North Carolina A&T and Morgan State Battle for a Share of MEAC Top Spot; Games Determining Title Matchups in CIAA and SIAC; Look at ALL HBCU Action Today

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

Bethune-Cookman's fourth quarter rally to defeat Norfolk State Thursday gave some breathing room in the tight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference race.

But that's only until today.

Bethune-Cookman now has a 5-1 MEAC record to sit alone in first place, breaking a five-way tie that existed until Thursday.  Now there is a three-way tie for second place between North Carolina A&T, South Carolina State and Morgan State, all with 4-1 records.

After today, Bethune-Cookman will have some company in the top spot as North Carolina A&T hosts Morgan State.  Morgan has won three of their last four games, with their only loss in that span to Villanova, the fifth ranked team in FCS football.

North Carolina A&T may be the top ranked team in several HBCU Top Ten polls, including ADDS HBCU SPORTS REPORT, but they've lost to Morgan State each of the past two years.

“We’ve had our issues with Morgan State the last two years," said Aggies head coach Rod Broadway. "They matchup pretty good against us and coach (Lee) Hull is doing a good job up there. But it’s a game we’re looking forward to. We have an opportunity to go out and play well this week. It’s going to take that because I’m impressed with those guys and how they do things. But I’m also impressed with our football team and the growth we’ve shown, so it should be a fun matchup.”

Morgan State is a team that relies upon the run as they average a MEAC-best 219 yards a game. They are led by Herb Walker Jr., the top rusher in the conference, averaging 131 yards a game. Quarterback Robert Council has thrown for seven touchdowns, but he also has run for six touchdowns and is fifth in the MEAC with 72 yards rushing per game.

The Aggies lead the MEAC in interceptions, pass defense efficiency and they are third in rushing defense. Tarik Cohen also leads the MEAC's third best offense by rushing for 120 yards a game, second behind Walker.

“It’s not going to be easy. Defensively they are excellent. They are one of the top defenses in the league and offensively they have a great running back," Hull said. "You can’t stop him, but you have to contain him as much as you can. They have their quarterback back which also makes their offense very difficult to stop. They also have a versatile receiving corps. All their guys can do some different things to get open. It’s going to be a hard-fought game. We have a work cut out for us. We’re going to go down there and see what happens.”

Today's game kick-offs at 1 p.m. eastern.

Here is a look at all of the rest of today's HBCU football action: 
 
MEAC

South Carolina State at Florida A&M (It's an interesting time at Florida A&M these days. The anger over the firing of head coach and FAMU legend Earl Holmes during homecoming week still sits like a cloud over the program. South Carolina State comes to town needing a win to keep pace in the MEAC race as they are part of the three-way tie for second and needing a win to be part of a first-place tie. Florida A&M has actually played competitive football the past few weeks, coming within a yard of a win last week against a good Norfolk State team)
 
Hampton at North Carolina Central

Howard at Savannah State

CIAA

Virginia State at Virginia Union (This is a big game. These are not only two of the best Division II teams in the country, but they are the two top teams in the CIAA Northern Division. A win for either team puts them into next week's CIAA Championship game against either Winston-Salem State or Fayetteville State. Both are high scoring offenses, with Virginia Union leading the CIAA in passing and Virginia State third in rushing with a CIAA-best 24 rushing TDs. So how do the defenses match up? They are ranked second and third in the CIAA)

Elizabeth City State at Bowie State

Lincoln (Pa) at Chowan


Shaw at St. Augustine's

Winston-Salem State at Fayetteville State (Fayetteville State couldn't have a better set up for this big game. The winner would get the CIAA Southern Division berth in the conference championship game next week and the Broncos will have a home crowd behind them. The Broncos have won five straight games and are one of the better scoring teams in the CIAA. But they are facing a steady and tough Winston-Salem State squad that hasn't been tested in weeks and has one of the nation's most potent offenses and stingiest defenses)

Livingstone at Johnson C. Smith


SWAC

Texas Southern at Southern (Southern has been rolling along, but they are in the same SWAC West that has the hottest team in HBCU football, Grambling, a team that is 7-0 in conference play and a game ahead of Southern in the division. So Southern needs a win. But so does Texas Southern, whose four game winning streak to start the season is a distant memory.  The Tigers have lost four of their last five games)

Jackson State at Alabama State

Alcorn State at Alabama A&M (Alcorn State is rolling so far this season, but they'd better not sleep on Alabama A&M.  The Bulldogs are 4-5, but they are 3-0 in the SWAC East.  A loss to the Bulldogs would seriously damage Alcorn State's SWAC championship appearance hopes. But Alcorn has only lost once since early September and that loss was to streaking Grambling)

Prairie View A&M at Arkansas-Pine Bluff


SIAC

Tuskegee at Miles (This game is for the SIAC West berth in the SIAC Championship game next week. Miles is looking for a return trip after losing to Albany State in the title game last year. Tuskegee is on a roll, winning their last six games and scoring at least 28 points per game. But last week they were in a tussle with Central State, winning only 28-25. Miles ended a three game losing streak by now winning five straight, though in much closer games)

Lane at Central State

Kentucky State at Morehouse (Morehouse is looking to end the season at 6-4, a huge turnaround from last season's two-win season. The Maroon Tigers looked strong against Fort Valley State as quarterback Monquavious Johnson was at full strength for the first time in several weeks.  Kentucky State has only won one of their last four in this three win season. But they do have a star runner in Jacquise Lockett, who is averaging 111 yards rushing a game.  Kentucky State also dominated Lane last week, 47-14)

Clark Atlanta at Stillman

Bendict at Paine

Fort Valley State at Albany State (A week ago, Morehouse took the steam out of this game when they upset Fort Valley State. Coupled with Albany State's win, it knocked FVSU out of a chance for an SIAC title berth, which now goes to Albany State. Both are still hoping for an NCAA Division II playoff berth and a win over surging Albany State would look good for Fort Valley State)

OTHERS

Tennessee State at Austin Peay (This has been a disappointing second-half of the season for the Big Blue Tigers. Despite having one of the nation's best defenses, TSU has lost five straight games.  The lack of a running game has been a big problem.  Austin Peay, a neighboring rival, has only won once this season and have lost their last two games by a combined score of 93-7)

Southwest Assemblies of God at Langston

McKendree at Lincoln (Mo)

Millersville at Cheyney (Cheyney, in their final home game of the season, is 0-9 and looking for their first win. But so is 0-9 Millersville. But Cheyney will need to pick up their offense though. Cheyney has only scored 13 points in the last three games, two of those contests being shutouts)

Two of MEAC's Five First Place Teams, Bethune-Cookman and Norfolk State, Battle Tonight

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

No one has to tell the Norfolk State football team how big tonight's game against Bethune-Cookman is.  They open up a huge HBCU football weekend that will determine the possible postseason fate and/or championship game fate for a number of teams.

And in this one, these two are part of a five-way, first-place logjam in the MEAC.

"It's going to see who is the last man standing," Norfolk State head coach Pete Adrian told The Virginian-Pilot. 

Forget the fact that the Spartans are 4-5 this season. What's important is they have won four of their last five games and are 4-1 in the MEAC.  Along with Bethune-Cookman, they are tied with South Carolina State and North Carolina A&T and Morgan State in the conference's top spot.  So this game will be the first in three that will help sort out the mess.  Morgan State visits North Carolina A&T Saturday while South Carolina State visits Florida A&M.

So a loss to any of the teams could be devastating to their championship hopes.

“To have this many teams tied is kind of interesting but also kind of good, because it allows everyone to keep a focus on our league, and it shows how much our league has improved,” Bethune-Cookman head coach Brian Jenkins told the Daytona News Journal.

A national television audience, via ESPNU at 7:30 p.m. eastern time, will see the MEAC's second-stingiest scoring defense in Norfolk State (allowing only 16.6 points a game) face the conference's second-best scoring offense in Bethune-Cookman (scoring 29.2 points per game).

The Wildcats have only been held to 14 or less three times this season -- two of those ending in losses, including their 20-14 defeat at the hands of South Carolina State two weeks ago.  The most Norfolk State has given up has been 14 points back in late September.

The Bethune-Cookman defense is just as stingy.  While Norfolk State sports the FCS' third best defense in yardage per game (254) BCU is second in the nation at 243 yards per game.

The difference in the two teams is offense.  Norfolk State ranks in the bottom half of the MEAC in most offensive categories, while Bethune-Cookman is third in rushing and fifth in passing.

But as they say, throw out the records in big games - especially since Norfolk State surprised everyone by beating BCU last season.

"I think the thing that helped us out last year was just believing that they're beatable,"  Nofolk State defense back Darrin Marrow told The Virginia Pilot. "I mean, they're not an NFL team; they're in our conference. We're just as good as they are."

Final Weeks of Regular Season See Movement in ADDS HBCU SPORTS REPORT Football FCS/Division II Top Ten Polls This Week

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

The final weeks of the HBCU football regular season are here and the jockeying for playoff and conference title position can be seen in this week's ADDS HBCU SPORTS REPORT HBCU Football FCS/Division II Top Ten polls.

Winston-Salem State continues to sail along at 8-1 in the nation's top spot of the Division II poll, but visits No. 7 Fayetteville State, a team that's won five straight and could leap frog the Rams into the CIAA championship game with a win Saturday.

The nation's third and fourth ranked teams, Virginia State and Virginia Union tangle Saturday to see which will be the other team in the CIAA title game. Virginia State has won seven in a row while Virginia Union has won six of their last seven games.

Second-ranked Tuskegee is looking to clinch a spot opposite No. 5 Albany State in the SIAC championship game when they battle No. 6 Miles Saturday, a squad that has won five in a row after starting out the season losing three of four. Miles is looking for a win and a second-straight appearance in the SIAC championship game (they lost to Albany State last year).  

In the FCS poll, North Carolina A&T continues in the top spot, but they are closely followed by South Carolina State and Bethune-Cookman.  Bethune-Cookman takes on ninth-ranked Norfolk State Thursday in a battle of two teams part of a five-way, first place tie in the MEAC race.

Seventh-ranked Morgan State can make a mess of not only the ADD's HBCU SPORTS REPORT FCS Top Ten poll if they can pull off an upset at No. 1 North Carolina A&T. They are two of the other teams in the five-way MEAC first place tie, along with third-ranked South Carolina State.

Here are the entire ADD'S HBCU SPORTS REPORT FCS/DIVISION II football Top Ten polls for this week:

 FCS


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



DIVISION II

1) Winston-Salem State
2) Tuskegee
3) Virginia State
4) Virginia Union
5) Albany State
6) Miles
7) Fayetteville State
8) Morehouse
9) Fort Valley State
10) Livingstone

21-Point Fourth Quarter Gives Bethune-Cookman 34-20 Win Over North Carolina Central; Recap of ALL HBCU Football Games From Saturday

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

This was North Carolina Central's big chance.

The Eagles had a chance to move forward in a five-way, second-place MEAC conference tie that started the day Saturday with a win at Bethune-Cookman.

But Bethune-Cookman erased a 20-13 deficit midway through the third quarter on the legs of three, fourth-quarter Anthony Jordan touchdowns to defeat the Eagles 34-20.

The win puts Bethune-Cookman back into a first-place tie with North Carolina A&T, South Carolina State, Morgan State and Norfolk State, all who have 4-1 conference records.  North Carolina Central drops to second at 3-2 in the MEAC.

“In the fourth quarter, we just couldn’t close out the game like we needed to,” Eagles head coach Jerry Mack told the Daytona News Journal. “I thought the guys played extremely hard, but we have to find a way to finish games in the fourth quarter.”

The first two quarters were like a championship fight with Bethune-Cookman throwing the first blow on Larry Brihm's 6-yard touchdown run to go up 7-0.  The counter punches came in the second quarter when North Carolina Central quarterback Malcolm Bell threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Quentin Atkinson, followed by Andre Clarke's 3-yard touchdown just before the half.  Michael Jones pulled the Wildcats to within one on his 43-yard touchdown run. A two-point conversion attempt failed, leading Bethune-Cookman down 14-13.

The Eagles extended their lead to 20-13 midway through the third-quarter on Clarke's second TD run that was set up by Adrian Wilkins' 91-yard kickoff return. 

And then the fourth-quarter onslaught began.

Jordan's first TD run, a one-yard plunge, came early in the final quarter. The Wildcats defense, which played well throughout the game, stiffened even more, forcing three North Carolina Central punts in the fourth quarter.  Bethune-Cookman had an 11-yard, 77-yard drive that followed the last punt, capped by Jordan's second 1-yard TD run to go up 27-20 with 3:09 left.

Bethune-Cookman completely stopped North Carolina Central's offense on the next drive, giving up minus 8-yards on four plays.  The Wildcats took over on downs with 1:26 left.  Jordan rushed 30 yards for his third touchdown on the next play for the game's final score.

“It was a great victory. We played a tough football team,” Bethune-Cookman head coach Brian Jenkins told the Daytona News Journal.. “They took us to the max.”

Bethune-Cookman (7-2) visits fellow MEAC first-place team, Norfolk State Saturday while North Carolina Central (4-5) hosts Hampton.



CIAA

Winston-Salem State 61, Shaw 10 (Rudy Johnson threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns while Maurice Lewis rushed for 155 yards and a TD to lead Winston-Salem State to their eighth win of the season. While the Rams piled up yardage (543 yards), the Rams defense shut down Shaw's Trey Folston, the CIAA's leading passer, allowing only six yards.  The Bears only got 22 yards of total offense the entire game)

Johnson C. Smith 14, St. Augustine's 10 (

Bowie State 28, Lincoln (Pa) 7 (

Virginia Union 14, Elizabeth City State 7 (

Fayetteville State 31, Livingstone 28 (

Virginia State 40, Chowan 7 (

SWAC

Grambling 35, Texas Southern 7 (The hottest team in HBCU football continues their roll as Grambling soundly defeated Texas Southern for their sixth straight win.  The 6-3 G-Men were again led by Johnathan Williams' 197 yards and two touchdowns passing and 71 yards and one TD rushing. Aaron Breed had a monster game on defense with ten tackles, 3.5 sacks and four tackles for losses. The Grambling defense had eight sacks and an interception)

Arkansas-Pine Bluff 24, Mississippi Valley State 14 (

Alabama A&M 25, Jackson State 14 (

Southern 28, Alabama State 21 (Alabama State's losing streak continues (four straight losses after four straight wins) while Southern's win streak (four games) continues. Austin Howard's 9-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter broke a 21-21 tie and give Southern the win. Howard had 291 yards and two touchdowns passing along with his rushing touchdown. Malcolm Cyrus had his seventh 100-yard rushing


SIAC

Albany State 40, Benedict 14 (

Clark Atlanta 34, Paine 0 (Homecoming day at Clark Atlanta should be a competitive football game between a good passing team in Paine and the SIAC's top rushing team in Clark Atlanta.  Paine has the SIAC's best pass defense while CAU has the worst passing offense, so that's a wash. But CAU rusher Montavious Taylor is steady and has seven rushing TDs, tied for first in the conference. The defense that shows up (Paine is ranked fourth and CAU fifth in total defense) will likely determine this game)

Tuskegee 28, Central State 25 (

Kentucky State 47, Lane 14 (

Morehouse 24, Fort Valley State 21 (Morehouse erased three deficits to upset Fort Valley State on a cold night in Hotlanta. Down 19-18 late in the fourth quarter, Quarterback Monquavious Johnson's 44 yards rushing led the Maroon Tigers down field, culminating in a Shelton Hamilton touchdown to give Morehouse a 24-19 lead.  Johnson fumbled the two-point try and FVSU's Aaron Davis returned it 98 yards for two points.  Fort Valley State's potential game-winning drive ended with six seconds left when Morheouse's Jamil Irvin-Muh picked off a FVSU pass.  The loss, plus Albany State's win, gives ASU the SIAC East title, even as the two teams play next week. Fort Valley State is now two games behind Albany State. Morehouse is third but needs a win next week over Kentucky State to hold that third place spot. A FVSU loss and Morehouse win would make them the runner-up in the race)


Miles 26, Stillman 22 (


MEAC

Norfolk State 12, Florida A&M 10 (A dismal homecoming week after the abrupt firing of Rattlers head coach Earl Holmes ended sadly as Norfolk State's George Riddick stopped FAMU quarterback Damien Fleming on third down at the 1-yard line in the last seconds of the game. FAMU couldn't get another play off and ended the game a yard short from a win. The win keeps Norfolk State in a first-place tie in the MEAC race.  FAMU is 2-3 over the last five games, though they've been competitive in losses to three of the MEAC's top teams)


Howard 17, Delaware State 10 (

Morgan State 38, Hampton 35 (

South Carolina State 59, Savannah State 7 (Savannah State remains winless

OTHERS

Eastern Kentucky 56, Tennessee State 42 (Tennessee State has lost five straight games, falling to one of the top teams in FCS football, Eastern Kentucky, which is now 8-1. The Colonels ran through the Ohio Valley Conference's top defense in Tennessee State as Dy'Shawn Mobley ran for 139 yards and three touchdowns. EKU only threw for 70 yards, but ran for 296. EKU quarterback Jared McClain did run for 139 yards and two touchdowns. TSU Quarterback Michael German threw for 326 yards and four touchdowns while Nick Thrasher had a career-high 17 tackles.)


West Chester 58, Cheyney 0 (

Notre Dame 41, West Virginia State 0 (

Langston 38, Panhandle State 17 (

Central Washington 17, Lincoln (Mo) 14 (

Holmes Firing During Homecoming Week Leads to Consternation in Rattlerland

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

Homecoming at Florida A&M has an odd air around it this year as the beloved Rattler football squad is suffering through another subpar season.

This year they are also without a permanent football coach.

With FAMU president Elmira Mangum and athletic director Kellen Winslow Jr. deciding to part ways with FAMU/MEAC legend in former head coach Earl Holmes this week, just days before their alumni come to town to celebrate homecoming and watch FAMU take on Norfolk State, there a lot of questions in Tallahassee, mainly why now.

"There's no one - not even in high school - who would interrupt homecoming," said former Florida state Senator, prominent alum and donor Al Lawson to FAMU's 220 Quarterback Club, reported The Tallahassee Democrat.

The paper reported that when a club member asked if Winslow should be fired, Lawson said "he should be."

The Rattlers are 2-6 after opening the season with five wins, a dismal offense and a defense that was giving up more than 30 points a game.

After the first four games, Quinn Gray's offensive coordinator duties were taken away, though he remained quarterbacks coach. Ernie Mills began calling plays as passing game coordinator and Shawn Bryson headed the running game. 

The FAMU offense perked up and the team won two of the next four games.  But after last week's 41-20 loss to North Carolina A&T - the ADDS HBCU SPORTS REPORT No. 1 team in FCS HBCU football - Winslow and Mangum had apparently had enough of Holmes' leadership.

And the fact that Winslow and Mangum made the move during Homecoming week without consulting many people has raised the ire of many influential people in Rattlerland.

"There is major heartburn in the Rattler community because I think any major personnel decision that's made during homecoming does not increase the morale of students and alumni and other stakeholders," FAMU trustee Torey Alston told The Tallahassee Democrat. "It does the opposite. It does not encourage many of us to recruit to the university.  Enough is enough. I'm hopeful we can turn this around very soon. If not, someone is going to have to pay the price and someone is going to have to go."

Links to The Tallahassee Democrat stories on Earl Holmes/FAMU firing:

 http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/local/famu-news/2014/10/29/high-profile-famu-alums-displeased-holmes-fired/18157181/

http://www.tallahassee.com/story/sports/college/famu/2014/10/02/famu-ad-winslow-patient-holmes-despite-losses/16574401/

North Carolina A&T New No. 1 HBCU FCS Team in Latest ADDS HBCU SPORTS REPORT Football Top Ten Poll; Winston-Salem State and Tuskegee Top Division II Poll

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

South Carolina State shook up this week's ADD'S HBCU SPORTS REPORT FCS Football Top Ten poll by knocking off the one team that has stayed in the top spot all season -- until now.

The Bulldogs' 20-17 win over Bethune-Cookman dropped the Wildcats to the number three slot and moved South Carolina State to No. 2.  That puts North Carolina A&T, a team on a huge resurgence after several down years, in the top spot.

The Aggies defeated Florida A&M Saturday as they also took over the top spot in the MEAC race.

"It was a conference game," said head coach Rod Broadway. "It took us to seven wins. I think this is the third year in a row we’ve had seven wins. That means we’re getting a little bit better every year.”

Out of the FCS Top Ten poll for the first time this year is Tennessee State, a squad that has lost four games in a row. 

In the Division II poll, Winston-Salem State continues in the top spot, but now are followed by Tuskegee and Virginia State at two and three.

Losses by Morehouse and Stillman dropped them out of the D-2 poll, but Elizabeth City State and Fayetteville State move into the numbers nine and ten spots.

Here are both of the ADDS HBCU SPORTS REPORT FCS/Division II Top Ten Football Polls


FCS

1) North Carolina A&T (7-2, 4-1 MEAC)
2) South Carolina State (5-3, 3-1 MEAC)
3) Bethune-Cookman (6-2, 3-1 MEAC)
4) Alcorn State (7-2, 5-1 SWAC)
5) Grambling (5-3, 5-0 SWAC)
6) Southern (5-3, 4-1 SWAC)
7) North Carolina Central (4-4, 3-1 MEAC)
8) Morgan State (4-4. 3-1 MEAC)
9) Alabama State (4-4. 3-3 SWAC)
10) Texas Southern (5-3, 3-3 SWAC)


DIVISION II

1) Winston-Salem State (7-1, 5-0 CIAA)
2) Tuskegee (6-2, 5-0 SIAC)
3) Virginia State (6-2, 5-0 CIAA)
4) Virginia Union (6-2, 4-1 CIAA)
5) Albany State (5-2, 5-0 SIAC)
6) Fort Valley State (6-2, 4-1 SIAC)
7) Livingstone (5-3, 2-3 CIAA)
8) Miles (5-3, 4-1 SIAC)
9) Elizabeth City State (4-4, 3-2 CIAA)
10) Fayetteville State (4-4, 4-1 CIAA)

1 

Last Minute TD Gives South Carolina State Win Over Bethune-Cookman and Throws MEAC Race Into a Tizzy; Look at ALL of Saturday's HBCU Football Action

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

SCSU's Austin Smith hauls the winning 49-yard TD pass. (Photo by Larry Hardy/Times and Democrat)

In a major battle of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference powerhouses, Austin Smith caught a 49-yard from Adrian Kollock Jr. with 33 seconds left in a wild final minute to lift South Carolina State to a 20-14 win over Bethune-Cookman Saturday.

Defense ruled most of the day as SCSU  (5-3, 3-1 MEAC) only managed 120 yards of total offense and Bethune-Cookman only managing 175.

Antonio Hamilton returned a punt 91 yards for a touchdown midway through the third quarter to give South Carolina State a 14-7 lead.  But in the game's final minute, Bethune-Cookman's Donald Smith recovered a South Carolina State fumble and returning three yards to tie the game 14-14.

With overtime seemingly looming, Kollock, the Bulldogs' starting quarterback who had sat out the majority of the game with an injury, came in and flipped the winning 49-yarder to Smith to give the Bulldogs a huge win.


"We were very fortunate to get the win and have to thank the man above," said SCSU head coach Buddy Pough. "We, somehow, found a way to win."

 “There were some plays in that football game I can't believe and I've never seen in my whole coaching career,” Bethune-Cookman coach Brian Jenkins told the Daytona News Journal. “That last play, I've never seen (anything) like it.”

 Defensively, the Bulldogs' Jason Hargrave was a terror for Bethune-Cookman (6-2, 3-1). Hargrave had 11 tackles, six sacks and six tackles for loss

"He's a tremendous talent and he (Hargrave) had a dominating performance and we needed it," Pough said.

The South Carolina State win throws a huge wrench in the MEAC race as North Carolina A&T, with a 4-1 conference record now goes to first place. Bethune-Cookman, South Carolina State, Morgan State, North Carolina Central and Norfolk State are all a game behind at 3-1.

Bethune-Cookman hosts one of those teams, North Carolina Central next week while South Carolina State is home again, this time against Savannah State.

MEAC
Hampton 23, Delaware State 0 (Hampton got their first MEAC win on the legs of Jorrian Washingotn (142 yards rushing) and Eric Carter (113 yards and a touchdown) and the arms of Joshua Thorne (19 tackles, three sacks and six tackles for loss). Delaware State only had 34 yards rushing all day. DSU's Davon Moore had 11 tackles and forced a fumble while Alex Perry made eight tackles and had two tackles for loss)

North Carolina Central 42, Savannah State 14 (North Carolina Central climbed to the .500 mark in their easy win over winless Savannah State. The Eagles also became part of the six-team second place logjam in the MEAC race. Malcolm Bell threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns to lead NCCU. Bell also rushed for 72 yards and two more TDs. Savannah State's Marquis Smith had ten tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and four tackles for loss)

North Carolina A&T 40, Florida A&M 21 (Kwashaun Quick threw for 233 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 62 yards to lead the Aggies to a homecoming win. Denzel Keyes was on the receiving end of those three TD passes.  The win moves A&T in first place in the MEAC while FAMU, despite only have two wins heading into the game, missed out on being tied for second in the MEAC had they won)

Villanova 48, Morgan State 28 (Morgan State hung with fourth-ranked Villanova for a half, but gave up 27 points in the third quarter in losing.  Villanova running back Kevin Monangai rushed for 170 yards and two touchdowns, both in that big third quarter, while their quarterback John Robertson threw for three touchdowns, but also ran a 56-yard TD on the game's second play and another touchdown in the ill-fated third quarter.  MSU quarterback Moses Skillon threw for 204 yards and a TD and added 77 yards and two touchdowns on the ground)
 
SIAC

Fort Valley State 23, Paine 10 (Paine stood strong against 6-2 and 4-1 Fort Valley State but couldn't muster enough offense against the Wildcats. Fort Valley State's third straight win keeps them one game behind Albany State in the SIAC East.  Fort Valley State faces Morehouse this week and then Albany State in the final game of the season)

Central State 41, Stillman 14 (Stillman loses their second game in a row after challenging for a top-spot in the SIAC West two weeks ago. Central State rushed for 260 yards as Moses Vines led the Marauders with 97 yards and touchdown while Isiah Grooms added 61 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Michael Wilson had 69 yards and a touchdown rushing to go with his 173 yards and one touchdown in the air.  The Marauders held Stillman quarterback Josh Straughan to 171 yards and a touchdown)

Miles 51, Lane 0 (David Whipple threw two touchdowns and ran for another as Miles routed hapless Lane for their fourth straight win.  Three other Miles players - Jonathan Clark, Jamarcus Vance and Xavier Bacon - had touchdowns. More importantly, Miles is now 4-1 and has overtaken Stillman for second place behind undefeated Tuskegee in the SIAC West.  Miles faces Stillman next week before a big battle looming against Tuskegee)
 
Benedict 33,  Morehouse 15 (Morehouse's offense struggled again as starting quarterback Monquavious Johnson played some on his injured ankle but couldn't help the Maroon Tigers to generate enough to keep up with Benedict. Marcus Graham threw for two touchdowns and ran for another to lead Benedict. Morehouse backup quarterback Jordan Tarver only threw for 81 yards, but rushed for two short touchdowns)



SWAC

Alcorn State 77, Prairie View A&M 48 (Defense wasn't a big highlight in this game as these two teams combined for more than 1,200 yards of offense.  Alcorn's 21 points in a roughly eight minute span from the end of the first quarter to the middle of the second quarter broke open a 14-14 game. John Gibbs Jr. led ASU with 362 yards and four touchdowns passing while running back Aaron Baker had 149 yards and three touchdowns rushing. PVAM was led by running back Johnta Hebert who had 157 yards and two touchdowns rushing and quarterback Jerry Lovelock and his 305 yards and two TDs passing)

Arkansas-Pine Bluff 38, Texas Southern 37 (Benjamin Anderson threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Willie Young with 2:15 left to give UAPB their first SWAC win of the season. Brian Handley led UAPB with 193 yards and two touchdowns rushing while Anderson threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns. TSU's Daveonn Porter ran for 187 yards and a touchdown and quarterback Homer Causey threw for 333 yards and three TDs in the see-saw battle. The loss was the third in the last four games for Texas Southern, which started the season 4-0)

Alabama A&M 37, Alabama State 36 (Alabama A&M got their first win since the end of September.  Down 13 and 12 points at various points in the game, the Bulldogs outscored the Hornets 16-3 in the fourth quarter, including Jaymason Lee's 43-yard touchdown pass to Tevin McKenzie with 2:26 left to give them their third win of the season. ASU's Malcolm Cyrus rushed for 148 yards and a touchdown. The loss is Alabama State's third straight after running off four straight wins)

Southern 42, Jackson State 28 (Southern rushed out to a 27-0 lead early in the second quarter, including 21 in the first quarter, opening a lead too big for Jackson State to recover from. Lenard Tillery rushed for 166 yards and TD while Austin Howard threw for 250 yards and touchdown and rushed for another touchdown to lead Southern. J-State's Robert Johnson rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown while La Montiez Ivy threw for 424 yards and three touchdowns. It was Southern's third straight win and puts them only a game behind Grambling in the SWAC West Division)


CIAA

Virginia State 63, Lincoln (Pa) 7 (Earl Hughes and Kavon Bellamy led a Virginia State rushing attack that had 288 yards and five touchdowns Saturday.  Hughes rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown while Bellamy added 94 and three touchdowns. Lincoln's Stephen Scott rushed for 100 yards, but Lincoln's offense didnt generate any points Saturday.  Their only touchdown came on a 14-yard fumble return for a touchdown)

Fayetteville State 49, St. Augustine's 14 (The Broncos won their fourth straight game as eight different players were part of touchdowns for Fayetteville State. Andre Montgomery rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown and Derek Bryant threw for 219 yards and two TDs. The Broncos had 568 yards of total offense Saturday.  A bright spot for St. Aug's was Roderick Davenport who had 146 yards rushing and a touchdown. The win moves them into a first place tie with Winston-Salem State in the CIAA Northern Division as both teams are 3-0)

Winston-Salem State 34, Livingstone 17 (Winston-Salem State had fewer yards offensively than Livingstone and was only 4-of-12 on third downs.  Phil Sims threw for 181 yards and two touchdowns, two of them to Brenden Felder. Livingstone's Drew Powell had another solid day, throwing for 281 yards and two touchdowns. He also led them in rushing with 85 yards on the ground.)

Elizabeth City State 49, Chowan 33 (ECSU scored 28 points over an 18-minute span to blow open an early four-point game. Running back Kenny King rushed for 92 yards and three touchdowns for the Vikings.  Jerrell Timmons had five tackles, two sacks and two tackles for losses for ECSU.  Dominique Futon and Andrew Denny combined for 24 tackles for Chowan, which fell to 1-7. The Vikings meanwhile moved up into a second-place tie with Virginia Union in the CIAA Northern Division)

Shaw 35, Johnson C. Smith 34 (Marqui Grizzled ran a 17-yard touchdown with 44 seconds left to complete a 21-point fourth quarter that gave Shaw the win. Johnson C. Smith led 27-0 at halftime, but was outscored 35-7 in the second half to lose.  Johnson C. Smith quarterback Andrew Alexander won the head-to-head quarterback battle, throwing for 365 yards and five TDs while the CIAA's leading passer, Trey Folston, had 284 yards and a touchdown for Shaw. While Johnson C. Smith had success in the air, they had -19 yards rushing on the day)

Bowie State 20, Virginia Union 17 (OT) (Mario Diaz-Aviles kicked a 41-yard field goal in overtime to give Bowie State a huge upset win over a Union team that had won five straight games. Diaz-Aviles put the game into overtime moments earlier with a 27-yard boot with 4:04 left in regulation. Virginia Union kicker Troy Krepich missed a 37-yard yarder with no time remaining that would have given VUU the win.  Bowie State shut down the Virginia Union offense, out-gaining them 271-to-229 and allowing -23 yards rushing)

OTHERS

TSU running back Darion Hall (Photo by Garfield Bather)

Eastern Illinois 28, Tennessee State 3 (Tennessee State's slump continues as they've lost their fourth straight game, their longest losing skid since 2011.  EIU's Shepard Little led his team's nearly 300-yard rushing day with 130 yards and a touchdown. EIU quarterback Jalen Whitlow, the OVC's top passer, only had 76 yards passing for the day. Tennessee State quarterback Michael German threw for 149 yards on the day)