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2026 MEAC/SWAC Challenge – Alabama A&M Bulldogs vs. Howard Bison: How to Watch, Preview, Predictions
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- 2026 MEAC/SWAC Challenge – Alabama A&M Bulldogs vs. Howard Bison: How to Watch, Preview, Predictions
Date: Saturday August 29, 2026
Time: 7:30 PM (ET)
TV: ABC
The Quick Hits
A new HBCU season begins on Saturday night in the same city last year's ended. Alabama A&M will square off with Howard in the annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge game in Atlanta and, amid all the pomp and pageantry that comes with this showcase, will be two teams trying to reclaim their footing not only in their respective leagues but on the national scene as a while. The Bison are three years removed from their MEAC title and appearance in the Celebration Bowl but have dipped off in the seasons since. With a new head coach calling the shots and a largely new-look roster, Howard is eyeing a bounce back from their 5-7 run last fall.
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On the other side is a Bulldogs squad that has not been able to pick itself up off the mat since the Spring season back in 2021. Alabama A&M has not appeared in a SWAC championship since that COVID year and, before that, hasn't been there since 2011. There is reasons to believe this bunch might be starting to turn the ship, however. With a coach that now has a full season under his belt and a team that has budding talent on both sides of the ball, the Bulldogs are hoping to bark a little bit in the loaded conference this year and it can all start with a statement on Saturday night in Georgia.
The Coaches
Photo Credit - Howard Athletics
Howard made a change back in February when the program hired one of its former players to be the next head coach. Ted White, who served as the Bison signal caller from 1995 to 1998, now dons blue and red again. White has had a football life that's taken him many places. From playing in the NFL, CFL and NFL Europe to coaching at a handful of places, he has finally made his way back home to his alma mater. White certainly has one of the best quarterbacking and offensive minds in the game, especially at the FCS level but has never been a head coach before. The Bison are hoping he can usher them into a new era of sustained success that just hasn't been there as of late.
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For Alabama A&M, it will be Sam Shade with the headset. Shade is now in his second season leading the Bulldogs after going 4-8 last fall. He comes from a defensive background, having played safety for Alabama and then subsequently in the NFL for eight seasons. Before Alabama A&M he worked his way up the coaching ladder, leading both Pinson Valley High School (AL) and Miles College before eventually winding up in Huntsville. Shade took Miles to the Division II playoffs in 2024. There is hope around the program that he is starting to implement those winning ways into the Bulldogs.
Howard Offense vs. Alabama A&M Defense
The biggest question for the Bison is how Ja'Shawn Scroggins will look as the starter under center after a year off from that job title. As a backup behind Tyriq Starks in 2025, Scroggins appeared in six games and attempted just four passes. Now Starks is gone, though, and he is next in line… or more aptly back in line. He started for Howard in 2024 and threw for over 1,700 yards and had 14 total TDs. A preseason second-team All-MEAC selection, Scroggins is expected to perform well this season.
Howard will lean on Scroggins, no doubt, but will also look to its run game to produce offense and, after losing last year's top rusher in Anthony Reagan Jr. they'll need to determine who's next up. Eden James will be the big name to watch. An injury resulted in him only playing two games last year but, in 2024, ran for three scores and 422 yards. Travis Kerney will also be in that mix. The junior ran for 318 yards and three scores last year behind Reagan and is the top returning runner. For a team that was quiet in the transfer portal, the production of returning players will be key.
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Arenza Davis will be the main man charged with thwarting the Howard rushing attack. The standout sophomore found his niche on the defensive line for the Bulldogs last year authoring five tackles for loss and two sacks. His role is expected to increase exponentially this year and the preseason voters agreed, naming him an all-SWAC First-Team selection heading into this season. He will head up a defensive front that had 67 total tackles behind the line of scrimmage in 2025.
The middle of the Alabama A&M defense is also formidable. Led by senior Wyatt Wright, the Bulldogs look to be tenacious in that part of the field. Wright was second on the team last year with 72 stops and was responsible for a forced fumble and a pick.
The Howard offensive line will need to be up to snuff, not only for everything the Bulldogs will be throwing at them, but for the fact that the receiving corps is still very unproven. No Bison pass catcher went for more than 400 yards last year nor had more than two touchdowns. They addressed that issue this offseason by bringing in former Rice receiver Semaj Pierre. Pierre, though, didn't play a ton for the Owls, making just one start. That will be the one area that, as of now, the Bison need to show has made strides or they'll be in trouble again this season.
Alabama A&M Offense vs. Howard Defense
MOBILE, ALABAMA - OCT 4: Alabama A&M Bulldogs quarterback Cornelious Brown IV (#10) throws a pass during the Gulf Coast Challenge matchup against the Jackson State Tigers at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on October 4, 2025, in Mobile, Alabama. (Photo by Aron Smith/Jackson State University via Getty Images)
Alabama A&M's offense will be directed by grad senior quarterback Cornelious Brown IV. An injury sidelined Brown for much of last season but before he went down he was on pace to shatter his 2024 marks. Two years ago he threw for 1,666 yards and 12 touchdowns. Last year, through only four games, Brown was at 1,060 yards on 81 completions and had seven scores. If he can get back to what he was before his injury, there's no telling just how good the passing attack can be for the Bulldogs.
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Brown is not a total stranger to running the ball but he's a passer first and that's what Alabama A&M wants him to be. The play of his receivers will be big against a Howard defense that surrendered less than 200 yards per game through the air in 2025 and picked off seven passes. Guys like Jordan Chambers-Smith will need to make plays on the outside. Chambers-Smith is the top returning pass catcher for the Bulldogs after catching 24 passes for 284 yards and a pair of TDs last fall.
That, of course, means that the Bison secondary will have to find a way to slow down the Alabama A&M passing game. That secondary will feature Kedrick Green, last year's top tackler. Green, who made 60 stops a season ago, also had a pair of interceptions. He wasn't thrown to as much as some of the other guys on the back end but that was more a testament to his lockdown abilities than anything else. He has a knack for hunting down receivers and ball carriers alike and Brown will need to be careful when testing those waters.
The rest of Howard's defense isn't quite as established, though. Their linebackers and defensive lineman all struggled in stopping the run last year, allowing 18 touchdowns on the ground last year. The good news, however, is that the Bulldogs are in the process of trying to find out who their next main ball carrier will be after both Ryan Morrow and Isaiah Nwokenkwo left.
Prediction
The name of the game for both squads will be rust and who has less of it on offense, especially early on. Both quarterbacks in this game have had extended time off. What really could go a long way in helping both signal callers in that regard is their respective defenses stealing some possessions. Based on what went down last year, right now it seems like Alabama A&M is in a better position to do that. The Bison have a lot of question marks in a lot of key spots right now and, while that might not be as big of an issue in the early goings of this game while both teams are getting their footing, it will be if the Bulldogs find theirs. Scroggins can make plays but he alone can't do it all. On a neutral site this game is closer than it would be if Alabama A&M were at home but it's still hard to pick against the Bulldogs. Overall they have more proven players and coaches.
Score Prediction:Alabama A&M: 24 – Howard: 22
