Big Second Half Lifts No. 22 Camels Over Hampton 44-20

HAMPTON, VA. – Tied at the half, No. 22 Campbell erupted for a 31-point third quarter to top Hampton 44-20 on the road at Darling Stadium.

The Camels remained unbeaten against FCS opponents this season, moving to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in CAA play. The Pirates, meanwhile, fell to 1-4 on the season and 0-2 in conference games.

The 200th game in the program’s history, Campbell and Hampton battled to a 13-13 deadlock at the halftime break, with the Pirates capitalizing on a pair of CU fumbles, turning those two short field possessions into 10 points.

Just before the half, the Campbell defense stood up at the goal line to limit the Pirates to a 19-yard Brett Starling field goal while facing a first and goal situation.

After the break, the Camel offense exploded, scoring on all five of their possessions, including four touchdowns, plus a Kaleb Robison 24-yard field goal. De’Von Thomas scored TDs on back-to-back possessions, one rushing and another receiving, while two takeaways from the Campbell defense, an AJ Benton fumble recovery and a Gavin Harris interception, led to touchdowns to Christian Campbell, the first of the freshman’s career, and a 64-yard score to Chinua Ezeigbo, his second of the night.

The 31-point outburst marked the fourth time a Campbell team posted 30 or more points in a single quarter, hitting the mark for the first time since the 2017 season opener. It was also just the second time scoring 30 or more against an NCAA Division I and conference opponent.

The Camels recorded 243 yards of total offense in the third quarter alone, passing for 142 and running for 101.

Kamden Sixkiller threw for 308 yards and matched a career-high with five touchdowns, completing 24-of-31 attempts, while also leading the Camels in rushing yards, tacking on 73 on five runs. It is the fourth time in Campbell’s five games where Sixkiller has thrown for 300 or more yards.

Ezeigbo led all receivers with 98 yards and two TDs, his only catches of the night, while Sixkiller connected with 12 difference Campbell receivers, with four finding the end zone.

Jon Gullette totaled 140 all-purpose yards, including 45 on the ground and 23 receiving, while JJ Cowan added 46 yards rushing for the Camels.

Campbell’s defense rolled up nine tackles for loss in the win, including a pair of sacks, and posted two interceptions for the second straight game. Justin Garza, Charles Battaglia and Kalen Villanueva all notched six tackles apiece, combining for 4.5 stops for loss. Benton also tallied five tackles with 2.5 going for loss (1.0 sack), plus the fumble recovery.

Tre’Von Taylor led Hampton with 259 yards passing and a touchdown with two interceptions, completing 23-of-40 pass attempts, while Chaz Portis hauled in five catches for 73 yards.

Caimon Mathis led all tacklers with 10 stops for the Pirates.

Next up, the Camels will head back on the road for one last nonconference matchup, traveling to nearby Durham for a matchup at North Carolina Central on October 3. Campbell will return to Barker-Lane Stadium following the bye week, taking on Towson on October 17 for Homecoming.