ATLANTA, Ga. | Cornelious Brown IV struggled early but found his rhythm late, throwing for 254 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn't enough as the Alabama A&M University football team suffered a heartbreaking 31-24 loss to Howard in the 20th Annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge on Saturday at Center Parc Stadium.
Alabama A&M (0-1) trailed 13-0 early in the second quarter before battling back and eventually taking a 24-23 lead with 7:49 remaining. Howard (1-0), however, reclaimed the lead on Se'Quan Osborne's 51-yard touchdown reception with 2:41 left and added a two-point conversion for the final margin.
Brown completed 25 of 41 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns while adding 33 rushing yards and another score. Maurice Edwards led the rushing attack with 57 yards on seven carries, while Imari Conley added 43 yards on his lone rushing attempt.
Jarel Williams led Alabama A&M's receiving corps with four catches for 72 yards and a touchdown. Conley caught five passes for 39 yards and a score, while
Jaxson Davis added five receptions for 31 yards.
Howard controlled the opening quarter, scoring on its first possession when Ja'Shawn Scroggins connected with Markus Hopson for a 1-yard touchdown. Matt Conord's 18-yard field goal extended the Bison lead to 10-0.
Conord added another field goal early in the second quarter to make it 13-0 before the Bulldogs' offense came alive.
Brown needed just four plays to guide Alabama A&M 69 yards for its first score. He connected with Williams on a 26-yard touchdown pass with 8:39 remaining in the half, trimming the deficit to 13-7. Howard responded with a Nathaniel Clark touchdown reception to restore a 20-7 lead.
Alabama A&M answered immediately.
Starting at its own 17, the Bulldogs traveled 83 yards in four plays. Brown capped the drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Conley with 2:13 remaining, sending Alabama A&M into halftime trailing 20-14.
The Bulldogs' defense kept them within striking distance during the third quarter. Howard managed only a 24-yard Conord field goal and took a 23-14 lead into the fourth.
Alabama A&M then mounted its comeback.
The Bulldogs put together an 11-play, 80-yard march spanning the third and fourth quarters. Brown capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run with 13:10 remaining, pulling Alabama A&M within 23-21.
After the defense forced a Howard punt, Alabama A&M took over in Bison territory and drove 32 yards before
David Faulk's field goal gave the Bulldogs a 24-23 lead with 7:49 to play. The two fourth-quarter scoring drives helped Alabama A&M control the ball for 9:19 and produce 156 yards in the final period.
Howard responded with the decisive drive, going 83 yards in six plays. Scroggins found Osborne for a 51-yard touchdown with 2:41 remaining, and the Bison converted the ensuing two-point attempt to move ahead 31-24.
Alabama A&M had one final opportunity, driving from its own 20 to the Howard 21 before turning the ball over with 27 seconds remaining.
Defensively,
Jeremiah Hudson-Davis paced the Bulldogs with 12 tackles, including one tackle for loss, while
John Robinson finished with 10 stops.
Nikolas Barnes,
Kylon Roberts, Ty Perry and
Shawn Collins each recorded a sack as Alabama A&M held Howard to 114 rushing yards.
CHECKING THE BOX SCORE
- Alabama A&M finished with 405 total yards, including 254 through the air
- The Bulldogs registered 19 first downs
- Cornelious Brown IV went 25-of-41 passing for 254 yards, two touchdowns and one interception
- Maurice Edwards added 57 yards on seven carries
- Jarel Williams caught four passes for 72 yards
- Jeremiah Hudson-Davis paced the defense with 12 total tackles
- John Robinson added 10 tackles
- Howard finished with 436 total yards, including 322 through the air
- The Bison recorded 21 first downs
- Ja'Shawn Scroggins went 19-of-36 passing for 315 yards and three touchdowns
- Ja'Shawn Scroggins led the ground game with 49 yards on 15 carries
- Nathaniel Clark caught six passes for 39 yards
- Kaleb Gallup led the defense with seven tackles
NEWS & NOTES
- Alabama A&M and Howard met for the second time
- The Bulldogs fell to 0-2 all-time against the Bison
- AAMU is now 0-2 in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge
- The Bulldogs trailed 10-0 after the first quarter
- The Maroon & White did not pick up its first down until 9:02 remained in the second quarter
- Alabama A&M was 3-of-10 on third-down conversions
- The Bulldogs were limited to just 23:56 in time of possession
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs will play the first of three straight home games next Saturday when Alabama A&M welcomes Miles College to Louis Crews Stadium for the 16th Annual Louis Crews Classic. Kickoff against the Golden Bears is scheduled for 6 p.m.
For complete coverage of Alabama A&M Athletics — The Rocket City's Only Division I Program — visit the official homepage at www.aamusports.com. Follow the Bulldogs on social media: Instagram (@aamuathletics), Facebook (aamubulldogathletics), X (@_aamuathletics) and TikTok (aamuathletics).
