HAMPTON, Va. (September 7, 2024) (Courtesy of Hampton University Athletics) … Hampton running back Elijah Burris broke loose for 135 yards and two scores leading Hampton (1-1) to a 33-21 victory over longtime rival Virginia Union (1-1) before an audience of 6,308 at Armstrong Stadium. 

“We played four quarters tonight,” Coach Trent Boykin said after the game. “We played with a lot of energy and intensity. I was really proud of the way we played on both sides of the ball. We came into the game with a positive mindset and played smart football.”  

Burris, the second-leading rusher in the Coastal Athletic Association a year ago, was held to 43 yards on the ground in the season-opener against Morgan State a week ago. But the senior hit stride against the Panthers scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. One gave the Pirates the lead and the other to put the game out of reach. 

In addition, quarterback Chris Zellous led a potent offense against Virginia Union. Under his direction, Hampton moved the ball well in the first half, as Zellous scored on a 12-yard run in the first-quarter. The extra-point attempt failed giving the Pirates a 6-0 lead. The Panthers responded with a seven-play, 74-yard drive and took a 7-6 lead following a one-yard run by Jada Byers. 

In the second period, Zellous led the Pirates on a 13-play 50-yard drive that resulted in a Brian Csehoski 37-yard field goal to give Hampton a 9-7 lead. But two minutes later, Virginia Union retook the lead after Byers ran it in from six yards out to give the Panthers a 14-9 lead.  

Malcolm Mays spelled Zellous in the final minutes of the first half, engineering an eight-play, 69-yard drive that resulted in a 24-yard Csehoski field goal with one-second left in the half to cut Virginia Union’s lead to 14-12 at intermission. 

Virginia Union scored two minutes into the third quarter on a 57-yard pass from RJ Rosales to Reggie Vick. Brady Myers booted the extra point to give the Panthers a 21-12 advantage with 13:00 left in the third period. But Hampton’s defense took over and Virginia Union did not threaten to score again.  

The Pirates marched 47 yards including a 31-yard pass from Zellous to Kevin Johnson, setting up a one-yard touchdown run by Zellous to cut the Panther lead to 21-19 with 5:55 left in the third period. 

Elijah Burris broke loose on a 27-yard run to move the ball to the Virginia Union 32-yard line putting him over the 100-yard rushing plateau for the day. A scrambling Zellous hit Kymari Gray for a 16-yard gain moving the ball inside the red zone. Burrus bulled in from the one-yard line with 10:29 to go in the game to put the Pirates ahead 26-21 after Csehoski’s extra point. 

After holding Virginia Union’s offense at bay, Hampton went on the attack again. An eight-play, 55-yard drive was capped by Burris, who broke through the Panther line and dashed 21 yards for the game’s final score with 4:55 to go. 

Virginia Union was unable to mount a drive and the Pirates ran out the clock to earn the win.  

At halftime of the game, Olympian Francena McCrory (track), Johnnie Barnes (football), Bruce Foxworth (tennis), Ed Tomlin (football), and Fred Freeman (coach) were honored. The group was inducted into the Hampton Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday night. The 1972 CIAA champion baseball team was named the team of distinction and Donovan Rose earned the lifetime achievement award.    

In addition, Hampton’s 1994 and 2004 National Champion football teams were recognized between quarters. Both teams were coached by legendary Joe Taylor, now the director of athletics for the Panthers. The 1994 team posted a 10-1 record, scoring 40 or more points seven times while holding opponents to fewer than 10 points five times. The 2004 squad went 10-2 and earned an invitational to the NCAA I-AA Playoffs. The 2004 Pirates averaged an incredible 43.5 points per game. Both teams were crowned SBN Black College National Champions. 

The Pirates return to action on Sept. 14 when Hampton travels to Norfolk to take on Norfolk State at Dick Price Stadium.

Virginia Union  0 14 7 0– 21

Hampton 6 6 7 14– 33

HU- Chris Zellous 7 run (kick failed)

VUU- Jada Byers 1 run (Brady Myers kick)

HU- Brian Csehoski 37 FG 

VUU- Byers 6 run (Myers kick)

HU- Csehoski 24 FG 

VUU- Reggie Vick 57 pass from RJ Rosales (Myers kick)

HU- Zellous 1 run (Csehoski kick) 

HU- Burris 21 run (Csehoski kick) 

Attendance- 6,308