Black College Sports Weekly
A three-way quarterback competition took place during Howard’s preseason training camp. Redshirt sophomore Ja’Shawn Scroggins, redshirt senior Jaylon Tolbert, and graduate transfer Zachary Yeager battled to replace four-year starter Quinton Williams.
All three players were considered very competent to run this year’s Howard offense, and Scroggins eventually won the job and started in the Bison’s 44-7 defeat at Rutgers on August 29.
Coach Larry Scott told the MSR during Monday’s MEAC weekly football media call that Yeager’s presence was important not only for the signal caller spot but for the entire team.
“When you go out into the transfer portal, and when you bring in graduate transfers, they bring a certain level of maturity and leadership into the program,” said Scott of Yeager, a Minneapolis North graduate who attended North Carolina A&T, where he earned his degree and made the Big South and CAA All-Academic teams at the school.
“He has done a great job settling in and getting these guys learning the system and blended right in,” the coach pointed out.
The 6’2″, 215-pound Yeager was the class valedictorian at North and earned All-State football honors for the Polars. His bio said he chose Howard, where he will major in International Studies “for its rich history and prestigious education.”
“He sparked up the [quarterback] competition,” said Scott of Yeager. “It’s been great to have him here in where we are going.”
MEAC
One-half of the league’s clubs have at least one win (Morgan State and North Carolina Central, both at 1-0; Delaware State is 1-1) after the first full week of the 2024 season. Howard (0-1), South Carolina State (0-1), and Norfolk State (0-2) head into this weekend seeking their respective program’s first victory of the season.
“I think teams start settling in after four games,” explained Norfolk State Coach Lee Hull.
Morgan State’s Damon Wilson added, “We still have a long way to go to our ultimate goal.”
SWAC
Florida A&M, after two games, is unbeaten: “A lot of [people] didn’t have us at 2-0,” admitted Coach James Colzie during Tuesday’s SWAC media football call. He expects a “tough battle” when the Rattlers go on the road and face Miami on Saturday.
Black college teams, such as Alabama A&M, annually have a “money game” on their pre-conference schedule, playing against a PWI. The Bulldogs (0-1) lost to Auburn 73-3,
“We know that is a money game for us,” noted Coach Connell Maynor. “We are trying to compete as much as we can” and escape the contest as healthy as possible. Nonetheless, “Just playing one of those games to make money and staying healthy for the rest of the season” is the primary goal, added the coach.
Only Texas Southern (1-0) is the other SWAC team unbeaten. The remaining 10 clubs are looking to reach .500 in the young season thus far.
“Everybody on this call who lost has a bad feeling,” reiterated Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-1) Coach Alonzo Hampton. His Golden Lions hosts Arkansas Baptist on Saturday—they are the state’s two HBCUs.
“It’s two great institutions less than 45 miles apart. It’s exciting for the fans and the people supporting HBCUs,” said Hampton.
Finally …
“We have three season goals to have a good season. One of those goals was accomplished.” —Texas Southern Coach Cris Dishman on defeating Prairie View A&M 27-9 on August 31 in the annual Labor Day Classic and Dishman’s head coaching debut.