BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell (2-3, 1-2 CAA) returns to CAA play this weekend, heading to Hampton (3-1, 1-0 CAA) on Saturday, October 7. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. at Armstrong Stadium in Hampton, Va.

WATCH / FOLLOW
Watch the Camels take on Hampton on FloSports, 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
Campbell battled No. 15 North Carolina Central to overtime on the road, falling 49-48 to the national-ranked Eagles.

Campbell led 35-14 with 6:17 on the clock in the second quarter, scoring touchdowns on its first four possessions, adding a TD on a blocked punt from Trevon Booker, returned by Tai Goode, before NCCU scored on four straight possessions to take the lead.

The Camels tied the game at 42-all with a 10-play drive, with NaQuari Rogers punching in a TD with 1:59 to go in regulation. NCCU then drove into Campbell territory with a 13 play march, but Adrian Olivo's 34 yard field goal try missed as time expired.

In overtime, Campbell reached the endzone in just four plays, with Ezeriah Anderson bringing down Williams' 13 yard pass for the touchdown. After the ensuing point after was blocked, Collier took the Eagles's first play from scrimmage to the endzone, with Olivo tacking on the go-ahead extra point for the win.

Campbell compiled 269 yards of total offense in the first half, including 201 yards in the first quarter alone, before being limited to 116 in the second half, with just 27 third quarter yards.

Richard led NCCU with 265 yards passing and a TD on 21-of-34 attempts, adding 86 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Devin Smith recorded five catches for 90 yards, while Collier rushed for two scores on 17 carries for 77 yards. Jayden Flaker paced the defense with a game-high 15 tackles, while Khalil Baker added seven stops.

Williams threw for 302 yards for the Camels, completing 20-of-26 passes with five touchdowns, connecting seven times with Jalen Kelsey, who finished the night with a career-high 172 yards receiving, including scoring grabs of 70 and 65 yards. Rogers also added 57 yards rushing on 14 carries.

D'Marcus Harrington also gathered 10 tackles, while CJ Tillman tallied nine. Monchovia Gaffney also made five tackles to go with 2.0 stops, including a sack. Tre Moore tacked on a tackle for loss and forced a fumble.

Campbell's 48 points tied a school record for most points scored in a loss (L 54-48 3OT vs. Jacksonville, 10/28/17).

LEADING THE CAMELS
Campbell comes into this week's matchup with the fourth-ranked scoring offense in FCS, averaging 39.4 points per game, also ranking 15^th best in total offense nationally at 434.0 yards per game.

Hajj-Malik Williams owns the FCS' third best completion percentage at 75.2 percent, averaging 285.8 passing yards per game with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. The redshirt senior QB has also rushed for four scores.

Williams has connected with 15 different CU receivers through five games, including 11 with multiple catches. Jalen Kelsey has posted a team-high 412 yards with two touchdowns on 23 catches, while VJ Wilkins owns a team-high 28 catches, going for 300 yards and four TDs.
NaQuari Rogers also owns five touchdowns on the ground, rushing for 309 yards.

Defensively, CJ Tillman has registered a team-best 48 tackles with 3.0 for loss, while Monchovia Gaffney owns 36 stops.

THE MATCHUP: HAMPTON
The Pirates are coming off a 31-14 win at Richmond last week, piling up 497 yards against the Spiders.

Chris Zellous has passed for six touchdowns, averaging 183.3 yards per game, adding six rushing touchdowns. Elijah Burris is also averaging 113.5 rushing yards per game with a TD. Qwahsin Townsel has also posted 39 tackles with 1.5 stops for loss.

Campbell and Hampton will match up for the third time as conference foes on Saturday, but the first time as CAA opponents. The Camels and Pirates were Big South rivals from 2019-21, splitting their two previous matchups.

NEXT UP
Campbell will break with an open week seven, returning to Barker-Lane Stadium for a Homecoming matchup with Maine on October 21.

CAMELS FACE ONE OF THE STRONGEST SCHEDULES IN FCS
According to Stats Perform, Campbell faces the fifth toughest schedule in the FCS, based on 2022 Division I opponent records. CU's 2023 opponents, all Division I FCS or FBS, owned a 77-55 record (.583) last season.

Harvard owns the strongest 2023 slate, according to the metric at .648 (68-37), followed by Nicholls (.610, 83-53), Elon (.606, 80-52) and Cal Poly (.585, 69-49). North Alabama (.573, 71-53), Yale (.571, 60-45), ETSU (.570, 65-49), Central Arkansas (.568, 67-51) and Northern Arizona (.561, 74-58) round out the top-10.

TWO FORMER CAMELS OPEN SEASON ON NFL ROSTERS
For the first time, two former Camels appeared on active NFL rosters opening the 2023 season. Both matched up in their first career NFL game, with Brevin Allen's Los Angeles Chargers hosting Julian Hill's Miami Dolphins in week one.

Allen became the first Camel to play in an NFL game during the Chargers' season opener. After making the Dolphins' initial 53-man roster, Hill was inactive through two games due to injury, but made his NFL debut in Miami's record-setting 70-20 win over Denver, seeing time on 58 total plays.

Both signed as undrafted free agents after the 2023 NFL Draft following their Campbell careers, with Allen initially signing to the LA practice squad as an outside linebacker.

WILKINS, WILLIAMS RANK AMONG TOP FCS PERFORMERS BY PFF
With data through four games this season, Campbell's Hajj-Malik Williams and VJ Wilkins ranked among the nation's highest graded position players, according to PFF.

Williams ranks 13^th in all of college football and fifth among FCS quarterbacks, rating at a 90.7 offensive grade. Wilkins, meanwhile, stands alone as the top-graded wide receiver in college football at 92.2.

Other Camels among PFF's position leaders is Isaiah Burch, grading out as the third-ranked pass blocker at center at 88.0, and Baraka Beckett, coming in at No. 15 among guards in the FCS at 71.8 overall, anchored by an 81.5 pass blocking grade.

CAMPBELL JOINS THE COASTAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
Campbell University officially became a member of the Coastal Athletic Association in all sports on July 1, 2023.

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