Howard's offense is expected to keep WSSU occupied

Photo: Senior QB BRIAN JOHNSON #13, (53 of 85, 537 yards, 6 TD; 49 carries, 236 yards) hands ball off to #28 Frank Berchie.

ON THE AIR: Internet TV broadcast, www.howard-bison.com/ or http://www.broadcasturban.net/player/hubison/player.htm (direct link)

WSSU: Radio, WSNC 90.5 with Maurice "Big Mo" Stanfield.

Game Time: 1:00 p.m. today, Greene Stadium, Washington, DC.

By John Dell, JOURNAL REPORTER

Winston-Salem State’s long and winding road trip will continue today at Howard.

The Rams (2-2) will play their fourth straight road game in a string of six, taking on the Bison (0-3) at 1 p.m. at Greene Stadium in Washington.

Howard, under first-year coach Carey Bailey, has lost to Hampton, Florida A&M and Eastern Michigan, but Coach Kermit Blount of WSSU doesn’t want his team to take the Bison lightly.

“Our players have to know it’s still a four-quarter game,” said Blount, who was once an assistant at Howard. “We’ve got to play four quarters no matter who we’re playing.”

The defense has kept the Rams in games all season, and it will have another challenge today with Howard’s Brian Johnson, one of the most versatile quarterbacks in the MEAC.

Johnson, a 6-0, 190-pound senior and junior-college transfer, took over as the starter late last season and guided the Bison to four wins in their last five games. This season, he is second in the MEAC in passing with an average of 179 yards and second in total offense with an average of 258 yards. He has completed 53 of 85 passes for 537 yards and six touchdowns, with two interceptions, and has rushed for 236 yards.

“We have to contain him and not let him get outside the pocket,” Blount said. “Our ends (William Hayes and Michael Moore) have to contain him and try to put a little heat on him. We have to try to put some pressure on him and force him to make some errant throws and kind of frustrate him a little bit.”

Blount said that his offense needs to be more consistent and sustain some long drives, something it hasn’t done since a season-opening win against N.C. A&T. The Rams’ defense has been on the field often in the last three games.

Quarterback Monte Purvis, who suffered a sprained left shoulder in last week’s 20-7 loss to S.C. State, has missed a lot of practice time this week and is listed as probable. If he can’t go, Jarrett Dunston will make his first start.

“If Monte’s not at least 90 percent healthy by the end of the week, then he won’t play,” Blount said.

No matter who the quarterback is, finding some kind of flow would be helpful.

“The thing we’ve talked about is throwing the football more on first down and getting some completions,” Blount said. “We want to stay out of third and long and get out of that cycle. We really need to do that if we want to keep moving the ball.”

Blount said that playing six straight road games isn’t ideal but that it isn’t a reason to make excuses.

“I don’t want to blame it on anything like that,” Blount said of last week’s loss. “We’ll be on the road for our fourth straight road game, and I’m not going to say the kids are tired or the coaches are tired. The bottom line is we didn’t execute, and we jumped offsides in that last drive against South Carolina State and kind of shot ourselves in the foot.”

WSSU forced four turnovers against S.C. State, but the offense failed to take advantage.

“We need to get our offense consistent,” Blount said. “That’s something we’ve been working on all season. One thing I can’t complain about is this team’s effort. I think it’s one of the hardest-working teams we’ve ever had here.”

Notes: Linebacker Thad Griffin leads the Rams in tackles with 41. He has been the leading tackler the last two seasons…. Howard is ranked sixth in the MEAC in scoring (18.7 ppg) and eight in points allowed (33 ppg)…. Blount has a 1-2 record against Howard, with the win coming last season at Bowman Gray Stadium, 12-0.