Tuskegee Survives Defensive-Minded Central State; Recaps of EVERY HBCU Football Game from Saturday

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

Central State may not have the sterling record, but Tuskegee knew what they were in for Saturday.

The Marauders, sporting the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's toughest defense, held Tuskegee, the nation's top-ranked Division II HBCU football team, to less than 300 yards of total offense in a hard-hitting game in which Central State actually led at halftime

But Tuskegee's defense was tougher as they held the Marauders to 133 offensive yards in a 19-7 win.

While Tuskegee quarterback Kevin Lacey threw a touchdown pass, he was only 7-of-20 for 129 yards on the day.  Running back Dennis Norfleet gave the Golden Tigers offense stability, gaining 106 tough yards on 14 carries.

Deonate Gary led the hard hitting Central State (4-5, 2-3 SIAC) defense with nine tackles, forced and recovered a fumble and had a quarterback hurry. Gervell Morton added eight tackles and a sack.

Tuskegee (8-1, 7-0 SIAC) got monster defense efforts from Jewell Ratliff, who had 19 tackles and an interception that he returned for a touchdown, and Osband Thompson who had 15 tackles and was in on a sack.

Ratliff's defense gave the Golden Tigers their first lead and energized his team.

"It was big, bigger than we think," Ratliff told the Montgomery Advertiser. "It was dead on our sideline.  Our energy wasn't like it usually is, but after that pick, I saw the energy pick up."

The Tuskegee victory, head coach Willie Slater's 90th, sets the stage for next week's battle with Miles to determine who will win the SIAC West Division and go to the Nov. 14 SIAC Championship game.

Central State closes out their season with Concordia (Ala).

Here are recaps of EVERY HBCU football game from Saturday

MEAC

North Carolina A&T 28, Florida A&M 10 - North Carolina A&T (7-1, 5-0 MEAC) won their sixth straight game and sits on top of the MEAC standings with a solid win over Florida A&M (1-7, 1-4 MEAC).  Tarik Cohen continued his stellar season with 163 yards and a TD rushing, along with catching two passes for 25 yards.  Cohen is only 88 yards away from becoming A&T's all-time rushing leader.  The Rattlers on the other hand only had four yards rushing all day.
North Carolina Central 24, Norfolk State 16 - Dorrel McClain rushed for 93 yards and two TDs while Malcolm Bell passed for 193 yards and a touchdown as North Carolina Central (5-3, ?-? MEAC) outscored Norfolk State (2-6, ?-? MEAC) 17-9 in a wild fourth quarter to get the win. Greg Hankerson Jr. led Norfolk State with 89 yards and two touchdowns rushing and 230 yards passing.
Bethune-Cookman 49, Delaware State 21 - Bethune-Cookman (7-2, 5-1 MEAC) rushed for 353 yards and five touchdowns as they powered their way over winless Delaware State (0-8, 0-5 MEAC). Larry Brihm led the Wildcats with 141 yards and two TDs rushing while Michael Jones added 98 yards and a TD.  Quentin Williams also threw two touchdown passes.  The Wildcats are a game behind A&T in the conference championship race.
Howard 55, Savannah State 9 - Howard (1-7, 1-5 MEAC) got their first win of the season as quarterback Kalen Johnson threw for 219 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for another score. Leon Prunty threw a TD to lead Savannah State (1-6, 1-4 MEAC).
South Carolina State 34, Hampton 20 - Jalen Simmons rushed for 135 yards while Caleb York threw three touchdowns to lead South Carolina State (5-3, 4-1 MEAC) to the win. Jerrell Antoine led Hampton (4-5, 3-3 MEAC) with two touchdowns passing and another TD rushing.  South Carolina State sits in a third place tie with North Carolina Central in the MEAC race.

CIAA

Virginia State 32, Chowan 28 - After being down 28-13 midway through the third quarter, Virginia State (6-3, 4-2 CIAA) scored 19 unanswered points to get the comeback win. Jordan Watkins had thrown two TD passes and ran for another touchdown to lead Chowan (5-4, 3-3 CIAA) to the early lead. Trenton Cannon rushed for 105 yards and a TD for VSU while Tyree Lee had 108 yards and a TD on the ground for Chowan.
Shaw 32, Winston-Salem State 25 (2OT) - A tough season for a young Winston-Salem State (4-5, 4-2 CIAA) team continues as Marquise Grizzle ran a 25-yard TD in the game's second overtime and Bruce Parker Jr. intercepted a WSSU pass to give Shaw (1-8, 1-5 CIAA) their first win of the season, spoiling WSSU's homecoming day. Grizzle rushed for 209 yards and became Shaw's all-time rushing leader.  Terrence Shambry threw for 267 yards and three TDs for Shaw.
Livingstone 42, Fayetteville State 35  (OT) - Latrell Flowers ran a two-yard TD in overtime and then Billy Moore picked off a Fayetteville State pass to give Livingstone (4-3, 3-3 CIAA) the win. Drew Powell led Livingstone with 364 yards and two TDs passing and two more touchdowns rushing.  Derek Bryant led Fayetteville State (4-5, 4-2 CIAA) with 262 yards and two touchdowns passing.
Virginia Union 43, Elizabeth City State 31- Shaheem Dowdy threw for 221 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score as Virginia Union (7-2, 5-1 CIAA) held off Elizabeth City State (4-4, 2-4 CIAA). Daquan Neal led ECSU with 255 yards and two TDs passing and rushed for 44 yards and a touchdown.
Johnson C. Smith 22, St. Augustine's 3 - Johnson C. Smith (4-5, 3-3 CIAA) gave up only 141 yards of offense and forced five turnovers as they kept St. Augustine's (0-9, 0-6 CIAA) winless.  The Golden Bulls defense returned a fumble for a TD and had a safety.
Bowie State 57, Lincoln (Pa) 3 - A balanced Bowie State offense rumbled past Lincoln (Pa) (3-6, 1-5 CIAA). Bowie State (8-1, 6-0 CIAA) was led by Nyeema Washington's three touchdown passes and one rushing TD, along with Kendall Jefferson's 95 yards and two TDs rushing.  Bowie State clinched a spot in the CIAA championship game as they own the tie-breaker with second place Virginia Union and Virginia State in the CIAA North.

SWAC

Alcorn State 48, Southern 7 - A week after a big loss to Grambling, Alcorn State (5-2, 4-1 SWAC) had no problem with Southern (4-4, 4-2 SWAC).  It's Alcorn State's fifth consecutive win over Southern.
Jackson State 23, Mississippi Valley State 16 - Jackson State (3-5, 3-4 SWAC) got 17 fourth quarter points to keep Mississippi Valley State (0-9, 0-7 SWAC) winless. Jordan Williams rushed for a TD while La Montiez Ivy threw a 24 yard TD during that fourth quarter. Ryan Deising had four field goals for JSU.  Slade Jarman threw a TD and rushed for another to lead MVSU.
Alabama State 35, Alabama A&M 20 - Daniel Duhart threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for three other scores to lead Alabama State (4-4, 4-3 SWAC) to the win. Brandon Eldemire rushed for 83 yards and two touchdowns to lead Alabama A&M (2-5, 2-3 SWAC).
Prairie View A&M 54, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 29 - Trey Green threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another TD to lead Prairie View (5-2, 5-1 SWAC) to the win. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-7, 0-6 SWAC) was led by Brandon Duncan's 308 yards and three TDs passing.
College of Faith at Texas Southern - GAME WAS CANCELLED

SIAC

Fort Valley State 35, Morehouse 3 - The Morehouse (4-5, 2-3 SIAC) offense sputtered as they mustered only 137 yards of offense against a ferocious Fort Valley State defense on homecoming day. Meanwhile Malcolm Eady threw two touchdown passes while Otis Brown tossed another and ran for a TD to lead Fort Valley State (5-3, 5-0 SIAC).
Albany State 35, Benedict 9 - Albany State (5-3, 3-0 SIAC) held Benedict (0-9, 0-4 SIAC) to -17 yards rushing and didn't allow a touchdown as the Rams got an easy win.  Jarvis Small continued his strong running, rushing for 103 yards and a TD. Caleb Edmonds added 80 yards and a TD on the ground and threw for 182 yards and another touchdowns. Tavarius Washington led the Albany State defense with 12 tackles while Darien Corley had 2.5 sacks and recovered a fumble. Mason Duckett led Benedict with 193 yards passing.
Lane 21, Kentucky State 14 - After being down 14-0 at halftime, Lane (3-6, 2-5 SIAC) scored three unanswered touchdowns in the second half to defeat Kentucky State (2-7, 2-4 SIAC).  Marcus Reynolds threw two second half TD passes while Carias Moore added two field goals. Kentucky State's Reginal Harris rushed for 142 yards and two TDs.
Miles 37, Stillman 7 -
Clark Atlanta at Concordia (Ala) - NO CONTEST BECAUSE OF WEATHER

OTHERS

Tennessee State 20, Austin Peay 6 - The Tennessee State (4-4, 1-4 OVC) looked like the TSU defense of old as they only allowed a pair of field goals in getting their first conference win. Blair Edwards led the TSU defense with 13 tackles, six of them solo.
UNC-Pembroke 45, West Virginia State 21 - UNC Pembroke erased an early 6-point deficit with five unanswered touchdowns and cruised to the win. Patrick O'Brien, who threw for 318 yards and four touchdowns, and B.J. Bunn hooked up from for three TD passes during that streak. Matt Kinnick threw for two TDs for West Virginia State (5-4, 5- MEC).
Panhandle State 62, Texas College 7 - Thirty-four first quarter points ended this game early. Panhandle State had 570 yards in total offense to rout Texas College (1-7, 1-3 CSFL).  Shane Truelove threw three touchdowns, Brandon Ramon tossed two and Eddie Thomas added one the Panhandle State passing game accounted for 379 yards.
McKendree 65, Lincoln (Mo) 0 - Issac Fisher threw for 308 yards and three TDs and rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown to lead McKendree to the rout of Lincoln (Mo) (1-8, 0-6 GLVC). McKendree had 31 first downs and 587 yards of offense.
West Chester 41, Cheyney 20 - Cheyney (0-9, 0-6 PSAC) kept it close early, but couldn't handle a balanced West Chester offense in the end.  Pat Moriarty threw for 251 yards and three TDs while Eerin Young rushed for 131 yards.  Dominick Trautz threw for only 74 yards for Cheyney, but three of his seven completions were for touchdowns.
Langston 48, Lyon 14 - Langston (5-3, 3-1 CSFL) piled up 537 yards of offense as they sped past Lyon for the win. Mark Wright rushed for 129 yards while Kendrick Robertson added 103 yards and two touchdowns for Langston.  Langston will need wins in their final two games to keep hopes alive for a CSFL conference title.

Alcorn State Tries to Regain Swagger at Southern; Rundown of ALL HBCU Football Scheduled Saturday

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

Defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Alcorn State has an important date in Louisiana today, mainly because their last time in Louisiana didn't turn out so well.

Today, Alcorn State faces a Southern (4-3, 4-1 SWAC) team that is looking to get back into the SWAC title game picture in the SWAC West as they trail Grambling and Prairie View.

Two weeks ago, the Braves (4-2) fell to Grambling, a team Alcorn State most people expect to meet the Braves in this year's SWAC title game.

But after a bye week, Alcorn State won't be facing a pushover.  Two of Southern's three losses have come to FBS teams Louisiana Tech and Georgia, while their lone FCS loss was a wild 47-42 defeat at the hands of a solid Prairie View squad.

The Jaguars feature the SWAC's leading rusher in Lenard Tillery, who has averaged nearly 105 yards a game and has rushed for nine touchdowns. Quarterback Austin Howard is one of the SWAC most efficient quarterbacks as he's thrown for nearly 1,500 yards and nine touchdowns against only three interceptions.

Still, Southern is facing the SWAC's top defensive unit in Alcorn State. with the league's top pass defense unit.

It shapes up to be a tough one in Baton Rouge.  Kickoff is at 4 p.m. CST.

Here is today's entire HBCU football schedule

SIAC

Central State at Tuskegee - The SIAC's top defensive unit, Central State, takes on the nation's top-ranked Division II HBCU football team.  The Marauders have also won four straight road games.
Benedict at Albany State
Morehouse at Fort Valley State
Kentucky State at Lane
Clark Atlanta at Concordia (Ala)

SWAC

Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Prairie View A&M
College of Faith at Texas Southern
Alabama State vs. Alabama A&M
Jackson State at Mississippi Valley State

CIAA

Elizabeth City State at Virginia Union
Lincoln (Pa) at Bowie State
Johnson C. Smith at St. Augustine's
Fayetteville State at Livingstone
Shaw at Winston-Salem State
Virginia State at Chowan

MEAC

Savannah State at Howard
Hampton at South Carolina State
Norfolk State at North Carolina Central
Bethune-Cookman at Delaware State
North Carolina A&T at Florida A&M

OTHERS

Austin Peay at Tennessee State - Tennessee State (3-4, 0-4 OVC) returns to their traditional home, "The Hole" on campus to take on OVC rival Austin Peay.  The Tigers are in the midst of a disappointing season and are seeking their first OVC win of the season.
West Chester (Pa) at Cheyney
West Virginia State at UNC-Pembroke
Lincoln (Mo) at McKendree
Lyon at Langston
Texas College at Oklahoma Panhandle

Tuskegee, Bowie State 1-2 in ADDS HBCU SPORTS REPORT D-2 Football Poll; North Carolina A&T Leads FCS Poll

Division II

1) Tuskegee

2) Bowie State
3) Virginia Union
4) Chowan
5) Virginia State
6) Fort Valley State
7) Fayetteville State
8) Albany State
9) Elizabeth City State
10) Miles



FCS

1) North Carolina A&T
2) Grambling
3) Alcorn State
4) Bethune-Cookman
5) South Carolina State
6) Prairie View A&M
7) Southern
8) North Carolina Central
9) Hampton
10) Morgan State

Bowie State Knocks Off Virginia Union in Battle of CIAA's Best; Recaps of EVERY HBCU Football Game From Saturday

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

Just when Virginia Union thought they had Bowie State, things just slipped away.

In a battle of the CIAA North's two best teams - and right now, the two best teams in the CIAA, Virginia Union botched a point after touchdown kick that would have pulled them to within one point of Bowie State in the third quarter.  Bowie's Brian Hall took the blocked kick and ran it back 98 yards for two points and the final score in a close 23-19 win.

The victory gives Bowie State (7-1, 5-0 CIAA) sole possession of first place in the CIAA North and the inside track to the CIAA championship game while Virginia Union (6-2, 4-1 CIAA) falls to one game behind the Bulldogs.

Here is a rundown of last weekend's HBCU football action


CIAA

Winston-Salem State 23, Livingstone 21
Johnson C. Smith 17, Shaw 10
Virginia State 35, Lincoln (Pa) 0
Chowan 24, Elizabeth City State 20
Fayetteville State 40, St. Augustine's 18

MEAC

North Carolina A&T 65, Howard 14 - After being behind 14-13 early in the second quarter, North Carolina A&T (6-1, 4-0 MEAC) scored 52 unanswered points and had no problem with winless Howard (0-7, 0-5 MEAC). Tarik Cohen rushed for 137 yards and three TDs, including a 33-yarder that put the Aggies up for good in the second quarter. Quarterback Kwashaun Quick threw for a TD and rushed for 85 yards and another score for A&T. Howard was led by quarterback Kalen Johnson who threw two touchdown passes.
Bethune-Cookman 59, Norfolk State 49 - In a wild, back-and-forth shootout,  Quentin Williams threw for 356 yards and four touchdowns to lead Bethune-Cookman (6-2, 4-1 MEAC) to the win. Michael Jones rushed for 136 yards and two TDs and caught three passes for 112 yards and a TD for BCU. Greg Hankerson threw for 266 yards and four TDs and ran for 97 yards for Norfolk State (2-5, 2-2 MEAC) while Issac White caught 10 passes for 126 yards and three TDs. Gerard Johnson rushed for 103 yards. Both teams combined for 1090 yards of offense.
South Carolina State 34, Delaware State 7 -
William & Mary 40, Hampton 7 -
North Carolina Central 20, Morgan State 17 -

SIAC

Tuskegee 38, Kentucky State 28 - Tuskegee (7-1, 6-0 SIAC) had to work hard for their win over a game Kentucky State (2-6, 2-3 SIAC) squad.  Tuskegee's Dennis Norfleet broke open a 14-14 tie midway in the second quarter with a 73-yard TD run and Kenno Loyal added a 9-yard touchdown run as the Golden Tigers held on for the win.  Loyal led the Tuskegee offense with 113 yards rushing and two toudhdowns. Kentucky State's Ora Johnson threw two touchdown passes while Reginal Harris rushed for 127 yards.
Morehouse 42, Benedict 10 - Morehouse (4-4, 2-3 SIAC) spotted Benedict (0-8, 0-6 SIAC) an early 10-0 first quarter lead before the Maroon Tigers offense took over on homecoming day in Atlanta.  Morehouse's Kivon Taylor threw two TDs while Cameron Fields rushed for 87 yards and another touchdown.  Amyr Smith caught a 52-yard TD pass from Taylor and ran a kickoff back 100 yards for a TD while Devon Mann had an 80-yard TD reception. Morehouse rushed for 254 yards.
Albany State 26, Clark Atlanta 14 - Clark Atlanta (1-7, ) kept it close early, but the SIAC's rushing leader, Jarvis Small, scored two TDs to lift Albany State (4-3, 4-1 SIAC) to the win. Jaha McCray's 5-yard TD run midway through the third quarter pulled CAU to within three at 17-14. But Albany State got a safety and a Small TD to get the win. Small had 100 yards rushing while CAU's Michael Vincent threw for 278 yards and a touchdown.
Central State 24, Stillman 7 - Terrence Wafford rushed for a TD and passed for another one while the Central State (4-4, 2-2 SIAC) defense bent but only broke once to get the win over Stillman (3-4, 2-3 SIAC). Stillman quarterback Brett Standifer threw two TDs, but struggled.  Central State's defense, the best in the SIAC, had three sacks and three interceptions.
Miles 37, Lane 10 - Jamarcus Nance rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns while quarterback David Whipple rushed for 101 yards and threw for 141 more to lead Miles (4-4, 4-1 SIAC) to the win.  Miles rushed for 305 yards and three TDs on the day. Marcus Reynolds had 62 yards passing and 65 yards and a TD rushing for Lane (2-6, 1-5 SIAC).  Courtney Bush adde 92 yards rushing for Lane.  After starting the season 0-3, Miles has won three in a row, four of their last five.

SWAC

Southern 40, Texas Southern 21 - Lenard Tillery rushed for a career high 196 yards, with two TDs, to lead Southern (4-3, 4-1 SWAC) to win over Texas Southern (3-4, 2-4 SWAC).  The game was tied early in the second quarter when Malik Cross' 18-yard TD reception knotted the game at 21-21.  But the Tigers wouldn't score again as Deonte Shorts and John West, along with a safety and a field goal, to get the win.
Jackson State 37, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 3 - Jarin Marikawa threw for 333 yards and three TDs to lead Jackson State (2-5, 2-3 SWAC) to the rout of Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-6, 0-5 SWAC). JSU got 100 yards and a TD on the ground from Robert Johnson while Devin Fosselman caught six passes for 175 yards and all three of Marikawa's touchown passes.  UAPB's only win so far this season has come against Division II's Morehouse.
Grambling 49, Mississippi Valley State 14 - Grambling (6-2, 6-0 SWAC) broke open a close game with 21-second quarter points to get an easy win over Mississippi Valley State (0-8, 0-6 SWAC). Grambling's Jestin Kelly rushed for 159 yards and two touchdowns while Johnta Williams threw two TDs.  Grambling rushed for 308 yards as the Delta Devils gave up 568 yards in total offense.

OTHERS

Eastern Kentucky 45, Tennessee State 21 - Bennie Coney threw for 292 and three touchdown and rushed for another while his running back Ethan Thomas rushed for 149 yards and touchdown to lead EKU to the win over Tennessee State (3-4, 0-4 OVC).  Ronald Butler led TSU with 222 yards and two touchdowns, with his big target being wide receiver Patrick Smith (nine receptions, 119 yards, 1 TD).  The TSU defense gave up 549 yards of offense to Eastern Kentucky. The Tigers have lost four of their last five games.
Langston 49, Bacone 7 -
Arizona Christian 26, Texas College 0 - Texas College (1-7, 1-4 CSFL) only mustered 88 yards of offense while Arizona Christian's P.J. Sparks ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns.  Texas College's Robert Woodard only completed eight passes.
Indianapolis 41, Lincoln (Mo) 18 - Andrew Walker rushed for 129 yards and four touchdowns to lead Indianapolis to an easy win over Lincoln (Mo) (1-7, 0-5 GLVC).
West Virginia State 24, Glenville State 21 - West Virginia State (5-3, 5-3 MEC) scored three first quarter touchdowns, two on Matt Kinnick TD tosses, to hold on for a win. Kinnick had two TD passes. Glenville State's Tevin Drake had a big day, rushing for 133 yards and a touchdown.
Shippensburg 70, Cheyney 7 - Ryan Zapoticky completed 13 passes - five of them for touchdowns - to lead Shippensburg to a rout of Cheyney (0-8, 0-5 PSAC).  Chase Yocum added 103 yards and two TDs on the ground for Shippensburg.  Cheyney's Brandon French rushed for 76 yards while quarterback Dominick Trautz threw for 107 yards and a touchdown.

Virginia Union Visits Bowie State in Battle for CIAA's Top Spot; Rundown of ALL of Today's HBCU Football Action

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

For the second week in a row, the CIAA will see a game that will go a long way in determining the conference's hiarchy this season.

Virginia Union (6-1, 4-0 CIAA) visits Bowie State (6-1, 4-0 CIAA) are two teams atop the CIAA's Northern Division standings as well as ranked as two of the best among the nation's HBCU football teams.

But they do it differently.

Virginia Union, which sports the CIAA's top offense, is a team that relies on the running game as they average a league best 245 yards a game and 5.2 yards a rush.  Freshman Hakeem Dowdy leads the running game with 805 rushing and seven TDs so far this season.

Bowie State isnt far behind as they are the CIAA's top passing team. led by quarterback Matthew Coggins' 1560 yards and 16 touchdowns so far this season.

Both teams have won four games in a row as they square off today at 1 p.m.

Here is the rest of today's HBCU football schedule

CIAA

Shaw at Johnson C. Smith
Winston-Salem State at Livingstone
Virginia State at Lincoln (Pa)
Elizabeth City State at Chowan
St. Augustine's at Fayetteville State

MEAC

Howard at North Carolina A&T
Morgan State at North Carolina Central
South Carolina State at Delaware State
Hampton at William & Mary
Norfolk State at Bethune-Cookman

SIAC

Tuskegee at Kentucky State
Benedict at Morehouse
Albany State at Clark Atlanta
Central State at Stillman
Lane at Miles

SWAC

Southern at Texas Southern
Mississippi Valley State at Grambling
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Jackson State

OTHERS

Tennessee State at Eastern Kentucky
Arizona Christian at Texas College
Shippensburg at Cheyney
Langston at Bacone
Indianapolis at Lincoln (Mo)
Glenville State at West Virginia State

North Carolina A&T Takes Over Top Spot in ADD'S HBCU SPORTS REPORT FCS Football Poll; Tuskegee, Virginia Union 1 and 2 in the Division II Poll

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

North Carolina A&T's win over Bethune-Cookman and Grambling's defeat of Alcorn State leads to a big shake-up in this week's ADD'S HBCU SPORTS REPORT FCS football top ten poll.

The Aggies (5-1, 3-0 MEAC) are now the nation's top team after defeating fourth-ranked Bethune-Cookman Saturday.  Grambling (5-2, 5-0 SWAC), ranked fourth last week, moves up to second this week after defeating the former No. 1 team, Alcorn State (4-2, 3-1 SWAC), Saturday.

Tuskegee (6-1, 5-0 SIAC) continues to rule over the Division II poll.  But they are closely followed by surging Virginia Union (6-1, 4-0 CIAA) and Bowie State (6-1, 4-0 CIAA).  Those two CIAA powers face each other Saturday.

Here is are both of the ADD'S HBCU SPORTS REPORT FCS and Division II Top Ten football polls:

FCS

1) North Carolina A&T
2) Grambling
3) Alcorn State
4) Bethune-Cookman
5) Prairie View A&M
6) South Carolina State
7) Southern
8) Morgan State
9) North Carolina Central
10) Hampton


Division II

1) Tuskegee
2) Virginia Union
3) Bowie State
4) Chowan
5) Fort Valley State
6) Virginia State
7) Elizabeth City State
8) Fayetteville State
9) Albany State
10) Stillman

North Carolina A&T Takes MEAC Lead With Win Over Bethune-Cookman; Grambling Edges Top-Ranked Alcorn State; Recaps of ALL HBCU Football Games from Saturday

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

The one thing that Bethune-Cookman hoped they could do Saturday didn't quite work out - stopping North Carolina A&T running back Tarik Cohen.

Cohen, the MEAC's leading rusher, proved why as he he 116 yards and a touchdown to help lead the Aggies to a big 24-14 win over Bethune-Cookman (5-2, 3-1 MEAC).

The win ends Bethune-Cookman's five-game winning streak and give them their first conference loss and puts the Aggies (5-1, 3-0) on top of the MEAC standings.

"I think four out of the past five years they've been at the top of this league," said A&T head coach Rod Broadway.  "For us to compete and win against a team like that, I think says a lot about the effort our football team, our players and coaching staff, put in."

Bethune-Cookman was still in a position to win early in the fourth quarter, down only three points, 17-14 after Larry Brihm's 7-yard TD run.  But Cohen countered with his 33-yard touchdown jaunt to put the Aggies up by ten again.

Then the conference's top defense clamped down, shutting down the Bethune-Cookman offense on consecutive drives to secure the win.

"It was a hard fought game," said BCU head coach Terry Sims.  "We just didn't capitalize on the opportunities we had to win.  This was two team who are athletic and well-coached, and the team that made the big plays won the game."

Hampton's win at Morgan State allows North Carolina A&T to take sole possession of first place in the MEAC.  Bethune-Cookman falls into a three-way tie for second with Morgan State and  their opponent next week, Norfolk State.

"There's still a lot of football to be played," Sims said.  "We'll get back and start getting ready for Norfolk."

North Carolina A&T hosts Howard next Saturday.

Carter's Overtime TD Run Lifts Grambling to 35-34 Win Over Top-Ranked Alcorn State

Martez Carter's one-yard TD run in overtime lifted Grambling to a 35-34 win over top-ranked Alcorn State, their second consecutive win over the Braves.

Alcorn State (4-2, 4-1 SWAC) scored first in overtime on a John Gibbs Jr. touchdown, but Grambling blocked the extra point.  Carter, who rushed for 133 yards, followed up for Grambling.  And he kicked the extra point for the win.

"Just for us to get it to overtime, that says a lot about those kids," Grambling head coach Brandon Fobbs told the Natchez Democrat.  They could have hung their heads.  I'm just happy for them because they're understanding what winning is about."


MEAC

Hampton 20, Morgan State 10 -
Florida A&M 41, Delaware State 13 -
South Carolina State 49, Howard 10 -

SIAC

Tuskegee 49, Stillman 20 -
Albany State 38, Morehouse 0 -
Central State 21, Lane 0 -
Clark Atlanta 24, Benedict 3 -
Miles 16, Kentucky State 6 -
Florida Institute of Tech 34, Fort Valley State 7

SWAC

Texas Southern 49, Mississippi Valley State 21-
Alabama A&M 28, Jackson State 22 -
Prairie View 47, Southern 42 -

CIAA

Bowie State 22, Virginia State 19 -
Johnson C. Smith 37, Fayetteville State 20 -
Elizabeth City State 28, Lincoln (Pa) 10 -
Virginia Union 33, Chowan 14 -
Livingstone 41, Shaw 22 -
Winston-Salem State 36, St. Augustine's 19 -

OTHERS

(Photo by George Walker IV/The Tennessean)

Eastern Illinois 25, Tennessee State 22 (OT) - Quarterback Ronald Butler's interception at the goal line in overtime allowed a win to slip away for Tennessee State (3-3, 0-3 OVC).  Butler led TSU with 125 yards and a touchdown passing along with 104 yards and a TD rushing. EIU has defeated TSU four times in a row.
Texas College 21, Bacone 20 - Texas College (1-5, 1-2 CSFL) broke their 22-game losing streak by blocking an extra point in the third quarter and shutting down Bacone the rest of the way.  Robert Woodard threw two touchdowns and ran for another to lead the Steers.
Langston 23, Southwestern Assemblies of God 20 - A day after the surprising decision by the school to remove and immediately reassign head football coach Dwone Sanders, Langston (3-3, 1-1 CSFL) defeated SAGU in their homecoming game.
Missouri S&T 40, Lincoln (Mo) 23 - Lamar Wilkes threw for 204 yards and three touchdowns and D'Luis West rushed for 82 yards and three TDs to lead Missouri S&T to the win. Lincoln (Mo) (1-6, 0-4) was led on offense by quarterback Owen Jordan with 255 yards and two TDs passing and 41 yards rushing.
Lock Haven 56, Cheyney 20 - Caleb Watson ran for four touchdowns and ran for another to lead Lock Haven over winless Cheyney (0-7, 0-4 PSAC).  Cheyney quarterback led the Wolves with 183 yards and a TD passing.
Shepherd 46, West Virginia State 17 - Shepherd broke open a two-point game by outscoring West Virginia State (4-3, 4-3 MEC) 37-10 over the last three quarters to remain undefeated so far this season. Jeff Ziemba threw for two touchdowns while both Allen Cross and Jabre Lolley each rushed for two TDs for Shepherd. WVSU was led by Matt Kinnick's 229 yards and one TD passing.