By Ed Hill, Jr.
Washington DC– The Howard University football team fell behind early and rallied twice to get to within one score, but a kick return TD proved to be a momentum changer and the difference as the Bison fell, 27-14, to Tennessee State University (TSU) before an overflow crowd of nearly 10,000 at William H. Greene Stadium.
It was the 100th homecoming anniversary for Howard.
Tennessee State (6-2) appeared to take control early when Karate Benson connected with Drayden Ellis for 83 yards on the opening play. But the Bison defense toughened and forced a field goal try that went wide right.
The Howard offense had trouble getting anything for most of the early part of the game, but the defense stood tall and kept things close. Tennessee State finally got on the board, covering 60 yards on 11 plays with Ellis scoring on a keeper from 27 yards with only 54 seconds left in the first quarter, 7-0.
Unable to move the ball, Howard helped the Tigers cause on offense when redshirt sophomore quarterback Ja’Shawn Scroggins (Las Vegas) threw the first of two interceptions. Again, the Howard defense held the Tigers to three yards and forced them to settle for a James Lowery 30-yard field goal at the 7:57 mark of the second period, 10-0.
Scroggins (6-of-21 for 33 yards) turned it over again with his second pick, this time giving Tennessee State good field position at the Howard 25-yards line, but again, the Bison defense limited the Tigers to three yards and forced another Lowery field goal, this time from 39 yards to make it 13-0 with just under seven minutes remaining in the second quarter.
Howard finally got track, putting together a seven-play, 77-yard drive that was capped off by junior running back Eden James (Indianapolis) with a two-yard TD run, 13-7.
Howard had some momentum coming out of the half by getting the opening possession of the second half, but the offense stalled and Tennessee State embarked on a nine-play, 81-yard drive with Jaden McGill punching it in from four yards as the Tigers made it a two-possession game, 20-7, with just under seven minutes in the third stanza.
Howard (3-4) put together a nice drive of 54 yards on six plays. Graduate running back Jarett Hunter (Mineral, Va.) accounted for 35 yards, finishing it off with a winding, twisting 9-yard score. It closed the gap to 20-14 with 1:28 remaining in the third quarter, but then came the play of the game.
CJ Evans field the ensuing kickoff at his own one-yard line, started right, cut back and outraced Howard for 99 yards and the score.
From there, the Tigers, who came into the game as one of the top sack teams in the country along with the Bison, forced back-to-back sacks and proceeded to run out the clock to secure their fourth straight win.
Hunter led all rushers with 102 yards on 15 carries and a TD.
Defensively, the Bison sacked TSU’s quarterbacks twice and stopped runners behind the line of scrimmage eight times.
Graduate defensive back Kenny Gallop Jr. (six total tackles, 2.5 TFLs and a sack) and his brother Kaleb Gallop (career-high seven total tackles) both had outstanding games, along with Derrick Brown Jr. (six total tackles), Terrance Hollon (six total tackles, a sack and a TFL) and Robert Jones III (five solo tackles).
NEXT UP: Howard opens Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play Saturday (Oct. 26) when they travel to Norfolk, Va., to take on the Spartans of Norfolk State at 2 p.m.
