The Bison fell short of victory during the university’s centennial homecoming, suffering a 27-14 loss to the Tennessee State University (TSU) Tigers.
The game had a full house, filled with current students, alumni from both schools and out-of-state visitors, eager to see the universities match up.
After playing the Tigers closely for much of the game, the offense stalled for the Bison late and never regained rhythm.
A 99-yard kickoff-return by Tennessee State’s CJ Evans immediately after a Bison touchdown late in the third quarter stunned and silenced the home crowd while Tigers fans rejoiced.
Neither team could put together a scoring drive in the fourth quarter, cementing defeat for the trailing Bison. It was the Bison’s first homecoming loss since 2017 when they were defeated by North Carolina A&T State University, losing 34-7.
Howard (3-4) struggled on offense from the beginning, unable to get anything going.
Meanwhile, Tennessee State (6-2) established themselves immediately when quarterback Draylen Ellis hooked up with Karate Brenson for 83 yards on the first play from scrimmage, but the Howard defense stood tall and forced a field goal attempt that missed wide right.
Tennessee State would still strike first, scoring on a 27-yard Ellis keeper in the first quarter.
The offensive nightmare for the Bison began at the 10:20 mark in the second quarter, which saw redshirt sophomore quarterback Ja’Shawn Scroggins overthrow his target for an interception, giving the Tigers an excellent field position inside the Bison 20-yard line.
The defense once again remained sturdy with a short field, holding the Tigers to a field goal which dug the Bison a 10-0 deficit.
On the very first play of the next possession, Scroggins threw yet another interception.
It was a rough day for Scroggins who went 6-of-21 passing for just 33 yards. Again, the defense responded by holding the Tigers to another field goal giving them a 13-0 lead.
“I don’t think I played my best ball at Howard so far this year. I had two turnovers that could have been fixed and I think I need to improve,” he told The Hilltop.
While it was a tough loss, a bright spot for the Bison was the defense who made stands when put into difficult situations.
Scroggins praised the defense, saying, “(They’re) doing an outstanding job. They’re putting us on their backs right now.”
The following possession, the Bison showed signs of life with a 77-yard drive, leaning on the run game. Junior running back Eden James capped off the drive with a two-yard touchdown run, making the score 13-7 going into halftime.
During halftime, the Howard SHOWTIME marching band put on a show that included alumni participation and performances from Freeway and Doug E. Fresh.
Tennessee State fans were unable to see their “Aristocrat of Bands” perform, as they did not make the trip, having cited financial limitations and restrictions from Howard as reasons for staying home.
In a statement to The Hilltop, Howard Athletic Director Kery Davis pointed out that the Royal Court presentation and SHOWTIME marching band performance “take up much of the time allowed by the NCAA for halftime.”
Davis said that an offer to perform directly after the game was extended to the Aristocrat of Bands to ensure that the university was not assessed a penalty which he states was initially accepted, despite the final decision not to participate.
Coming out of halftime, the game stayed at a standstill until the Tigers put together an 81-yard drive that ended with Jaden McGill running in a touchdown from four yards out, putting the Tigers ahead 20-7.
The Bison responded on the next drive, as Jarrett Hunter ran the ball home, drawing within six points of the Tigers. The stadium was rocking with momentum on the Bison side as the end of the third quarter neared.
However, school spirit wasn’t enough to overcome the lack of throwing offense for the Bison, who suffered a loss.
“We had too many false starts, too many penalties in general and we’re playing behind,” Scroggins said.
The Bison look to get back on track on Saturday as they take the field at Norfolk State University to open Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play.
Copy edited by Camiryn Stepteau
