After North Carolina Central got dominated by Howard University in a 50-21 loss last season that dashed their Celebration Bowl repeat hopes, the Eagles looked for revenge. North Carolina Central got just that, beating the Bison 26-3 in their effort to restore order in their intra-conference rivalry.

This marked the 28th meeting between the Bison and the Eagles, with NCCU leading the series 16-10-1. Prior to last season, the Eagles had won 10 consecutive games over Howard. However, the Bison broke that streak with their first win since 1994 in last year’s matchup.

The Eagles were slow to start, but Howard struck first with a field goal. NCCU’s defense held firm in the first quarter, limiting the Eagles to zero points. But in the second quarter, the Eagles bounced back with a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Walker Harris to Chris Mosley, giving NCCU a 7-3 lead.

Harris, who finished the game with 321 passing yards on 20-of-35 completions, continued to impress throughout the game. Running back J’Mari Taylor, the MEAC’s leading rusher, dominated on the ground, scoring three consecutive touchdowns for the Eagles. Taylor finished with 206 rushing yards on 24 carries and led the team with 78 receiving yards on six catches.

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With his performance, Taylor surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the season, becoming the first NCCU player to do so since Greg Pruitt, Jr., in 2005. Taylor’s 1,000-yard campaign is only the sixth in Eagles history.

NCCU’s offense was in complete control, totaling 563 yards compared to just 121 yards for Howard. Bison quarterback Ja’Shawn Scroggins, a redshirt sophomore, struggled, passing for only 83 yards on 11-of-26 attempts. In the rushing and receiving game, two Bison players led with 29 yards each: running back Jarett Hunter, who had 29 yards on eight carries, and wide receiver Isiah Williams, who recorded 29 yards on three catches from seven targets.

Defensively, NCCU shut out Howard for three quarters, stopping the Bison on all 12 third-down attempts. The Eagles also dominated time of possession, holding the ball for 33:06 compared to Howard’s 26:54. NCCU converted six of 13 third-down attempts.

With the win, the Eagles improved to 7-3 overall and 3-1 in MEAC play. NCCU will close the regular season on Nov. 23 with a road game at Delaware State in Dover, Delaware. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.