Hampton holds off late Howard rally, wins 31-28

HAMPTON, Va. (AP) — Jadakis Bonds and Darran Butts each had a touchdown catch and Hampton won its season opener with a 31-28 victory over Howard on Saturday night.

Christopher Zellous had a touchdown run from inside the red zone and Bonds made a two-handed, over-the-shoulder catch while crossing the goal line, giving Hampton a 14-6 lead with 11 seconds remaining before halftime.

Darran Butts beat a defender for a reception and ran untouched into the end zone, stretching the Pirates' lead to 28-13.

Howard scored 22 fourth-quarter points.

It was the 97th meeting between the teams. Hampton has won 19 of the last 23 games and leads the series 55-41-1. Howard’s last victory in the series came in 2014.

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