondary plays good with their eyes. I don't see no superstars on the defense, but they just play together as 11.”
