Boxscore

WASHINGTON, D.C. - William Ford rushed for 108 yards and a TD and Malcolm Long passed for three touchdowns to lead South Carolina State to an easy 43-13 win over Howard in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game at Greene Stadium.

The Bulldogs (8-1 overall, 6-0 in the MEAC), who are ranked Number 10 in the national polls, got off to a slow start.  SC State took the opening kickoff and marched 46 yards, but the Bison defense held and forced a 44-yard field goal by Blake Erickson.

Howard (2-7 overall, 0-6 in the MEAC) countered with a drive of its own but it ended in an interception in the end zone.

The Bulldogs begin to show why they are one of the highest scoring teams in the Football College Subdivision (FCS) when they marched 80 yards on seven plays.  Long capped off the drive with a 28-yard strike to Terrance Smith.

Howard was able to stay close when Dennis Wiehberg nailed a 37-yard field goal at the beginning of the second quarter to make the score, 10-3.

But South Carolina State came right back on Long's second TD pass of the game, this time a 14-yard dart to Chris Massey.  The Bulldogs tacked on two more points on a safety and a 28-yard field goal by Erickson.  Wiehberg connected on a 35-yard field as the half ended to trail, 22-6 at intermission.

"They made plays and we didn't," said Howard Coach Carey Bailey.  "We didn't take advantage of our chances in the first half.  They simply did what the Number 10 team in the country does."

Not much happened in the third period until Long took advantage of a Bison turnover with his third TD of the game, this time Massey from six yards out.

South Carolina State put the game out of reach when Phillip Adams returned a Floyd Haigler pass 71 yards and Ford galloped 64 yards untouched for the Bulldogs final score.

"We came into today's game looking to accomplish a season long goal," said SC State head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough.  "This game was one rung on the ladder toward a conference title."

Howard's Willie Carter closed out the scoring for the game with a 38-yard TD pass from Haigler.

Long completed 21 of 33 passes to six different receivers for 180 yards and the Three TDs.

Haigler was 14 of 29 for 159 yards and one TD while Carter caught five of his passes for 91 yards and his fifth TD of the season.