Top-Ranked Tuskegee Opens Against Clark Atlanta; Complete Rundown of all the HBCU On Tap for Opening Weekend

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

Quarterback Kevin Lacy is back to lead the Tuskegee offense (photo by Montgonery Advertiser)

When Clark Atlanta visits Tuskegee today, it'll be a tale of two teams who would seem to be polar opposites.

Tuskegee, the front-runner in the ADD'S HBCU SPORTS REPORT Division II football preseason Top Ten Poll, won eight of their last nine games last season in winning the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title (their only loss was a narrow defeat in the Division II playoffs to West Georgia).

The Golden Tigers return 80 percent of a defense that was second best in the SIAC and an offense that was tops in the conference and returns their leader in total offense in quarterback Kevin Lacey.

Clark Atlanta only won one conference game last year, had the league's second worst offense and least productive offense (though they led the led the conference in rushing in a rush first offense).

But optimism reigns on both campuses.  Tuskegee is looking to not only win a second consecutive conference title, but to advance further in the Division II playoffs.   But that starts with a matchup against a CAU team they know little about.

"We haven't played them since 2012," said Tuskegee head coach Willie Slater.  "On top of that, they have a new coach, and on top of that, they have a lot of new players.  They have guys who weren't on the roster last year, so as a coaching staff, we are going to have to do a really good job of making adjustments so we can attack them and stop them."

Kevin Ramsey is taking over the Panthers program that was 3-7 last year and has to replace leading rusher Montavious Taylor.  But their second and third best rushers, quarterback Trenton Earl and running back Shaquan Mitchell, are back.  Earl also threw for 576 yards and five touchdowns on only 77 attempts.

The team's tackles and sacks leaders in Antonio Mallard and Jacob Mitchell also return.

Kickoff is at 1 pm at Tuskegee.

Other HBCU football action today:


SIAC

Lane at Concordia (Ala.)
Kentucky State at Hampton
Central State at Alderson Broaddus
Valdosta State at Albany State
Edward Waters at Morehouse
Stillman at West Alabama
Livingstone at Benedict

MEAC

Norfolk State at Rutgers
Morgan State at Air Force
Howard at Appalachian State
Savannah State at Colorado
Shaw at North Carolina A&T
Kentucky State at Hampton
Bethune-Cookman at Miami (Fla)
St. Augustine at North Carolina Central
Florida A&M at South Florida
Delaware State at Liberty

CIAA

Lincoln (Pa) at Cheney
Bowie State at Merrimack
Brevard at Virginia Union
California (Pa) at Virginia State
Livingstone at Benedict
Wingate at Johnson C. Smith
Chowan at Fayetteville State
St. Augustine's at North Carolina Central
Shaw at North Carolina A&T
Virginia-Lynchburg at Elizabeth City State

SWAC

Grambling State at California
Southern at Louisiana Tech
Jackson State at Middle Tennessee State
Alabama A&M at Cincinnati
Mississippi Valley State at New Mexico
Prairie View A&M at Texas Southern
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at South Carolina State

Sunday, Sept. 5 

Alabama State at Tennessee State

OTHERS

Lincoln (Mo.) at Langston