Washington, DC—Ricorian Brown delivered when South Carolina State needed him most, scoring the game-winning touchdown with 17 seconds remaining to give the Bulldogs a 35-28 victory over Howard on Thursday night.
Brown rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns, capping a strong performance with a decisive 9-yard scoring run after South Carolina State put together a 74-yard drive covering seven plays.
The 24th-ranked Bulldogs improved to 8-2 overall and remained unbeaten in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play at 3-0.
South Carolina State appeared to have control early, taking a 21-7 advantage into halftime. Howard responded after the break, however, finding the end zone twice in the third quarter to pull even at 21-21.
Brown helped restore the Bulldogs’ lead with a 9-yard touchdown run with 10:21 remaining in the fourth quarter. Howard answered again when Isaiah Freeman connected with CJ Neely on a 51-yard touchdown pass, tying the game at 28 with 2:52 left.
That set the stage for Brown’s final contribution. South Carolina State moved down the field on its last possession, and Brown finished the drive with his second 9-yard touchdown run to put the Bulldogs ahead for good.
Keely Watson guided the South Carolina State offense through the air, completing 21 of 29 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown. Malaqhi Jones was his leading receiver, recording nine receptions for 107 yards. Jett Jackson contributed two field goals, connecting from 34 and 49 yards.
Freeman threw for 233 yards and three touchdowns for Howard, which fell to 4-6 overall and 1-2 in conference play. Antonio Hunter caught five passes for 52 yards and two touchdowns, while Neely finished with two receptions for 64 yards and a score.
South Carolina State generated 479 yards of total offense, including 226 on the ground. The Bulldogs’ defense limited Howard to 382 total yards.
Up Next:
South Carolina State returns home Nov. 14 to face North Carolina Central.
Howard also has a home date scheduled for Nov. 14, when it takes on Delaware State.
