Howard ran a fake run play that resulted in a touchdown to seal the game on Saturday.
Howard University beat Alabama A&M 31-24 on Saturday, Aug. 29, at Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta, for the MEAC/SWAC Challenge.
This was the Bison’s first game under newly hired head coach Ted White, who was appointed Howard’s head football coach in January, returning to the school after playing as Howard’s quarterback from 1995-1998.
White said he saw major impact from his underclassmen players this game.
“We have done a great job, first and foremost, of evaluating our underclassmen,” White said. “I think we have a great coaching staff that’s able to develop those guys and get them prepared for game situations.”
Howard scored their first touchdown of the game with 7:28 to go in the first; sophomore offensive lineman Markus Hopson was on the receiving end of the catch.
It looked as if the Bison were going to run away with the game early on, having a 13-0 lead at the start of the second; however, Alabama A&M scored two touchdowns in the quarter, leaving the halftime score 14-20, Howard leading.
Both teams showcased efficient defense to start the second half, ending the third quarter with Howard having scored only a field goal.
The fourth quarter saw various plays that swung the game’s momentum for both teams. Alabama A&M senior quarterback Cornelious Brown IV started with a 4-yard rushing touchdown to cut down Howard’s lead to 23-21.
A crucial play from Bulldog receiver Jaylan Bean, catching a 21-yard reception in the end zone while falling out of bounds, was overturned in what would have been a 27-23 lead for A&M as the officials determined the ball hit the ground before Bean did.
A&M then took their first lead of the game with a field goal, bringing the score to 24-23 with 7:40 left in the fourth.
The last three minutes of the game were pivotal for both teams. Graduate student quarterback Ja’Shawn Scroggins threw it over the top of the defense from a fake run play right to senior wide receiver Se’Quan Osbourne for the game-winning touchdown
After that, Howard turned their defense on, preventing A&M from scoring, and an intense play from Howard sophomore linebacker Aidan Foster forced a fumble to seal the win for the Bison.
Sophomore linebacker Julian Green highlighted the team’s late-game defense.
“All week [Kyshoen Jarrett] told us to strike fear; that’s our defensive identity,” said Green, a human performance major from Sicklerville, New Jersey. “It’s two minutes left in the game, and he told us, ‘poise under pressure,’ which means adversity comes and you’re either gonna bend or you’re gonna break. And we didn’t break.”
Howard won their first game under Ted White and look to continue their streak on Saturday, Sept. 5, against the Richmond Spiders in their home opener.
Coach Ted White spoke on the versatility of his roster and the future of the program.
“We feel like we have a great nucleus of guys that we can put in the game, that’s going to build the foundation of this program,” White said.
Copy edited by Daryl R. Thomas Jr.
