Howard University’s football team is finally coming home, and hoping home-field advantage will help them reset their season.
The Bison (3–4) have dropped three straight games, but head coach Larry Scott said the focus is shifting to the conference slate, which begins Saturday at Greene Stadium against Morgan State.
The 3:30 p.m. kickoff will be Howard’s first on-campus home game this season.
“Our guys will have a different energy about playing home,” Scott said. “It’s been a long time coming, and we’re excited for the opportunity.”
Scott said his team is ready to turn the page following last weekend’s 24–7 loss at Tennessee State, a game in which turnovers proved costly. The Tigers capitalized on two Howard miscues, scoring three touchdowns off turnovers in what Scott called “the difference in swinging the game.”
“You can’t go on the road in a homecoming environment like that and turn the football over,” Scott said during the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) coaches’ call Monday. “Other than that, we kind of tossed it up, served it up to them, gave it to them, and they capitalized on it.”
“There’s nothing we can do about the past game but get better from it, learn from it, and move on,” he continued. “At the end of the day, everything we play for – to be in the postseason, to have an opportunity to play football around Christmas time – starts now.”
Howard’s offense has struggled in recent weeks, failing to score in the second half of each of its last three games. Scott said the issue boils down to execution and consistency.
“It comes down to finishing and execution, understanding there can be no letdown,” he said. “We haven’t executed cleanly throughout the game to the level we need to. It speaks to that 60-minute focus and attention to detail we have to have.”
Despite the challenges, Scott said he sees bright spots. The defense has been a steady unit for much of the season, and the special teams have shown improvement, aside from a blocked punt against Tennessee State. He also praised the run game as a foundation to build on entering conference play.
“If you can play great defense, run the football, and be really good in the kicking game, you’re going to give yourself a chance,” Scott said. “That’s championship-style football.”
