Bison Break 14 Year Losing Streak With The First Win Over Hampton Since 1996

In a battle of the "HUs" the Howard University Bison emerged victorious, beating the Hampton University Pirates 10-7. The Hampton Institute, now named Hampton University was unable to keep up with the Bison on either side of the ball. To say the least, it was a dominating performance by the Howard defense and running game. Senior running back Terrence Lefall finished the game with a career high 131 yards on 42 carries, a record for number of carries by a Bison running back. "The game plan was to give the ball to Terrance Leffall and control the clock," coach Gary Harrell told Howard Athletics. The Bison easily dominated the time of possession matchup holding the ball for 41:19, keeping the Pirate offense on the sideline the majority of the game.

With the Bison in possession of the ball for the majority of the game, their offense experienced difficulty when in the red zone. This has been a trend for this Bison team all season, once inside the 20-yard line, the offense is not producing touchdowns at a consistent rate. The only Howard touchdown came on a 2 yard run by freshman quarterback Greg McGhee, playing an efficient game ending with 132 yards on 14 completions. However, McGhee did fumble deep in Howard territory, in which the ball was recovered by Hampton defensive lineman Charles Owens, in the end zone for the only Hampton score of the day.

The Bison defense performed at a high level the entire game, containing the Hampton offense, not allowing their offense an opportunity to get into a rhythm. The Bison defense held the Pirates to a season low 122 yards and 7 points. Without starting defensive end Sackie Kerkulah, who leads the MEAC in tackles for losses and sacks, the defense didn't miss a beat. Playing in Kerkulah's place was sophomore defensive end Markee White, who registered 7 tackles, two of which were for a lost, and a big sack near the end of the game.

"It was a tremendous hit to the defense," said linebacker Keith Pough, of Kerkulah's absence, "[White] was ready to step up to play, got the job done and made great plays."

This win marks the first time since 1995 that Howard beat Hampton in a football game, a fitting way for first year head coach to start against their rivals. "I'm so proud," said Courtney Barringtine, a senior speech pathology major, who went to support the Bison on the road, "after winning homecoming and beating schools such as Morehouse, North Carolina A&T, and FAMU. We are having a good season."

This sets the Bison up with a 5-5 record going into their bye week, and a winning record in conference play at 4-3. Howard performed very well in a classic football game, where a strong defense and effective running attack leads to wins. "This is a great win for the students to claim who the Real HU is through football," Pough said, "we had the right combination of coaches and players to get it done."