Check out the HBCU football highlights from the Battle of the Real HU between Howard and Hampton, and get a sideline analysis from HBCU Gameday reporter Raichele Privette. Game recap courtesy of Hampton Athletics.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 21, 2024) … The 100th HBCU football meeting between Hampton (3-1) and Howard (2-2), affectionately called the Battle of the Real HU was one for the books. Although Hampton never trailed, the game went down to the final few minutes before the Pirates notched a 27-20 win for their eighth consecutive win in the series.
A crowd of 16,813 at Washington, D.C.’s Audi Field saw Hampton score the first two touchdowns. But the Bison battled back to tie the game in the third quarter. Hampton’s Ja’Quan Snipes took control and scored a touchdown late in the third quarter and another midway through the fourth quarter as the Pirates prevailed.
It looked like Hampton might pull away for an easy win.
Following a missed 39-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter by Howard, Hampton starting quarterback Chris Zellous engineered a nine-play, 79-yard drive culminating in a six-yard touchdown pass from Zellous to Tyler Hatcher with 3:51 to go in the first quarter. Brian Csehoski booted the extra point to give Hampton a 7-0 advantage.
Pirate coach Trent Boykin inserted quarterback Malcolm Mays into the line-up in the second quarter. He immediately moved the Pirates 65 yards and, after a fake handoff, rambled 34 yards up the middle for Hampton’s second score. The extra point boosted Hampton’s lead to 14-0 with 10:31 before halftime.
Hampton drove inside the five-yard line midway through the second quarter but came away empty after a fumble. Howard engineered its only drive of the first half and drove 93 yards in seven plays. The Bison scored with 1:51 to go in the half on a trick play when Tolbert pitched the ball to Kasey Hawthorne in an apparent reverse. But Hawthorne tossed a 24-yard pass to an open Richie Ilarraza in the end zone to give Howard its first points of the game making it 14-7 at halftime.
Howard fought back to tie the game midway through the third quarter. The Bison drove 77 yards and had a first-and-goal at the five-yard line. But the Pirate defense stiffened and Hampton’s Xavier Marshall forced a Bison fumble at the one-yard line and Brandon Murphy recovered. On the next possession, Eden James ran 16 yards for a score with 3:04 left in the third quarter to make it 14-14.
Snipes took control for the Pirates. Taking over on the 25-yard line, Snipes broke through the line and dashed 53 yards for a score, putting the Pirates back ahead 21-14 after three quarters. Snipes struck again in the fourth quarter. The Pirates drove 87 yards in nine plays with Snipes finding the end zone on a five-yard run. The extra point attempt failed but Hampton led 27-14.
Howard wasted no time to mount a comeback. The Bison efficiently moved the ball downfield and capped a 75-yard, 12-play drive when Tolbert ran around end for the score cutting Hampton’s lead to 27-20 with 4:22 to go. Inexplicably, the Bison decided to go for two and the conversion attempt failed, leaving Hampton with a 27-20 lead. Neither team threatened to score in the game’s final minutes. Giving Hampton its eighth straight win in the Battle of the Real HU.
The Pirates open Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play on Sept. 28 when Hampton travels to Williamsburg to take on William & Mary. Hampton will play its final HBCU football game of the regular season when the travel to Greensboro, NC to face North Carolina A&T at its homecoming on Oct. 19.