The 2023 Howard Bison football team represented Howard University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Larry Scott, the Bison finished with an overall record of 6–6 with a mark of 4–1 in conference play, winning the MEAC title outright and a invitation to the Celebration Bowl.[1]
2023 Howard Bison football | |
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MEAC Champion | |
Celebration Bowl, L 26–30 vs. Florida A&M | |
Conference | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference |
Record | 6–6 (4–1 MEAC) |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Lee Hull (4th season) |
Defensive coordinator | Troy Douglas (4th season) |
Home stadium | William H. Greene Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Howard + | 4 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 20 North Carolina Central +^ | 4 | – | 1 | 9 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
South Carolina State | 3 | – | 2 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Morgan State | 3 | – | 2 | 4 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Norfolk State | 1 | – | 4 | 3 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Delaware State | 0 | – | 5 | 1 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Howard and North Carolina Central finished with identical 4–1 records in conference play for the second consecutive season. However, due to new conference tiebreaker rules and Howard's 50–20 victory over NC Central during the regular season, Howard won the MEAC title outright.[2] Howard was invited to the Celebration Bowl, where they lost 30–26 to SWAC champion Florida A&M.[3]
The team played home games at William H. Greene Stadium in Washington, D.C.
Schedule
editDate | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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September 1 | 6:30 p.m. | at Eastern Michigan* | ESPN+ | L 23–33 | 18,065 | |
September 9 | 7:00 p.m. | Morehouse* | ESPN+ | W 65–19 | 3,098 | |
September 16 | 3:30 p.m. | Hampton* |
| ESPN+ | L 34–35 | 16,630 |
September 30 | 12:00 p.m. | at Robert Morris* | ESPN+ | W 35–10 | 2,207 | |
October 7 | 3:00 p.m. | at Northwestern* | BTN | L 20–23 | 22,160 | |
October 14 | 1:00 p.m. | at No. 19 Harvard* | ESPN+ | L 7–48 | 7,678 | |
October 21 | 12:00 p.m. | Norfolk State |
| ESPNU | W 27–23 | 7,684 |
October 28 | 12:00 p.m. | at Delaware State | ESPNU | W 17–10 | 5,386 | |
November 4 | 3:30 p.m. | at South Carolina State | ESPN+ | L 24–27 | 22,269 | |
November 11 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 7 North Carolina Central |
| ESPNU | W 50–20 | 4,457 |
November 18 | 1:00 p.m. | Morgan State |
| ESPN+ | W 14–7 | 6,491 |
December 16 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. No. 10 Florida A&M | ABC | L 26–30 | 41,108 | |
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References
edit- ^ "Howard highlights football Saturday by claiming the MEAC Regular Season Championship title". meacsports.com. MEAC Sports. November 19, 2023. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
- ^ Stevens, Chris (November 12, 2023). "The MEAC is up for grabs after Howard blows out NC Central. What happens now?". hbcusports.com. HBCU Sports. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
- ^ Wang, Gene (December 16, 2023). "Fourth-quarter woes doom Howard against Florida A&M in Celebration Bowl". washingtonpost.com. Washington Post. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
- ^ "Howard Bison Schedule 2023". ESPN. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ "2023 Football Schedule". Howard University Bison. Retrieved November 29, 2023.