Howard junior running back Anthony Philyaw ran for a career-high 281 yards to help lift the Bison to a 26-21 victory over Delaware State in the season finale on Nov. 19 in Washington, D.C.
The win snapped a five-game losing funk for Howard (2-9 overall record, 2-6 against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)), ending its season on a high note.
The Bison scored the first points of the game on a 45-yard touchdown run by Philyaw. Delaware State responded with a touchdown run of its own to tie the score at 7-7 in the first quarter, but Howard answered with another long touchdown run, this time by junior running back William Parker for 54 yards. The Bison led, 13-7, at the end of the first quarter.
Philyaw scored a 23-yard touchdown run in the second quarter that extended Howard’s lead to 20-7 at the time but Delaware State also scored a second quarter touchdown to cut the lead to 20-14 by halftime.
Delaware State scored its third touchdown of the game to take a 21-20 lead over Howard early in the third quarter, but the Bison responded with its fourth touchdown run of the game to retake the lead, 26-21. Both teams went scoreless in the fourth quarter as Howard held on to the season-ending victory.
Philyaw’s 281 rushing yards on 36 carries set a new Howard school record for the most yards ran by an individual in a single game. He ran for 1,132 yards and nine touchdowns total on the entire 2016 season.
Parker added 107 rushing yards and two touchdowns for Howard. Delaware State running back Mike Waters also had a strong game, rushing for 224 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries.
Delaware State ends its season winless with a 0-11 overall record, 0-8 against the MEAC.
