It's kind of early for a game to be a must-win, but for Winston-Salem State, their battle with Tuskegee today could qualify to some.
Although it won't affect their bid for a CIAA championship, this game is important momentum-wise for a Rams squad that is still trying to jell as newcomers and transfers try to continue the program's legacy of success. The Rams fell to UNC Pembroke 17-7 in the opener and then to Valdosta State 31-3 last week.
But WSSU head coach Kienus Boulware isn't buying any of that.
"I think putting more of a sense of urgency on where we are right now could cause panic, and we're not going to do that," Boulware told the Winston Salem Journal.
Meanwhile, Tuskegee is looking to keep their momentum going. After blanking Clark Atlanta in their opener and defeating SIAC rival Albany State in their conference championship game rematch, the Golden Tigers are riding high.
But head coach Willie Slater said his team is not going into this game thinking its a win. In fact, they know it's Winston-Salem State, a perennial power and a team that's beaten Tuskegee the last two years.
"I just have to be prepared as a coach," Slater said. "I have to be prepared, our coaches have to be prepared and I have to make sure our players are prepared. If we give them out best effort and they beat us, then they just beat us. We just have to prepare. They are a good football team."
Kickoff in Tuskegee is a 1 pm. The game will be televised on ESPN3.
Tennessee State Visits Top Ranked FCS Team Jacksonville State
Tennessee State will quickly find out where they are this year when they visit Jacksonville State today.
TSU is 2-0 with a comeback win over Alabama State and a solid win over Jackson State the past two weeks. But they open Ohio Valley Conference play against a team in Jacksonville State who is the nation's top-ranked FCS football team and took SEC power Auburn to overtime last week in a game they could have just have easily won.
TSU is led by freshman quarterback O'Shea Ackerman-Carter, last week's STATS FCS Freshman of the Week after his three touchdown performance against Jackson State.
But one thing the Tigers are going to make sure is that they don't make any mistakes that would help Jacksonville State, which clearly doesn't need any help.
"That is something that you've just got to keep harping on," TSU head coach Rod Reed told The Tennessean. "You've got to be really detailed and you have to scrutinize it when it happens in practice. When somebody turns the ball over, you'll see Coach Reed going crazy, you'll see the rest of the coaches going crazy. You've got to protect the football. We tell our guys all the time, 'it's OK to punt.' Punting the football is better than sticking it in their arms and giving them an interception."
Kickoff in Jacksonville, Ala., is at 1 pm. The game will be telecast on ESPN3.
Here is the rest of todays HBCU football schedule:
SWAC
Mississippi Valley State at Alcorn State
Jackson State at Southern
Texas Southern at Arkansas Pine Bluff
Grambling at Alabama State
Alabama A&M at Prairie View
SIAC
Fort Valley State at Clark Atlanta
Kentucky State at Virginia State
West Alabama at Miles
Lane at Bethune Cookman
Central State at Benedict
Stillman at Albany State
Johnson C. Smith at Morehouse
MEAC
Savannah State at Akron
Chowan at Delaware State
Norfolk State at Marshall
Virginia-Lynchburg at Morgan State
Lane at Bethune-Cookman
North Carolina Central at Florida International
North Carolina A&T at Elon
CIAA
Kentucky State at Virginia State
Central International at Livingstone
Bowie State at Central Connecticut State
Johnson C. Smith at Morehouse
Virginia Union at Gardner Webb
Elizabeth City State at St. Augustine's
Chowan at Delaware State
Fayetteville State at West Georgia
Shaw at UNC Pembroke
OTHERS
Langston at Oklahoma Panhandle State
Lincoln (Mo) at Quincy
Cheyney at Clarion
West Virginia State at West Virginia Wesleyan
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