After a frustrating 32-14 road loss at Sacred Heart, Howard head coach Larry Scott is looking for answers and urgency as the Bison prepare to face Tennessee State in a high-profile road matchup this weekend.
Howard (3–3) led Sacred Heart by two touchdowns late in the first half before surrendering a momentum-swinging field goal just before halftime. The Bison never recovered, failing to score in the second half and allowing Sacred Heart to seize control.
“It was a tale of two halves,” Scott said during his weekly press conference. “We came out strong and played the first 30 minutes like we wanted to. But it’s almost like we forgot there was still another 30 minutes left to play.”
Scott cited poor execution, a lack of focus, and fatigue from an eight-hour bus trip as contributing factors. The Bison’s second-half possessions resulted in multiple punts, a turnover on downs, and a safety. “They out-executed us, out-physicaled us, out-strained us,” he said. “Everything we pride ourselves on, we didn’t show.”
Now, Howard faces a Tennessee State team (1–5) that has struggled this season but remains dangerous. The Tigers will be hosting the Bison, the only MEAC team in action this weekend, for their homecoming game in Nashville at Nissan Stadium — the NFL home of the Tennessee Titans — adding another layer of intensity to an already important game.
“If I’m them, I’m excited,” Scott said. “They saw our second half on film. I’m sure they’re licking their chops. But we’re going in with an edge. We’re building a plan to win.”
Though Tennessee State has lost five straight, Scott warned that their roster is packed with FBS-level transfers from conferences like the SEC and Big Ten.
“They look like an SEC football team on tape,” he said.
Howard will need to clean up its mistakes to compete. Penalties and third-down inefficiency plagued the Bison against Sacred Heart. Scott said a key to improvement lies in avoiding “self-inflicted wounds” and improving discipline.
“You can’t shoot yourself in the foot,” he said. “Third-and-15 is a lot harder than third-and-3, and penalties put you there.”
Defensively, the Bison were undone by miscommunication and players trying to do too much, Scott said. “We had dirty eyes, guys out of position. We got undisciplined.”
With conference play in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) looming, Scott’s message to the team is clear: respond to adversity with resilience.
“This is a test of character,” he said. “You either pack it up or you dig in and go fix what needs to be fixed. And I know we’ve got guys ready to dig in.”
Despite back-to-back losses, Howard still controls its path in the MEAC, where the race is wide open. The Bison are using this week to refocus before opening conference play.
“We haven’t played a home game yet. We’ve been road warriors,” Scott said. “Now it’s time to show who we really are.”
Kickoff against Tennessee State is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CT on Saturday and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
