Week 9: Pretenders vs. Contenders

What an exciting week of HBCU football!

Winston Salem State received the e-mail late, but nevertheless they will be spending Thanksgiving Weekend at home after falling to the Shaw Bears 31-27. The Rams had an outstanding season on their return to the CIAA, finishing with a 8-2 record and getting a few coaches upset with their ability to recruit Division I skilled players.

Bethune-Cookman may provide the best opportunity for the MEAC to break its string of losses in the FCS playoffs. The Wildcats are 8-0, 5-0 MEAC and should win the conference championship outright in the next three weeks. We don't see Hampton, who fell to two year old program, Old Dominion Monarchs 28-14, stopping the Wildcats offense. The next opponent for B-CU, the Howard Bison will have to play their best defensive game of the decade to stop the Wildcats from scoring 85 points.

So, that leaves only the Florida A&M Rattlers standing in the way of the Wildcats undefeated regular season. Whatever first year Coach Brian Jenkins put in the players head, the Wildcats will not beat themselves with silly penalties nor play to the level of their competition. This is the best coached HBCU team we have seen for sometime. So, go Wildcats!

South Carolina State offense is getting un-tracked and was able to escape Delaware State 38-21. If the Bulldogs and Rattlers keep winning, they may become the MEAC's second team in the FCS playoffs. We do not see FAMU making the playoffs, unless they run the table and defeat B-CU in the Florida Classic on November 20. There are many scenarios, so it is best we just sit back and watch how this unfolds over the next three week in the MEAC.

For sure, Morgan State is out of the race with the 31-17 loss to the Rattlers yesterday, but is strong enough to knockoff Hampton and take S.C. State to the wire. Anything is possible when you have a field goal kicker that can hit it from 47 yards like the Bears' Kemar Scarlett



Grambling State 35-25 win over Coach Monte Coleman's solid University of Arkasas Pine Bluff squad in the Literacy Classic confirms that the best defensive and offensive team maybe Grambling--not Bethune Cookman. I know most SWAC fans can't wait to see Grambling State vs. Bethune-Cookman in next year MEAC/SWAC Challenge.

Saint Augustine's Falcons continues to roll toward the CIAA championship with a 33-0 defeat of the Livingstone Blue Bears. Fort Valley State--what are you thinking? Lane Dragons held an 18-14 lead until the 4th quarter, and finally the Wildcats took care of business to walk away with a 31-18 win. Albany State continues to play like the SIAC champions, stopping Stillman 44-5.

Great to see the attendance skyrocket over Week 9, with homecomings and classics dominating this week schedule. The Magic City Classic had 61,879 attend the game at Legion Field, Birmingham; Jackson State vs. Prairie View had 23,701 for the Tigers homecoming game; North Carolina Central scheduled Division II, NAIA Edward Waters in a guaranteed win and the Eagles did not disappoint with a 20-7 win before 13,562 homecoming fans.

Florida A&M had its best homecoming crowd since the Coach Joe Taylor era started, with 30,459 in Bragg Memorial Stadium. GSU and UAPB attracted a respectable 29,373 to War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock for the Literacy Classic and Alcorn State vs. Southern game had 18, 075, in Lorman. The Howard Bison vs. Norfolk State packed in 7,086 to Greene Stadium for Howard's homecoming.

Hope everyone had a great time! Now, the rest of the story...



SIAC
Albany State 44, Stillman 5
Morehouse 17, Clark Atlanta 7
Fort Valley State 31, Lane 18
Tuskegee 45, Kentucky State 21
Kentucky Wesleyan 40, Miles 28

CIAA
Benedict 41, Concordia 14
Fayetteville State 64, Johnson C. Smith
Saint Paul's 16 O.T., Lincoln (Pa.) 13
Shaw 31, Winston Salem State 27
Virginia State 35, Virginia Union 7
Saint Augustine's 33, Livingstone 0
Elizabeth City State 55, Chowan 14

OTHERS
Langston 31, Lincoln (Mo.) 21
E. Stroudsburg 58, Cheyney 14
Shepherd 56, West Virginia State 19
Lambuth 42, Central State (Ohio) 6

SWAC
Grambling State 35, Arkansas - Pine Bluff 25, Literacy Classic
Jackson State 30, Prairie View A&M 13
Alabama State 31, Alabama A&M 10, Magic City Classic
Texas Southern 38, Mississippi Valley State 7
Alcorn State 27, Southern 20

MEAC
Florida A&M 31, Morgan State 17
Bethune Cookman 67, North Carolina A&T 17, Thursday game
Old Dominion 28, Hampton 14
North Carolina Central 20, Edward Waters 7
South Carolina State 38, Delaware State 21
Norfolk State 10, Howard 9

Weekend Half-Time Shows:

Florida A&M University Incomparable Marching 100 is the best band in the WORLD! The Rattlers performance on homecoming Saturday will leave you speechless. There is no better homecoming like a FAMU Homecoming with ole school Rattlers! That field exit and delay of game call is a Marching 100 classic! You will also notice that the Marching 100 needs no gimmicky Tuxedo's or show girls to put on an entertaining, exceptional musical and marching performance. Hubba Doc!