The Florida A&M Rattlers dropped their first MEAC game of the season on Saturday, losing 17-10 to Howard in Washington, DC. The Rattlers offense moved the ball against Howard, but simply could not punch it into the end zone on the road. FAMU struck first, with Lenworth Lennon hauling in a seven-yard pass from Damien Fleming for the first score of the game. Fleming would finish 26 of 41 for 228 yards on the night, but he also threw a costly interception.
Howard was expected to provide a tough test for Florida A&M, and the Bison improved to 3-0 in the MEAC and 4-1 overall. Howard's defense yielded nothing, giving up just 1.4 yards per carry and forcing Fleming to do it all through the air. FAMU would not reach the end zone after Lennon's opening score, while Howard clinched it at the end of the third with a Greg McGhee one-yard TD.
FAMU will now try to get back on track next week at home against Savannah State.