Howard Erases Fourth-Quarter Deficit to Hand Alabama A&M a 31-24 Loss
Alabama A&M rallied from a 13-point deficit to take its first lead, only to watch Howard reclaim the advantage with a 51-yard touchdown pass with 2:41 remaining.
ATLANTA — Alabama A&M appeared to have seized control of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge late Saturday night, but Howard answered with the game’s biggest play and turned a seven-point comeback into a 31-24 victory at Center Parc Stadium.
The Bulldogs, representing the Southwestern Athletic Conference, fell to 0-1 while Howard opened the season 1-0. The 20th annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge drew 17,320 fans and marked only the second meeting between the HBCU programs. Howard also won their first meeting, 28-7, in 1992.
Howard controlled the opening quarter, taking a 10-0 lead behind quarterback Ja’Shawn Scroggins and a defense that forced Alabama A&M into early three-and-outs.
The Bulldogs finally found their rhythm in the second quarter.
Quarterback Cornelious Brown IV connected with Jarel Williams on a 26-yard touchdown before finding Imari Conley for a 14-yard score just before halftime. Alabama A&M went into the break trailing 20-14.
Howard added a field goal in the third quarter, but Alabama A&M delivered its strongest stretch of football in the fourth.
Brown capped an 80-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 23-21. After the Bulldogs forced a three-and-out, they drove into scoring range and took their first lead when David Faulk connected on a field goal, putting Alabama A&M ahead 24-23 with 7:49 remaining.
That lead lasted less than six minutes.
With Howard facing a critical fourth-and-2, Scroggins scrambled 13 yards to keep the drive alive. Two plays later, he found Se’Quan Osborne behind the Alabama A&M secondary for a 51-yard touchdown with 2:41 left. Howard added a two-point conversion to make it 31-24.
Alabama A&M still had an opportunity.
Brown moved the Bulldogs into Howard territory on the final possession, reaching the Bison 21-yard line. But Howard’s Aidan Foster forced a fumble, and Rodney Roane Jr. recovered with 27 seconds remaining to end the threat.
Brown completed 25 of 41 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown. Williams led the Bulldogs with four receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown, while Conley caught five passes for 39 yards and scored once. Maurice Edwards rushed for 57 yards on seven carries.
Defensively, Jeremiah Hudson-Davis led Alabama A&M with 12 tackles, followed by John Robinson with 10. The Bulldogs also recorded four sacks and held Howard to 114 rushing yards.
Howard finished with 436 yards of total offense, including 322 passing yards. Scroggins completed 19 of 36 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns while adding 49 rushing yards. He was named the game's Most Valuable Player.
The loss leaves Alabama A&M 0-2 all-time in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge and 0-2 against Howard.
For the Bulldogs, the focus now shifts from a painful Atlanta finish to the regular season. Alabama A&M returns home Sept. 5 for the Louis Crews Classic against Miles College at Louis Crews Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m.
The game also gave the MEAC an early advantage in the annual matchup between the two HBCU conferences, improving the MEAC's all-time MEAC/SWAC Challenge record to 13-7.
