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.
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 NCAA FCS 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.
Jay Walker of ESPN Gimme 5
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.
[ Featured Image Sierra Club Twitter account. ]
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