South Carolina State needed nearly every second Thursday night to escape Washington with its perfect conference record intact.
Running back Ricorian Brown scored on a 9-yard touchdown run with 17 seconds remaining, lifting the No. 24 Bulldogs to a 35-28 victory over Howard at Greene Stadium in a game that turned out to be far more competitive than many might have expected.
The win improved South Carolina State to 8-2 overall and 3-0 in the MEAC, keeping the Bulldogs unbeaten in league play and firmly in the race for another conference championship.
Brown finished with a career-high 143 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, providing the offensive spark South Carolina State needed after Howard erased a 14-point halftime deficit.
The Bulldogs appeared to have control of the game after building a 21-7 lead at halftime. But Howard, coming off a 34-0 loss to North Carolina Central the previous week, responded with a determined second-half effort that nearly produced one of the MEAC’s biggest upsets of the season.
Howard rallies from 14-point deficit to challenge South Carolina State
South Carolina State opened the scoring with a 49-yard field goal by Jett Jackson, but Howard answered when Se’Quan Osborne broke loose for a 38-yard touchdown run to give the Bison a 7-3 first-quarter advantage.
The Bulldogs eventually found their rhythm in the second quarter.
Jackson connected on another field goal, this time from 34 yards, before quarterback Keely Watson found Jahzae Kimbrough for a 14-yard touchdown pass that put South Carolina State ahead 13-7.
Reserve quarterback Ronnie Robinson added a 3-yard touchdown run late in the half, followed by a successful 2-point conversion, giving the Bulldogs a 21-7 lead heading into the locker room.
Howard, however, wasn’t finished.
Quarterback Isaiah Freeman led a 90-yard scoring drive in the third quarter, connecting with Antonio Hunter on an 11-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to seven.
The Bison followed with another impressive drive, covering 70 yards in six plays. Freeman again found Hunter, this time for a 26-yard touchdown, tying the game at 21 with 45 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Suddenly, a game that appeared to be headed toward another comfortable Bulldog victory had turned into a fourth-quarter battle.
Ricorian Brown delivers late touchdown in South Carolina State victory
Brown helped the Bulldogs regain the lead early in the fourth quarter, breaking a 64-yard run that set up his 9-yard touchdown carry with 10:21 remaining.
The three-play, 90-yard drive lasted just 54 seconds and put South Carolina State back in front 28-21.
Howard continued to answer.
Freeman engineered an 86-yard drive late in the fourth quarter, connecting with CJ Neely on a 51-yard touchdown pass that tied the game at 28 with 1:31 remaining.
That left South Carolina State with enough time to respond, and the Bulldogs made the most of it.
Watson directed a seven-play, 74-yard drive that ended with Brown’s second 9-yard touchdown run of the quarter. Jackson’s extra point gave the Bulldogs their final seven-point margin.
Watson finished 21-of-29 passing for 241 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Malaqhi Jones was his primary target, catching nine passes for 107 yards.
South Carolina State accumulated 479 yards of total offense, including 226 rushing yards, while averaging 6.9 yards per play.
Still, the Bulldogs were far from flawless. South Carolina State committed 15 penalties for 141 yards and converted just two of its 12 third-down opportunities, numbers that helped keep Howard within striking distance.
For Howard (4-6, 1-2 MEAC), Freeman delivered one of his strongest performances of the season, completing 19 of 37 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 62 yards.
Hunter finished with five receptions for 52 yards and two touchdowns, while Neely added two catches for 64 yards and a score.
The Bison finished with 382 yards of offense, including 149 rushing yards, and showed considerable improvement from their shutout loss to North Carolina Central.
