Howard University Athletics

BALTIMORE (October 24, 2026) -- The Howard University football team trailed Morgan State (MSU), 20-6, early in the fourth and appeared heading for a loss in its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) opener at Hughes Stadium until the resilient Bison scored 20 unanswered points that ended in a 26-20 overtime win over the Bears.
 
The win was capped off by 87-yard pick-six by Ben Chandler IV (Washington) in overtime to seal the deal.
 
The game was almost a carbon copy of last years' game at Howard with the Bison scoring in overtime to eke out a win over their neighborhood rivals.
 
No one knew what to expected when fans were treated to some inept offense, some spectacular defense and a rash of penalties as the half ended in a 6-6 field goal contest.
 
Morgan State's Allex Amaya accounted for the Bears points on field goals from 42 yards. He would have his streak of eight straight broken when he missed from 44 yards in the third quarter.
 
Howard (4-4, 1-0 MEAC) struggled to sustain any consistency on offense and the vaunted Morgan State defense kept them in check.
 
"We had problems sustaining drives early," declared Howard head coach Ted White. "We would get in the Red Zone and fail to convert."
 
But the Bison took advantage of a short field and put together their best drive of the day, a 12-play, 67-yard trek that resulted in two Matt Conrod field goals (38 & 27).
 
Amaya and Conrod have emerged as two of the top placekickers in the MEAC, each having missed only one all season while remaining perfect on PAT kicks.
 
Morgan State (5-3, 0-1 MEAC) came out energized and took advantage of some good field position, traveling 50 yards in only five plays with MSU quarterback Cameron Edge finding Joseph Towler from 36 yards to make the score 13-6 at the 4:48 mark of the third quarter.
 
The Bears appeared to continue the momentum as they scored their second TD on a Cameron 14-yard strike to Alex Simmons with 13:26 on the clock in the fourth quarter.
 
Bison starting quarterback Ja'Shawn Scroggins (Las Vegas) was injured and things appeared bleak for Howard's comeback. But reserve quarterback Isaiah Freeman (Chester, Pa.) came into the game and sparked the Bison, engineering a seven-play, 43-yard drive, capping it off with a two-yard plunge to get to within a one-possession game, 20-13, with 7:46 left on the clock.
 
The Buffalo Soldier defense, which continues to play well week in and week out, stopped the Bears subsequent drive and forced a Morgan State punt.
 
With Freeman at the helm, aided by the running of sophomore running back Billy Roberson II (Lake Orion, Mich.), it took seven plays to go 59 yards and finish off the drive with 4-yard strike to Roberson, who had his best all-around game in a Bison uniform.
 
There was still 3:09 on the clock and neither team was able to score so the game went into an extra period.
 
The Bears received the ball first and back-to-back sacks by the Bison spirited defense forced a 4^th-and-long. Cameron went back to pass, got pressured and threw an errant pass that was picked by Chandler and returned for the dramatic overtime win.
 
"Throughout the game, this team never wavered," said White, who recorded the first MEAC victory of his career. "Even when we fell behind by two scores in the fourth quarter, no one gave up. It was a good win for us."
 
The Howard defense, which is an equal opportunity unit that spreads the wealth around with big plays, stopped the Bears' offense under Edge, the leading passer in the conference.
 
"We have played some good competition in Richmond, Indiana and Rutgers, but throughout we never quit," noted sophomore linebacker Aidan Foster (Washington). "We talked about getting better each game and finishing games. Today was an example of how that experience paid off for us."
 
Chandler has come on strong and become an all-conference candidate, along with Foster. Both Bison are local products from Gonzaga College High School in D.C.
 
Following the game, White shared an interesting story about Chandler.
 
"During the week, I had him stand up during a meeting and I told him that I had a feeling he was going to have a great game and make big plays."
 
White quickly lamented, "I wish that we had recorded it."
 
With leading rusher Eden James (Indianapolis) out the game and the injury to Scroggins, it was Roberson, who spared the comeback. He rushed for a career-high 76 yards on 14 carries and caught a TD pass.
 
"It is all about taking advantage of the opportunity," Roberson explained. "I know that we needed a spark and I am happy that I was able to contribute to this big victory."
 
Lost in the dramatic win was the performance of sophomore running back and kick returner John Washington III (Richmond, Va.), who returned five kickoffs for 154 yards, including a career best 61-yard return.
 
NEXT UP: Howard tries to remain undefeated in MEAC play when it travels to Durham, N.C., to take on the Eagles of North Carolina Central Saturday (Oct. 31). Kickoff at 2 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.