RICHMOND, Va. (September 27, 2025) — Howard University football dominated the game for three quarters, but two costly fourth-quarter mistakes proved to be its undoing as the Bison fell, 13-12, to the University of Richmond in a nonconference game at E. Claiborne Robins Stadium.
 
Howard (3-2) dominated both lines of scrimmage early and it began to finally bring dividends when sophomore running back Anthony Reagan Jr. (Woodbury, N.J.) found a seam in the Spiders' defense and raced a career-long 52 yards for the game's first score at the 14:16 mark of the second quarter, 7-0. He finished with a career-high 129 yards on 20 carries, along with 84 more yards in kick returns.
 
While Howard was not able to muster any points, the Buffalo Soldier defense made life miserable for the host, who was coming off a 38-14 win over VMI last week (Sept. 20) as they piled up over 500 yards of total offense.
 
It finally paid off when Howard senior defensive lineman Noah Miles (Tampa, Fla.) made his way into the Spiders' backfield, threw the runner for a loss that resulted in a safety and gave Howard a 9-0 lead at the 3:14 mark of the second quarter.
 
"We try to stay disciplined in what we do on defense," said Miles, who finished with four total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. "I saw the play as it developed and happened to be in the right place at the right time. It was a big play for us at that point in the game."
 
The offense took advantage of the good field position following the free kick. Reagan set it up with a 25-yard return of the free kick. Graduate quarterback Tyriq Starks (Carol City, Fla.) put together a nine-play, 45-yard drive that was capped off with a 36-yard field goal from sophomore Matt Conord (Lithia, Fla.) just before the half, 12-0.
 
Howard appeared to rest on the 12-0 lead through the third quarter, committed to running the ball and relying on its stout defense.
 
Then in the blink of an eye, Richmond changed the game. Starks attempted a long pass downfield that was picked off by CJ Fraser and returned 55 yards to the Howard 42. On the ensuing play on offense, Richmond capitalized and got on the board for the first time on an Isaiah Dawson 42-yard run that reduced the deficit, 12-7, with 11:50 still left in the final stanza.
 
Then, the Spiders struck again, this time with another interception of a Starks attempted flip pass that was picked off by Matei Fitz at the Bison seven-yard line. Richmond (3-2) wasted no time accepting the gift as on the very next play Aziz Foster-Powell caught a double reverse flea flicker pass from Ashten to give the Spiders their first lead, 13-12, with 10:37 left. The two-point conversion attempt failed as Richmond had scored all of its points in a 1:33 time span.
 
But the Bison regrouped and drove from their own 20 to the Spiders' 21-yard line before facing a fourth-and-one. Conord was brought in to attempt a 38-yard field that would have given Howard the lead, 15-13, with just three minutes left on the clock.
 
Conord's kick had the distance, but it drifted right at the last minute and hit the crossbar.
 
Richmond then worked the clock and left Howard with no time for a comeback.
 
Howard held the Spiders to 152 yards of totals offense, racked up 213 yards on the ground, held the ball for over 42 minutes and committed only three penalties.
 
"We have to learn to finish," said Reagan after the game. "There is a lesson in this and we have to take it and learn from it."
 
After the bye week, the Bison resume action Saturday (Oct. 11) when they travel to Fairfield, Conn., to play Sacred Heart. Kickoff at 1 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the official Howard Athletics website www.hubison.com.