Sometimes promising seasons are cut down. DeMatha football started out hot, but then suffered consecutive losses to league foes Gonzaga, Good Counsel, and Saint Johns College. The Stags managed to beat Bishop McNamara and Archbishop Carroll to finish as the fourth playoff seed in the WCAC but they lost 14-17 to Saint John’s College in the first round. We must admit that we were a little sad about the 6-5 overall record and a fourth place finish in the WCAC – until we remembered that we had another picture of Alexis Savage to post.
Alexis Savage knows that hoops are on the horizon.
The Howard Bison football team also started hot when they registered a win at a UNLV and a close loss to Kent State, two FCS schools. The University of Richmond put a chill on when they destroyed the Bison 68-21 in September. Then North Carolina Central University left the normally potent offense frozen when they orchestrated a 13-7 victory in DC. Howard (7-4) eventually finished second in the MEAC despite losing to Hampton University in what we like to call the Bourgeoisie Bowl and missed their sliver of an opportunity to play in the Celebration Bowl, instead.
All of that losing makes us sad. Look people, studies have shown that the majority of teenage boys like modest pictures of extremely hot women so we’re really just providing a serviceable means of introduction here. Let the Ooh La La’s of the Howard University Showtime Marching Band take you away from all of this.
We are better now. Don’t give up on us! We’re not going to let some silly football games get in the way of making some real progress on this blog. We’re total homers for DeMatha Catholic High School for Boys and Howard University, here. We’re never going to pretend to be anything else even if the analytics say that we should diversify for greater SEO appeal. We aren’t in it for the short term game, are we? We’re in this thing for the long haul.
For instance, don’t talk to us about how well your child reads at three-years-old. Talk to us about how well your child reads at thirty. That seems to be a better measurement of a job done well. We are all about progress here on The Chronicles Of Six and both football teams are up to challenges ahead. To lay some more smooth Black vernacular on you, DeMatha is certainly going to DeMatha. Caylin Newton has three more years of eligibility at Howard University but he was already named the MEAC Rookie of the Year.
You know How It Goes Down… We’re going to continue to keep you posted.
The Bison are still in the fog, but they are eerily emerging and showing definite form.
The Howard University Bison kept their homecoming party going at the expense of the South Carolina State Bulldogs, 28-20. The Bison passed a huge road test today and proved that they have the mettle to be contenders in the MEAC. It is hard to believe that just a year ago other teams were going out of their way to schedule the Howard Bison for their homecomings, and we almost feel bad for the Bulldogs. In order to put this win into a historical perspective for you, Howard hasn’t beaten SCCU in fifteen years. The Bison have come out of the shadows of the previous year and now find themselves at a defining moment of their season.
The Undefeated conspicuously attended the Bison festivities last week and published an awesome GIF set, and we’re sharing it again here because of reasons. (Google+ link above, after the jump.) Howard University football has the Bison hopping on the yard because their hopes are still alive to play in the 2017 Celebration Bowl. This is a really big deal like when it isn’t Mr. Wiggles and Gangster Psi in the middle of the square of the Showtime Marching Band. Who else is allowed to break the ranks of good college band? Only old Drum Majors get to do that type of shit. HBCU football isn’t for everybody so just move on if you didn’t get it. It goes without saying now that we are obliged to cover the Bison as long as they have a chance.
C.Newton passes it to J.Ezzard for a 94 yard TOUCHDOWNNNN reception !!!!
We mentioned it before but with players like quarterback Caylin Newton, a Bison win is always a possibility. The dynamic true freshman is racking up tons of yardage in head coach Mike London’s potent #GoGo offense. Thanks to Howard Athletics, we were able to follow along on Twitter and Instagram as the Bison showed that the #MissionPossible campaign, might be aiming a low. The special operation to #Protect Caylin has allowed him to find his targets and is causing our opponents to have nightmares. In the midst of the weekend before Halloween, it is obvious to everybody, by now, that there is a very good reason to be scared of the Bison.
Yards per Catch is a huge statistic in football, and Howard University is going to remain among the leaders in that category in NCAAFCS largely due to Caylin. The Bison employed their favorite weapon against the Bulldogs early and often. Already armed with a formidable running game, the Bison have been daring teams to stop them on the ground before unleashing receivers that have been playing like monsters this year. It was the long scoring plays that ultimately created an insurmountable distance that South Carolina State couldn’t recover from today. The Bison are probably going to need a similar performance next week when they travel to Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University on November 4. The FAMU Rattlers are coming off a win versus Morgan State and are looking to poison the Bison optimism because everybody is hip to their game.
If the Bison (5-3) can continue their winning ways against the remaining scheduled opponents they could be in contention for an unlikely feat and a nationally televised bowl game. The MEAC is suddenly top-heavy this year with the Bison in the picture and they could complete a near reversal of the 2016 season when they went 2-9 on the season. The Bison would also have to beat Norfolk State at Greene Stadium and finally Hampton University away, in Virginia, in order to remain in relative control of their own destiny in the conference.
Even ESPN commentator and Howard University alumnus Jay “Sky” Walker has the Bison in his Power Rankings this week, under the rightfully bestowed moniker “the only HU.” (You go on ahead and run and tell Harvard University that we said it.) The bad news in all of this is the fact that Hampton is in the top five also, and none of the remaining games are likely to go gently for the Bison. If you want to read about the outside chance for Howard University to play in the premier HBCU Bowl game at the end of the season, I suggest you check out HBCU Gameday right now. We say again, the Celebration Bowl and a MEAC title are still within the grasp of the Bison. We’re going to keep you posted.
On October 21 the Howard University Bison had their annual homecoming extravaganza but for the first time in four years, they managed to also celebrate on the football field. The Morgan State University Bears fell to the Bison 39-14, in front of a sellout star-studded crowd, and the thrilling game was never really in doubt.
The unheralded heroes of the contest were the seniors that had to read articles on shade tree, janky websites like this one for not winning every homecoming game, every single time. This is Black college (HBCU) football, after all. Everybody loves it because Black College football is just down like that. The brand of MEAC football is on the rise though, and lately, the Bison have been playing like it. Howard leads the FCS Division 1 in several key categories in offense but it was the defense that eventually lived up to their potential by stopping the Morgan Bears.
Senior linebacker Devin Rollins was the leading tackler and he recapped his game experience with HBCU Gameday but the entire defense for the Bison was motivated. Nobody wants to lose on homecoming, and certainly not for four years in a row. The Howard Bison red zone defense came up with big turnovers time and again, making it look like it was routine. #6 Bryan Cook, a freshman cornerback, had two interceptions by himself. The Bears have had their own share of problems on offense, so the Bison are still going to be answering questions about if they can stop teams with more potency, but homecoming wins are more than just wins.
A coach congratulates Howard quarterback Caylin Newton for going over 2000 yards for the season. [ Photo from the Twitter account of Coach Marion Brennan. ]
The Black College Football Hall of Fame already has their eye on the Howard quarterback that stands out from the crowd. [ Photo from the Black College Football Hall of Fame Twitter account. ]
The added value comes from more than just beating your Baltimore neighbors in Greene Stadium, wedged in between the shadows of the famed and revered Cook and Drew Halls. The real prestige comes from the gratitude and adoration of the shining Black masses. Indeed the entire city of Washington D.C. was at capacity for what has been a national event -no matter how the football team plays. But this is one of those years when Howard University is actually holding the goods on the football field. Caylin Newton broke a 20-yard rushing score with under two minutes to go in the first quarter to let all of the Bison sympathizers in the throngs know in short order.
The stalwart running back Anthony Philyaw (#7) went down with a shoulder injury in the course of play and didn’t have his best game. Morgan State managed to tie the game in the second quarter, briefly, but the Bison never really looked back. Caylin Newton would account for all four of the Bison offensive touchdowns on the afternoon and he just straight up confused the Bears. (Freshman strong safety Aaron Walker had a scoop and score late in the fourth quarter.) When Newton wasn’t juking his way on the ground he was throwing deep. The phenomenal freshman quarterback had two scores on the ground and an equal amount through the air.
Howard University is officially in the Caylin Newtown era, now, and he has proved to be able to confound opposing teams. The Bison faithful all love it because records are made to be broken -and Caylin already has one under his belt. To say that he is a special player is already an understatement and we aren’t factoring in any of his family members into that announcement. With the right protection and a good defensive effort, the Howard football team will always have better than a fighting chance with Caylin Newton under center.
The Bison are adding to the herd.
Caylin Newton shredded the Morgan Bears defense in big chunks through the air by connecting on strikes of 58 yards and 75 yards for his passing touchdowns. The Morgan Bears shouldn’t feel bad because Newton has done it to everybody this season, as he has already surpassed 2,000 Total Yards in his inaugural season. The true freshman is also among the NCAA FCS leaders (#13 through October 21) in total offense, and he is the only one of that rookie classification within the top 30. Howard University Football now leads the FCS in Passing Yards per Completion a feat that would have seemed impossible at this same date last year.
If you are late to this party, you need to stop hating and recognize that Caylin Newton has been more than a boon for the Bison and peep our proclamation. We have purposefully overstated it in the past but we need to #ProtectCaylinat all costs because he is the future of Black College football. The ESPN announcers broadcasting the play-by-play of the game only lamented the disappearance of the simmering crowd in the middle of the fourth quarter (when Caylin Newton sat down) but we don’t always expect all them to really get it. A win like this is a luxury the current students aren’t used to and they undoubtedly went to better position themselves for the festivities bubbling a block down Georgia Avenue. Caylin Newton has proven to be the gift that keeps on giving by inspiring the recruiting efforts of Howard University and through his leadership on the field.
Head coach Mike London, and his son Michael W. London Jr., are rightfully optimistic. The Bison (4-3) have bought into their #MissionPossible mantra and they’re heading down to South Carolina State on October 27 with a winning record. The future is bright and that is worthy of some serious dap. The Chronicles of Six hopes that everyone had a Happy Howard Homecoming and that you will continue to check our CP-time, bootleggin’ asses for updates and coverage. Go Bison!
[Featured Image from the Twitter account of President Wayne Frederick, linked above.]
The Chronicles of Six 