WASHINGTON (Interstat) — Walker Harris threw for four touchdowns, all to Chauncey Spikes, and the North Carolina Central Eagles dominated the Howard Bison 35-14 in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference matchup on Saturday at a rain-soaked William H. Greene Stadium.

The Eagles, improving to 6-3 overall, seized control early with a pair of first-quarter touchdowns and never looked back, handing the Bison their fifth loss against four wins. The victory was a resounding response for North Carolina Central, which was coming off a loss to Delaware State, while Howard entered the contest on the heels of a win over Morgan State.

Harris, a quarterback from Rolesville, North Carolina, was the catalyst for the Eagles’ explosive offense. He completed 17 of 29 passes for 321 yards, with his primary connection being Spikes. The wide receiver from Burtonsville, Maryland, was virtually unstoppable, hauling in nine receptions for a staggering 208 yards and three scores.

The Eagles struck quickly. On their opening drive, Harris engineered a methodical march downfield, culminating in a 13-yard touchdown pass to Spikes with 9:24 remaining in the first quarter. After a Howard drive stalled and resulted in a missed 35-yard field goal attempt by Matt Conord, the Eagles struck again in spectacular fashion. Harris found Spikes on a deep route for an 80-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 14-0 just over three minutes after their first score.

Howard’s offense, led by quarterback Tyriq Starks of Carol City, Florida, struggled to find its footing against a relentless Eagles defense. Starks was intercepted by Jelani Vassell on the Bison’s ensuing possession, though Howard managed to recover the fumble on the return. The Bison were unable to capitalize, and the first quarter ended with the Eagles firmly in command.

North Carolina Central added to its lead just before halftime. Harris capped a two-minute drill with a 13-yard touchdown run on a quarterback keeper with 38 seconds left in the second quarter, sending the Eagles into the break with a 21-0 advantage.

Any hope of a Howard comeback was extinguished early in the third quarter. On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, a fumble by North Carolina Central’s Chance Peterson was recovered by Howard’s Keion Mitchell at the Eagles’ 15-yard line. Three plays later, Starks powered in for a 1-yard rushing touchdown, putting the Bison on the board.

The Eagles responded immediately. Harris led his team on an answering drive, finding Refeno Vangates for a 30-yard touchdown pass to push the lead back to 28-7. Howard showed brief life later in the quarter when backup quarterback Ja’Shawn Scroggins of Las Vegas connected with Zaden Jackson on a 4-yard touchdown pass, cutting the deficit to 28-14.

But North Carolina Central put the game out of reach before the third quarter expired. A 29-yard completion from Harris to Spikes set up their fourth and final scoring connection, an 8-yard pass with 57 seconds left in the period to seal the 35-14 victory.

While Harris and Spikes dominated through the air, the Eagles’ ground game was bolstered by Arthur Rodgers Jr. The running back from Snellville, Georgia, rushed for 126 yards on 15 carries, including a 40-yard burst.

For Howard, Starks finished 17 of 27 for 149 yards and one touchdown through the air, adding a rushing score. Antonio Hunter of Cincinnati was his top target, making three catches for 44 yards. The Bison defense managed two interceptions, from Kedrick Green and Jay Jones II, but the offense could not consistently convert those opportunities into points.

The result defied the pregame spread, which had installed Howard as a 15.5-point favorite. The combined score of 49 also went over the projected over/under line of 51.5. The Eagles will look to continue their winning ways when they host Norfolk State next Saturday, while Howard travels to face South Carolina State.