September 1, 2012 – WASHINGTON – The Maroon Tigers surrendered a last-minute touchdown to the Howard Bison and fell 30-29, in the season opener – the AT&T Nation's Football Classic.
In a game strangely similar to last season, Morehouse lead with 22 seconds left, until Jamie Cunningham connected with David Wilson on a 13-yard pass for the final score.
After a scoreless first quarter, Morehouse got on the board first, with a 22-yard field goal by freshman kicker Dorian Greene. The score, at the 11:25 mark, capped a 72 yard drive by the Maroon Tigers
Howard bounced back two minutes later with a 50-yard scoring pass from Randy Liggins to Jonathan Booker.
Running back Shelton Hamilton put Morehouse back on top, 10-7, with a two-yard touchdown run.
Howard answered again with a 32-yard touchdown reception that put the Bison ahead, 14-10, the score at the half.
In the third quarter, Howard scored on a 22-yard field goal. That was quickly answered by two David Carter touchdown runs, of one and two yards, which gave Morehouse a 23-17 lead.
There was no more scoring until the 2:17 mark of the fourth quarter, when Howard took advantage of an unsportsmanlike penalty call and scored a go-ahead touchdown.
The Maroon Tigers had stopped the Bison on fourth-and-long and the Morehouse sideline celebration had already begun when the flag was thrown. Verbal protest by the Morehouse coaches fell on deaf ears of the officiating crew from the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference (MEAC), of which Howard is a member school.
Despite the "controversial" penalty call, the Tigers fought back. On their next possession, Donnay Ragland completed a pass to freshman Devon Mann, who broke two tackles, picked up a key block and streaked down the right sideline for a 72-yard touchdown.
What appeared to be the winning Morehouse touchdown was quickly nullified by the Howard scoring reception that ended the game.
The season-opening loss – the first in four years – was a bitter pill to swallow for the Maroon Tiger players and coaches. Morehouse outplayed Howard in nearly every statistical category, including total offense (472-317), yards-per-play (5.7-5.1), time-of-possession (33 mins.-27 mins.).
Last year, Howard won 30-27, after scoring twice in the fourth quarter.
David Carter rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns, on 34 carries. Already the single-game and single season career rushing record holder, Carter needs only 30 yards to overtake John David Washington (3,669 yards, 2002-2006) and become the Morehouse career rushing leader.
Ragland connected on 15-of-26 passes, for 254 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 42 yards on 13 carries.
Devon Mann led all receivers, with 77 yards, on two catches. Devance Harris caught four passes for 60 yards. Justin Thomas made three catches for 30 yards and Sean More caught two balls for 59 yards.
Linebacker Brandon Houston led all tacklers with 13 tackles, including two sacks and four tackles for loss. Justin Oliver had nine tackles. Newcomer Russell Ellington and Richard Sanders combined for 12 tackles, two sacks, and three tackles for loss.
The Maroon Tigers travel to Waycross, GA, next week to play the Edward Waters Tiger, in a game billed as the Rumble in the Swamp, at 3 p.m.
