Tuskegee Downs Florida A&M in Teams First Meeting in 20 Years; Complete Scoreboard of HBCU Football Action From Week 3

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

(Vaughn Wilson/FAMU athletics/Tallahassee Democrat)

Kevin Lacey threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Desmond Reese with 2:21 remaining to lift Tuskegee to a 20-17 win over Florida A&M Saturday.

In the first meeting in 20 years for Division II SIAC power Tuskegee (3-0) and FCS MEAC squad Florida A&M (0-3), the two teams went back and forth, with the biggest lead coming after two Dalton Hall field goals put Tuskegee up 6-0 in the first quarter.

Lacey's touchdown was followed by a Florida A&M drive that had the potential to be a game-winner. But Florida A&M receiver Kevin Troutman fumbled the ball away on the Tuskegee 35, basically ending the game after the Golden Tigers recovered and salted away the win.

Florida A&M struggled on the ground against the Tuskegee defense, with only 37 yards rushing. Quarterback Kenneth Coleman was the FAMU offense, passing for 162 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 29 yards.  Quavon Taylor led the Tuskegee defense, which only allowed 169 yards of offense to FAMU, with seven unassisted tackles

CIAA

Virginia Union 37, Winston-Salem State 14 - William Stanback rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns while Shawheem Dowdy threw for 212 yards and two touchdowns to lead Virginia Union (1-2, 1-0 CIAA) to a surprisingly easy 37-14 over Winston-Salem State (1-2, 0-1 CIAA). Dowdy and Stanback each had two touchdowns in a first half that put the game out of reach at 27-7. WSSU moved the ball, but was riddled by turnovers. Quarterback Rod Tinsley threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 80 yards. But he threw three interceptions.

UNC Pembroke 38, Shaw 19 - Eight turnovers - three fumbles and five interceptions - pretty much sunk Shaw's upset bid of UNC Pembroke (3-0).  Shaw (0-3) was up 13-10 at halftime before giving up 21 answered points on just 13 plays. Quarterback Daron Downing led Shaw with 90 yards rushing, mainly on the 72-yard TD run he had to open the scoring.

Elizabeth City State 35, Morehouse 30 - Daquan Neal threw for 194 yards and four touchdowns and led Elizabeth City State (1-2) with 48 yards rushing to lead ECSU to the win over Morehouse (2-1).  Morehouse was up 14-0 in the second quarter, but ECSU scored 28 unanswered to salt away the win.  David Smith had nine tackles, a sack and three tackles for loss for Morehouse.

Morehead State 56, Lincoln (Pa) 6 - Austin Gahafer threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns and Ryan Watkins added two touchdowns rushing as FCS Morehead State (1-2) piled up 514 yards offense on Lincoln (Pa) (1-2).  Lincoln (Pa) had only 140 yards of offense, just 16 of them rushing. Deon Miller had 13 tackles for Lincoln (Pa) with Jabari Thomas 10.

Virginia State 20, Kentucky State 7 - Kavon Bellamy rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns to lead Virginia State (3-0) win over Kentucky State (0-3, 0-1 SIAC). VSU won despite only passing for 12 yards all day. The Virginia State defense continued their stellar play as they've only allowed 9, 10 and 7 points in three games this season.  Myrthel Stewart Jr. led the Kentucky State defense with 14 tackles. Travon Spencer and Rodriguez Jones both added 11.

Chowan 35, West Florida 28 - Randall Dixon threw for nearly 400 yards and two touchdowns, including a 4-yarder in the fourth quarter to lead Chowan (2-1) to the win over NAIA West Florida (2-1). West Florida scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to tie the game before Dixon's winning pass early in the fourth quarter. Tyrone Carter caught 11 passes for 188 yards and TD while Tyree Lee added 139 yards and two touchdowns rushing. West Florida was led by Kaleb Nobles and his 398 yards and three TDs passing with receivers Anas Hasic (9 receptions, 190 yards, 3 TDs) and Ishmel Morrow (12 catches, 161 yards, 1 TD) having huge days.

Elon 26, Fayetteville State 3 - FCS Elon (1-2) shut down the Fayetteville State (0-3) offense - the Broncos only had 60 yards passing - as they easily won.  Daniel Thompson, who is replacing Elon's No. 1 quarterback Connor Christiansen who is out for the season, threw for 173 yards and a touchdown for a balanced Elon offense. Seth Johnson had 11 tackles for Fayetteville State.

Central Connecticut State 44, Bowie State 35 - Bowie State (1-2) went head-to-head with FCS Central Connecticut State (1-2) but fell just short.  Brenden Lytton rushed for 99 yards and three touchdowns while Cameron Nash added 116 yards and a TD on the ground to lead CCSU to the win. Bowie State quarterback Amir Hall had a big day as he threw for 418 yards and three touchdowns. Nyme Manns caught 12 of those passes for 150 yards and a touchdown.  While CCSU was more balanced on offense, Bowie State only had 13 yards rushing.

Wofford 59, Johnson C. Smith 0 - FCS team Wofford (3-0) overpowered Johnson C. Smith (0-3) as Lorenzo Long's 127 yards and three TDs rushing led a Wofford ground attack that piled up 330 yards. The Golden Bulls, on the other hand, rushed for only 18. Johnson C. Smith hasn't scored since week one when they scored 28 in a loss to Wingate.  The bright spots for JCSU were Basir Wright and Kahj Huitt who both had 12 tackles for the Golden Bulls.

Davidson 38, Livingstone 12 - FCS Davidson (2-1) forced four first half Livingstone (1-2) turnovers, including a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown and an in interception also returned for a TD in getting the win.  Davidson quarterback Stockton McGuire threw for 124 yards and a TD while Keylan Brown's 78 yards and a TD led the Davidson rushing attack. Bryan Digsby led Livingstone with 201 yards and a touchdown passing.  The Davidson defense also had six sacks.

MEAC

(Photo by Sam Jordan/TSU Athletics)

Tennessee State 31, Bethune-Cookman 24 - Ronald Butler, replacing an injured O'Shay Ackerman-Carter, threw a 7-yard TD pass to Patrick Smith with just under four minutes remaining to lift Tennessee State to the win over Bethune-Cookman (0-2).  In a back-and-forth matchup in which both teams traded scores throughout, Terrell Bonds second interception of the game with just over two minutes left sealed the game for TSU. Tennessee State goes to 3-0 for the first time since 2012.

North Carolina Central 65, St. Augustine's 7 - Malcolm Bell threw for 270 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another to lead North Carolina Central (1-2) to an easy win over Division II CIAA St. Augustine's (0-3).  Dorrel McClain rushed for 130 yards and two TDs as the Eagles rolled up 676 yards of offense.  D.J. Johnson led St. Augustine's with 193 yards and a touchdown passing. H also led SAU with 26 yards rushing.

Clemson 59, South Carolina State 0 - In what is probably one of the most frustrating blowouts for Buddy Pough, everything went wrong for South Carolina State (0-3), including one of the most embarrassing touchdowns ever. You can see it here https://twitter.com/darrenrovell/status/777196268976279552.  How close was it not? Both coaches agreed to shorten the third and fourth quarters to 12 minutes each instead of 15 minutes each. SCSU had 54 yards passing and 48 rushing.  Clemson had 555 yards of offense. Clemson has beaten South Carolina State in each of their four meetings, scoring at least 54 points in each and only allowing them to score in one of those games.

Hampton 34, Howard 7 - Howard's scoring woes continue as they remain winless in three games. Howard (0-3, 0-1 MEAC) has been outscored 134-34 so far this season. Saturday, Hampton (1-2, 1-0 MEAC) broke open a 7-0 game by erupting for 24 points in the third quarter. Jaylian Williamson led Hampton with 198 yards and one touchdown passing. Howard was paced by running backs Jason Collins and Anthony Philyaw who combined for 181 yards rushing and a touchdown.

William & Mary 35, Norfolk State 10 - Albert Funderburke rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns to lead William & Mary (2-1) to the victory over Norfolk State (1-2). Funderburke led a rushing attack that had 277 yards on the day.  Greg Hankerson led Norfolk State with 125 yards passing and 43 yards rushing and a touchdown.

Tulsa 58, North Carolina A&T 21 - A week after North Carolina A&T (2-1) defeated FBS team Kent State, the Aggies had problems stopping another FBS team in Tulsa (2-1).  North Carolina A&T had two blocked punts, two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, in the game's first 20 minutes. Tulsa's Dane Evans threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns with Keevan Lewis caught all three TD passes and totaled 119 yards receiving.  Justin Hobbs caught seven passes for 114 yards. Elijah Bell caught five passes for 101 yards and a touchdown to lead A&T. Lamar Raynard threw for a touchdown and ran for another for North Carolina A&T.

SIAC

Benedict 42, Central State 6 - George Meyers Jr. rushed for 235 yards and a touchdown and quarterback Philip Brown rushed for two TDs to lead Benedict (2-1, 1-0 SIAC) to an easy win over Central State (0-3, 0-2 SWAC).  Benedict rushed for 333 yards on the CSU defense. Central State's De'Michael Jackson rushed for 107 yards while quarterback Lavon Meeks threw for 184 yards and a touchdown.

Fort Valley State 37,  Clark Atlanta 31 - Fort Valley State (1-2, 1-2 SIAC) erased a fourth quarter, two touchdown deficit and then got a Chancey Jackson 1-yard TD run in the third overtime to defeat Clark Atlanta (1-2, 1-2 SIAC). Domontay Jones threw a 9-yard TD pass to Otis Brown with five minutes left in the game and then on the next CAU series, Brian Walker picked off a Dashawn Blow pass and returned it 35 yards for the game-tying TD. Jones three three TD passes for FVSU while Blow threw two touchdown passes and rushed for another.

Lane 46, Langston 44 -

Albany State 24, Southeastern University 2 - In a game that was ended midway through the third quarter because of weather, Caleb Edmonds threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns to lead Albany State (1-2,   to the win over NAIA Southeastern (1-1).  Nick Scott had six tackles and two interceptions for the Albany State defense.

SWAC

Southern 64, Alabama State 6 - Austin Howard threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns and Lenard Tillery rushed for 124 yards to lead Southern (1-2, 1-0 SWAC) to an easy win over Alabama State (0-3, 0-1).   Howard's three TD passes went to Willie Quinn who caught four balls for 178 yards.  Quinn also returned a punt 73 yards for a touchdown and threw a 30-yard touchdown pass.

Prairie View A&M 41, Alabama A&M 20 - Sta'fon McCray's two second half touchdown runs led a Prairie View (2-1, 2-0 SWAC) surge to give them the win over Alabama A&M (1-2, 1-1 SWAC). McCray rushed for 192 yards, leading a PVAM offense that ran for nearly 300.  Alabama A&M quarterback De'Angelo Ballard led Alabama A&M with 129 yards passing and 64 yards rushing and and touchdown while Jordan Bentley rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown.

Grambling 35, Jackson State 14 - The Grambling (1-1, 1-0 SWAC) defense got two big turnovers for touchdowns - a Joseph McWilliams 62-yard interception return in the first half and Donovan McCray had a 51-yard fumble recovery for a TD - as they G-Men cruised to a win over Jackson State (0-3, 0-1 SWAC). Devante Kincaide threw for 227 yards and a TD for Grambling, with Chad Williams catching seven of those balls for 131 yards and a touchdown.  Arkez Cooper had eight tackles, two sacks and forced a fumble for the Grambling defense.

Texas Southern 31, Mississippi Valley State 0 - Averion Hurts threw for 273 yards and three touchdowns and the Texas Southern (1-2, 1-1 SWAC) defene limited Mississippi Valley State (0-3, 0-1) to minus-10 yards rushing to get the shutout. Tyler Cook rushed for a TD and cautght a touchdown pass. Sean Jones led the TSU defense with ten tackles, three and a half for losses, and a sack. Ladrelan Cheatham was the star on defense for MVSU with 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks of three Delta Devils sacks on the day.

OTHERS

West Virginia Wesleyan 35, West Virginia State 14 -

Indiana (Pa) 55, Cheyney 0 -

Quincy 40, Lincoln (Mo) 14 -

The Schedule and Rundown of EVERY HBCU Football Game for Week Three!

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

SIAC

Benedict at Central State - Benedict (1-1) is quite wary of Central State (0-2, 0-1 SIAC).  The Marauders have played well against FBS Dayton and fought hard against an improving Clark Atlanta team. Quarterback Lavon Meeks has averaged 409 yards of total offense in their two games. Benedict has been good on defense, especially against the run.  It's offense where they have issues. They opened with a 5-3 win and then scored just 13 in losing to Limestone last week.

Lane at Langston - Lane (2-0, 1-0 SIAC) showed that their defense is one to be reckoned with in how they shut down Fort Valley State last week.  Javonte Kelly won SIAC Defensive Player of the Week honors after he had 11 tackles and a fumble recovery.  Their "Marcus" offense - quarterback Marcus Reynolds and running back Marcus Holiday - is where they lean on for production. Langston (2-0) is the second NAIA team Lane will be facing this season.  But Langston isn't Texas College, who Lane beat easily. Kievon Jackson led Langston with 123 yards rushing last week while quarterback Mark Wright Jr. has been a solid dual threat.

Clark Atlanta at Fort Valley State - In years past, no one would have thought that the 0-2 team heading into this contest would be Fort Valley State. But it is.  The Wildcats shored up their defensive issue a big last week after holding Lane to 10 points and 248 yards of offense a week after giving up nearly 500 yards of offense in a loss to Miles to open the season. But their own offense is sputtering.  They've had one touchdown in the last six quarters. Clark Atlanta is an improving program, but defense is an issue.  They've allowed 800 yards and 24.5 points per game so far.

Morehouse at Elizabeth City State - Consistency is what Morehouse (2-0, 1-0 SIAC) will look for against Elizabeth City State (0-2, 0-0 CIAA).  The Maroon Tigers offense struggled against Edward Waters and made a ton of mistakes in holding off Kentucky State last week.  Elizabeth City State is looking to get last week's 84-21 drubbing by Fordham out of their heads. Quarterback Daquan Neal is their main offensive threat, passing and running.

Tuskegee at Florida A&M - This is an interesting contest.  First, forget about Tuskegee (2-0, 1-0 SIAC) being a Division II team and Florida A&M (0-2) being an FCS team. These are premiere HBCU programs, thought FAMU has been in the football doldrums the past few years. These two teams haven't played each other in twenty years. so there is excitement surrounding the game.  But Tuskegee is one of the top Division II teams in the country and has looked strong out the gate. They've scored 32 per game and have allowed only 15 per game so far.  Jayjerien Craig has rushed for nearly 200 yards in two games, including 130 against Albany State last week. And linebacker Osband Thompson has 27 tackles in two games. FAMU has been dominated by two teams - Coastal Carolina and Miami (Fla) who aren't a true barometer of where the Rattlers are now.  They do struggle on offense and the defense is a question.  This game could be interesting.

Albany State at Southeastern Univ. - Albany State (0-2, 0-1 SIAC) knew this could happen with the tough starting schedule - the first two games against Division II powerhouse Valdosta State and SIAC rival Tuskegee who they have beaten in four years.  Don't think this team is a slouch though. They've been tough in both games.  Southeastern (2-0) is a good NAIA program that has only lost five games in their three years of competition. Running back Jarrell Reynolds has been over 100 yards in both games and quarterback Jonathan Pearce has been solid.  But Albany State will be their toughest opponent to date.

SWAC

(Grambling athletic web site)

Grambing at Jackson State - Jackson State will have their hands full this week.  Grambling (1-1) put a real scare in Pac 12 FBS power Arizona last week in a game they easily could have won. DeVante Kincaide has energized the offense at quarterback with eight touchdowns in two games. Jackson State (0-2) has struggled on offense, particularly when trying to run the football.  They've also given up 63 and 40 points in two games so far this year.

Alabama State at Southern - Southern (0-2) is happy to be looking at competition that they are more in line with.  They pushed FBS Louisiana-Monroe in their opener and got stomped by Tulane last week.  The first thing they want to do is get start running back Lenard Tillery off to a better start. He only had 43 yards rushing last week against Tulane after opening the season with 161 yards. Alabama State (0-2) is on the road already for the third time this season. Their two losses have been fairly close against stronger competition also. Khalid Thomas and Derrel King have combined for nearly 200 yards rushing so far this season.

(Alabama A&M athletics site)

Prairie View at Alabama A&M - Alabama A&M  (1-1, 1-0 SWAC) head coach James Spady is happy that his defense has been solid so far this season, especially after shutting out Mississippi Valley State in the second half in last week's win. Prairie View (1-1, 1-0 SWAC) has defeated A&M three straight times.  But only by a combined nine points.  Last year's game - Prairie View won 53-49. Prairie View is smarting from last week's thumping at SEC power Texas A&M, so this might be a wild one.

Mississippi Valley State at Texas Southern - Texas Southern (0-2, 0-1 SWAC) has had two four point losses in which they won the first halves but give up leads to lose. Mississippi Valley State (0-2, 0-1).  TSU didnt have dual threat quarterback Jay Christopher last week in their loss to Houston Baptist, as Averion Hurts stepped in.  He has been sacked eight times in two games.  The Delta Devils are looking for their defense to step up after a huge loss to Eastern Michigan and Alabama A&M. They've give up 96 points in two games so far.

CIAA

UNC Pembroke at Shaw - There's not much you can do when you have amassed minus-3 yards rushing in two games.  But that's one of the primary reasons that Shaw (0-2) has struggled so far. Their third down conversion percentage is 13 percent.  They've scored 13 points. UNC Pembroke (2-0) easily defeated Fayetteville State and won a tough, hard-fought game against Winston-Salem State to open the season.  UNCP plays tough defense, which will cause more problems for Shaw.

Virginia State at Kentucky State - Kentucky State (0-2, 0-1 SIAC) head coach John L. Smith is probably truly realizing that he isn't coaching Michigan State or Louisville anymore.  His team has struggled mightily to move the football and have had trouble stopping anyone on defense.  But Virginia State (2-0) has none of those issues.  They've only given up 19 points in two games and they've run for 501 yards already this season.  Looks like a tough home opener for KSU.

Bowie State at Central Connecticut State - These two teams are again meeting after a close game last year that Central Connecticut State (0-2) won late. Bowie State (1-1, 1-0 CIAA) relied on passing to win that game after CCSU held them to only four rushing yards.  But that's where Bowie State is strong this year.  Running backs Robert Chesson and Maurice Williams have combined for more than 400 yards rushing this season.  Quarterback Amir Hall has also been spectacular, throwing 427 yards and five TDs in their season opener against Seton Hall and 267 yards last week against Johnson C. Smith.

Johnson C. Smith at Wofford - Johnson C. Smith (0-2) doesn't get much of a chance to rebound from last week's 52-0 loss to Bowie State.  They head to FCS Wofford (1-1), a team that managed not to get completely blown out by FBS SEC team Mississippi last week.  JCSU will have to do better than the 98 yards of total offense they had last week if they have any hope of pulling off a major upset. Quarterback Jordan Lane did throw for 227 yards and two touchdowns in the Golden Bulls season opening loss to Wingate.

Lincoln (Pa) at Morehead State - Morehead State (0-2) is a team looking for an offensive identity, according to their head coach Rob Tenyer.  After getting crushed by James Madison, they held tough against VMI.  But they struggle to move the ball.  Their defense buckled down last week in that 17-13 loss after giving up 80 points to James Madison.  Lincoln (Pa) (1-1) defeated Lincoln (Mo) last week after allowing Cheyney to end a four year losing drought.  Justin White has been good a quarterback, accounting for four touchdowns this year.  But Morehead State will easily be their toughest opponent so far.

Fayetteville State at Elon - Except for a scoreless first three quarters in their Week 1 loss to Chowan, Fayetteville State (0-2, 0-1 CIAA) proved they can score.  They were dominated last week by UNC Pembroke, but put up 28 points, including 14 in the first quarter.  That's a good thing as Elon (0-2) has struggled to stop anyone and has scored only 20 points in two games.

Virginia Union at Winston-Salem State - Winston-Salem State (1-1) has played two really good teams in UNC Pembroke (a 20-17 loss) and Catawba (a big win over a 22nd ranked team), so they are looking for big things today against a Virginia Union (0-2) team that has gotten good play from quarterback Shawheem Dowdy and running back William Stanback.  The Panthers defense looked solid against LIU Post in the opener, but couldn't keep it together against a really good Newberry team last week.

West Florida at Chowan - Chowan's defense will get challenged this week as NAIA West Florida (2-0), in their first season, looked great last week in their 45-0 win over Ave Maria University. Quarterback Kaleb Noles threw for 503 yards and six touchdowns. In fact, they've scored 45 in both of their first two games.  Chowan (1-1) was held down by Campbell last week as they only mustered 233 yards of offense.  They will likely have to score more than the 14 points they've put up in each of their first two games.

St. Augustine's at North Carolina Central - Division II CIAA St. Augustine's (0-2) represents something North Carolina Central (0-2) hasn't seen all year - an opponent who isn't completely over their heads.  The Eagles have lost big to FBS schools Duke and Western Michigan, so they are looking forward to playing a team that's a little closer to their level.  St. Aug's has only scored 14 points this year, and they've lost big to two teams that were above them in North Carolina A&T and Carson Newman.

Livingstone at Davidson - After getting a win over feisty NAIA Edward Waters last week, Livingstone (1-1) takes two steps up in taking on FCS team Davidson (1-1). Jarius Richardson, who had fell in the end zone to give Benedict the safety they need to win in the season-opener, ran for 150 yards last week and looks to build on that this week.  But Davidson has averaged 242 yards passing using two quarterbacks and they've got a good rusher in Keyan Brown.  They've had problems on defense, particularly against the pass.

MEAC

Tennessee State at Bethune-Cookman - Tennessee State (2-0) will quickly find out how good they really are.  The Big Blue Tigers have been good against two not so good teams in Arkanas-Pine Bluff and Jackson State.  O'Shay Ackerman-Carter has been solid at quarterback for TSU, averaging nearly 250 yards in two games so far.  Bethune-Cookman (0-1) is smarting from a 41-20 loss to North Texas, but that game didn't really tell the BCU story.  The Wildcats are guided by Larry Brihm at quarterback and on defense by Diquan Richardson who returned an interception for a touchdown, blocked a punt and had nine tackls.

South Carolina State at Clemson - These two in-state rivals have played three times before and the FBS ACC power Clemson (2-0) has been dominant as expected. They only allowed South Carolina State (0-2)  to score in one game (52-13 in 2013) and won the other two 54-0 in 2008 and 2014. Clemson will look to show their dominance again.  Quarterback Caleb York is pretty much the SCSU offense, but he has had to face two FBS foes already in Central Florida and Louisiana Tech.

North Carolina A&T at Tulsa - Fresh off their first win over an FBS team (Kent State last week), North Carolina A&T (2-0) gets another FBS team in Tulsa (1-1). Expect Tulsa to be tougher than Kent State. Tulsa has a good running back in D'Angelo Brewer and has a defense that's stiff against the run. A&T's Tarik Cohen has continued to be Tarik Cohen as he had over 100 yards rushing and receiving last week. This looks to be one of the better FBS-HCBU FCS matchups this year.

Howard vs. Hampton (Nation's Football Classic, Washington, D.C.) - These two winless teams will be glad to get back to competition on their level.  Howard has been thrashed by FBS schools Maryland and Rutgers while Hampton fought well against William & Mary last week and struggled to slow down Old Dominion.  Now we get to see how these two really stack up this season.  Hampton's offense is balanced with quarterback Jaylian Williamson averaging close to 200 yards a game passing and running backs Yahkee Johnson and Eric Carter combining for 261 yards in two games.  Hoawrd has struggled on offense, averaging 13.5 points in their two games.  The defense has been gashed, allowing more than 50 points in both games. Anthony Philyaw has been a bright spot, averaging 82.5 yards a game rushing.  This game will REALLY tell where these two teams are this year.

Norfolk State at William & Mary - Norfolk State (1-1) ends their non-conference schedule today with a tough game at 13th ranked William & Mary (1-1), a team that defeated Hampton last week, but only after the Pirates jumped out to an early lead.  William & Mary was a FCS playoff team last year, that returns the bulk of a talented team, including quarterback Steve Cluely and running back Kendell Anderson.  NSU quarterback Greg Hankerson will look to get back on track after a terrible day last week in which he had just 59 yards of total offense.



OTHERS

Indiana (Pa) at Cheyney -

Qunicy at Lincoln (Mo.) -

Texas College at McMurry -

West Virginia Wesleyan at West Virginia State - West Virginia State (1-1, 1-1 MEC) blew out West Virginia Wesleyan last year, but they are wary of this 0-2 team. In two games this season, WVWU has been fairly close and are led by running back Michael Anderson, who rushed for 157 yards last week, and quarterback Ryan Deal.  But last year, WVSU held Anderson to 29 yards rushing. WVSU quarterback Matt Kinnick, who had his biggest day career-wise against Wesleyan last season, is back after a victory limited him last week.

Arkanssas-Pine Bluff Surprises Alcorn State 45-43

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

(Photo by Nicole Hester/The Natchez Democrat)

Brandon Duncan threw for 505 yards and four touchdowns, including a 25-yarder to Willie Young in the third overtime as Arkansas-Pine Bluff surprised Alcorn State 45-43 Thursday night.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-2, 1-0 SWAC) had not beaten Alcorn State (1-1, 1-1 SWAC), the two-time defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champions, in their previous three tries.

But over the last six minutes of the fourth quarter, the Golden Lions erased a 30-14 deficit with a Duncan 44-yard touchdown pass to John Hawkins and then a Dante McDonald touchdown run with less than a minute remaining.  UAPB converted two-point conversion plays on both, sending the game into overtime.

The teams traded touchdowns, but Alcorn State quarterback Noah Johnson, a freshman who was replacing injured quarterback Lenorr Footman, was tackled after the Braves scored a touchdown in the third overtime.

Duncan then followed with his TD to Young and then connected with Hawkins to give the Golden Lions the win.

Young had a big game, catching 13 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns, leading a UAPB receiving corps that had four players with at least 80 yards receiving.   Noah Johnson had a big night as he finished with 355 yards and three touchdowns on 30-of-41 passing and no interceptions. Johnson also ran for 62 yards and three touchdowns.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff Visits Alcorn State Tonight

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

(From Alcorn State athletics site)

Tonight's Arkansas-Pine Bluff-Alcorn State game is more a tale of two programs.

Alcorn (1-0, 1-0 SWAC) is the defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champions who opened their season with a 21-18 win last week.  Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-2) lost big to Tennessee State and late to Oklahoma Panhandle State a two-year old Division I FCS team that was won their first Division I FCS game.

Alcorn State has won 20 games and two SWAC titles over the past two seasons while Arkansas-Pine Bluff has won lost 18 games since 2014.  ASU has also won three in a row over UAPB.

But the Braves, who have ridden a high-flying offense the past few seasons, are hoping tonight that quarterback Lenorris Footman, who didn't play any of the second half after an ankle injury, will be ready to go.

"Lenorris is going to be fine," head coach Fred McNair told the Natchez Democrat.  "He has a little soreness in his ankle.  We're just going to play it by ear and give those guys the proper treatment they need."

Dante McDonald

Arkansas-Pine Bluff had some bright spots last week.  The Golden Lions got a solid rushing effort from Dante McDonald who rushed for 122 yards and touchdown against Oklahoma Panhandle. Without a late OPSU 55-yard touchdown pass and a bad day from UAPB kicker Jamie Gilan, the Golden Lions likely would have had their first win of the season.

"We'll come back," said UAPB head coach Monte Coleman during the team's weekly press conference.  "We are taking one game at a time. Alcorn is still a good football.... They are not quite as good as they've been the past two years, but they are still a good team.  We're going to give it everything we've got."

EVERY Score From Week 2 of the HBCU Football Season

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

(Photo from SWAC.org)

MEAC

North Carolina A&T 39, Kent State 36 - 

Rutgers 52, Howard 14 - Howard (0-2) put an early scare into Rutgers (1-1) as Kalen Johnson threw a touchdown and ran another to give the Bison a 14-0 lead early in the first quarter.  But Rutgers took over and didnt allow another point while putting up 52. Rutgers' Chris Laviano only threw for 137 yards, but had three touchdown passes while Janarion Grant rushed for 106 yards and two TDs.

William & Mary 24, Hampton 14 -

Richmond 34, Norfolk State 0 -

Western Michigan 70, North Carolina Central 21 -

Marshall 62, Morgan State 0 -

North Texas 41, Bethune-Cookman 20 -

Coastal Carolina 49, Florida A&M 10 -

Southern Miss 56, Savannah State 0 -

Arizona 31, Grambling 21 -


CIAA

Winston-Salem State 23, Catawba 17 -

Bowie State 52, Johnson C. Smith 0 -

Fordham 83, Elizabeth City State 21 - This one was ugly. FCS team Fordham had three guys with more than 100 yards rushing (Chase Edmonds, 155 yards, 1 TD; D'Angelo Palladino, 116, 1 TD; and Kendall Pearcy, 115, 2 TDs) as they rolled up 707 yards of total offense against hapless Elizabeth City State. How bad was it?  ECSU had more yards punting (259) than they did in total offense (220).

Wingate 56, Shaw 7 -

Lincoln (Pa) 33, Lincoln (Mo) 23 - It was the Battle of the Lincolns with the one to the east winning.  A week after losing to Cheyney to allow Cheyney to break a 43-game losing streak, Lincoln (Pa) (1-1)

Carson-Newman 48, St. Augustine's 14 -

Livingstone 31, Edward Waters 28 - Livingstone holds off a feisty NAIA Edward Waters (0-2) team that pushed Morehouse last week and now almost came back from a 17-point deficit this week.

Virginia State 24, Tusculum 10 -

California (Pa) 79,  Cheyney 3 - 

Newberry 42, Virginia Union 22 -

UNC Pembroke 50, Fayetteville State 28 -

Campbell 47, Chowan 14 -

Limestone 19, Benedict 13 -


SWAC

Texas A&M 67, Prairie View A&M 0 - It wasn't pretty in College Station for Prairie View (1-1). Texas A&M (2-0) scored early and often as quarterback Trevor Knight threw for 344 yards and three touchdowns and Keith Ford added two more on the ground. Texas A&M had 672 yards of offense and only allowed the Panthers 32 yards rushing in a mismatch.

Oklahoma Panhandle State 20, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 16 - Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-2) blew a nine-point fourth quarter lead in losing to Oklahoma Panhandle State (1-1).  UAPB erased a 7-3 halftime deficit with 13-third quarter points.  But OPSU Shane Truelove threw two fourth quarter touchdown passes of 5 and 55 yards to lead them to the win. Truelove finished with three TD tosses and 238 yards passing. Dante McDonald rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown for UAPB.

Houston Baptist 24, Texas Southern 20 -

Alabama A&M 35, Mississippi State 16 - Alabama A&M (1-1, 1-0 SWAC) broke open a see-saw first half battle with 21-unanswered points on two De'Angelo Ballard TD runs and a 13-yard Ryan Ducksworth fumble recovery to defeat Mississippi Valley State (0-2, 0-1 SWAC).  Ballard threw for 140 yards and a TD to go with his 78 yards rushing. MVSU didnt help themselves late with drives that ended in a fumble, an interception and two missed field goals. Austin Bray threw for 223 yards and a touchdown, but the Delta Devils offense only had just 16 yards rushing.

Alcorn State 21, Alabama State 18 - Alcorn State (1-0, 1-0 SWAC) finally got their season started after last week's cancellation with a tough win over Alabama State (0-2, 0-1 SWAC). Marquis Warford led Alcorn State with 87 yards and an touchdown rushing while Noah Johnson added 61 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Quinterris Toppings threw two TDs for Alabama State. The Hornets defense held Alcorn quarterback Lenorr Footman in check, only allowing him 62 yards passing and 45 rushing.

Tulane 66, Southern 21 -

SIAC

Tuskegee 28, Albany State 18 - 

Morehouse 14, Kentucky State 3 - In a game that should have been put away early by Morehouse (2-0), the Maroon Tigers got touchdowns from ....  Morehouse turnovers and penalties kept Kentucky State in the game late, but their offense couldn't put anything together.

Lane 10, Fort Valley State 7 -

Clark Atlanta 20, Central State 13 -

Tuskegee 28, Albany State 18 -

West Georgia 30, Miles 0 -

OTHERS

Tennessee State 40, Jackson State 26 - Tennessee State (2-0) shook off an early Jackson State spurt to put away their rival in the second of the Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis. O'Shay Ackerman-Carter threw two touchdowns and ran for another, while Erick Evans ran for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson State (0-2) only had 60 yards rushing.

California (Pa) 79, Cheyney 3 - It didnt take long for memories of a big Cheyney win were erased. California (Pa) quarterback Michael Keir only completed nine passes (out of 11), but five of them were for touchdowns and four different players ran for touchdowns as California (Pa) opened their season with a drubbing of Cheyney (1-1).

West Virginia State 37, Urbana 24 -