By Ed Hill, Jr.
WASHINGTON – Facing what appeared to be a disappointing home defeat, the Howard University football team scored five points in the last 41 seconds to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, edging Mercyhurst, 32-31, in a wild nonconference game at Greene Stadium.
Mercyhurst (1-1) rallied from a 21-3 deficit to take a 31-27 lead over the Bison with 41 seconds remaining. The Lakers lined up for an apparent PAT attempt but Howard blocked it and All-American Kenny Gallop Jr. (Portsmouth, Va.) picked up the gift and outran everyone to the end zone, cutting the deficit to a two-point game, 31-29.
Howard received the free kick and sophomore quarterback Ja’Shawn Scroggins (Las Vegas) used the time well and got his team down to the Mercyhurst 27-yard line with only two ticks on the clock. In came placekicker Dylan West (Akron, Ohio), who had missed a field goal attempt and a PAT earlier in the game. This time, the senior Ohio native split the uprights to give Howard an improbable victory; however, there was a pause before the game was officially over when the officials ruled that Mercyhurst had an illegal substitution. Howard, of course, declined the penalty; thus, the celebration began.
The game started slowly as neither team was able to generate much offense. Mercyhurst was able to take the first lead of the game on a 21-yard field goal, 3-0. The Lakers drove 94 yards on the drive before the Bison defense held and forced the field goal.
It seemed to wake up the Howard offense and it countered with two TDs runs by graduate running back Jarett Hunter (Mineral, Va.).
Howard (1-1) appeared to be in total control as they began to dominate the line of scrimmage, opening a 21-3 lead early in the third quarter on an 11-yard TD pass from Scroggins to sophomore tight end Nathanial Clark (Virginia Beach, Va.) for his first collegiate TD.
Mercyhurst refused to go away and got back into the game with a pair of touchdowns to cut the deficit to a three-point game, 21-18, early in the fourth quarter.
Howard then answered with Hunter scoring his third TD of the game, this time on a one-yard plunge to up the margin, 27-18, with 9:48 left in the final stanza. Mercyhurst’s Cameron Barmore then capped off a drive with 13-yard pass from quarterback Adam Urena (23-of-34, 225 yards & 2 TDs).
Following a failed Bison attempt to convert on downs, the Lakers wasted little time trekking 69 yards with Barmore grabbing a 22-yard TD pass from Urena to take the lead and setting up the wacky last 41 seconds.
Hunter, the preseason MEAC Offensive Player of the Year, finished with a game-high 125 yards on 27 carries and the three scores.
Scroggins, in just his second career start, chipped in with 122 on 13 carries, including the 26-yard jaunt that set up the game-winning field goal. He was also efficient in the passing game, connecting on 12-of-22 for 157 yards and a TD.
Defensively, the Bison got strong efforts from Gallop (10 total tackles & a QB hurry), Judah McJimpsey (seven total tackles, one for a loss & a QB hurry), Terrance Hollon (eight total tackles, two forced fumbles & one fumble recovery), Robert Jones III (four total tackles & two pass breakups) and Noah Miles (three total tackles, two for losses & a sack).
NEXT UP: Howard travels to East Rutherford, N.J., to take on Morehouse College at the MetLife Stadium Saturday (Sept. 14) at 3 p.m.