BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell makes the short trip to Greenville, N.C. on Saturday, September 17, taking on East Carolina. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium against the FBS Pirates.

WATCH / FOLLOW
Watch the Camels take on ECU on ESPN+, and listen online at GoCamels.com or through The Varsity Network app. Live stats are also available at GoCamels.com, and follow on Twitter @GoCamelsFB for live updates.

LAST TIME OUT
William & Mary stopped Campbell twice in deep in its territory in the fourth quarter and the 20th-ranked Tribe defeated the Camels 37-21 at Zabel Stadium. Jalen Jones intercepted three passes – including a third quarter pick six – and the Tribe limited Campbell to just 2-of-11 third down conversions.

Campbell trailed 17-14 early in the third quarter, but the Tribe – which won at FBS member Charlotte to open the season – scored 20 second-half points.

Quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams led the Camels with 91 rushing yards on 18 carries and two TDs and completed 18-of-31 passes for 186 yards and one score. Julian Hill, who grabbed a 21-yard scoring pass from Williams late in the second quarter, finished with seven receptions for a career-high 95 yards.

Seventh-year senior defensive lineman Gabe Holmes led the Camels with a career-high 10 tackles, including eight solo stops.

The Tribe accumulated 271 of its 392 total yards on the ground.  Bronson Yoder ran 18 times for 95 yards, while Malachi Imoh added 89 yards on just six carries and two scores.

TOP PERFORMERS
Julian Hill hauled in career-highs of seven catches and 95 yards, adding a touchdown at No. 20 William & Mary. Hill, a graduate student from Fayetteville, N.C., put Campbell on the board in the second quarter, pulling down a 21 yard touchdown catch from Hajj-Malik Williams for his first TD of the year. Hill also added a pair of 18 yard catches for the Camels.

On the defensive side, Gabe Holmes posted a career night with 10 tackles and 2.0 stops for loss, both career-bests for the defensive tackle, adding a sack at William & Mary. The seventh-year player registered eight solo stops, including his fourth quarter sack.

MCNEELY NAMED BIG SOUTH SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
After posting 104 return yards and setting up two Campbell scores, Josh McNeely has been named the Big South Conference's week 2 special teams player of the week.

A Charlotte native, McNeely returned four kickoffs at then-No. 20 William & Mary, including a long of 39 yards, adding a fumble recovery and a pair of tackles, all on special teams.

McNeely's second quarter fumble recovery off a muffed Tribe punt set up Campbell's first touchdown of the night just before the halftime break. His 39 yard kick return in the third quarter then set up Campbell's third score of the night, kick starting a five play, 61 yard drive, bringing Campbell back within 31-21 with the Tribe.

A Preseason All-Big South pick, McNeely is the third Camel already this season to earn weekly honors from the conference.

LEADING THE CAMELS
Williams is completing nearly 58 percent of his passes for 180.5 yards per game with two touchdowns and three interceptions. The QB has combined with running back Bryant Barr for 243 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while tight end Julian Hill has hauled in 140 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Linebacker CJ Tillman owns a team-high 16 tackles with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, while Gabe Holmes and Aaron Maddox have each collected 12 stops. Jonathan Jones also adds an interception to go along with 10 tackles.

SCOUTING ECU
The Pirates are 1-1 coming off a 39-21 win over Old Dominion last week.

Holton Ahlers pilots the ECU offense averaging 268.5 passing yards per game with four total TD throws to four different receivers. Keaton Mitchell also adds 196 total rushing yards with two touchdowns, with both scores and 160 yards coming last week against the Monarchs. Gerard Stringer leads the Pirate defense with 13 tackles, including a sack, adding a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Saturday's "Family Weekend" matchup will mark game three of a four-game homestand for the Pirates to open the 2022 season. ECU also squared off with No. 13 NC State (L 21-20) in week 1.

ECU will begin American Athletic Conference play next week, hosting Navy (September 24).

Saturday will mark the first modern era (since football returned to Campbell in 2008) matchup between the Camels and Pirates, who met four times in Campbell's junior college days in 1933 (L 6-0), 1937 (W 7-6), 1938 (W 19-6) and 1939 (W 13-0), with Campbell leading the series 3-1.

CAMELS AGAINST THE FBS
Campbell heads to East Carolina on September 17, its first modern era matchup with the FBS-member Pirates. The Camels are 0-9 all-time against FBS opponents, last taking on Liberty in the team's 2021 season opener on the road. Saturday's trip to ECU will mark the program's fourth game against an in-state FBS foe (at Appalachian State 2014 and 2020, at Wake Forest 2020).

Prior to the 2020 season, Campbell had played against just four FBS opponents in its modern history, traveling to Troy in 2019 and hosting Coastal Carolina in 2018, while facing off with Old Dominion in 2013 and Appalachian State in 2014.

Although CU has never beaten an FBS opponent (0-9), the Camels nearly took down Georgia Southern in their 2020 opener in Statesboro, Ga., falling just a point short, 27-26.

Georgia Southern was Campbell's fifth game overall against an FBS squad, and third with full FBS status. When Campbell previously played at ODU and at App State, both were in the final year of the transitional phase from the FCS level. ODU played a FBS independent schedule in 2013, squaring off against five FBS members, while the Mountaineers played a full Sun Belt slate in 2014, going 6-2 in league play while winning its final six games of the year.

The Camels also played Charlotte in 2013 and 2014 when the 49ers were in the beginning stages of their transition to FBS, playing an independent FCS schedule. Campbell's 2020 finale at Wake Forest marked the program's first ever against a Power Five opponent in football.

In its nine ever games against FBS foes, Campbell held the lead in four different outings for a total of 79:36, including 44:13 in its 2020 opener at Georgia Southern, and for 14:37 at App State. CU also led Coastal for 19:07 of the first half in 2018, and made the initial score against ODU in 2013, leading for 2:39 of the first quarter.

QB WILLIAMS MAKES HISTORY
CU quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams became Campbell's all-time passing yards leader in his 2022 season opener, also passing the 1,000 career rushing yards milestone.

Playing in his 20^th career game, Williams passed for 175 yards and a touchdown, adding 19 rushing yards against The Citadel. The redshirt junior from Atlanta, Ga. is now the second CU player to reach 3,000 yards passing and 1,000 rushing yards in a career (Daniel Smith 2017-18).

Williams now owns 3,779 yards passing and 1,117 rushing in his Campbell career (21 games).

The QB rushed for a pair of touchdowns in CU's loss at William & Mary in week 2. It marked the fifth time in the redshirt junior's career that he ran for two touchdowns, and the first since September 2020 at App State (at Gardner-Webb, 10/26/19; Kennesaw State, 11/9/19; at Charleston Southern, 11/23/19; at App State, 9/26/20).

CAMPBELL AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
Campbell took on a nationally-ranked FCS opponent for the eighth time in Saturday night's trip to No. 20 William & Mary, falling to 0-8 against ranked foes in the program's modern era (since 2008). Campbell is 0-5 on the road against ranked opponents, and 0-3 against nonconference ranked opponents.

SLADE SIGNS WITH USFL'S BREAKERS
Former Campbell standout Darion Slade has signed with the New Orleans Breakers of the USFL.

A three-time All-Big South Conference performer, Slade played in 44 career games for the Camels, making 221 tackles, third all-time in CU history. The Winston-Salem native added four career interceptions with 9.5 tackles for loss, 17 pass breakups, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles across six seasons (2016-21).

In 2021, the safety ranked 10th in the Big South in tackles per game (6.8), collecting 61 stops for the season, including 5.0 for loss with two fumble recoveries, two interceptions, a pass breakup and a defensive touchdown.

He was the only player in the Big South with at least 60 tackles, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries, despite playing in only nine games.

The USFL regular season schedule will run April-June 2023. The Breakers went 6-4 in 2022 in the league's first season.

FIRST TIME OPPONENTS
Campbell will face off against a whopping eight first time opponents over the course of the 2022 season, including in each of its first four contests, and all six of its nonconference foes.
Since the 2018 campaign, which coincided with the program moving to the Big South, CU had already faced 14 first time opponents heading into the 2022 season, with that number set to balloon to 22 by the end of this year.

New opponents on the schedule in 2022 are The Citadel (September 1), William & Mary (September 10), East Carolina (September 17), North Carolina Central (October 1), Jackson State (October 22), North Carolina A&T (October 29), Bryant (November 5) and Delaware State (November 19).

Of Campbell's 2022 opponents, the Camels have met Charleston Southern the most in their relatively brief history (since 2008), with just five all-time meetings.

NEXT UP
The Camels will be idle next week, returning to returning to Buies Creek on October 1, hosting North Carolina Central. For tickets and more information, visit GoCamels.com/Tickets.

GRADS ON THE GRIDIRON
Campbell's 2022 roster features 21 student-athletes who have already earned their undergraduate degrees and will be playing college football this fall while pursuing additional diplomas. That number is the fourth-most in the FCS, trailing only Chattanooga (25), Southeastern Louisiana (23) and Southern Illinois (23).

The list includes 2021 All-Big South selections in offensive tackle Tyler McLellan (social work major) and return specialist Josh McNeely (exercise and sport science), 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-District linebacker Keshawn Thompson, as well as five Camels who earned their degrees at other institutions before transferring to Campbell.

CAMELS BEGIN 15TH SEASON OF MODERN ERA
In 2021, Campbell produced three FCS All-Americans, including Big South Defensive Player of the Year Brevin Allen, who posted a record-setting season with 17.5 tackles for loss, highlighting a bevy of talent returning to Buies Creek.

Campbell returns eight starters on offense and six on the defensive side from the 2021 team, including QB Hajj-Malik Williams, a 2019 freshman All-American and 2020 Big South Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.

Also coming back are All-Big South performers in tight end Julian Hill and offensive tackle Tyler McLellan, as well as 2021 freshman All-American linebacker CJ Tillman.

Last season, Campbell ranked fourth in the FCS in turnovers gained (25) and defensive touchdowns (4). On the offensive side, the Camels led the Big South in passing offense at 261.6 yards per game, ranking 22nd in the FCS, setting a school record for passing yards (2,901) and passing touchdowns (24) this season.

The Camels began their modern era of football in 2008, competing at the NCAA Division I FCS level, first in the Pioneer Football League (2008-17), and now as a Big South Conference member (2018-present).

Campbell originally fielded a football team from 1925 until 1950, suspending play from 1940-45 due to World War II, winning five North Carolina junior college state championships (1929, 1932, 1939, 1946, 1948).

THE NATION'S NO. 1 FCS RECRUITING CLASS
During the offseason, Campbell hauled in the No. 1 ranked incoming freshmen recruiting class in the FCS. Campbell's incoming 2022 class includes 19 incoming freshmen, with 12 rated as three or four star recruits, as well as one two star prospect.

Headlining the class are a pair of four star safeties, in Myles Rowser (Detroit, Mich. / Belleville HS) and Edric Weldon (Miami, Fla. / South Broward HS), who carried a four star ranking by Rivals prior to an injury early in his senior season. The pair are among the top recruits in their class to sign with Football Championship Subdivision programs, headlining Campbell's No. 1 incoming freshman class in the NCAA's subdivision.

The Camels' class finished 78th in Rivals and 89th according to 247 Sports, as the only FCS program to finish in the top-100 of college football recruiting rankings.

CU PICKED SECOND IN BIG SOUTH PRESEASON POLL
Campbell has been picked second in the 2022 Big South Conference Preseason Poll. With a pair of first place votes and nine total top-three votes of a possible 12, the Camels finished with 50 points, just behind North Carolina A&T, which finished with six first place tallies and 60 points.

Following the Camels were Charleston Southern and Gardner-Webb in a tie for third with 44 points. Big South newcomer Bryant (33 points) and Robert Morris (21) rounded out the poll. Five of the six league members picked up at least one first place vote.

Campbell's second place preseason nod is its highest since moving to the Big South in 2018. CU was picked fourth in 2019 and 2020, also taking fifth in 2018 and 2021. Campbell was never voted higher than fourth in a preseason poll in its previous conference, the Pioneer Football League (2008-17).

2022 BIG SOUTH PRESEASON POLL
SCHOOL (FIRST-PLACE VOTES) - POINTS
1. North Carolina A&T (6) - 60
2. Campbell (2) - 50
T-3. Charleston Southern (2) - 44
T-3. Gardner-Webb (1) - 44
5. Bryant (1) - 33
6. Robert Morris - 21
Note: Points are based on a weighted system, with first-place votes receiving 6 points, followed by 5 points for second-place, and so on.

ALLEN NAMED BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Campbell defensive end Brevin Allen has been named the 2022 Big South Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, headlining 10 CU selections on the league's preseason team.
The Camels' 10 selections leads the conference.

Quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams, tight end Julian Hill and offensive tackle Tyler McLellan, all 2021 First Team All-Big South picks, as well as special teamers in punter Corey Petersen, long snapper Jackson Hayes and Josh McNeely, who was voted to the preseason squad as both a kick and punt returner, all joined Allen on the 2022 Preseason All-Big South team, while offensive tackle Mike Edwards and safety Dorian Jones were honorable mention picks.

Allen is coming off an All-American season for the Camels in 2021, leading the Big South in sacks (9.5) and tackles for loss (17.5), while ranking in the top-20 nationally in both categories.

The 2021 Big South Defensive Player of the Year was also a finalist for the Stats Perform FCS Buck Buchanan Award, setting a Campbell single season record for sacks, while tying the program single season mark in stops for loss, adding 44 total tackles with a fumble recovery, a pass breakup and six hurries.

During the 2022 preseason, Allen has been named to the initial Buchanan Award watch list, as well as preseason All-America by Stats Perform, Phil Steele and HERO Sports.

2022 BIG SOUTH FOOTBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
PRESEASON ALL-BIG SOUTH FIRST-TEAM
OFFENSE
QB Hajj-Malik Williams, R-Jr.
TE Julian Hill, Gr.
OL Tyler McLellan, Gr.

DEFENSE
DL Brevin Allen, R-Sr.

SPECIAL TEAMS
P Corey Petersen, Gr.
KR Josh McNeely, Gr.
PR Josh McNeely, Gr.
LS Jackson Hayes, Gr.

HONORABLE MENTION
OL Mike Edwards, R-Sr.
DB Dorian Jones, Gr.

PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Brevin Allen, R-Sr., DL

CAMPBELL TO JOIN COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION IN 2023
Campbell University has accepted an invitation to join the Colonial Athletic Association in all sports the league sponsors effective July 1, 2023.

Campbell will remain a member of the Big South Conference for the 2022-2023 season before making the move.

The addition of Campbell in 2023 will increase CAA's membership to 14 schools, joining new members North Carolina A&T, Hampton, Monmouth and Stony Brook as schools that have all joined in the last year. CAA Football will consist of 15 teams beginning in 2023.

The conference encompasses many of the nation's largest metropolitan areas with a geographic footprint that stretches from Boston to Charleston. It has produced 18 national team champions in five different sports and 33 individual national champions.

Campbell joined NCAA Division I in 1977 and became a charter member when the Big South Conference was formed in 1983. Campbell joined the Atlantic Sun Conference in the summer of 1994 and competed in the ASUN 17 years before returning to the Big South in the summer of 2011.

After a five-decade absence, Campbell resumed football competition in 2008 as a member of the Pioneer Football League. Campbell moved up to competition in Big South football in 2018.