The Top HBCU Performances this week were turned in by four championship teams that were crowned Saturday. Bowie State in the CIAA and Albany State in the SIAC prevailed in championship games. Jackson State took the SWAC East and SC State claimed the MEAC with one game left in their regular seasons.
Bowie State three-peat!
BSU (10-1) scored two touchdowns in the first quarter to eastablish an early lead and was never headed. Wilkins was named BSU’s MVP for the game.
Albany State defense dominates again
It was the Golden Rams’ sixth shutout of the season and lowers their defensive scoring average to 4.8 points per game, best in the nation. In two games against Miles (6-5) this season, Albany State has now outscored the Golden Bears 62-3. The Albany State win also prevented a Miles three-peat over the Golden Rams in the championship game .
Both Bowie State and Albany State will find where they will play in the NCAA Div. II playoffs when the 28-team field is announced at 5 p.m. Sunday. Bowie State was second in Super Region II and Albany State third before Saturday’s games. The top seven teams from the region will make the playoff field.
Jackson State and the Sanders complete turnaround
Jackson State freshman quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw two late fourth-quarter TD passes to pull out a 21-17 come-from-behind win at Southern. The scoring passes of 13 and 50 yards went to freshman wideout Malachi Wideman.
The win gives JSU the SWAC East Division title for the first time since 2013. It also earns JSU a spot in the Dec. 4 SWAC Championship Game. The win completes a turnaround for the Tigers in celebrated head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’ second season.
Shedeur (24-31-2, 260 yards) threw two picks earlier as JSU trailed 17-7 into the fourth quarter before hitting on both TD passes in the last four minutes. He first hit Wideman from 13 yards out with 3:42 left to pull the Tigers within 17-14. On JSU’s next possession, he lofted a deep pass while taking a hit that found Wideman at about the Southern 8-yard line after a defender fell down. Wideman walked in from there for the game-winner with 1:42 left.
Shedeur’s brother, defensive back Shiloh Sanders, sealed the win with a game-ending interception.
SC State backs in
South Carolina State surrendered a 17-7 halftime lead as the Bulldogs gave up 20 unanswered second-half points to fall to NC A&T 27-17 in Orangeburg, SC. SC State running back Kendrell Flowers had one of the best rushing efforts of the day as he totaled 160 yards on 15 carries and had a 51-yard scoring scamper.
But Norfolk State did SC State one better, or worse. The Spartans led Delaware State 26-0 before giving up 28 second-half points to lose a heart-breaker to the Hornets, 28-26. DSU QB Jared Lewis threw three fourth-quarter TD passes, the last with 1:53 left, that enabled DSU to come away with the win.
A Norfolk State win would have set up a season-ending showdown next week in Norfolk with SC State for the MEAC title and spot in the Dec. 18 Celebration Bowl in Atlanta. With the Norfolk State loss, SC State clinches the outright MEAC title and the Celebration Bowl berth.
Top HBCU Performances – Passing
Alabama A&M QB Aqeel Glass and Florida A&M QB Raseasn McKay put up big passing numbers in wins Saturday.
Glass completed 33 of 52 passes for a career- and day’s-best 462 yards. He outduelled Texas Southern freshman Andrew Body (13-26-0) who threw for 299 yards and four scores in a 52-49 Alabama A&M win. Glass threw two TDs to close out the game, the last to Bryson Clark from one yard out with :42 seconds left to pull out the win.
McKay had the second-best QB outing of the day. He completed 22 of 31 passes without a pick for 383 yards and five scores in a 37-7 rout of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Mississippi Valley State QB Jalani Easton also topped the 300-yard mark. He was 12 of 25 for 315 yards and two TDs without an interception in the Delta Devils 44-31 win over Alabama State.
Two others passed for over 300 yards – Prairie View A&M’s Jawon Pass and Howard’s Quinton Williams — but those efforts did not result in wins.
Top HBCU Performances – Rushing
The Alabama A&M/Texas Southern game also produced the top rushing and receiving performances.
TSU’s LaDarius Owens topped the rushing charts with 184 yards on just 12 carries (15.3 yards per carry). His lone score came on a 53-yard carry. A&M’s Gary Quarles carried 25 times for 162 yards, one yard less that Bowie State’s Calil Wilkins. Quarles nor Wilkins reached paydirt.
Sophomore Jimmie Robinson III rushed for three short touchdowns (1, 2 and 2 yards) in Bethune-Cookman’s 31-14 win over Grambling State. Jakobe Thomas of Mississippi Valley State also had three rushing TDs (8, 30, and 4 yards) in the Delta Devils win over Alabama State.
Receiving
Alabama A&M receivers Abdul Fattai Ibrahim and Odieu Hilaire combined to haul in 20 of Aqeel Glass’s completions for 298 yards and four of his five scores.
Ibrahim tallied eight receptions for 176 yards and TD catches of 81 and 22 yards. Hilaire had 12 catches for 122 yards and scoring receptions of 17 and 11 yards. Texas Southern’s Jonathan Giles (5 rec., 96 yards) and JSU’s Wideman (4 rec., 81 yards) were the others with two scoring receptions.
Top HBCU Performances – Defense
Florida A&M junior linebacker Isaiah Land had three sacks in the Rattlers’ win over Arkansas–Pine Bluff. Land, who leads the FCS in sacks, now has 15 sacks on the season. He is averaging 1.5 sacks per game.
Jackson Satte defensive end James Houston went into the Tigers’ game at Southern with 10 sacks, tied for fifth in the FCS. He added two sacks in the win and now has 12 (1.2 per game) on the season.
TOP INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES
PASSING ATT-COMP YDS TDS (YDS)
Aqeel Glass, ALA&M 33-52-0 462 5 (17, 11, 81, 22, 1)
Rasean McKay, FAMU 22-31-0 383 5 (16, 68, 8, 4, 9)
Jawon Pass, PVA&M 25-36-0 342 3 (44, 30, 70)
Jalani Eason, MVSU 12-25-0 315 2 (83, 93)
Quinton Williams, HOW 21-31-0 313 1 (19)
Andrew Body, TXSU 13-25-0 299 4 (32, 38, 44)
Felix Harper, ALC 18-28-0 263 2 (57, 12)
Shedeur Sanders, JSU 24-31-2 260 2 (13, 50)
Davius Richard, NCCU 15-22-0 237 0
Jeff Duffey, HAMP 19-31-2 231 0
Jared Lewis, DSU 11-22-2 215 3 (47, 17, 30)
Ryan Nettles, ALST 18-32-3 208 4 (5, 20, 93, 11)
RUSHING CAR YDS TDs (YDS)
LaDarius Owens, TXSOU 12 184 1 (53)
Calil Wilkins, BSU 25 163 0
Gary Quarles, ALA&M 35 162 2 (1, 1)
Kendrell Flowers, SCSU 15 160 1 (51)
Jacory Rankin, MVSU 5 152 1 (4)
J. J. Davis, NSU 20 115 1 (8)
Latrell Collier, NCCU 13 115 2 (1, 51)
Joshua Knight, ALST 7 104 0
Jimmie Robinson, B-CU 15 98 3 (3, 2, 2)
Jared Sims, SOU 25 98 1 (21)
Jakobe Thomas, MVSU 8 92 3 (8, 30, 4)
Jah-Maine Martin, NCAT 16 77 1 (33)
Sy’veon Wilkerson, DSU 16 73 1 (8)
RECEIVING REC YDS TDs
Abdul Fattai Ibrahi, ALA&M 8 176 2 (81, 22)
Jacorey Rankin, MVSU 5 152 1 (93)
Odieu Hilaire, ALA&M 12 122 2 (17, 11)
LeCharles Pringle, ALC 4 119 1 (57)
Jadakiss Bonds, HAMP 8 110 0
Xavier Smith, FAMU 3 103 0
Shaq Davis, SCSU 5 96 0
Jonathan Giles, TXSOU 5 96 2 (32, 44)
Keith Corbin, JSU 8 92 0
Ke’Lenn Davis, TXSOU 3 89 0
Jarius Clayton, MVSU 1 83 1 (83)
Jarett Hunter, HOW 6 81 0
Malachi Wideman, JSU 4 81 2 (13, 50)
Gary Quarles, ALAA& 4 80 0
TACKLES
14 Ali Shockley, HAMP;
12 N. Herron, ALC;
11 Myles Wolfolk, BSU; Keonte Hampton, JSU;
10 Jacob Roberts, NCAT; Jonathan Ross, BSU; T. Smith, PVA&M;
Bryan Powell, GSU;
SACKS
3.0 Isaiah Land, FAMU;
2.0 Kendall Moultrie, SCSU; Ohmante Jenkins, HAMP;
Jonathan Ross, BSU; James Houston, JSU;
1.5 Octavious Pringle, NCAT; De’Shaan Dixon, NSU;
Ca. Richardson, GSU; Derek Davis, Jalen Pugh, ALB;
INTERCEPTIONS
2 B. J. Bohler, FAMU
1 11