WASHINGTON, D.C. — Morehouse College went toe-to-toe with Howard University for three quarters Saturday afternoon, twice battling back to tie the game before the Bison scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to defeat the Maroon Tigers, 31-17, at Greene Stadium.
Morehouse (3-5, 3-3 SIAC) erased an early deficit to take a second-quarter lead and later answered a long Howard touchdown run to tie the game at 17 midway through the third quarter. However, the Maroon Tigers could not find the end zone again as Howard (3-4) scored twice in the final seven minutes to secure the victory.
Quarterback Miles Scott accounted for both Morehouse touchdowns, rushing for one and connecting with Noah Rhodes for another. Scott finished with 179 passing yards, while Jeremiah Gibson led the receiving corps with 84 yards on four catches. Defensively, Steven Copeland IIturned in a strong performance with a game-high 11 tackles, including a sack, while the Maroon Tigers forced two fumbles and recorded three sacks.
Morehouse finished with 264 yards of total offense, compared to 329 for Howard. The Bison's ground attack proved to be the difference, producing 201 rushing yards and all four of their touchdowns.
GAME SUMMARY
First Quarter: Morehouse Defense Keeps It Close
Howard opened the scoring on its first possession, putting together a nine-play, 38-yard drive capped by a 34-yard field goal from Matt Conord with 9:30 remaining in the opening quarter.
The Maroon Tigers' defense prevented the Bison from building a larger advantage. Conord missed a 43-yard field goal attempt late in the quarter, keeping the deficit at just three points. Morehouse trailed 3-0 after the first 15 minutes but was beginning to find opportunities offensively.
Second Quarter: Maroon Tigers Take the Lead, Tie Game at Halftime
Morehouse struck early in the second quarter, putting together an eight-play, 74-yard touchdown drive that took just 2:04 off the clock. Scott capped the possession with a nine-yard touchdown run, and Davis Rowe added the extra point to give the Maroon Tigers a 7-3 advantage with 13:21 remaining in the half.
Howard responded with an eight-play, 59-yard drive, regaining the lead on a 16-yard touchdown run by quarterback Ja'Shawn Scroggins with 6:29 left before halftime.
Trailing 10-7, Morehouse found a way to answer just before the break. With only 13 seconds to work with, the Maroon Tigers moved 33 yards in three plays to set up a 34-yard field goal by freshman Cyar DeBose. The kick split the uprights as time expired, sending both teams into the locker room tied at 10.
Third Quarter: Morehouse Answers Howard's Big Play
Howard regained the advantage with 11:01 remaining in the third quarter when Eden James broke free for a 61-yard touchdown run. The one-play drive put the Bison ahead 17-10.
But the Maroon Tigers were not finished. Scott directed a nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive, connecting with Rhodes on a 10-yard touchdown pass with 7:31 remaining in the quarter. Rowe's extra point tied the contest at 17, giving Morehouse new life as the game moved toward the final quarter.
The Maroon Tigers' defense continued to battle, keeping the score even heading into the fourth quarter.
Fourth Quarter: Howard Pulls Away Late
With the game tied at 17, both teams searched for the possession that would swing the momentum. Howard eventually broke through with an 11-play, 67-yard scoring drive that consumed 5:33. Scroggins finished the possession with a one-yard touchdown run to put the Bison ahead 24-17 with 6:50 remaining.
Morehouse was unable to produce a tying score on its ensuing opportunities. Howard added an insurance touchdown with 48 seconds remaining when Travis Kerney scored on a seven-yard run, capping a seven-play, 45-yard drive to produce the final 31-17 margin.
The Maroon Tigers were held scoreless in the fourth quarter after scoring 17 points over the middle two periods.
MOREHOUSE STATISTICAL LEADERS
Offense
- Miles Scott (QB): Completed 17 of 44 passes for 179 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Added a nine-yard rushing touchdown.
- Chase DeVaughn (RB): Led Morehouse on the ground with 67 yards on 15 carries, including a 28-yard run.
- Jeremiah Gibson (WR): Led all Morehouse receivers with four receptions for 84 yards, including a 29-yard catch.
- Noah Rhodes (WR): Two catches for 19 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown reception.
- Major Walker (WR): Three receptions for 20 yards.
- Gabriel Bivines (WR): Four receptions for 17 yards.
Defense
Special Teams
- Cyar DeBose (K): Connected on a 34-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
- Davis Rowe (K): Made both extra-point attempts.
- Grant Campbell (P): Four punts for 111 yards, averaging 27.8 yards per punt.
- Seve Spruill (P): Three punts for 80 yards, averaging 26.7 yards per punt.
- Ayden Williams (KR): Two kickoff returns for 34 yards, with a long of 18 yards.
Game Notes
- Morehouse falls to 3-5 overall and 3-3 in SIAC play, while Howard improves to 3-4.
- The loss snaps Morehouse's two-game winning streak after consecutive victories over Tuskegee and Savannah State.
- Morehouse and Howard were tied twice, 10-10 at halftime and 17-17 entering the fourth quarter.
- The Maroon Tigers held Howard to just three first-quarter points and kept the Bison scoreless over the remainder of the third quarter following Eden James' 61-yard touchdown run.
- Morehouse scored on all three of its red-zone opportunities, producing two touchdowns and one field goal.
- The Maroon Tigers recorded seven tackles for loss totaling 41 yards and three sacks for 29 yards.
- Morehouse forced and recovered two Howard fumbles. Markevious Yancie and LaDainian Hunter each forced a fumble and recovered one.
- Howard's Eden James finished with a game-high 120 rushing yards on 13 carries, including the 61-yard touchdown run.
- Howard finished with 201 rushing yards, compared to 85 for Morehouse.
- The Maroon Tigers held a 179-128 advantage in passing yards.
- Morehouse struggled on third down, converting just four of 20 opportunities (20 percent).
- Howard converted six of 15 third-down attempts and finished with 21 first downs compared to 16 for Morehouse.
- Both teams lost two fumbles, but Howard also intercepted one pass and scored seven points off turnovers.
UP NEXT: MOREHOUSE RETURNS TO SIAC PLAY AT ALLEN
After playing eight consecutive weeks, Morehouse will have an opportunity to regroup during its upcoming bye week before returning to Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action. The Maroon Tigers travel to Columbia, S.C., on Saturday, October 31, to face Allen University. Morehouse will close the regular season on November 7 vs. Kentucky State in the YES Bahamas HBCU Classic. For up-to-date athletic information on the Maroon Tigers, follow them on social media or online at www.morehouseathletics.com or Maroon Tiger football on Instagram @morehousefootball.
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ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is an NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) headquartered in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors nine men's and eight women's sports and is a proud member of NCAA Division II. For more information, visit www.thesiac.com.