WASHINGTON, D.C. (Interstat) — The Howard Bison delivered a commanding and comprehensive performance on Saturday, overwhelming the Hampton Pirates 34-7 at a raucous Greene Stadium.

The Bison, improving to 3-1 overall, scored in every quarter except the fourth, amassing 34 unanswered points before a late Hampton touchdown broke the shutout. The Pirates fell to 1-3 with the lopsided defeat, which was far from the close contest projected by pregame analytics. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Howard 39, Hampton 34, and its ELO system gave Howard a narrow 50.90 percent probability to win.

Howard’s offense was a model of efficiency and explosiveness, largely powered by the two-man wrecking crew of quarterback Tyriq Starks and running back Travis Kerney. Starks, a Carol City, Florida native, was nearly flawless through the air, completing 12 of 15 passes for 165 yards and adding 27 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. His backfield partner, Kerney from Sebring, Florida, was the workhorse, grinding out 113 yards and two touchdowns on 16 punishing carries. He also caught three passes for 26 yards.

The Bison set the tone immediately. After receiving the opening kickoff, Starks engineered a swift, five-play, 65-yard drive that was capped by a 38-yard touchdown sprint from Kerney to tie the game just one minute and 17 seconds after kickoff.

Howard broke the deadlock early in the second quarter. Backup quarterback Kaden Cobb of Naperville, Illinois, entered the game and immediately found tight end KD Mosley for a 17-yard touchdown pass on his first and only throw. The Bison added to their lead later in the quarter when Starks finished another methodical drive with a 15-yard scoring run. The extra point attempt failed, sending the game to halftime with Howard leading 20-7.

Any hope of a Hampton comeback was extinguished in a dominant third quarter by the Bison. Howard scored on both of its possessions to put the game out of reach. The first was another Kerney special, an 8-yard run to finish a drive that featured a 37-yard Starks completion to tight end Montrell Walker of Mount Juliet, Tennessee. Later, running back Billy Roberson II of Lake Orion, Michigan, broke free for a 23-yard touchdown run, his lone carry of the day, to push the lead to 34-7.

Hampton’s offense, conversely, struggled to sustain any momentum against a stout Howard defense. The Pirates were held to just 7 points, all of which came in the final quarter long after the outcome had been decided. Quarterback play was inconsistent, with Isaiah Freeman, Braden Davis and Earl Woods III all taking snaps. Davis, of Middletown, Delaware, provided a brief spark with his legs, rushing for 33 yards on eight attempts.

The Pirates’ lone bright spot came with 6:56 remaining in the game when Woods III, from Bessemer, Alabama, ripped off a spectacular 53-yard touchdown run to avoid the shutout. Donovan Shepard of Raleigh, North Carolina, was the most consistent offensive weapon for Hampton, rushing for 37 yards on 10 carries.

Defensively, Howard’s unit was disruptive throughout, recording multiple sacks and a key interception by defensive back Kedrick Green of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Bison defense consistently stifled Hampton’s rushing attack, holding Pirates’ back Jah’Kei Chavis to just one yard on six carries.

The victory extends Howard’s positive momentum following a 38-10 win over Morehouse College last week. Their only blemish is a 55-7 road loss to FBS opponent Temple on Sept. 6. Hampton, meanwhile, has now lost two straight after a season-opening win over Elizabeth City State.

Looking ahead, Howard will travel to face Richmond next Saturday, Sept. 27. Hampton will also be on the road, visiting Elon for its next contest.