WASHINGTON – With the season opener less than a week away, Howard’s offense is rounding into shape.
“I was very pleased with our effort,” said Howard third-year head coach Larry Scott. “I liked our tempo and sense of urgency on both sides of the ball. I was most pleased with our sense of efficient operation. We were able to transition on and off the field with efficiency and that is so important.”
“On offense, our quarterback (Quinton Williams) played very well,” said Scott. “He was very efficient and accurate while making good decisions. The backs collectively ran the ball well and had some nice catches out of the backfield.”
The young defense, which was often victimized by big plays last season, was a serious area of concern that Scott felt needed to be addressed. The unit recorded only three takeaways a year ago.
“The focus is on a higher level of efficiency,” Scott noted. “During the scrimmage, I saw some improvement and we were able to create some turnovers. The goal for us is taking the ball away and not giving up big plays. We did a much better job in that area.”
The team was able to evaluate the special teams, particularly the kickoff and return teams.
“We got a chance to evaluate and see who would be able to make a contribution in that area,” Scott added.
On the “need for improvement area,” Scott has a couple of concerns that need to be addressed before the opener.
“We need to clean up a few things,” he explained. “Defensively, we gave up a deep ball in the passing game and a couple of running plays. On offense, we had a couple of mental mistakes in the red zone that we need to clean up. But overall, I was pleased that with less than two weeks left, we are very close to being game ready.”
The Bison open the season in the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge against Alabama State on Saturday in Atlanta.
Courtesy: Howard Athletics
