East Rutherford, N.J. – Howard University football team had its best defensive performance of the season and the offense came alive in the second half, scoring 31 points to post a 31-0 shutout win over Morehouse College before 35,042 at MetLife Stadium in the HBCU NYC Classic.
It was the first win of the season for the Bison (1-3), who were playing their fourth straight game on the road.
Howard struggled early on offense and was not able to get anything going. Meanwhile, the Maroon Tigers (0-3) appeared to put an early scare into the Bison, limiting the Howard offense and moving the ball smartly on offense by using a balanced attack to effectively move the ball.
But the Bison defense, led by graduate defensive lineman Jevin Jackson (Lawrenceville, Ga.), refused to allow Morehouse to get in the end zone. Three times, Morehouse went on drives that ended up deep in the Bison territory. But Howard answered each time with stops, forcing long field goal attempts and turn over on downs.
“We were hurting with injuries,” said HU head coach Larry Scott. “Our entire secondary was injured and we had some young players who were not used to starting come up big. The defense came up big and that was important.”
The game was scoreless at the half.
With the effectiveness of the defense holding it down, the Bison came out of the locker room refreshed and quickly got it going with a 12-play, 65-yard drive ending with a 37-yard field goal from freshman kicker Aaron Bickerton (Bonita Springs, Fla.). Although the drive ended in three points, it set the tone.
On Howard’s next possession, senior quarterback Quinton Williams (Upper Marlboro, Md.) moved the team quickly, going 70 yards and using a little under four minutes to cap off the drive with a beautiful strike to graduate wide receiver Antoine Murray (Miramar, Fla.) for 29 yards.
The Howard defense, buoyed by the offensive contribution, forced a fumble that was recovered at the Morehouse 37, giving it a short field. It took the unit four plays with junior running back Jarett Hunter (Mineral, Va.) scoring from two yards out to open a 17-0 lead at the start of the fourth period.
The Bison forced yet another Maroon Tiger miscue on the ensuing possession that resulted in a second TD, this time on a hookup between Williams and Murray from 29 yards again.
The Bison would close out the scoring and secure the victory on 51-yard jaunt by freshman running back Eden James (Port St. Lucie, Fla.), his first TD of his career.
“Morehouse applied a lot of pressure on us the first half,” notes Scott. “We made some adjustments and came out more focused after halftime. Some of the adversity that we have faced helped in this game. The team has gone through a lot and even with the injuries, they make no excuses.”
Williams had another efficient day, completing 21-of-27 for 216 yards and the two touchdowns to Murray, who grabbed eight passes for 116 yards and the two scores.
Jackson led the defense with five tackles, including 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. One of his sacks pushed Morehouse out of field goal range and the forced fumble led to a score.
“This was a good win for us,” said Jackson, who now leads the team in tackles for losses. “To play here at MetLife Stadium before this crowd and get our first win of the season is special.”
The Bison get a much-needed week off before traveling again, this time to New Haven, Conn., to play Yale (October 1). Kickoff is set for noon.
“We need this time to heal,” said Scott. “It has been a challenge for us, but we are resilient and don’t look for excuses. This will give us confidence as we prepare for the rest of the season.”
Written by Ed Hill, Jr., retired Howard University Sports Information Director
Derek W. Bryant, Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations & Sports Information, and Kendall Lanier, Howard Athletics Media Relations Student Assistant, contributed to this story.
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