Evans’ 99-yard kick-off return for a TD caps Tennessee State’s 27-14 win over Howard

WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — CJ Evans returned a kickoff 99 yards for the game’s final touchdown as Tennessee State beat Howard 27-14 on Saturday.

After Jarett Hunter ran it in from 9 yards out to pull the Bison within a touchdown at 20-14, Evans took the kickoff with one foot on the end line, cut hard behind a block at the 20 and evaded a would-be tackler at the 30 before racing the rest of the way for the score.

Draylen Ellis ran for a 27-yard touchdown to open the scoring in the final minute of the first quarter and James Lowery kicked field goals from 40 and 39 yards out a minute apart to stake the Tigers (6-2) to a 13-0 lead. Eden James put the Bison on the scoreboard with a 2-yard run to make it 13-7 at the break.

Jaden McGill scored on a 4-yard run to push the Tennessee State lead to 20-7 in the third quarter before Howard (3-4) mounted a nine-play, 55-yard drive to get within a touchdown.

The Tigers held Howard to just 33 yards on 6-for-22 passing.

Ellis completed 19 of 30 pass attempts for 289 yards and carried eight times for 28 to lead Tennessee State. McGill carried 14 times for 43 yards.

Hunter carried 15 times for 102 yards to lead Howard, which had 176 yards on 35 carries.

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