J’Mari Taylor rushed for 205 yards and three touchdowns while quarterback Walker Harris complied 321 yards passing and a TD pass in a 26-3 win for North Carolina Central over Howard on Friday night that also included a postgame brawl.
Howard opened the scoring in the closing seconds of the first quarter following a 36-yard field goal from Dylan West, putting the Bison up 3-0.
But the Eagles answered in the closing minutes of the second quarter, going 71 yards in 11 plays, taking just 2:14 off the clock before Harris hit Chris Mosley for a 12 TD to put NC Central up 6-3 at halftime.
Taylor kept his streak of games with at least one rushing touchdown alive with a 61-yard score in the third to put NC Central up 13-3.
Howard (4-7, 1-3 MEAC) had the ball twice more in the third quarter, going three-and-out both times. N.C. Central had possession as the third switched to the fourth, and Taylor again found the end zone with 13:33 left in the contest.
Capping a 5-play, 33-yard drive, Taylor scored from 18 yards out to give the Eagles a 20-3 lead.
Taylor scored yet again with 6:14 left to play, scampering 40 yards to put the Eagles up 26-3.
With that run, Taylor eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards for the campaign. He’s the program’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Greg Pruitt, Jr., in 2005, and Taylor has the sixth 1,000-yard rushing season in Eagles history.
As Taylor found his second-half legs, the Eagles defense did the same. The Bison managed just 113 yards of total offense for the game — and only 24 in the second half.
“That was the best defense we’ve played since I’ve been here,” NC Central coach Trei Oliver told the media about the defensive effort.
Meanwhile, the Eagles racked up 563 yards of total offense, a season-high and the second game this season in which they have gained more than 500 yards.
The Eagles (7-3, 3-1 MEAC) had been looking forward to the matchup against Howard after the Bison handed NC Central its lone MEAC loss a year ago, which prevented them from repeating as conference champions.
“The guys wanted their lick back, and I think they got it tonight,” Oliver said.
After the game, both teams were involved in a lengthy brawl, with players from both sides either confronting each other or throwing punches. Oliver, who said he didn’t see what happened, did not condone his team’s behavior.
Postgame fight between North Carolina Central & Howard University pic.twitter.com/0GFgDLdTSt
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“That’s not our football. That’s not who we are. I don’t care what happens; we go to the locker room,” he said.
Courtesy: North Carolina A&T Athletics/HBCU Sports
