Update of Week Seven - MEAC/SWAC Football

Sorry for being missing in action this past week, but had to travel to South Carolina/North Carolina for consulting tasks for key Agency client. Unfortunately, it was a secure environment on a Federal facility (no outside Internet access) and my hotel had whacked Internet service and no ESPNU. I nearly went nuts, unable to access MEAC/SWAC Sports Main Street nor receive FAMCast of the Rattlers game with the WSSU Rams.

The best I received was 45 second packets of streaming audio of FAMU's game standing outside the hotel front doors and having to re-boot every 60 seconds. Folks thought I was crazy for holding the laptop upside down, at ground level, trying to receive the hotel's Internet signal.

More importantly, I got the opportunity to watch my son's soccer team (Cary, N.C.) play two great teams in Fayetteville and Wilmington, N.C. over the weekend. The kid has skills scoring 2 goals in a 2-1 victory (Sunday) and being a defensive force in the 0-0 tie on Saturday. I could retire in the Carolinas (Apex or Carolina Beach, N.C.), but must have excellent Internet service and Dish Network. Otherwise, you are in HBCU sports purgatory. Happy to be back!

If you live in the Savannah River basin, here's what happen last week in the MEAC/SWAC, as you wouldn't know this from the local press. Talk about being blacked-out, the South Carolina locals are oblivious on the happenings in HBCU sports...

• FAMU (4-2, 1-2) kicked Winston Salem (1-5, 0-2) as expected 23-0, with 15,448 (60.5%) attending on a Thursday night affair for ESPNU--that 95% of America will never see this game on television. The highlight of the night was the cute little Winston Salem State Marching Band that came to Bragg Memorial to challenge the FAMU Marching 100.


• Morgan State (3-3, 1-1) went to Greensboro and steamrolled North Carolina A&T 41-3 before 21,500 Aggie Fans. Are the Bears really that good or has A&T (2-5, 0-3) slipped back a notch?


• South Carolina State (5-2, 3-0) has just about wrapped up the MEAC conference title, crushing the hopes of Norfolk State Spartans 24-23 at Dawson Bulldog Stadium. S.C. State packed in 16,003 for the big payback to the Spartans (2-4, 1-2) for last season's upset.


• Delaware State pulled an upset of the Bethune Cookman Wildcats 26-20 at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach. A crowd of 9,136 saw the BCU Wyatt-bone get contained by the Hornets (2-3, 2-1). BCU fell to 4-2, 2-2 on the season.


• Tennessee State was Idle.


• Prairie View A&M (5-1, 2-1) crushed the Alabama State 27-6 before 9,257 home fans at Blackshear Stadium. The Hornets are 1-5, 1-1 and still has shot to win the SWAC.


• Grambling State (5-2, 2-0) gave AAMU a lesson in football on its home field, 27-7. The Bulldogs fans (15, 170) were not happy with the outcome or the season record of 2-5, 1-1.


• Jackson State (2-4, 1-1) gave UAPB (0-6, 0-2) another beatdown to keep the Golden Lions winless under former Redskins great Monte Coleman. Is it Coleman or UAPB is really that bad? Oh, the final score was 21-10 with 10,600 attending at Pumphrey Stadium, Pine Bluff, AR.


• Alcorn State beat Mississippi Valley 35-21 on the road with 7,852 attending. The Braves are 2-5, 1-1 and the Delta Devils fall to 1-4, 0-2 in hopefully--Willie Totten's last season as head coach. Valley fans should be tired of losing.


• Southern University (4-2, 3-0) rained on Texas Southern (3-4, 0-2) 45-14 in their homecoming party at Mumford Stadium. 25,512 watched as the Jaguars prepares to face the FAMU Rattlers this weekend in an important rivalry game.


• Charleston Southern had a rough time beating Savannah State 29-20 on the Tigers home field. Coach Robbie Wells has surprised most with a record of 3-4, starting a freshman QB and players he recruited in his first season as a head coach. A total of 3, 457 fans came out to support the Tigers.


• Presbyterian (3-4) beat North Carolina Central 28-24 before 2,987 home fans. The Eagles (1-5) are finding the competition difficult in their second season at the D-IAA level.

We are now all up to date and are ready for Week Eight in the MEAC/SWAC.