The HBCU Football Rundown for Week 9 features two CIAA teams in position to clinch division championships and punch their tickets to the conference title game.
Clinching time in CIAA
Bowie State (7-1, 5-0 N) clinches its third consecutive North Division title with a win Saturday (2 p.m.) over Lincoln Pa. (1-7, 1-4 N). Ditto for Fayetteville State (6-1, 5-0 S) in the South Division as it hosts Livingstone (1-7, 1-4 S) Saturday (2 p.m.).
Damon Wilson’s BSU Bulldogs have outscored CIAA opponents 185 to 61. Richard Hayes’s FSU Broncos have been more dominant with a 236-49 edge vs. conference foes.
Barring either BSU or FSU being upset — a highly unlikely occurrence — the two will meet for the third consecutive year in the CIAA Championship Game. This year’s game is set for Saturday, Nov. 13 in Salem, Virginia.
Bowie State has won the last two titles, 23-7 in 2019 and 30-10 in 2018.
Bowie State is 13th in the latest AFCA NCAA Div. II Coaches poll. The Bulldogs, 5-0 against Div. II competition, are ranked second behind 7-0 Valdosta State in NCAA Super Region II. Fayetteville State, at 6-1, is currently 10th in the Super Region II rankings.
The top seven teams from each of the four Super Regions make up the 28-team NCAA Div. II championship playoff field.
HBCU Football Rundown – SIAC
There’s is a little more work left over the last two weeks of the SIAC’s regular season.
In the East Division, Albany State (7-1, 4-0 E) currently sits in first place but must subdue hard-charging Morehouse (3-5, 3-1 E) this Saturday (2 p.m.) and Fort Valley State (5-3, 3-1 E) next week (Nov. 6) to secure the title.
Morehouse has won three straight games after losing its first five.
FVSU is hosting Savannah State (6-2, 4-1 E) Saturday (2 p.m.). A win by Albany State and loss by FVSU clinches the East title for the Golden Rams. Albany State was ranked third this week in Super Region II behind Valdosta State and Bowie State.
The SIAC West Division is still up for grabs. Four teams have two conference losses headed into the final two weeks.
Two of them — Kentucky State (4-4, 2-2 W) and Tuskegee (3-5, 2-2 W) — meet Saturday (2 p.m.) in Tuskegee. Lane (5-3, 2-2 W) is at Central State (1-7, 0-4 W) and Miles (4-4, 3-2 W) is at Edward Waters.
HBCU Football Rundown – SWAC
Jackson State (6-1, 4-0 E) sits atop the SWAC E. Div. as it travels to Itta Bena, Ms. to take on Mississippi Valley State (2-5, 1-3 E) Saturday (3 p.m.). The Tigers, 13th in the latest AFCA FCS Coaches national poll, are expected to be without head coach Deion Sanders who is still nursing a foot injury. Assistant Gary Harrell will fill in as head coach for the second consecutive week.
JSU has what is, in effect, a two-game lead in the East over second-place Florida A&M, who it defeated 7-6 to open the season. FAMU (5-2, 3-1 E) is hosting Grambling State (3-4, 2-2 W) for homecoming Saturday (3 p.m.).
Alabama State (3-3, 2-3 E) and Alabama A&M (3-3, 1-3 E) stage their annual grudge match known as the Magic City Classic Saturday in Birmingham (2:30 p.m.).
West Division leader Prairie View A&M (6-1, 5-0 W) is idle this week as it heads for a showdown with Alcorn State (5-2, 4-0 W) on Nov. 13. Alcorn has a tough date playing at Southern (3-4, 2-2 W) this week (6 p.m.).
HBCU Football Rundown – MEAC
It is still early in the battle for the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference championship. Only winless Morgan State, at 0-3 in league play, has been eliminated from contention.
Norfolk State (5-2, 1-0), winners of five straight, hosts Morgan State (0-7, 0-3) Saturday (2 p.m.). SC State, atop the conference at 2-0, has a crucial 2 p.m. date at N. C. Central’s (3-4, 1-0) homecoming (on ESPN3). The MEAC’s new pre-game show, Countdown to Kickoff, will be staged outside NCCU’s O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham, N. C. at 12 noon.
Delaware State (3-4, 0-1) is hosting Howard (2-5, 1-1) at 2 p.m.
HBCU Football Rundown – Big South & OVC
In the Big South, N. C. A&T (3-4, 2-2) has lost two straight conference games as it stages its GHOE (Greatest Homecoming on Earth) vs. two-time conference champion Monmouth (4-3, 3-0).
Hampton (3-4, 1-2) is at Robert Morris (2-4, 1-2).
Tennessee State (4-3, 2-1) has won three straight under first-year coach Eddie George and is now tied for second in the OVC as it hosts Murray State (3-4, 0-2) for homecoming (5 p.m.).
GAMES THIS WEEK
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30
Winston-Salem State vs. Shaw in Raleigh, NC 1 pm ET
Lane vs. Central State in Wilberforce, OH 1 pm ET
Glenville State vs. W. Va. State in Institute, WV 1 pm ET
Bowie State vs. Lincoln (Pa.) in Lincoln University, PA 2 pm ET
Chowan vs. Virginia State in Petersburg, VA 2 pm ET
Virginia Union vs. Elizabeth City State in Eliz. City, NC 2 pm ET
Livingstone vs. Fayetteville State in Fayetteville, NC 2 pm ET
Miles vs. Edward Waters in Jacksonville, FL TBA
Benedict vs. Clark Atlanta in Atlanta, GA 2 pm ET
Albany State vs. Morehouse in Atlanta, GA 2 pm ET
Central Missouri vs. Lincoln (Mo.) in Jefferson City, MO 2 pm ET
Langston vs. Louisiana College in Pineville, LA 2 pm ET
Texas College vs. Texas Wesleyan in Fort Worth, TX 2 pm ET
Jackson State vs. Mississippi Valley State in Itta Bena, MS 3 pm ET
Florida Memorial vs. Ave Maria in Ave Maria, FL 7 pm ET
STREAMING GAMES
Morgan State vs. Norfolk State in Norfolk, VA (ESPN+) 2 pm ET
Howard vs. Delaware State in Dover, DEL (ESPN+) 2 pm ET
Ark.-Pine Bluff vs. Texas Southern in Houston, TX (ESPN+) 2 pm ET
Hampton vs. Robert Morris in Moon Township, PA (ESPN3) 2 pm ET
Kentucky State vs. Tuskegee in Tuskegee, AL (ESPN+) 2 pm ET
Savannah State vs. Fort Valley State in Fort Valley, GA (ESPN+) 2 pm ET
Alcorn State vs. Southern in Baton Rouge, LA (ESPN+) 6 pm ET
CLASSIC GAMES
Magic City Classic
Alabama State vs. Alabama A&M in Birmingham, AL (ESPN3) 2:30 pm ET
HOMECOMINGS
Monmouth vs. NC A&T in Greenboro, NC (ESPN+) 1 pm ET
Murray State vs. Tennessee State in Nashville, TN (ESPN+) 1 pm ET
Saint Augustine’s vs. J. C. Smith in Charlotte, NC (Aspire) 1 pm ET
SC State vs. NC Central in Durham, NC (ESPN3) 2 pm ET
Columbus State vs. Allen in Columbia, SC 2 pm ET
Grambling State vs. Florida A&M in Tallahassee, FL (ESPN+) 3 pm ET