The Battle for the “Real HU” title stays in the nation’s capital. On Saturday afternoon, the Howard Bison delivered a physical, suffocating performance to take down the Hampton Pirates 27-13. With this victory, Howard has now secured back-to-back wins over their historic rivals, pushing their current winning streak in the series to two games.
From the jump, the Bison established a punishing ground game and an absolutely relentless defensive front. While Hampton managed to strike first with a 28-yard field goal from Brett Starling, Howard immediately answered when Travis Kerney punched in a 2-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter.
Dominance in the Trenches
The story of the game was Howard’s defensive front seven, which completely dismantled Hampton’s offensive line. The Pirates were held to an abysmal 36 net rushing yards on 27 attempts—a mere 1.3 yards per carry. Howard’s defense lived in the backfield, racking up a staggering six sacks for 42 lost yards.
Offensively, Howard imposed their will on the ground and efficiently moved the chains to dominate the time of possession (34:36 to Hampton’s 25:24). Eden James added a second rushing touchdown early in the second quarter, capping a methodical 10-play, 75-yard drive to put the Bison up 14-3.
The Dagger
Hampton showed brief signs of life in the second quarter when quarterback Xavier Brookins connected with Nare Means for a 32-yard touchdown to cut the lead to four. However, Howard never let the Pirates fully grab the momentum. Matt Conord stayed perfectly reliable for the Bison, hitting field goals from 25 and 39 yards to keep Hampton at arm’s length through the third quarter.
The definitive dagger came with 9:59 left in the fourth. Clinging to a 20-13 lead, Howard dialed up a deep shot. Quarterback Ja’Shawn Scroggins found Billy Roberson II for an explosive 52-yard touchdown strike, completely taking the wind out of Hampton’s sails and sealing the 27-13 victory.
Scroggins finished the game with 267 passing yards, while rushing for a game-high 64 yards.
By The Numbers
| Metric | Howard Bison | Hampton Pirates |
| Total Offense | 387 yards | 277 yards |
| Passing Yards | 267 yards | 241 yards |
| Rushing Yards | 120 yards | 36 yards |
| Sacks Produced | 6 | 1 |
| Third Down Conv. | 6 of 15 | 4 of 13 |
The Takeaway
This was a massive statement for Howard, moving them to 2-3 on the 2026 season. When you can shut down a rival’s rushing attack and generate consistent backfield pressure without needing to bring heavy blitzes, you control the clock and the flow of the game. For the alumni and the fans in D.C., the bragging rights are safely secured for another 365 days.
