Howard defeats Hampton 10-7, its first win since 1995 in battle of the 'Real HU'

HAMPTON, Virginia — Gary Harrell insisted his Howard Bison don't get caught up in any "Real HU" rivalry with Hampton. The sight of his players bathing Harrell in three Gatorade showers as their coach gestured triumphantly toward Howard fans after his team's 10-7 victory Saturday at Armstrong Stadium suggested otherwise.

Of course, Hampton's supporters probably aren't familiar with a typical Howard celebration, since it's been so long since they've witnessed one. The Pirates came in having won 14 straight in the series, with Howard's last victory coming in 1995. But on this chilly, blustery afternoon, that streak died — along with Hampton's dreams of claiming a share of the MEAC title.

At least that was the opinion of Hampton coach Donovan Rose, who didn't need to wait for the results of games involving conference leaders Norfolk State and Morgan State to offer what amounted to a concession speech.

"That's over now," a solemn Rose said of the Pirates' title chances. "All we can do now, hopefully, is having a winning season."

Despite subpar offense all afternoon, the Pirates (5-4, 3-3 MEAC) positioned themselves to steal this one late in the third quarter when, trailing by three, they had first-and-goal at the Howard 2-yard line.

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Pirates lose the battle of the "Real HU"

HAMPTON, Virginia - For the first time since 1995, Howard claimed the Battle of the Real HU in a series that had become a one-sided battle for the past 15 years. After the dust had cleared, Howard left Armstrong Stadium on Saturday with a 10-7 win over Hampton.

Hampton (5-4, 4-3 MEAC) seemed like it was out of sync the entire first half, as the Pirates were unable to get on the scoreboard. As for Howard (5-5, 4-3 MEAC), the Bison were able to get in the red zone, but couldn’t convert as the Pirates defense forced a turnover and prevented the Bison from scoring. Hampton’s defense held the Bison out of end zone on two different occasions and forced Howard to attempt a field goal on both. The Pirates defense also forced a fumble in the end zone late in the game, which became the only score of the day for Hampton.

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