MetLife Stadium hosted the third annual HBCU NY Classic on Saturday afternoon. The event pits two HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) programs against each other and it is not just another football game. It is a celebration of higher education, culture, black excellence and togetherness.
Led by Tyriq Starks’ three total touchdowns, Howard picked up a 38-10 win over Morehouse in East Rutherford in the 2025 edition of the HBCU NY Classic.
After two uneventful drives from both teams to start the game, Howard (2-1) drove down the field after a Morehouse punt and scored on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Starks to John Simmons III, putting the Bisons out front early on. Morehouse responded with a 43-yard field goal by Davis Rowe after a promising drive stalled as the Tigers were on the brink of hitting the red zone.
Morehouse (0-2) took possession on their own 30-yard line after a Howard punt. Tigers’ quarterback Michael Jackson threw two great passes, picking up a total of 48 yards to put the Tigers at the Howard 19-yard line. On 3rd-and-7, Jackson looked for Kamrin Brunson in the endzone, but the pass fell incomplete. However, Howard’s Cam Dyson was called for pass interference, putting the ball at the five-yard line. Once again, Howard’s defense came up big, holding Morehouse to a field goal attempt that was blocked as the game remained 7-3 in favor of Howard.
On the next possession, Morehouse thought their defense held Howard on a 4th-and-1, but by the slimmest of margins, the Bison picked up a first down. Despite Howard’s good fortune, the drive fizzled after the combination of Derrick Bing and Andrew Cook sacked Starks. Morehouse punted once again as the second quarter continued to run down. Howard capitalized as Starks hit Zaden Jackson for a 52-yard touchdown on a perfect RPO pass to give the Bison a 14-3 lead with 3:40 left in the first half.
Both teams had drives that resulted in no points as the game moved into halftime with Howard up by 11 over Morehouse. Both teams had nonexistent running games early while Morehouse struggled, committing four penalties and going just 1-for-7 on third down.
Morehouse got the ball to start the second half, and they focused on the running game, picking up 21 yards on the ground to begin the half. On a 4th-and-3, Miles Scott hit Brunson on a scramble play to pick up 17 yards to move into striking distance once again. After an offensive face mask penalty pushed the Tigers backwards, Scott threw a perfect ball to Eric Stephens, who stretched and caught a 24-yard touchdown on a 3rd-and-18 to pull Morehouse to within four points of Howard, 14-10.
After forcing a three-and-out and with momentum, Morehouse got the ball, but the air was let out of the Morehouse fans as Scott’s pass was tipped and intercepted by Jay Jones II to give Howard phenomenal field position. Morehouse kept Howard out of the endzone and held them to a field goal to keep it a one-possession game. Morehouse did not capitalize and attempted a fake punt that resulted in a loss of six yards by punter Seve Spruill to give Howard great field position once again.
This time, Howard capitalized as Anthony Reagan Jr. ran it from a yard out to extend the Bison’s lead to 24-10 with 14:02 left in regulation. Jackson went back in at quarterback for Morehouse and proceeded to fumble on a 3rd-and-10 at their own seven-yard line as Keion Mitchell recovered the ball on the two-yard line. Two plays later, Starks kept it himself for a one-yard TD run as the rout was on in the Meadowlands.
Starks, who was named the HBCU NY Classic’s MVP, finished with 270 yards of total offense as the Bison offense was unstoppable, with 425 yards of total offense. The story was Howard’s defense as they held Morehouse to under 200 yards of total offense, including the Tigers to just 54 yards on the ground.
Morehouse was led defensively by linebacker Sean Johnson, who picked up 10 total tackles and 1.5 sacks for the Tigers.
