Top HBCU Performances – Week 7

The top HBCU Performances for Week 7 of the 2021 football season came from running backs.

For a change, there was no plethora of 300-yard passing performances. Only Langston quarterback Larry Harrington topped the 300-yard mark this week. Harrington was 12 of 19 for 323 yards and five touchdowns as the Lions stayed undefeated at 6-0 with a 42-31 win over Texas Wesleyan. Langston is the only undefeated HBCU team in the nation.

Fayetteville State senior QB Khari Lane had the second best passing performance. Lane (15-22-0) threw for 295 yards and four TDs as the Broncos defeated J. C. Smith 55-12.

Top HBCU Performances — Rushing

Instead, three running backs — two of them freshmen — had record-breaking efforts this week.

At the top of the rushing list is Southern freshman Kobe Dillon who ran for a school-record 267 yards on just 14 carries in the Jaguars’ 34-7 thumping of Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

The 19.1-yards per carry average was boosted by TD runs of 40, 45 and 75 yards. The 40- and 45-yarders came early in the first and second quarters. The 75-yarder came on the first play of the second half.

Dillon, a 6-1, 190-pound freshman from Ferriday, La., leads all SWAC rushers with 520 yards on just 50 carries. He is averaging 10.4 yards per carry and 104.0 rushing yards per game.

Another Freshmen RB

Virginia Union freshman Jada Byers was much busier. The 5-7, 171-pound back from Hammonton, N. J. grinded out 213 yards on 33 carries and scored on two 2-yard touchdowns as the Panthers (4-3, 3-1 N) knocked off Chowan 38-31. VUU also had graduate RB Rodney McKay rush for 127 yards including a 98-yard TD run.

Like Dillon, Byers is a freshman that leads the CIAA in rushing. He has run for 654 yards on 112 carries (5.8 ypc.) in seven games. Byers is averaging 93.4 yards per game and has scored seven touchdowns.  

The win sets up a CIAA North Division showdown for VUU with division leader Bowie State (6-1, 4-0 N) next week in Richmond, Va.  

HBCU Top Performances — Shootout

Virginia State junior Darius Hagans came within one yard of being the third 200-yard rusher this week. The 6-foot, 210-pound junior from Chesapeake, Va. rambled for 199 yards on 22 carries vs. Bowie State. Though Hagans did not reach the end zone, his output was among a list of dazzling plays in Bowie State’s 51-44 win over VSU Saturday.

The BSU vs. VSU game had a 93-yard VSU kickoff return TD (by Andre Jackson) followed by a 98-yard BSU PAT return for a TD (by Tevin Singleton). The game also included TD runs of 31 and 74 yards and seven TD passes (four by VSU’s Chauncey Caldwell, three by BSU’s Ja’rome Johnson).   

The teams put up 1,007 yards of offense with both teams topping 500 yards (VSU 505, BSU 502).

Plenty More

Florida A&M redshirt senior running back Bishop Bonnett also had a big day. Bonnett, a Jacksonville, Florida native, rushed for 187 yards on 17 carries (11.0 ypc.) and capped his day with an 80-yard game-clinching TD run. His score came with 2:15 left and finished off a second-half comeback after the Rattlers trailed 28-10 in the third quarter. QB Rasean McKay (21-34-1, 251 yards) had three second-half TD passes in the comeback win.

Sixteen (16) other rushers this week topped 100 yards.

Top HBCU Performances — Receiving

The top receiving effort his week was turned in by 5-9 Lane senior Anthony Evelyn. In the Dragons 34-31 loss to Miles, Evelyn had six receptions for 178 yards with TD catches of 80 and 65 yards. The 65-yarder came with 5:13 to play. Miles ran nine running plays to control the ball over the last five minutes.

Six-three, 180-pound freshman wideout Tre’Jon Spiller also had a big day for Prairie View A&M. Spiller had only three receptions but two went for TDs of 63 and 30 yards. He averaged 38.0 yards on his three catches.

In addition to Evelyn and Spiller, two others — Langston’s John Louis and Edward Waters’ Demaris August — had two TD receptions.

TOP HBCU Performances — Defense

Winston-Salem State senior Elijah Banks had three picks as the Rams downed Saint Augustine’s 41-3.

A half-dozen pass rushers had two sacks Saturday. Florida A&M’s Gentle Hunt, Fayetteville State’s Keyshawn James, Morehouse’s Marquise Deweert, Savannah State’s Cameron Brown and Tuskegee’s Frederick Austin were part of winning efforts.

TOP HBCU Performances

PASSING ATT-COMP-INT YDS TDS (YDS)

Larry Harrington, LANG 12-19-? 323 5 (34, 17, 3, 76, 29)

Khari Lane, FSU 15-22-0 295 4 (23, 14, 48, 39)

Bryce Witt, CHOW 25-35-1 276 1 (3)

Corey Fields Jr., SCSU 19-44-2 258 3 (18, 54, 31)

Geremy Hickbottom, TNST 20-34-1 256 2 (56, 13)

Rasean McKay, FAMU 21-34-1 251 3 (19, 23, 33)

Michael Huntley, LANE 15-25-0 248 2 (60, 65)

Ja’rome Johnson, BSU 14-25-1 246 3 (44, 12, 24)

Jawan Pass, PVA&M 15-22-0 227 2 (63, 30)

Donovan Riddick, WVSU 18-33-1 227 1 (25)

Michael Sims, MHS 11-20-0 225 1 (83)

Juwan Carter, NORF 15-23-0 222 2 (42, 21)

David Johnson, EWU 14-20-1 214 3 (7, 53, 36)

Devin Black, B-CU 11-18-1 202 2 (26, 16)

Shedeur Sanders, JSU 17-29-0 201 2 (21, 3)

Aqeel Glass, AA&M 16-36-1 199 1 (4)

Jalen Fowler, NCAT 14-35-0 176 0

Andrew Body, TXSU 16-25-2 172 1 (22)

Noah Bodden, GSU 15-30-2 156 0

RUSHING CAR YDS TDs (YDS)

Kobe Dillon, SOU 14 267 3 (40, 45, 75)

Jada Byers, VUU 33 213 2 (2, 2)

Darius Hagans, VSU 22 199 0

Bishop Bonnett, FAMU 17 187 1 (80)

Que’shaun Byrd, B-CU 24 176 1 (8)

Kingston Davis, MILES 22 170 2 (56, 3)

Calil Wilkins, BSU 29 168 1 (2)

Donte Edwards, MILES 26 164 1 (5)

NIko Duffey, ALC 18 138 1 (16)

Rodney McKay, VUU 9 127 1 (98)

Isaiah Jackson, KSU 4 128 2 (46, 54)

Caleb Johnson, MVSU 22 123 0

Samuel Jordan, LINCP 27 113 0

Otis Odom, KSU 5 111 1 (7)

Elnaj Carter, SAVST 6 109 1 (73)

Brett Sylve, KSU 12 103 2 (4, 2)

Andrew Banks, LINCP 17 100 2 (1, 3)

Ivonte Patterson, TUSK 22 100 1 (4)

Franklin Hosea, LINCM 25 99 1 (2)

Francis Bailey, Jr., MHS 11 99 2 (2, 84)

Gary Quarles, AA&M 23 96 1 (21)

Santee Marshall, JSU 24 96 1 (4)
Jaden Stewart, PVA&M 8 91 0

D’Vonn Gibbons, SAVST 12 89 0

Terrell Jennings, FAMU 19 82 1 (12)

Marcus Fulks, ALB 20 82 2 (7, 3)

Shaquan Oliver, KSU 10 80 2 (26, 9)

Ger’Kerry Jackson, LANG 25 80 1 (?)

RECEIVING REC YDS TDs

Anthony Evelyn, LANE 6 178 2 (80, 65)

Kemari Averett, B-CU 6 115 1 (26)

Tre’Jon Spiller, PVA&M 3 114 2 (63, 30)

Keith Corbin III, JSU 7 113 1 (21)

Jadakiss Bonds, HAMP 11 111 0

John Louis, LANG 2 110 2 (34, 76) 

Rodell Rahmaan, TNST 4 106 1 (56)

Tyrone Lyte, WVSU 4 99 1 (25)

Demaris August, EWU 3 89 2 (53, 36)

Imeek Watkins, CHOW 7 87 0

Adunte Devereaux, SAVST 3 86 1 (57)

Shaq Davis, SCST 3 85 1 (54)

Albert Connell, MHS 1 83 1 (83)

Keshan Hinckley, BSU 2 76 1 (44)

Malachi Wideman, JSU 6 74 1 (3)

C. Brown, MILES 2 74 1 (54)

TACKLES

15 Charles Crawford, CAU;

13 Solomon Moseley, FVSU;

12 Juanya Majette, ECSU

11 Jeffrey Johnson, LANE; Devon Hunt, Kareem Butler, SHAW;

Cory Rahman, TNST; 

10 Markquse Bell, FAMU; Basilio Fernandez, CHOW; 

Troy James, PVAM; Malcolm Johnson, LANG; 

Andrew Farmer, LANE; Lamar Spencer, LINCM;

SACKS
2.0 Gentle Hunt, FAMU; Keyshawn James, FSU;

Marquise Deweert, MHS; Cameron Brown, SAVST; 

Frederick Austin, TUSK; Jalen Jones, WVSU; 

1.5 Brandon Miller, FSU; Corlyn Witcher, WVSU; 

INTERCEPTIONS

3 Elijah Banks, WSSU;

2 Drake Dheatum, PVAM; Zafir Kelly, SCST;

Christin Thompson, WVSU; 

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