In their final home game of the season, the Bison were defeated by the South Carolina State Bulldogs 38-14, dropping their record to 4-6 with two games remaining in the season.
South Carolina State University (SCSU) entered the game in first place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and put their full talent on display, taking control of the game early and leading until the final play.
Howard’s sophomore quarterback Ja’Shawn Scroggins continued to struggle, throwing for 161 yards and three interceptions, including a 49-yard pick-six returned by SCSU’s Jarod Washington.
Costly mistakes troubled Howard throughout the game, with the team finishing with five total turnovers and committing 11 penalties, tied for their season high.
Scroggins believed that the costly mistakes were self-inflicted, saying, “We had a couple of bad reads, a couple of mistimed plays and just a couple of miscues that we have to work on.”
Despite the offense’s inconsistencies, Howard’s defense held the SCSU offense in check for most of the game, holding the Bulldogs to only 5/14 on third down conversions, 1/4 on fourth down conversions and forcing two fumbles.
One of the defensive standouts for Howard was senior linebacker Terrance Hollon, who had a team-high of eight tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery.
“We came out here trying to dominate them, and I feel like that’s what we did for a good part of the game,” Hollon said.
Despite the efforts of Hollon and Howard’s defense, SCSU extended their lead to 21-7 going into halftime. Bulldogs quarterback Eric Phoenix threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to receiver Einaj Carter, followed by Washington’s pick-six to close out the half.
After trading touchdowns in the third quarter, the Bulldogs extended their lead in the fourth quarter behind a 40-yard field goal and a 28-yard touchdown pass from Phoenix to receiver Caden High.
With the clock dwindling and the Bison trailing 38-14, backup quarterback Jaylon Tolbert was intercepted by SCSU’s Jalen Levine to close out the game.
With the loss, Howard’s record fell to 4-6 (1-2), with two games remaining on their schedule. Despite the loss, both Scroggins and Hollon remain focused on moving forward to close out the season positively.
“We need to just finish,” Hollon said. “Honestly, we just finish, keep being physical, keep getting takeaways, and just finish and dominate.”
Scroggins suggested a simple recipe for success in the last couple of games.
“Just go out and win, go out winning,” he said.
Both players also spoke about what it meant to play in front of Howard fans for the last time in the 2024 season.
“It’s a great pride to play for Howard fans,” Scroggins said. “You know, you just have to give it all to the seniors, knowing that it’s their last home game.”
After playing his last home game at Howard, Hollon spoke about what it means to play for Howard.
“It’s everything, you know? Playing for the Howard brand, playing for the Jordan brand, it means everything,” he said.
Next week, Howard will face off against the 6-3 North Carolina Central Eagles, a game set to air on ESPN U.
Copy edited by Camiryn Stepteau
