Per LouisianaSports.net’s Matt Moscona, Howard suffered a serious injury to his oblique in the fourth quarter of Louisiana-Lafayette’s game against Rice. On a fourth-down run, the redshirt junior went down. He returned one play later and threw a 25-yard completion, but was unable to finish the game.

“It is believed the injury will be season-ending,” Moscona said.

In what was the first start of his collegiate career, the redshirt junior completed 10 of his 22 pass attempts for 88 yards and a long of 25 yards. In the 14-12 loss, he threw an interception and was sacked three times.

Howard, a native of Lafayette, is in his third school. He spent the previous two seasons at Ole Miss, appearing in four games. He stuck through the LSU coaching transition to head coach Brian Kelly, backing up Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier before transferring.