The Howard University football team rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit with two third-quarter touchdowns but ultimately fell to South Carolina State University, 35-28, in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference matchup on Thursday.
Trailing by two touchdowns entering halftime at William H. Greene Stadium, Howard looked destined for a disappointing defeat. Instead, the Bison erupted for two third-quarter touchdowns to seize momentum and ignite the home crowd, only to see South Carolina State regain control late and escape with a conference victory on Thursday, Nov. 5.
The Bulldogs controlled much of the first half with a balanced offense and built momentum with two field goals from sophomore kicker Jett Jackson and a steady rushing attack led by freshman running back Ricorian Brown. Howard briefly grabbed a 7-3 lead on a 38-yard touchdown run by senior wide receiver Se’Quan Osborne, but SC State answered with 18 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a 21-7 advantage into halftime.
The turning point came in the third quarter when graduate quarterback Isaiah Freeman ignited Howard’s offense.
“The message stayed the same: finish the game strong. We have to build off the game in the second half,” said Freeman, a graduate student from Chester, Pennsylvania. “Start faster and finish stronger. Take care of the football and keep trusting the coaches and our teammates.”
Freeman connected with sophomore wide receiver Antonio Hunter for two touchdown passes and later found sophomore wide receiver CJ Neely for a 51-yard scoring strike in the fourth quarter. The Bison quickly erased the deficit and swung momentum in front of an energized home crowd.
Freeman finished 19-for-37, passing for 233 yards and three touchdowns while adding 62 rushing yards on the ground. Hunter led Howard receivers with five catches for 52 yards and two touchdowns. Neely recorded 64 yards on just two receptions.
“It was a momentum changer. My quarterback came out of halftime, head on fire and found me when I was open,” said Hunter, a sophomore sports management major from Cincinnati, Ohio. “Everybody wanted to win much more; we came together as a team and said we got to do whatever it takes to win.”
Just as the Bison seemed poised to complete the comeback, South Carolina State responded behind Brown and its offensive line. Brown rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, including a 64-yard run that helped the Bulldogs regain control of the game.
Defensively, Howard continued to compete despite spending much of the evening trying to contain the Bulldogs’ offense. Sophomore defensive back Ben Chandler IV led the Bison with nine total tackles, while graduate defensive back Kaleb Gallop added seven tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. Senior Ishaun Abdul-Ali consistently pressured the quarterback, recording four quarterback hurries.
Special teams also provided a bright spot for Howard. Junior punter Matt Conord averaged 50.1 yards across eight punts. His longest punt traveled 68 yards, and three of his eight punts went for at least 50 yards. Graduate wide receiver Naseem Pacheco added 84 yards on four kickoff returns, helping Howard maintain a favorable position throughout the game.
After trailing by two touchdowns at halftime, Howard scored three second-half touchdowns to narrow the gap. The Bison’s third-quarter rally featured several big-play scoring drives and helped shift momentum as they remained competitive throughout the remainder of the game.
“We came out and finished; we were down a lot,” said Grandy, a junior economics major from Savannah, Georgia. “We came back together as a group, rallied together; because we put together a good team performance, we finished. But at the end, we just didn’t execute.”
SC State’s rushing attack proved to be the difference, helping the Bulldogs respond whenever Howard gained momentum. Despite the loss, the Bison showcased a resilient third-quarter comeback and their ability to score quickly and compete with one of the MEAC’s top teams.
Howard will look to build on that effort as they prepare for their next matchup against Delaware State on Nov. 14.
Copy edited by Daryl R. Thomas Jr.
