FAMU lets huge lead slip away in the final minutes

Tallahassee, Florida - Not even Joe Taylor has seen anything like it in his more than 30 years of coaching. The 23,400 fans who showed up at Bragg Stadium sure weren't expecting it after Florida A&M had taken a three-touchdown lead on Howard University.

In stunning fashion, though, the Bison came back in the final 4 minutes and 26 seconds to pull out a dramatic 29-28 victory Saturday to hand Taylor his second homecoming loss as head coach at FAMU.

Howard converted two FAMU fumbles and the Rattlers could do nothing right in the meantime to avoid squandering it's the biggest lead it had taken on any opponent so far this season.

By the time the Bison lined up to kick the winning field goal ...

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HOWARD SCORES 29 FOURTH QUARTER POINTS IN WIN OVER FAMU

Tallahassee, FL -- Howard University erupted for 29 fourth quarter points--- including 15 in the last 1:23 to stun Florida A&M, 29-28 in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference before a near capacity homecoming crowd at Bragg Stadium.

After trailing 21-0 at the half, the Bison (3-3 overall, 2-2 in the MEAC) rallied to cut the deficit to 21-13 with 10:23 left in the fourth quarter. The Rattlers (3-3 overall, 1-2 in the MEAC), who had won seven straight from the Bison, appeared to dash their comeback hopes when they capitalized on one of the Bison’s special team miscues and turned it into a 28-13 advantage with 8:23 remaining.

But the Bison had other ideas. Freshman quarterback Greg McGhee, who threw three interceptions, engineered a five-play, 71-yard drive that was capped off by a 10-yard scoring pass to Brandon Drayton. The Bison missed the PAT and trailed, 28-19 with just 1:27 left on the clock.

The Bison executed a well-designed onside kick on the ensuing kickoff that was recovered by Theodore Graham, IV. It took the Bison five plays to go 45 yards as Andra Williams capped off the drive with a one-yard burst to narrow the gap to 28-26 with 26 ticks on the clock.

Howard attempted another onside kick, but this time the Rattlers were ready and recovered.

FAMU appeared poised to run out the clock, but Howard’s Corey Berry forced a Damien Fleming fumble that was recovered by Sackie Kerkulah at the Florida A&M 15.

In an attempt to position itself for a game-winning field, Howard ran Williams on first down and took the ball down to the FAMU 8-yard line.

That is when things really got interesting. With four seconds on the clock, the Bison lined up for what would be the potential game-winning field goal. Sophomore kicker Parker Munoz lined up and booted a 25-yard field goal that was signaled good by one official. But the Rattlers had called a timeout in an attempt to freeze Munoz.

The problem was that FAMU had already exhausted its allotment of timeouts.

After a brief discussion, the officials ruled that there would be a penalty on FAMU. They marked if off half the distance to the goal at the FAMU four-yard line, thus setting the stage for what would prove to the game-winning, 21-yards field goal by Munoz, the first game winner in his career.

“This team is growing up,” said Howard first year head coach Gary Harrell. “To be down like that and come back and win shows the character of this team. Mishaps are a part of football but what I am most proud of is that they never gave up.”

Much of the credit has to go to the staunch Bison defense, which continues to improve each week under defensive coordinator Ray Petty. After allowing drives of 80 yards and 72 yards in the first half, Howard limited the Rattlers to 21 yards total offense the second half.

The Bison forced three fumbles and picked up an interception to go along with 12 tackles for losses and three sacks. Senior defensive end Sackie Kerkulah, who is playing as well as anyone in the FCS, added two more tackles for losses to his total of 11.5 and two sacks to up his total to 7.5, ranking him among the nation’s leaders.

He received a lot of help from teammates Keith Pough (5 tackles, two for losses and a forced fumble), DeCarlos Knight (six tackles, a tackle for a loss, a fumble recovery), Kurt Mangum, II (4 tackles, 2 for losses), Julien David (8 tackles) and Cameron Alston (4 tackles, an interception).

Offensively, red-shirt sophomore running back Andra Williams and freshman Aquanius Freeman picked up the slack with the running game when leading rusher Terrance Leffall left the game with a concussion. Williams led all rushers with 76 yards on 11 carries and a TD. He also grabbed three passes for 37 yards.

Freeman, who has begun to come own, carried the ball nine times for 28 yards. Freshman quarterback Greg McGhee completed 20 of 47 passes for 233 yards and two TDs. He was picked off three times and and sacked three times, but he made the plays when the Bison needed them.

“Everyone played their role,” said Coach Harrell. “Coach Petty (defensive coordinator) and Ted White (offensive coordinator) made some great adjustments at halftime. And the players responded with a courageous effort.”

By Howard University Sports Information
VISIT: HOWARDBISON

Howard alum Gary Harrell looks to reverse the Bison’s downward trend

Washington, D.C. - If anyone knows how far the Howard football program has fallen, it’s first-year Coach Gary Harrell. As a 5-foot-7 wide receiver, he helped lead the Bison to an 11-1 record and the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs in 1993. Since 1999, though, Howard has had only two winning seasons and is coming off a 2010 campaign in which a win over Division II Lincoln was its only victory.

So it’s no surprise that Harrell has one word on his mind: redemption.

“It’s not just redemption toward the other schools in our conference, it’s redemption for ourselves, getting back to the way we play at Howard University, getting back to our tradition,” said the 39-year-old Harrell, who had a brief stint with the New York Giants. “This is the job I’ve been praying for, been preparing myself for, to be the head coach at Howard University, to be in charge of leading this program in a different direction.”

Harrell still owns the Howard record for career receptions and is known around campus as “The Flea,” the nickname he earned as a player because of his size and tenacity.



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Howard Offense Impresses Coach Harrell as Season Approaches

Washington, D.C. - Howard first-year Head Coach Gary Harrell said last week that he believes his defensive unit led by all-MEAC linebacker Keith Pough was more aggressive and ahead of the learning curve than his offensive unit during practice sessions.

But after a team scrimmage held on Aug. 20, Coach Harrell said the offense has improved enough to make a great impression on him. “Overall, I was really pleased with the progress I saw today," he said. "From an organizational standpoint and the sidelines, there was a big improvement."

Howard Sports Information Director Ed Hill said the offensive unit scored two touchdowns and a field goal during the scrimmage. One of the touchdowns was scored by all-MEAC receiver Willie Carter on a 35-yard pass from freshman starting quarterback Greg McGhee. "The defense started out strong again, but the offense picked it up and began to play better,” Harrell said. “I was especially impressed with the second unit on offense. Randy Liggins did a good job of moving the ball."

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Howard Bison 2011 Football Team
(Click on photo enlarge)
(Photo Courtesy Howard University Athletics)

Howard University Announces New Additions to Coaching Staff‎

Howard University head football coach Gary Harrell has added the following coaches to his staff for the upcoming season:

Rayford Petty       Defensive Coordinator
Ted White            Offensive Coordinator/Quarterback Coach
Ron Bolton           Defensive Back Coach
Bobby Jones         Defensive Line Coach
Jonathan Brewer   Wide Receivers Coach
Chennis Berry       Offensive Line Coach
Theron Smith         Running Backs
Mike Andrews       Kicking Coach/Special Teams


Videographer: wcsaTV

Petty is no stranger to Howard. He served as head coach of the Bison from 2002-06. He also served as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator here. The highly respected Petty has also served as defensive coordinator at both Delaware State and Norfolk State.

Petty was the defensive coordinator for the Bison during both the 1993 and 1996 seasons when the team captured the Black National championship.

White comes to Howard from Southern University where he served as quarterbacks coach last year. White is the Bison and MEAC all-time leading passer and total offense leader with almost 10,000 yards during his productive career at Howard from 1994-98.

White gained valuable coaching experience early in his career as a quarterbacks coach for Texas Southern University in 2006-07.

He played professionally for five years with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. White also had stints with the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe and the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.

Bolton also has strong ties to Howard, having served as defensive back coach under Petty from 2002-06 and playing a key role in the development of current NFL standouts, Antoine “Deuce” Bethea of the Indianapolis Colts and Ronald Bartell, Jr of the St. Louis Rams.

Prior to coming to Howard, Bolton served as secondary coach for Delaware State since 2009. He also coached at Norfolk State from 1997-2001 and at Liberty University from 1996-97.

Bolton played collegiately at Norfolk State and had an outstanding career before playing in the NFL for the New England Patriots and the Cleveland Browns.

Jones comes from Delaware State where he served as defensive line coach since 2009. Jones also served in the same capacity for the Bison under Petty from 2002-06. Jones played for Howard and was a member of the 1996 team that captured the Black National championship.


Videographer: meazteam1

Brewer comes to Howard from Johnson C. Smith where he served as wide receivers coach from 2006-09. He was a four-year letterman at Howard from 1999-2003 and was named all MEAC in 2003.

Berry comes to Howard from North Carolina A&T where he served as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach the past five years. The 1996 Savannah State graduate has also served stints at Morgan State and Forth Valley State.

Smith comes to Howard from Bowie State where he had served since 2004. At Bowie State, Smith coached under Coach Harrell, who was the offensive coordinator. He graduated from North Carolina A&T in 1993.

Andrews brings a wealth of knowledge to the kicking game. He was a standout and all-conference selection at Morgan State. He served as both punter and placekicker for the Bears.

Samuel Pough, who served as wide receivers coach last season, will continue his role of video coordinator.

By Howard University Sports Information
VISIT: HOWARD UNIVERSITY
VISIT: HOWARDBISON

Indianapolis Colts' Defensive Standout Antoine Bethea Provides Fundamentals for Success at Youth Football Camp at Howard University

Antoine Bethea, defensive back for the Indianapolis Colts will host a youth football camp on June 20-21 in Washington, DC at his alma mater, Howard University. The camp will run from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and is open to high school student athletes.

Washington, DC, (May 28, 2011)-- Antoine and the experienced coaching staff at Howard University will teach the campers football fundamentals and skills. The goal of the camp is to provide a solid foundation and instruction to help each individual participant maximize their natural ability. It also includes an equally important session off the field that addresses education and making good life choices.

"We're using football to draw them in, but I hope they leave being able to imagine the possibilities of their future with a higher education," says Bethea. “I want to instill a desire in them to learn off the field as well. Some may have never been exposed to Howard or any place of higher education, and I want to introduce that to them.”

Bethea leads by example and the importance of education is evident in his life. He left Howard early to play in the NFL, and contributed significantly to help the Colts win the Super Bowl during his rookie year. As a result of his stellar performance, Bethea’s hard work earned him a multi-year contract and a trip to the Pro Bowl. But as a testament to the beliefs his parents instilled in him, Bethea continued to work towards completing his studies and earned a degree in Administration of Justice from Howard in May 2011.



Throughout his time in the NFL, Antoine has dedicated himself to giving back to the communities that have helped him along the way. He established the Safe Coverage Foundation, which aims to empower youth toward academic success. In 2010, he gave 20 students from his former high school an all expense paid college trip to Howard and George Mason University. He also hosted a free football camp in his hometown of Newport News, VA.

Campers can register online at http://2011antoinebetheafootballcampdc.eventbrite.com/ and the cost for both days is $40. Proceeds from the camp will benefit the Antoine Bethea Safe Coverage Foundation and the Howard University Football program. Parents or Guardians will need to sign camper information form and release at check in. The camp will provide drinks, lunches and a camp T-shirt.

For more information on the camp or sponsorship opportunities contact profilespr@gmail.com.

About Howard University Football Program: Howard University is a comprehensive, research-oriented, historically Black, private university providing an educational experience of exceptional quality. The Howard Bison play in the NCAA Division 1 as a member of the MEAC Conference.

About Antoine Bethea: Bethea was a three-time All-America and All-MEAC player during his years at Howard. He was a sixth round draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2006. Bethea is a two-time pro-bowler and has made two trips to the Super Bowl. He has developed a reputation as one of the top tacklers in the NFL and was recently selected to the 2010 USA Football/NFLPA All-Fundamentals Team.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE

Contact Information
Antoine Bethea
Katrina Leonce
770-222-2229
profilespr@gmail.com
http://2011antoinebetheafootballcampdc.eventbrite.com/

Howard University Announces 2011 Football Signees

Howard University announces the signing of the following players to grant in aids for the 2011 season:

John Smith TE 6-7 265 Atlanta, GA/North Cobb HS

Greg McGhee QB 6-3 200 Pittsburgh, PA/Perry HS

Kyrian Batiste OL 6-3 270 Grand Prairie, TX/James Bowie HS

Rodney Tyson RB 5-9 175 Evans, GA/Greenbrier HS

Stewart Hartman WR 6-3 170 Gretna, LA/West Jefferson

Aquanius Freeman RB 5-10 185 New Orleans, LA/Edna Karr

Hayward Robinson DT 6-2 275 Elloree, SC/Lake Marion

David Izebere DT 6-5 270 Mitchellville, MD

Jermaine Fox DB 6-1 200 Sacramento, CA




By Tiffany White, Sports Information Assistant
Howard University
Visit: Howard-Bison Athletics

Howard University Announces 2011 Football Schedule

WASHINGTON, DC - Howard University announces its 2011 football schedule. The Bison, under new head coach Gary Harrell, will open the season at Eastern Michigan on September 3. It will be the second meeting between the two schools. The Bison will then take on Morehouse College in the First Nation's Football Classic at RFK Stadium on September 10.

Howard will have its home and MEAC opener on September 17 against Norfolk State at Greene Stadium.

Road games will follow at East Rutherford, NJ in the New York Urban League against Morgan State on September 24, at Savannah State in Savannah, GA on October 1 and at Florida A&M University on October 8.

The Bison return home for three straight games beginning with Georgetown on October 15, against North Carolina A&T for homecoming on October 22, and against South Carolina State on October 29.

Howard then travels to Hampton, VA to take on the Pirates on November 5, and then following a bye week, will travel to Dover, DE on November 19 to close out the regular season against the Hornets of Delaware State.

September
3 at Eastern Michigan, TBA

10 vs Morehouse# 3:30 pm

17 vs NORFOLK STATE, 1 pm

24 vs Morgan State&, 4 pm

October
1 at Savannah State, TBA

8 at Florida A&M, TBA

15 vs Georgetown, 1 pm

22 vs NORTH CAROLINA A&T@, 1 pm

29 vs SC STATE, 1 pm

November
5 at Hampton, TBA

19 at Delaware State, 12 pm

MEAC Games in bold
Home Games in All CAPS
#RFK Stadium, Washington, DC (The Nation’s Football Classic™)
&NY Urban League Classic at New Giants Stadium
@Homecoming

Ed Hill Jr., Sports Information Director
Howard University, Washington, D.C.
READ MORE AT: howard-bison.com

Southern Jaguars quarterbacks coach White leaves for Howard University Bison

Coach Ted White

The Southern University football program will have at least one change to its coaching staff this season. Quarterbacks coach Ted White, a former Glen Oaks High School standout, has left Southern to become offensive coordinator at Howard, his alma mater.

“He asked me if I minded that, and I said no,” SU coach Stump Mitchell said. “I would never try to prevent someone from advancing their career.”

Southern’s passing game was hot and cold last season as the Jaguars finished 2-9, posting their worst record in school history. SU ranked fourth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference at 218.5 yards per game, but its completion percentage (47) was eighth in the 10-team league.

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Howard University president announces school's upgraded commitment to athletics

Howard University President Sidney Ribeau stood before a packed conference room at Blackburn Center on Wednesday and made a pronouncement that came as welcome news to Bison fans: Ribeau pledged his commitment to athletics.

The purpose of the gathering was to formally introduce Athletic Director Skip Perkins, who took over on Dec. 6, and the new football coach Gary Harrell, who was hired earlier this month. But the message Ribeau delivered was clear: Howard, which in the past had at best ignored and at worst disdained athletics, is at long last committed to fielding competitive sports programs.

"Let me just say to you without any kind of reservation that we are committed to intercollegiate athletics at Howard University," said Ribeau....


Videographer: SportsGrooveTV

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Howard University names Gary "The Flea" Harrell as its new head football coach

Bison Coach Gary Harrell

WASHINGTON (January 6, 2011) – Howard University Director of Athletics Louis "Skip" Perkins has announced the hiring of Gary Harrell as the new head football coach."Our goal is to re-establish a competitive football program and athletic program overall at Howard University," Perkins said. "As an alumnus, a championship athlete and a strong coach, we are confident in Coach Gary "The Flea" Harrell."

Gary Harrell recently completed his two seasons as the offensive coordinator for Bowie State University's football team. Prior to joining the Bulldogs, Harrell served as the quarterbacks coach at Morgan State University (2008 - 2009) and the wide receivers coach for Team Michigan, a member of the All-American Football League (Feb. 2008 – May 2008). The Miami native began his coaching career at Howard (2002-2004) as wide receiver coach. After two seasons at Howard, Harrell also served as Wide Receiver coach at Texas Southern (2004-2006), and Florida A&M (2006-2008).

Howard expected to name Gary Harrell as its new head football coach

Howard is expected to name Gary Harrell as its new head football coach, individuals with knowledge of the school's search said. Harrell, the associate head coach and offensive coordinator at Bowie State, would replace Carey Bailey, who was let go last month. The individuals asked not to be identified because they aren't authorized to speak on the school's behalf. 

By bringing in the 38-year-old Harrell, Howard is reaching back into its past. Harrell, who was known as "The Flea," was a member of the Bison's most successful team, the 1993 squad that went undefeated, won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title, reached the division I-AA playoffs and was unofficially crowned the black college football national champion.

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