The defending MEAC champion Howard Bison kicked their season off in a matchup against Rutgers, falling 44-7.
After much speculation about who Howard’s starting quarterback would be, redshirt sophomore Ja’Shawn Scroggins got the nod and came out hot.
Beginning at their 10, Scroggins helped lead the Bison to midfield primarily on the ground, rushing for 26 yards on two attempts.
His running ability was a particular highlight throughout the game. In the first half, he rushed for 56 yards on seven attempts (he ended with 67 rushing yards). He also recorded 116 passing yards, completing 14 of 25 attempts.
However, Howard’s first drive ended in disaster as a Scroggins pass attempt was picked off and returned for the game’s first touchdown.
While the Bison defense struggled to stop Rutgers’ run game, allowing 329 rushing yards, they held their offense relatively in check in the first half. They had them without a score through two sustained drives before allowing the first offensive touchdown in the final five minutes.
Trailing 14-0 in the final minute of the first half, Howard put its first points on the board on a two-yard touchdown run by Eden James.
In the final 40 seconds of the first half, Rutgers would drive the ball 61 yards downfield for a 36-yard field goal to take a 17-7 lead into the half.
This set the tone for the second half as Rutgers scored on four of their five offensive drives to put the game away. Rutgers dominated time of possession, holding the ball for 60% of the second half.
