Virginia Union University (Grade: A+)

• Preseason Rank: 2nd
• Final Standing: 1st (6-1 conference, 7-3 overall)
• Offensive Ranking: 1st in Total Offense (479.4 yards/game, 61 TDs)
• Defensive Ranking: 4th in Total Defense (295.2 yards/game, 22 TDs allowed)

Highlights:

• Jada Byers, the CIAA Offensive Player of the Year, dominated the field, amassing 1,497 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns. He set school records with 5,311 career rushing yards and 70 touchdowns. This includes a single-game record of 324 yards and six touchdowns against Bowie State.
• Virginia Union clinched the CIAA Championship, defeating Virginia State in a decisive victory.
• The Panthers secured a spot in the NCAA Division II playoffs, representing HBCUs on the national stage.
• VUU’s loss to Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU), did not count as conference defeats due to CIAA scheduling rules impacted by St. Augustine’s absence from football this year.

Summary: Virginia Union showcased exceptional prowess on both offense and defense, leading the CIAA. This reinforced its status as a powerhouse among HBCU football programs.

Johnson C. Smith University (Grade: A)

• Preseason Rank: 4th
• Final Standing: 2nd (5-2conference, 8-2 overall)
• Offensive Ranking: 3rd in Total Offense (378.4 yards/game, 32 TDs)
• Defensive Ranking: 1st in Total Defense (246.2 yards/game, 17 TDs allowed)

Highlights:

• Head Coach Maurice Flowers was named CIAA Coach of the Year after leading the Golden Bulls to an impressive season.
• Benari Black, the CIAA Defensive Player of the Year, led a stout defense with 113 tackles. He spearheaded the top-ranked defense in the conference.
• JCSU achieved significant victories over Tuskegee and Morehouse from the SIAC, and delivered Virginia Union their only on-field CIAA loss.
• Despite their strong performance, they suffered a crucial conference loss to Fayetteville State.

Summary: JCSU exceeded preseason expectations. They solidified their reputation within the CIAA and HBCU football. The team combined a formidable defense with strategic coaching. This made them one of the season’s standout teams.

Virginia State University (Grade: B)

• Preseason Rank: 1st
• Final Standing: 3rd (6-1 conference, 7-4 overall)
• Offensive Ranking: 2nd in Total Offense (385.7 yards/game, 43 TDs)
• Defensive Ranking: 2nd in Total Defense (283.5 yards/game, 19 TDs allowed)

Highlights:

• The Trojans secured a notable win against Benedict from the SIAC.
• Bruno Onwuazor earned CIAA Lineman of the Year, contributing to an offense that averaged 6.3 yards per play.
• Defensive Rookie of the Year, Marquis Edmond, bolstered an already strong defense.
• Virginia State’s only victory over a team with a winning record was against Benedict, limiting their impact against top-tier opponents.

Summary: Virginia State showed statistical strength. However, they fell short in securing wins against leading teams within the CIAA. This impacted their overall grade. This happened despite their perfect conference record adjusted by CIAA rules.

Go to Page Two for more CIAA grades

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CHARLOTTE, NC (December 9, 2022) — The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA®), the nation’s oldest historically black conference, held its annual fall Board of Directors meeting December 6 & 7 in Charlotte, North Carolina, which was attended by CIAA Presidents & Chancellors along with staff and selected partners. The meeting resulted in the approval of many exciting initiatives to strengthen the future of the CIAA. The Board also engaged in a planning exercise to crystalize the organization’s vision and to amplify the brand’s position as the best of the NCAA Division II conferences. Conference office infrastructure changes are forthcoming no later than July 1, 2023, to address the fundamental aim of promoting improved standards to meet the goals that have been set forth.

More exciting news includes:       
 
Membership Update 
The Board approved the addition of Bluefield State University as a full member, effective July 1, 2023. Bluefield brings 13 sports for conference competition, with intentions to start bowling and will be added to all CIAA composite schedules next fall. They currently sponsor 19 sports overall.  

In addition, after an associate membership in football, the Board voted to discontinue Chowan University’s affiliation with the CIAA. Chowan’s membership with the CIAA dates back to 2008. These decisions reflect the direction of the conference regarding membership growth and stability.  

Hall of Fame 2023 
The John B. McLendon CIAA Hall of Fame Class of 2023 honorees were approved by the Board. Upon notification to the inductees, a formal announcement will be made. The ceremony will take place on Friday, February 24, 2023, at the Baltimore Convention Center and the honorees will be pinned in the newly renamed CFG Bank Arena in conjunction with the 2023 CIAA Basketball Tournament, held February 21-25 in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Additionally, the Board endorsed Dr. William H. Harvey, former longtime Hampton University President, as the 2023 Jimmy Jenkins Legacy recipient. This award is presented to an individual as approved by the Board who has provided an environment that supports athletic and academic excellence through educational opportunities and community involvement; focused always on the personal growth, mental wellness and development of the student-athlete and its members.? 

Harvey will be recognized during the CIAA Hall of Fame ceremony. 

Media Rights 
The Board approved entering a multi-year media rights deal to maximize exposure for all CIAA-sponsored sports, championships, its members, and our student-athletes’ visibility. Details are forthcoming and will be shared once parameters and terms are solidified. 

Budget and Finance 
The audit financial statements and report were approved by the Board. The CIAA received a clean audit for 2022 and approved its Investment Charter, to manage the CIAA fund balance and newly established investment fund. 

“As I celebrate 10 years as the CIAA Commissioner, I could not be prouder of the CIAA staff, membership, and Board for believing in the vision and the strategies identified to support the growth and stability of the conference. 2022 has been an amazing year of opportunities to enhance the experience for our incredible and talented student-athletes. The CIAA’s future is bright, and I look forward to the continued possibilities,” stated Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams.  

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Virginia Union (9-2) — Overall, VUU had an outstanding season.  The Panthers hosted a playoff game for the first time since 1991, and made the playoffs as an at-large for the first time since 2015.  Still, the Panthers played bridesmaid again by not making the CIAA championship game. Then they had a terrible matchup in the first round that really gave them a taste of their own medicine in Wingate, who had the offensive and defensive line strength to disrupt what VUU likes to do.  

Nonetheless, Jada Byers, a sophomore, is a legitimate Harlon Hill candidate as Division II’s leading rusher and all-purpose yardage leader, and its defense was strong.  Other highlights include a win against Valdosta State, the first by a CIAA team, and a likely top 25 finish.  Big returners should be kicker Brady Myers, punter Marvin Holmes, wide receiver John Jiles, and defensive linemen Armonii Burden and Isaac Anderson.  

Needs:  Many key pieces are graduate students or seniors, and have likely exhausted eligibility, including Mr. Everything linebacker Damontay Rhem, offensive linemen Darian Bryant and Brian Gibson, and quarterback Jahkari Grant.  So, the Panthers are likely going to be searching to build more depth in the offseason.

Grade: A-

Chowan (7-4) — Chowan quietly amassed wins in the CIAA North, and was underrated all year. The signature piece of its season was making its first CIAA Championship game, and coming within a last second field goal of winning it. It ran the table in the North, including thrilling games on the road at Virginia Union and Bowie State, and a scintillating finish at home against Virginia State that involved scoring in the last minute to win.  

Chowan’s offense struggled for much of the year as it tried to solidify its quarterback position, and it now looks like Rashad McKee is poised to be the next great Chowan quarterback. Its defense carried the team for much of the season, including its secondary and linebacker play.  The Hawks will lose star linebacker Montre Moore, but a number of pieces should return, including much of its offensive line and secondary. Demerits on its season includes Chowan dropping two winnable out of conference games, losing twice to Fayetteville State and extending a multi-year slide to the Broncos, and not quite shaking its reputation for losing in big games.   Needs: More depth at offensive line, linebacker, kicking, and quarterback. 

Grade: B+

Bowie State (6-4): BSU had lofty expectations coming into this season, but those expectations were likely too high given all the turnover that occurred late in the offseason.  Interim Head Coach Kyle Jackson should get another season to show what he can do with a full recruiting cycle, especially as he finished with a winning record and a win over a playoff participant as a first-time head coach. BSU was able to figure out its quarterback situation early, and its defense was rather steady, thought it was a bit depleted when compared to its gamebreaking abilities of years past.  The loss to Shaw was perplexing given how their season ended, while losing to Virginia Union at the goal line in overtime pretty knocked the Bulldogs out of conference and playoff contention. 

Key returners should be linebacker Corey Shell, along with much of the wide receiver core of Kwincy Hall, Darious Bowman, and Quron Winder. Needs: There’s a lot of them.  Quarterback is a big one, with Dion Golatt exhausting his eligibility after a year of starting. CIAA Defensive Player of the Year and Senior Bowl Watch List defensive lineman Joshua Pryor has also exhausted his eligibility, as has fellow lineman Ellison Jordan. Defensive back is likely a need, as star Raymond Boone is also gone.

Grade: B

Virginia State (6-4): VSU markedly improved in a season that featured several highs and lows.  First-year head coach Dr. Henry Frazier was able to continue VSU’s strong run game with the pieces he inherited.  The defense was opportunistic, particularly with turnovers, as it was near the top of Division II in that category for much of the year.  The passing game was hot and cold, and wilted underneath the heat lamp that was Bowie State’s defense. Starting quarterback Jordan Davis should return, along with defensive back Kymon Pope.  

Needs: VSU will have some pieces to replace, namely running back Darius Hagans, the conference’s second leading rusher. Linebacker and offensive linemen is likely a need too due to exhausted eligibility at those spots. Kicker and punter are also needs, as VSU lacked depth in this area and it occasionally hindered them from flipping the field and picking up easy points.

Grade: B

Lincoln (2-7) The Lions are trending up, especially since they now have a quarterback they can build around in Isaiah Freeman, the CIAA Freshman of the Year on offense.  Lincoln was one of the few schools that notched an out-of-conference win this season, and that win was one of its highlights. The Lions also proved to not be a pushover, losing three games by less than two scores, and challenging some of the conference’s top tier teams by scoring no less than 20 points.  

The Lions will need to get more consistent on offense to take the next step towards respectability. Key returners should include defensive back Rontay Dunbar. Needs: The secondary has needs, as Eric Best and Kai Gray exhausted their eligibility.  Offensive line and wide receiver are also needs. 

Grade: D+

Elizabeth City State (2-8) While Lincoln is trending up, ECSU feels like another program stuck in neutral.  The Vikings notched wins against the other two schools at this grade, and even then those wins were a struggle. Opposing defenses harassed freshman quarterback Chase Williams and the accompanying offensive line, and converting third downs (22 percent) were a rare occurrence.  The defense was better, but asked to do too much with an offense who made a living coming off the field after three plays. 

Key returners for next year should be defensive linemen Traveon Freshwater, Traevon and Raevon Freeman and running back Darian King.  Needs: Is it possible to say the entire offense? The wide receiver corps should be a top priority, as three receivers opted to transfer, and star Zion Riddick is graduating.   Quarterback and offensive line are also needs in order to continue reviving the offense.  The major contributors at running back, save for King, are seniors as well.  The linebacker group is losing Juanya’ Majette, a Harlon Hill nominee, to graduation too.

Grade: D+

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North Division champ Chowan meets South Division champ Fayetteville State in the CIAA Football Championship game in Salem, Va. Saturday (1 p.m.).

East Division champ Benedict takes on West Division champ Tuskegee in the SIAC Championship game in Columbia, S. C. (2 p.m.).

This week’s HBCU Football Rundown breaks down the championship game match ups by their 2022 schedules, history and statistics.

HBCU Football Rundown: CIAA Championship Game match up

Fayetteville State

As HBCU Gameday noted back at the beginning of the season, the departure of head coach Damon Wilson from three-time champion Bowie State opened the door for a new champ in the CIAA in 2022. That’s where we’re headed this weekend.

This will be the fifth straight trip for Fayetteville State and sixth-year head coach Richard Hayes Jr. to the championship game. Hayes is looking for his first win in the title contest. FSU lost the title game in 2017 to Virginia State and has lost in the last three championship games (2021, 2019 and 2018) to Bowie State.

Hayes has followed in the footsteps of his uncle, Black College Hall of Famer Bill Hayes, who took five straight Winston-Salem State teams (1983-87) to the CIAA title game. Like Bill Hayes, who also lost four straight championship game match ups before winning, Richard Hayes hopes to make his fifth trip the charm. Hayes and the WSSU Rams defeated Hampton 22-12 in the 1987 title game.

The FSU offense and defense

To get this proverbial monkey off his back, Hayes has to get more out of his offense that has primarily been playing freshman Caden Davis and redshirt freshman Damari Daniels at quarterback. 

Senior QB K’hari Lane who began the season as the starter and was the preseason all-CIAA first team quarterback, has not played much since a 13-10 win over Chowan on Sept. 29. Lane threw three interceptions in the Broncos’ 31-28 loss to Virginia Union a week earlier.

In the 13-10 FSU win over Chowan earlier this season, Lane hit on 6 of 16 passes for 92 yards and one TD, a third-quarter 52-yard pass to wideout Barry Elliot. The Broncos forced five Chowan turnovers and registered five sacks of starting QB Caleb Pierce, three by Cameron Merrell and two by Devin Cowan.

Merrell (74 tackles, 8.5 sacks) and Cowan (55 tackles, 8 sacks) are the defensive leaders. The Broncos have the stingiest defense in the league surrendering just 12.8 points per game.

Chowan offense comes to life

Chowan, meanwhile, has come to life under junior QB Rashad McKee.

Since becoming the starter in an Oct. 15 date at Virginia State, McKee has led the Hawks to a homecoming win over VSU (43-40), a win on the road at three-time defending conference champion Bowie State (21-15), a tough victory on the road at then undefeated Virginia Union (26-21) and a closeout 54-8 home win over Elizabeth City State.

In those four wins, McKee has passed for 756 yards (189 ypg.) and eight touchdowns with three interceptions. He has run for 332 yards (83.0 ypg.) and three TDs over those games.

Grad linebacker Montre Moore has been the ringleader on defense racking up 37 tackles (9.2 per game) during the four-game win streak. He paces the Hawks with an even 100 tackles on the season that is tops in the CIAA.

Based on the recent play of both teams, Chowan may be slightly favored.

HBCU Football Rundown: SIAC Championship Game match up

The SIAC coaching match up

One big storyline for Saturday’s SIAC championship game lies with both coaches — Tuskegee’s Reginald Ruffin and Benedict’s Chennis Berry. 

Ruffin, who spent ten years leading Miles of the SIAC before moving over to Tuskegee this season, brought championship tradition with him. At Miles, he led the Golden Bears to four SIAC titles and six division titles as the most dominant team in the West. He is returning Tuskegee to the championship game for the first time since 2017.

The much-traveled Berry has the Tigers undefeated, nationally ranked (12th in d2.football Top 25, 8th in the AFCA Div. II Coaches Poll), ranked first in Super Region II. and in the SIAC championship game for the first time in program history in only his second year at the helm. 

Berry was an assistant at seven HBCUs before getting his first head coaching assignment at Benedict. Despite their undefeated record, Berry, whose squad knocked off defending conference champion Albany State en route its perfect regular season, thinks his Tigers have not played their best game.

The statistical match up

Benedict has certainly been the most dominant of the two on the season. Statistically, Benedict tops the SIAC in three key categories (scoring, total defense and pass defense) and is no worse than fifth in eight major statistical categories.

Tuskegee is not in the top five in any of the eight categories.

But while Benedict has won all ten games this season, Tuskegee is on an eight-game win streak. Both Benedict QB Eric Phoenix and Tuskegee’s Bryson Williams have been impressive and similar statistically. Phoenix has thrown for 1,169 yards and nine TDs with just one interception. Williams has thrown for 1,125 yards and 10 TDs with four picks.

Benedict certainly has the edge in terms of how they’ve played this season. And, the Tigers are playing at home. But don’t count Ruffin’s troops out. 

HBCU Football Rundown: NCAA Div. II playoffs loom

What’s left now are the games to be played and the outcomes to be determined. Those outcomes will have some bearing on which teams will play on in the Div. II playoffs.

Entering Saturday’s championship games, undefeated Benedict (10-0) is ranked first in Super Region II of NCAA D2.Of the other ranked SIAC teams, Fort Valley State is seventh and Tuskegee is ninth. Neither Fayetteville State or Chowan is ranked in the top ten of the region. Only 9-1 Virginia Union out of the CIAA is in the top ten at fourth.

Both the CIAA and SIAC teams are in Super Region II along with teams from the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) and the Gulf South Conference (GSC). Delta State (No. 2), West Florida (No. 3) and West Georgia (No. 10) are in the Gulf South. Wingate (No. 5), Mars Hill (No. 6), and Limestone (No. 8) are in the SAC. Each will finish out their regular seasons this week.

Only seven teams from Super Region II and seven from each of the nation’s four Super Regions will make the 28-team Div. II championship playoff field.       

More than likely, Benedict and Virginia Union are safe to get into the playoff field.

HBCU Football Rundown: Games This Week

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12

CIAA 

Championship Game

Chowan vs. Fayetteville State in Salem, VA 1p

MEAC

Howard vs. SC State in Washington, DC 1p

Delaware State vs. Morgan State in Dover, DE 2p

Norfolk State vs. NC Central in Norfolk, VA  – ESPN3 2p 

SIAC 

Championship Game

Benedict vs. Tuskegee in Columbia, SC – ESPN+ 2p

Edward Waters vs. Allen in Jacksonville, FL – ESPN+ 2p

SWAC

Alabama State vs. Florida A&M in Montgomery, AL 2p

Alcorn State vs. Bethune-Cookman in Lorman, MS – HBCUGO 2p 

Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Prairie View A&M in Pine Bluff, AR 2p

Gulf Coast Challenge 

Alabama A&M vs. Jackson State in Mobile, AL – ESPN+ 4p

Southern vs. Miss. Valley State in Baton Rouge, LA – ESPN+ 4p

Texas Southern vs. Grambling State in Houston, TX – ESPN+ 6p

NON-HBCU CONFERENCES

Big South

NC A&T vs. Charleston Southern in Greensboro, NC  – ESPN+ 12n 

CAA

Hampton vs. Elon in Hampton, VA – FloSports 1p 

OVC

Tennessee State vs. UT-Martin in Nashville, TN – ESPN+ 4p

MIAA

Missouri Western vs. Lincoln (MO) in St. Joseph, MO 1p

MEC

Charleston  vs. West Virginia State in Charleston, WV 1p

Texas College (HC) vs. Louisiana College in Tyler, TX 2p

The Citadel vs. VA-Lynchburg in Charleston, SC 2p

SAGU vs. Langston in Waxahachie, TX 4p

The post HBCU Football Rundown: CIAA Championship game appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Chowan (7-1, 7-3) simply overwhelmed the struggling Vikings (2-6, 2-8) from the opening drive.  The Hawks only needed 1:07 to score when Rashad McKee threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to Malik Tobias.  That touchdown was one of five engineered by McKee (three passing, two rushing). ECSU’s only points were sparked by Chowan’s punt returner Justin Foreman fumbling the ball and ECSU’s Devan Joslin recovering the ball just outside of the redzone.  ECSU then capitalized on a pass interference call, followed by a 3-yard Jaree Pitt touchdown rush. Wide receiver Zion Riddick was able to successfully convert a two point play by completing a pass.

Overall, Chowan produced 474 yards of total offense, which was more than triple the 151 yards of offense mustered by ECSU.  McKee paired 172 yards passing with 89 rushing yards, including a 45 yard rushing touchdown.  Tobias hauled in four receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns.  Shavon Harkless rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown.  Defensively, Montre Moore, the CIAA’s leading tackler, had seven tackles to reach 100 total tackles for the year. Cameron Rampersaud, the Alabama State transfer, had seven tackles, two tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. Wynton Ruth led ECSU’s rushing attack with 54 yards.  Teonne Porter paced ECSU with eight tackles, while Raevon Freeman had six tackles and two tackles for loss. 

Chowan’s ascension to the North Division crown ends a string of four straight championship appearance by Bowie State. The appearance will be the Hawks’ first ever, and forces a rematch with Fayetteville State. Chowan fell to FSU 13-10 in week five.  The loss ends a tumultuous season for ECSU, who struggled on offense for much of the year and was unable to win a game away from home. 

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One team did not.

HBCU Football Rundown: SIAC Championship game set

Benedict beat Clark Atlanta 49-20 to remain undefeated (9-0, 6-0 SIAC E) and clinch the SIAC East Division title.

By virtue of winning the East title, the Tigers of second-year head coach Chennis Berry will host the Nov. 12 SIAC Championship Game on campus in Columbia, S. C.

Benedict’s opponent will be West Division champion Tuskegee (7-2, 6-0 W). The Golden Tigers under first-year head coach Reginald Ruffin defeated Kentucky State 28-7 to take the West crown. 

SIAC: Plenty to play for at season’s end

In the closeout week to the SIAC regular season, traditional in-state rivalries take center stage. The outcomes of several of these games carry NCAA Div. II playoff implications.

Benedict, up to No. 12 in the d2football.com poll and ninth in the AFCA Div. II Coaches Poll, closes with a date vs. Allen (1-6, 0-5 E). The game is set for the Yellow Jackets home field at Westwood High School in Blythewood, S. C.

Tuskegee, has its traditional season-ending date vs. Miles (1-8, 1-5 W) in the Golden Tigers’ homecoming.

Albany State (7-2, 5-1 E) has a key game vs. Fort Valley State (7-2, 4-2 E) in their annual Fountain City Classic in Columbus, Ga. (2 p.m.). Albany State is still alive and needs a win to stay alive for an NCAA Div. II playoff bid.

The Golden Rams enter this week ranked eighth in NCAA Div. II Super Region Two. Benedict is currently second in the region. Tuskegee is seventh. Seven teams from the region make the playoff field.

Next door neighbors Morehouse and Clark Atlanta close out their seasons Saturday at the Maroon Tigers’ B. T. Harvey Stadium (2 p.m.). Morehouse (0-9, 0-6 E) will be trying to avoid its first winless season since an 0-11 finish in 1999.

SIAC GAMES THIS WEEK

HBCU Football Rundown: The unfinished CIAA race

In the CIAA, Fayetteville State and head coach Richard Hayes Jr., clinched their fifth straight South Division crown with a 28-20 win over Shaw. They have to wait another week to find out their opponent in the Nov. 12 CIAA title game in Salem, Va.

That’s because previously undefeated and nationally-ranked North Division leader Virginia Union lost its bid to win the N. Div. on its home field Saturday to Chowan, 26-21. That outcome means the N. Div. title will be decided this week.

The North Division title will be determined on the final Saturday of the regular season in one of three ways. 

Chowan (6-3, 6-1 N), under second-year head coach Mark Hall, is hosting Elizabeth City State (2-7, 2-5 N) at 1 p.m. in Murfreesboro, N. C. A Chowan win gives it the berth opposite Fayetteville State in next Saturday’s (Nov. 12) championship game in Salem, Va. 

Virginia Union (8-1, 6-1 N) travels to Ettrick, Va. Saturday to face rival Virginia State (6-3, 5-2 N) at 12 noon. A Chowan loss and VUU win gives the division title and championship berth to VUU. 

If both Chowan and VUU lose, Chowan takes the division title and championship game berth by virtue of its head-to-head win over VUU.

CIAA: D2 playoff implications

The results of games Saturday and over the next two weeks will have a bearing on which teams from the NCAA Div. II Super Region Two make the seven-team playoff field.

Fayetteville State closes out its regular season with a date at Winston-Salem State ((3-5, 3-3 W) Saturday (4 p.m.). Heading into action this week, Virginia Union is fifth in the region and Fayetteville State is tenth.

CIAA Games This Week

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With two weeks left in the football regular season of the two NCAA Div. II HBCU conferences — the SIAC and CIAA —  contenders have been separated from pretenders. 

Leaders in both leagues’ divisional races can clinch division titles and championship game berths with wins this week. But it won’t be easy. Each will face a stiff challenge.

Here’s the HBCU Football rundown.

HBCU Football Rundown: SIAC East

Undefeated and nationally-ranked Benedict (8-0, 5-0 SIAC E) can clinch the SIAC East Division title and a berth in the Nov. 12 SIAC championship game with a win Saturday. The Tigers of second-year head coach Chennis Berry play at home at 2 p.m. in Columbia, S. C. vs. Clark Atlanta (3-5, 2-4 E). 

The winner of the East Division title will host this season’s Nov. 12 SIAC Championship Game.

Berry has led the surprising Tigers to a No. 15 ranking in both the NCAA Div. II d2football.com and AFCA Coaches polls.

Bendict- Clark Atlanta match up

Taking out Clark Atlanta and veteran head coach Willie Slater in his first year leading the Panthers will not be easy. In 15 years before taking over the Panthers’ program, Slater led Tuskegee to seven SIAC titles and five West Division crowns. He will have CAU ready to play spoiler.

Benedict is led by left-handed quarterback Eric Phoenix, who has passed for 1,054 yards and nine touchdowns with just one interception. Phoenix leads the league with a 63.3 completion percentage (93 of 147). His complement at running back is freshman Zaire Scotland who has rushed for 538 yards and six TDs. The Benedict offense is second in scoring in the SIAC at 29.1 points per game.

Clark Atlanta is coming off a 41-21 loss last week to Fort Valley State. In its last win, 21-12 on Oct. 15 over Savannah State, CAU broke a five-game losing streak to the Tigers. QB Shariff Brown threw for 123 yards and one score and Daquan Kincey ran for 172 yards and one touchdown.

Fort Valley State (7-1) and Albany State (6-2) both have 4-1 records in the conference and only stay alive if they win and Benedict loses. ASU is hosting winless Morehouse (2 p.m.) while FVSU is at Savannah State (3-5, 2-4 E) (6 p.m.).

Benedict, who has wins over FVSU and Albany State, can lose to Clark Atlanta and take the division title with a win next week at home over Allen.

HBCU Football undown: Showdown in the SIAC West

In the SIAC West, Tuskegee (6-2) is atop the division with an unblemished 5-0 league mark. After a shaky 0-2 start, Tuskegee is on a six-game winning streak.

The Golden Tigers have a 1 p.m. showdown at second-place Kentucky State (4-4, 4-1 W), the only other team still alive for the division title. A Tuskegee win clinches the division title.

The Golden Tigers are in their first year under head coach Reginald Ruffin. The former Miles head coach led the Golden Bears to four SIAC titles and five championship game appearances in nine years.

KSU, obscure after an 0-4 start, has run off four straight wins under new interim head coach Paul Hamilton. A win by the Thorobreds puts them in the driver’s seat for the division title.

KSU closes next week (Nov. 5) on the road at Central State. Tuskegee closes the regular season next week at home vs. Miles.

The Tuskegee vs. Kentucky State match up

Kentucky State is averaging an SIAC-best 216.4 rushing yards per game. They are last in SIAC passing at 66.1 yards per game.

The ground attack is led by rugged 6-2, 245-pound senior running back Christian Coneway who has rushed for 513 yards (64.1 yards per game), averaging 5.5 yards per carry with seven rushing touchdowns.

In last week’s 35-7 win over Miles, KSU rushed the ball 53 times for 327 yards. KSU junior quarterback Jaylen Myers threw just one pass, completing it for 18 yards. The Breds have rushed for over 200 yards in each of their four straight wins. Tuskegee is giving up 185.0 rushing yards per game.

Expect KSU to pound the Golden Tigers on the ground.

During its five-game win streak, junior quarterback Bryson Williams and senior running back Taurean Taylor have been stellar for Tuskegee.

Taylor (684 yards, 92 carries, 7.4 yards per carry, 97.7 ypg. 6 TDs) is second in SIAC rushing to FVSU’s Emanuel Wilson. He has had two 200-yard rushing efforts during the win streak — 234 rushing yards and four TDs in a 49-34 win over Central State and 218 yards yards and a TD vs. Clark Atlanta.

In the five-game streak, Williams has thrown for 790 yards and seven TDs with just two interceptions.

HBCU Football Rundown: CIAA North

Virginia Union (8-0, 6-0 N), under head coach Dr. Alvin Parker, is undefeated and ranked 11th nationally in the d2football.com poll and tenth in the AFCA Div. II Coaches poll. The Panthers are also on top of the CIAA North Division race as they host Chowan (5-3, 5-1 N) Saturday in a showdown at VUU’s Hovey Field (1 p.m.).

Chowan is the only other team with a shot at the division title. A VUU win clinches the North Division title and a spot in the Nov. 12 CIAA Championship Game in Salem, Virginia. Chowan is in the driver’s seat for the division title with a win. CU closes next week hosting Elizabeth City State while VUU closes at Virginia State.

The Virginia Union vs. Chowan match up

Chowan, under second-year head coach Mark Hall, has come from literally nowhere to challenge VUU.

After a series of close wins and losses in a 3-3 start, the team has pulled off close, down-to-the-wire wins over Lincoln, Pa. (16-14 on Oc. 8), Virginia State (45-43 on Oct. 15) and three-time defending CIAA North and conference champion Bowie State (21-15 last week, Oct. 22). It isn’t an HBCU football program, but it could play for the championship of the oldest HBCU football conference if it keeps winning.

Junior quarterback Rashad McKee has sparked Chowan in its last three wins. He came off the bench to lead his team to a late field goal that was the difference in the win over Lincoln. Rashad ran for 139 yards and a touchdown and led the team to a game-winning touchdown vs. VSU. He then passed for 270 yards and all three Chowan scores of 73, 11 and 61 yards in its upset of Bowie State last week.

The Byers effect

VUU has been led all season by CIAA, Div. II and HBCU football rushing leader, sophomore Jada Byers. If you throw out his 98-yard effort in a 77-0 blowout of Virginia-Lynchburg to open the season, the 5-9, 180-pound dynamo’s average would be 208.4 yards per game.

As it is, he has topped 100 yards in every game since with one 300-yard game (319 in an early season win over No. 3 Valdosta tate), two with over 200 yards (205 vs. Elizabeth City State and 277 vs. Bowie State) and 199- and 187-yard efforts (vs. Livingstone and Lincoln Pa.). His lowest output since has been 114 yards in 12 carries in a blowout win vs. Saint Augustine’s.

In total, he has amassed 1,604 rushing yards on 215 carries. He is averaging 7.3 yards per carry and 195.0 rushing yards per game. He is tied for the lead nationally with 18 rushing touchdowns.

HBCU Football Rundown: CIAA South

In the CIAA South, Fayetteville State (6-2, 5-1 S) can clinch its fifth straight division title and Nov. 12 Championship Game berth with a win at home over Shaw (3-5, 3-3 S). 

Shaw and Winston-Salem State (2-6, 2-3 W) are still alive for the division title but would both have to beat FSU — Shaw this week and WSSU next week — to have a chance. WSSU hosts J. C. Smith Saturday (1 p.m.). WSSU closes at home on Nov. 5 vs. FSU while Shaw plays at Saint Augustine’s.

The FSU vs. Shaw match up

Going into the 2022 season, most thought Shaw would be the greatest challenge to Fayetteville State’s South Division supremacy. Turns out, that’s certainly one of the scenarios in play.

The Bears, in their fifth-season under head coach Adrian Jones, have see-sawed back and forth all season. They lost their first two games, won two straight and then lost three in a row. Last week they beat Livingtone 28-14 to stay in contention in the South. Their biggest win was handing Bowie State its first loss in 18 CIAA games, 17-14 on Sept. 17.

Junior running back Andre Brandon Jr. (5-10, 182) ran 49 times for 306 yards in last week’s win over Livingstone. He more than doubled the total output in his previous five games and is now third in CIAA rushing stats with 479 yards (87.7 yards per game.). Expect Coach Jones to feature Brandon vs. FSU.

The Broncos and sixth-year head coach Richard Hayes Jr. are closing the season with redshirt freshman Caden Davis and true freshman Demari Daniels taking most of the snaps at quarterback. Senior starting QB Khari Lane got in for a handful of snaps vs. J. C. Smith (a 21-13 FSU win last week) and played sparingly the previous week in a win over Livingstone. He sat out the Oct. 8 win over St. Augustine’s. His last start was Sept. 29 in a 13-10 win over Chowan.

SIAC and CIAA games for this week

SIAC

Thursday, October 27

Edward Waters 22, Miles 16

Saturday, October 29

Kentucky State vs  Tuskegee in Frankfort, KY – ESPN+ 1p 

Lane vs. Central State in Jackson, TN 2p 

Benedict vs. Clark Atlanta in Columbia, SC 2p

Albany State vs. Morehouse in Albany, GA – ESPN+ 2p

Savannah State vs. Fort Valley State in Macon, GA 6p

CIAA

Saturday, October 29

Elizabeth City State vs. Bowie State in Eliz. City, NC 1p

Lincoln (PA) vs. Virginia State in Lincoln University, PA 1p

Saint Augustine’s vs. Livingstone in Raleigh, NC 1p

Virginia Union vs. Chowan in Richmond, VA – HBCUGO 1p

Winston-Salem State vs. J. C. Smith in W-S, NC – AspireTV 1p

Fayetteville State vs. Shaw in Fayetteville, NC 4p

The post HBCU Football rundown: SIAC, CIAA leaders poised to clinch appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

SCORES

Allen 50, Bluefield State 14

Arizona Christian 81, Texas College 19 

Benedict 35, Morehouse 0

Bethune-Cookman 45, Mississippi Valley State 35

Chowan 21, Bowie State 15 

Delaware 38, Morgan State 7

Edward Waters 45, Central State 13 

Fayetteville State 21, JC Smith 13

Fort Valley State 41, Clark Atlanta 21

Howard 35, Delaware State 17

Jackson State 22, Campbell 14

Kentucky State 35, Miles 7

Langston 44, Ottawa 38, OT

Nebraska Kearney 66, Lincoln (MO) 17 

More HBCU Football Scores

NC A&T 38, Robert Morris 14

Prairie View A&M 54, Lamar 21 

Richmond 41, Hampton 10 

Shaw 28, Livingstone 14 

South Carolina State 26, NC Central  24 

Southern 51, Virginia-Lynchburg 7

Tennessee State 37, Eastern Illinois 17 

Texas Southern 34, Alcorn State 27 

Tuskegee 35, Lane 31

Virginia State 34, Elizabeth City State  12

Virginia Union 45, Lincoln (Pa.) 20

Webber International 31, Florida Memorial  14

West Virginia State 56, Concord 38 

Winston-Salem State 40, Saint Augustine’s 14

The HBCU Football Unbeaten

• JACKSON STATE GETS BY CAMPBELL TO REMAIN UNDEFEATED!

In a much-anticipated match-up, Jackson State (7-0, 4-0SWAC E) survived a close non-conference homecoming date with Big South member Campbell, 22-14 before 51,596 at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. 

JSU QB Shedeur Sanders (23 of 31) threw for 231 yards and a touchdown but was picked off twice, once in the red zone. 

JSU RB Sy’Veon Wilkerson ran for 116 yards on 24 carries but also fumbled inside the Campbell 10-yard line that kept JSU from pulling away.  

• VIRGINIA UNION MOVES TO 8-0, DOWNS LINCOLN (PA)!

NCAA Div. II rushing leader Jada Byers carried 40 times for 187 yards and four TDs as Virginia Union moved to 8-0 overall, 6-0 in the CIAA North with a 45-20 win over Lincoln (Pa.).

The Panthers moved a step closer to the CIAA North division title and a spot in the Nov. 12 league championship game with the win. VUU has a big showdown with Chowan (5-3, 5-1 CIAA N) next week (Oct. 29) in Richmond for the division title and spot opposite the S. Div. champ in the title game.

• BENEDICT STAYS UNDEFEATED, SPOILS MOREHOUSE HOMECOMING!

Benedict (8-0 5-0 SIAC E) stayed undefeated and spoiled homecoming for a third straight opponent in shutting out Morehouse 35-0 before a Maroon Tigers’ homecoming crowd of 9,200. 

The Tigers scored its five touchdowns on four short runs and a 90-yard kickoff return TD by Tayven Grice. The Benedict defense held Morehouse to 140 total yards (59 passing, 81 rushing) 

Big Conference Wins

• SC STATE GETS BY NC CENTRAL IN MEAC SHOWDOWN!

SC State QB Corey Fields Jr. completed 21 of 31 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns, two to wide receiver Shaq Davis (6 receptions, 116 yards), the final one a 21-yarder early in the fourth quarter that allowed the Bulldogs (3-4, 1-0 MEAC) to get by NC Central 26-24.

The back-and-forth affair saw NCCU get the ball three more times in the fourth quarter but was unable to put points on the board. SCSU stopped the drives with a sack, an interception and a turnover on downs. 

The Bulldogs offset NCCU QB Davius Richard (11-24-1, 177 yds.) who threw for two TDs and RB Latrell Collier who ran for 140 yards on 16 carries with a 60-yard TD run.

• HOWARD CELEBRATES HOMECOMING, DOWNS DEL STATE!

Howard QB Quinton Williams (11-16-0, 110 yards) threw for two touchdowns and ran for another score as the Bison (2-5, 1-0 MEAC) got by Delaware State 35-17 for homecoming.

Bison RB Jarrett Hunter ran for 100 yards (10 carries) including a 74-yard TD run and fellow RB Kasey Hawthorne ran for a 75-yard TD.  

• CHOWAN WINS AT BOWIE STATE, SETS UP SHOWDOWN WITH VUU!

Chowan (5-3, 5-1) defeated three-time N. Div. and CIAA champ Bowie State for the first time on the road since 2013 in a 21-15 victory Saturday. 

CU QB Rashad McKee (17-33-0), in his first start, passed for 270 yards and three touchdowns and RB Nijere Peoples led the rushing attack with nine carries for 97 yards in the win. Wide receiver Laurence King hauled in six receptions for 114 yards including a 73-yard touchdown that opened the scoring.  

BSU QB Larry Williams’s second rushing TD put the Bulldogs up 15-13 with 6:19 left. McKeee hit WR Malik Tobias on the first play after the score for a 61-yard scoring pass that proved to be the game winner. BSU got the ball back twice and drove to the CU 18 on its final possession before turning the ball over on downs. 

The win sets up a showdown with Virginia Union next week in Richmond for the CIAA North Division title. HBCU football purists be on alert.

• FAYETTEVILLE STATE DOWNS JC SMITH, TIES FOR CIAA S. DIV. TITLE!

Fayetteville State (6-2, 5-1 CIAA S) held on for a 21-13 win at the Golden Bulls’ homecoming in Charlotte, NC. 

The Broncos scored early on a 73-yard blocked field goal attempt, got a 46-yard TD pass from QB Caden Davis (9-15-0, 93 yards) to Elijah Henry and a 2-yard Davis TD run to lead 21-6 at the half.

The win clinches the at least a tie for the Broncos’ fifth straight S. Div. championship. They can clinch the outright title with a win Saturday (Oct. 29) at home vs. Shaw or on the road at Winston-Salem State on Nov. 5.

More Big Conference Wins

• TUSKEGEE GETS BIG SIAC WEST WIN OVER LANE!

Tuskegee moved to 5-0 atop the SIAC West, 6-2 overall, with a tough 35-31 win over Lane Saturday.

TU quarterback Bryson Williams threw (12-17-1) for 218 yards and three TDs and ran for two other scores, including the game-winner, accounting for all five Golden Tiger touchdowns in the win. Six-two, 190-pound freshman wide receiver Antonio Meeks (6 rec., 141 yds.) hauled in two of the TD receptions covering 58 and 30 yards.  

After Lane QB Michael Huntley (11-29-1, 202 passing yards, 15 carries, 86 yards, 2 TDs) scored on a 4-yard run to give Lane (4-4, 3-2 W) a 31-28 lead with five minutes left, TU’s Taurean Taylor returned the ensuing kickoff 64 yards to the Lane 23. Williams went over from the 1-yard line five plays later to give Tuskegee the final lead.

In its final possession, Lane drove nine plays to reach the TU 46 before turning the ball over on downs. 

• NC A&T BEATS ROBERT MORRIS, MOVES TO 2-0 IN BIG SOUTH!

Redshirt senior quarterback Jalen Fowler (19-30-0) threw for 297 yards and a career-high four TDs as North Carolina A&T went on the road and subdued Robert Morris 38-14 in a Big South contest.

NC A&T (4-3, 2-0 Big South) got 139 rushing yards and a 52-yard TD reception from  sophomore RB Bhayshul Tuten (3 receptions, 71 yards). It was Tuten’s sixth straight 100-yard rushing game. Senior wide receiver Zach Leslie (7 receptions, 118 yards)had TD receptions of 1 and 32 yards.

The Aggies have a big homecoming date this Saturday against Campbell (4-3, 2-0). Campbell, NC A&T and Gardner-Webb (3-5) are all 2-0 in the Big South.

•  TENNESSEE STATE MOVES TO 2-0 IN OVC WITH WIN OVER EASTERN ILLINOIS!

Junior quarterback Draylen Ellis completed 27 of 36 passes for 309 yards and three TDs without an interception as Tennessee State (3-4) won its third straight game to move to 2-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference with a 37-17 win over Eastern Illinois.

Ellis connected with three different players for the scores, two in the last three minutes of the first half as TSU built a 27-0 lead at the break. Kaleb Mosley added 46- and 42-yard first half field goals. Mosley added another 42-yarder in the fourth period after EIU scored two touchdowns. 

TSU is tied with Southeast Missouri at 2-0 in the OVC behind UT-Martin (3-0). 

HBCU Football Rundown: TOP PERFORMANCES

PASSING

HBCU football had a solid passing day on Saturday. West Virginia State QB Donovan Riddick, Langston QB Larry Harrington and NC A&T QB Jalen Fowler led the way with five passing TDs (Riddick) and four TDs (Harrington and Fowler) respectively in wins Saturday.

Riddick and Alcorn State’s Aaron Allen had the most prolific day. Riddick was the only passer to top 400 yards. Allen threw for 396 in a loss to Texas Southern.

HBCU RUNDOWN: TOP PERFORMANCES

RUSHING

Shaw sophomore Andre Brandon Jr. set records of 49 carries and 313 yards in a win over Livingstone Saturday.

Virginia Union sophomore Jada Byers continued his torrid pace as he ran 40 times for 187 and four TDs in a win at Lincoln (Pa.). Byers now has 1,560 yards, 195.0 yards per game, thru eight games with two games left in the regular season. He leads all of NCAA Div. II football in both rushing yards and rushing yards per game and is tied for first in rushing touchdowns with 18.

Byers had four rushing TDs while Prairie View A&M QB Trazon Connely and Fort Valley State junior RB Emanuel Wilson had three.

HBCU RUNDOWN: TOP PERFORMANCES

RECEIVING

Barry Hill, West Virginia State’s 5-10, 160-pound junior wide receiver, caught three of QB Donovan Riddick’s five TD passes in the Yellow Jackets big 56-38 win over Concord. Hill also had the most productive day as he had eight receptions for 185 yards.

Tuskegee freshman Antonio Meeks caught six passes for 141 yards and joined three others (R. J. Mosely of WSSU, Zach Leslie of NC A&T and Shaq Davis of SC State with two scoring catches.

HBCU RUNDOWN: TOP PERFORMANCES

Defense

Lincoln (Pa.) defensive back Kai Gray had a lot of opportunities for tackles as Virginia Union Jada Byers ran 40 times Saturday. Gray piled up 17 tackles in the 45-20 loss.

Southern defensive lineman Tahj Brown registered three sacks in the Jaguars’ 51-7 thrashing of Virginia-Lynchburg at homecoming in Baton Rouge, La.

Livingstone defensive back Kevin Larkin Jr. had three interceptions vs. Shaw but it was not enough to pull off a win.

Attendance Matters

STANDINGS AND WEEKLY HONORS

Non-HBCU Conferences

The post HBCU Football Rundown: Week Eight appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

The Hawks opened up the scoring in the first quarter with a three play 80 yard drive. Rashad McKee hooked up with Laurence King for a 73 yard touchdown.

Bowie State got a big break midway through the second quarter after a fumbled punt return from Chowan. Demetrius Moore fumbled the ball at the four yard line and it was recovered by Bowie’s Tyron Ferguson. Larry Williams scored on a one yard run. The extra point attempt was blocked. Chowan took a 7-6 lead into the half.

The Bulldogs would take a 9-7 lead at the 5:03 mark of the third quarter on a 45 yard field from Justin Zavala.

Teams exchange leads

The lead wouldn’t last long as Chowan answered on the ensuing possession. The Hawks put together a six play 62 yard touchdown drive that ended with Rashad McKee finding EJ Gatling for an 11 yard score. Chowan retook the lead 14-9.

Midway through the fourth quarter Bowie State responded with a one yard Larry Williams go ahead touchdown. The seven play 83 yard drive put BSU back on top 15-14.

With six minutes remaining Rashad McKee and Malik Tobias teamed up to break the backs of Bowie State. The pair connected for a 61 yard pass play that proved to be the difference. Chowan held on for the 21-15 win.

King led Chowan in receiving with 114 yards and a touchdown. Tobias had 94 yards to go with his score.

Corey Johnson had 68 yards receiving for Bowie State. Dion Golatt Jr. was 20-40 passing for 226 yards.

McKee had 273 yards passing for Chowan with three touchdowns, completing 17 of his 33 attempts.

Bowie State is now eliminated from the CIAA Championship race. Two consecutive losses at home puts the Bulldogs out of contention with just two games remaining in the season.

Chowan has a showdown next week against unbeaten Virginia Union that will put first place in the Northern Division on the line. That game is in Richmond at Virginia Union.

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The conference is heading toward its Nov. 12 championship game in Salem, Va. that will pit champions from each of its two divisions.

HBCU Football Rundown – CIAA North

Virginia Union’s 27-24 overtime win at three-time North Division and CIAA champion Bowie State Saturday has propelled the undefeated Panthers (7-0, 5-0 CIAA) to the forefront of the CIAA race. Beating BSU for the first time since 2016 was a big hurdle in terms of claiming division and conference titles. But it’s not the last one.

The Panthers hit the road Saturday (12 noon) to play at Lincoln (Pa.). The Lions (2-4, 1-3 N), under fourth-year head coach Josh Dean, are much improved over a year ago. VUU will return home next week (Oct. 29) to play Chowan (4-3), who currently sits behind the Panthers in the North at 4-1. VUU plays at Virginia State (4-3, 3-2 N) in their traditional season-ender on Nov. 5.

With VUU wins over VSU and BSU in the bag, a win this week at Lincoln will eliminate everyone except Chowan from N. Div. title contention. Chowan has a key date at Bowie State (1 p.m.) this week.

New-look Lincoln (Pa.) in 2022

Lincoln is third in the CIAA in scoring defense (18.2 ppg.) behind FSU (12.0) and VUU (14.2). It is also third in rushing defense surrendering just 110.7 yards per game and third in passing defense (135.3 ypg.)

The Lions are led on offense by freshman QB Isaiah Freeman who has passed for 1,100 yards (186.7 ypg.) with 10 touchdowns and no interceptions. Sophomore running back Amir Gerald is third in CIAA rushing stats (89.5 ypg., 7.3 yards per carry.).

Bottom line, this is not the same Lincoln team that was shutout by VUU (32-0) last season.

Lincoln lost to four-time South Division champion Fayetteville State 19-7 on Sept. 17. In that game, the Lions gave up four FSU field goals and a lone touchdown after a fluke punt return fumble. Lincoln out-rushed (221 to 143 yards) and out-gained (330 to 256 yards) the Broncos. VUU narrowly escaped with a 31-28 win over FSU a week later (on Sept. 24).

The Lions fell to FSU 46-9 in 2021.

Lincoln’s other conference losses this season were two-point decisions to Chowan (16-14) and to Elizabeth City State (21-19). Their lone conference win was 29-28 over Johnson C. Smith.

VUU locked and loaded

Head coach Dr. Alvin Parker’s Panthers signaled early that they are also not the same team from a year ago. After a 77-0 shellacking of Virginia-Lynchburg to open the season, they went to 2021 Div. II national runners-up Valdosta State and handed the Blazers a shocking 45-40 beating. Just a year ago, Valdosta State came to Richmond and administered a 51-7 whipping on the Panthers.

VUU is now up to 10th (from 11th) in this week’s AFCA NCAA Div. II Coaches Poll. The Panthers are 12th nationally (up from 15th) in the D2football.com poll.

They feature the leading rusher in CIAA and NCAA Div. II football in 5-7, 180-pound sophomore Jada Byers. He leads the nation in rushing yards (1,313), rushing yards per game (196.1) and is tied for first in rushing touchdowns (14). He is the workhorse of an offense that tops all of Div. II in scoring at 48.6 points per game. Grad senior QB Jahkari Grant runs the offense which also features freshman RB Curtis Allen (8 rushing TDs) and junior wide receiver John Jiles (22 rec., 329 yds., 5 TDs).

Redshirt freshman linebacker Shamar Graham leads VUU in tackles (46, 32 solos) while junior DE Armonii Burden, who leads the CIAA with seven sacks and redshirt sophomore Isaac Anderson (4.0 sacks) lead the pass rush.

Getting by VUU will be a tall task for Lincoln.

HBCU Football Rundown – CIAA South

In the South, four-time champion Fayetteville State (5-2, 4-1 South) has a two-game lead with three games left. The Broncos, under head coach Richard Hayes Jr., have all but wrapped up their fifth-straight division title and championship game berth.

FSU plays Saturday in Charlotte, N. C. at homecoming for Johnson C. Smith (2-4, 2-3 S). A win vs. JCSU or in games at home vs. Shaw (on Oct. 29) or on the road at Winston-Salem State (Nov. 5) officially wraps up the division title for FSU.

This week’s CIAA schedule

EAST

Lincoln (PA) vs. Virginia Union in Lincoln University, PA. 12n

Elizabeth City State  vs. Virginia State in Elizabeth City, NC. 1p

Bowie State vs. Chowan in Bowie, MD – HBCUGO                            1p

WEST

Saint Augustine’s vs. Winston-Salem State in Raleigh, NC                1p

JC Smith (HC)  vs. Fayetteville State in Charlotte, NC — AspireTV     1p

Shaw (HC)  vs. Livingstone in Durham, NC                                        1p

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Two 300-yard passers – Isaiah Saddler of Texas College and Dion Golatt of Bowie State — had the top HBCU performances though in losses for their teams this week.

Saddler threw for 367 yards and four TDs but also had four interceptions in his team’s 55-24 loss to Langston. Golatt had two 14-yard TD passes, the only scores the CIAA champs scored in a 40-12 loss at Saginaw Valley State.

Grambling State’s Quaterius Hawkins and Jackson State’s Shedeur Sanders had big days topping 275 passing yards and throwing multiple touchdowns while leading their teams to victories.

Hawkins had 293 passing yards and three TDs without an interception in leading the G-Men and new head coach Hue Jackson to their first victory, 47-21 over Northwestern State. Sanders was an efficient 30 of 44 without a pick as JSU survived a battle with Tennessee State, 16-3.

The 90-yard TD pass from Norfolk State QB Otto Kuhns to DaQuan Felton was the Spartans’ only score in a 63-7 loss to James Madison and the longest scoring reception this week.

Virginia Union sophomore Jada Byers and Virginia State senior Darius Hagans were the two 200-yard rushers this week. Both were instrumental in their teams’ victories.

Byers’ 29 carries for 283 rushing yards and three TDs led all rushers this week and was key in VUU’s 45-40 upset win at AFCA Div. No. 3 Valdosta State. Byers had 22-, 50- and 52-yard TD runs in the second half. Byers, who also had a first-half TD reception, is second in NCAA Div. II average 190.5 yards per game through two games.

Hagans’ 86-yard TD run contributed to his whopping average of 11.9 yards per carry in the Trojans’ 28-7 win over Bluefield State. It was the first win of the Dr. Henry Frazier III era at VSU.

T. J. Hookfin of Texas College had two of the four TD receptions from QB Isaiah Saddler. He averaged 46.7 yards on his four receptions and 57.5 yards on his two TD catches

Lincoln Mo.’s Aderius Ealy had all three TDs for the Blue Tigers in their 58-20 loss to Northwest Missouri State.

Top HBCU performances: Defense

Chowan linebacker Montre Moore, Jackson State linebacker Nyles Gaddy, Prairie View A&M LB Gerald Smith and SC State LB B. J. Davis had the top HBCU performances on defense.

Moore led the Indians with 16 tackles in a 23-21 loss to Tusculum.

Gaddy posted four of JSU’s eight sacks vs. Tennessee State in a 16-3 win for the Tigers.

Smith and Davis both had two picks in their games. Smith and the Panthers fell to Abilene Christian, 21-13. Davis had his two picks as SCSU beat Bethune-Cookman, 33-9. He returned the second theft 59 yards for the Bulldogs’ final touchdown.

Scores

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10

Abilene Christian 21, Prairie View A&M 13

Allen 27, J. C. Smith 20 – called at halftime/lightning 

Arkansas-Pine Bluff 76, North American 3

Austin Peay 41, Miss Valley State 0 

Benedict 14, Lane 0 

Delaware 35, Delaware State 3

Erskine 23, Clark Atlanta 19

Florida A&M 23, Albany State 13

Frostburg State 18, West Virginia State 7

Grambling State 47, Northwestern State 21

Hampton 42, Tuskegee 10

Jackson State 16, Tennessee State 3

James Madison 63, Norfolk State 7

Langston 55, Texas College 24

Limestone 73, Saint Augustine’s 14

Lincoln (PA) 26, Central State 21

Livingstone 19, Elizabeth City State 0

LSU 65, Southern 17

More Scores

NC Central 41, Winston-Salem State 0

North Dakota State 43, NC A&T 3

North Texas 59, Texas Southern 27

NW Missouri State 58, Lincoln (MO) 20

Presbyterian 21, VA-Lynchburg 13 

SC State 33, Bethune-Cookman 9

Southeastern 27, Florida Memorial 13

South Florida 42, Howard 20

Saginaw Valley State 40, Bowie State 12

Savannah State 31, Edward Waters 28 

Towson 29, Morgan State 21 

Troy 38, Alabama A&M 17

Tusculum 23, Chowan 21

Tulane 52, Alcorn State 0

UCLA 45, Alabama State 7

Virginia State 28, Bluefield State 7

Virginia Union 45, Valdosta  State 40
Wayne State 30, Shaw 22

West Alabama 31, Miles 0

West Georgia 42, Morehouse 0

Wingate 21, Fayetteville State 3 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11

Fort Valley State 9, Kentucky State 7

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Teams from the CIAA’s North Division have won the last four CIAA football titles — the last three by Bowie State (2018, 2019 and 2021) with Virginia State taking the crown in 2017. One reason could be that the North Division teams play tougher non-conference schedules than their South Division counterparts.

Looking at the schedules of CIAA teams in 2022, the same could apply.

Top of the heap

Bowie State (12-2, 7-0 CIAA) is the current conference kingpin as it enters its first season in 13 years without head coach Damon Wilson, who moved over to lead Morgan State of the MEAC. The Bulldogs are ranked seventh nationally in the Lindy’s Magazine Div. II preseason rankings and 10th in the Versus D2 college rankings that came out a week ago.

Former BSU player and assistant under Wilson, Kyle Jackson, takes the reins of the Bulldogs on an interim basis for the 2022 season. He inherits another tough non-conference schedule that will likely prepare the CIAA-favorite Bulldogs when conference play begins.

Last year, after a close 32-24 loss on the road to MEAC member Delaware State to open the season, BSU got a hard-fought home win over Saginaw Valley State (28-19) and a road win at New Haven (27-13) before starting its CIAA schedule.

Jackson and Bowie State open at home this season on Sept. 3 vs. New Haven, ranked 18th in the 2022 Lindy’s preseason NCAA Div. II national rankings. New Haven’s loss last year to BSU came in a 10-2 season. The Chargers went on to win the 2021 Northeast-10 conference championship and then won a first round Div. II playoff game over conference rival Bentley. They lost in the second round to Kutztown, 10-7.

New Haven is the preseason pick to repeat as NE-10 champion.

A special date at SVSU

The Bulldogs then play at Saginaw Valley State on Sept. 10 before beginning CIAA play vs. Shaw on Sept. 17.

This year’s Bowie State game at SVSU will include a unique collaboration of common ground that will highlight the history and experience of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). BSU will combine with SVSU to offer several educational and cultural events in the days leading up to the Saturday football game, including appearances at SVSU by Bowie State’s renowned Symphony of Soul marching band, and joint programs hosted by faculty of both institutions.

“While our athletic teams and those of other HBCUs often compete against non-HBCUs in various sports, the experience is often limited to the athletic contest,” said Clyde Doughty, director of intercollegiate athletics at Bowie State. “This partnership between Bowie State and SVSU provides extraordinary learning opportunities for representatives of both schools and their communities. I am not aware of any similar ventures that have ever been undertaken.”

SVSU finished 7-4 a year ago. After its loss at Bowie State, SVSU battled eventual Div. II national champion and fellow Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference member Ferris State in a 47-45 loss. Ferris State went on to win the GLIAC title and beat Valdosta State in last year’s D2 championship game, 58-17.

SGSU was picked fourth in the GLIAC this year after a 4-3 finish last year.

There will likely be an indication how Jackson and the Bulldogs will fare without Wilson and departed quarterback Ja’rome Johnson and star running back Calil Wilkins, after these early games.

Bowie State in preseason rankings

Bowie State is picked seventh in the Lindy’s Magazine 2022 NCAA Div. II preseason poll. Riding a stingy defense a year ago, the Bulldogs got a 17-7 win over Fayetteville State to win its third consecutive CIAA crown. They then posted a 31-10 win over Lenoir-Rhyne in the first round of the D2 playoffs and a 13-10 win over Newberry in the second round to reach the national quarterfinals.

BSU lost to eventual national runners-up Valdosta State, 41-17 in the D2 quarterfinals. In its toughest CIAA contest in 2021, BSU staved off four TD passes from QB Chauncey Caldwell and over 200 rushing yards from Darius Hagins to pull out a 51-44 win over Virginia State.

BSU will play at Virginia State on Sat., Oct. 8.

CIAA football: N. Div. contenders

Virginia Union (6-4, 5-2), who finished behind BSU in the N. Div. last year, also has a tough non-conference opponent early. The Panthers, in their fourth season under Dr. Alvin Parker, travel to 2021 Div. II runners-up Valdosta State on Sept. 10 after opening at home on Sept. 3 vs. Virginia-Lynchburg. Valdosta State, who walloped VUU 51-7 a year ago, is ranked first or second in most preseason Div. II polls.

Virginia State (3-6, 3-4), with new head coach Dr. Henry Frazier III at the helm, opens on the road on Sept. 3 at Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bears finished 8-3 overall last year, 6-2 in the South Atlantic Conference behind champion Newberry. Both made the Div. II playoffs where they lost to Bowie State. It was the third straight Div. II playoff appearance for LRU. The Bears are picked second in the SAC and come in ranked 16^th in the Lindy’s preseason poll.

Chowan (7-3, 4-3), who finished between VUU and VSU in the North a year ago, begins the season with home games vs. middle-of-the-road SAC teams Barton on Sept. 1 and Tusculum on Sept. 10. Mark Hall is in his second year leading Chowan.

CIAA football: South Division schedules

Four-time South Division champion and 2022 division favorite Fayetteville State (8-2, 7-0) is led by seventh-year head coach Richard Hayes. The Broncos open at home vs. UNC-Pembroke of the Mountain East Conference. The game is dubbed the Two Rivers Classic and is set for Sept. 3. They last met in 2016 with UNC-P defeating FSU 50-28. UNC-P was 6-5 last year, 6-4 in the MEC.

FSU follows that with a Sept. 10 date at home vs. Wingate, who finished 8-3 a year ago including a 40-21 win over FSU at Wingate. Wingate also beat Shaw 20-7. Wingate lost to Newberry and Lenoir-Rhyne in last year’s SAC race. The Bulldogs are picked third in the preseason behind Newberry and Lenoir-Rhyne.

Shaw (6-4, 5-2), the second choice in the S. Div., opens at Wingate on Sept. 3 before travelling to Wayne State on Sept. 10. The Wayne State Warriors are picked sixth in preseason GLIAC projections. Shaw is led by Adrian Jones, also in his seventh season.

Winston-Salem State (3-6, 3-4) also has an interesting start to its first season under Robert Massey now that his interim tag has been removed. The Rams open on Sunday, Sept. 4 in Canton, Ohio vs. Central State in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic.

The Rams then renew an old CIAA rivalry the following Saturday (Sept. 10) as they travel to Durham to face North Carolina Central of the MEAC. This will be the 46th meeting between the Rams and the Eagles with NCCU holding a slight 23-22 series advantage by virtue of last season’s close 20-13 triumph.

The schedules

NORTH DIVISION

BOWIE STATE

Date Opponent Time

9/3 New Haven 1

9/10 @ Saginaw Valley State 1

9/17 @ Shaw 1

9/24 @ Saint Augustine’s 1 

10/1 Livingstone (HC) 2

10/8 @ Virginia State 4

10/15 Virginia Union 12n

10/22 Chowan 1

10/29 @ Elizabeth City State 1 

11/5 Lincoln 1

CHOWAN

9/1 Barton 6

9/10 Tusculum 1

9/17 Johnson C. Smith 1

9/24 Winston-Salem State 6

10/1 @ Fayetteville State 7 

10/8 @ Lincoln PA 1

10/15 Virginia State (HC) NA

10/22 @Bowie State 1

10/29 @ Virginia Union 1

11/5 Elizabeth City State 1

ELIZABETH CITY STATE

9/3 @ Benedict 6

9/10 Livingstone in Rocky Mt. NC 4

9/17 Winston-Salem State 12n 

9/24 @ Shaw 1

10/1 @ Johnson C. Smith 1

10/8 @ Virginia Union 1

10/15 Lincoln (PA) (HC) 1

10/22 Virginia State 1 

10/29 Bowie State 1 

11/5 @ Chowan 1

LINCOLN (PA)

9/3 @ Delaware State 2 

9/10 @ Central State 1 

9/17 Fayetteville State 7

9/24 @ Johnson C. Smith 12n 

10/1 @Winston-Salem State 1:30  

10/8 Chowan (HC) 1

10/15 @ Elizabeth City State 1

10/22 Virginia Union 12n 

10/29 Virginia State 1 

11/5 @ Bowie State 1

VIRGINIA STATE

9/3 @ Lenoir-Rhyne 6 

9/10 Bluefield State 6 

9/17 Saint Augustine’s 6 

9/24 @ Livingstone 4

10/1 Shaw 6

10/8 Bowie State (HC) 4

10/15 @ Chowan ?

10/22 @ Elizabeth City State 1

10/29 @Lincoln (PA) 1 

11/5 Virginia Union 12n

VIRGINIA UNION

9/1 VA-Lynchburg 7

9/10 @ Valdosta State 5 

9/17 Livingstone 6

9/24 @ Fayetteville State 4 

10/1 Saint Augustine’s 1

10/8 Elizabeth City State (HC) 12n

10/15 @ Bowie State 1

10/22 @ Lincoln (PA) 12n

10/29 Chowan 12n

11/5 @ Virginia State 12n

South Division

FAYETTEVILLE STATE

9/3 UNC Pembroke 7 

9/10 Wingate 7 

9/17 @ Lincoln PA 7

9/24 Virginia Union 4 

10/1 Chowan 7 

10/8 Saint Augustine’s (HC) 2

10/15 @ Livingstone 1:30

10/22 @ Johnson C. Smith 1

10/29 @ Shaw 4

11/5/ @ Winston-Salem State 4

JOHNSON C. SMITH

9/1 @ Bluefield State 6 

9/10 @ Allen 6

9/17 @ Chowan 1

9/24 Lincoln (PA) 12n 

10/1 Elizabeth City State 1

10/8 Shaw 1 

10/15 @Saint Augustine’s 1

10/22 Fayetteville State (HC) 1

10/29 @ Winston-Salem State 1

11/5 @ Livingstone 1:30 

LIVINGSTONE

9/3 Catawba 6

9/10 Elizabeth City State in Rocky Mt., NC., 4

9/17 @ Virginia Union 6

9/24 Virginia State 4

10/1 @ Bowie State 2

10/8 Winston-Salem State 1

10/15 Fayetteville State (HC) 1:30

10/22 @ Shaw 1

10/29 @ Saint Augustine’s 1 

11/5 Johnson C. Smith 1:30

ST. AUGUSTINE’S

9/1 @ Tusculum 6 

9/10 Limestone 1 

9/17 @ Virginia State 6 

9/24 Bowie State 1 

10/1 @ Virginia Union 1 

10/8 @ Fayetteville State 2

10/15 Johnson C. Smith (HC) 1

10/22 Winston-Salem State 1 

10/29 Livingstone 1 

11/5 @ Shaw 1

SHAW

9/3 Wingate 4

9/10 @ Wayne State 6 

9/17 Bowie State 1

9/24 Elizabeth City State 1

10/1 @ Virginia State 6 

10/8 @ Johnson C. Smith 1

10/15 @ Winston-Salem State 1:30 

10/22 Livingstone (HC) 1

10/29 @ Fayetteville State 4

11/5 Saint Augustine’s 1

WINSTON-SALEM STATE

9/4 Central State in Canton, OH 4

9/10 @ NC Central 6

9/17 @ Elizabeth City State 12n

9/24 @ Chowan 6

10/1 Lincoln (PA)  (HC) 1:30

10/8 @ Livingstone 1

10/15 Shaw 1:30 

10/22 @ Saint Augustine’s 1 

10/29 Johnson C. Smith 1

11/5 Fayetteville State 4

The post Toughest 2022 CIAA football schedules appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

That was perhaps the feeling Wednesday for head coaches and players at the 2022 CIAA Media Day at Roanoke’s Holiday Inn Valley View.

Damon Wilson, who led Bowie State for 13 years, has moved to Morgan State with former linebackers coach Kyle Jackson taking the helm of the Bulldog program on an interim basis. Jackson says, ‘not so fast’ to the rumors of BSU’s impending demise.

The CIAA football champions

“The biggest key is setting the standard of expectations,” Jackson said. “When I talk to the guys, I let them know the standard is the standard regardless of who’s here, who’s not here.”

Jackson is a former middle linebacker who played under Wilson in 2009 and 2010 and joined Wilson’s coaching staff in 2017. He also echoed his former mentor’s mantra of ‘tradition never graduates.’

“Things are not going to change much,” Jackson said of his 12-2 team that was undefeated in conference play (8-0) and won an unprecedented two games in the NCAA Div. II playoffs to reach the national quarterfinals.

“We saw how far we could really go (last season). It opened a lot of eyes to the potential the Bowie State program has. A lot of those guys are returning.”

Bulldog stalwarts

Chief among the BSU returnees is Joshua Pryor, a 6-4, 260-pound senior defensive lineman who accompanied Jackson to the proceedings. Pryor had his three championship rings prominently displayed on his fingers.

Pryor would likely have been the league’s preseason defensive player of the year had one been chosen. Often facing double teams, he posted 73 tackles, six sacks and 21.5 tackles for 84 yards in losses last season. Pryor has 28.5 sacks, 66 tackles for losses of 343 yards in his three seasons at BSU.

“I will have double-teams, they’re going to run away from me,” Pryor said, “but I know my guys are going to be there at the end of the day. We all have our job to do and that’s execute.”

BSU also returns hard-hitting defensive backs Myles Woolfolk (75 tackles) and Raymond Boone (58 tackles) and linebacker Wesley Bowers (58 tackles). Boone had been rumored to be joining head coach Deion Sanders at Jackson State but Jackson said he is returning to the Bulldogs.

On offense, Jackson has to find replacements for two-year starter JaRome Johnson at quarterback and 1,000-yard rusher Calil Wilkins.  

CIAA football: North Division challengers

Bowie State’s chief challenger in the North Division may come from a source familiar with the Bulldogs’ tradition.

New Virginia State head coach Dr. Henry Frazier III could be considered the architect of the Bowie State program. Frazier was a successful quarterback for the Bulldogs from 1986-89 and served as head coach from 1999 to 2003 where he coached Damon Wilson.

He moved to Prairie View A&M from 2004 to 2010 and won the SWAC championship in 2009. Frazier spent two years at NC Central in the MEAC before returning to help Wilson as a special assistant during the 2018 and 2019 championship years. He replaced Reggie Barlow at VSU late, in May of this year.

“I have experience with that,” Frazier said of his late arrival. “I got the Bowie (head coaching) job on July 22 and we still had a winning season. So I figure we’re ahead of the curve right now.”

Frazier also said Barlow did not leave the cupboard bare. “It’s not empty. There’s players and talent there. Walking into this situation is my best situation in terms of Bowie, Prairie View or (NC) Central. Coach Barlow and his staff did a good job of signing a pretty good class, 23 or 24, we brought in another ten freshmen and another 12 to 15 transfers on top of that. So, we’ll have players. It’s just a matter of them following my lead.”

Virginia Union and Elizabeth City State

Virginia Union has been the closest to dethroning Bowie State in the North. The Panthers finished 12-5 in the division over the last three seasons under Dr. Alvin Parker, finishing second, a game behind Bowie State twice (5-2 last season).

“That’s the game (vs. Bowie State) that’s been stopping us every year,” Parker said. “We win that game any one of the three years and we’re playing in Salem (site of the championship game). We feel good about what we’re doing and we have a process at Virginia Union that’s tried and true. It creates championships.” The Panthers play at Bowie State this season on Oct. 15.

Coach Parker brought along sophomore running back Jada Byers (914 yds., 5.4 yards per carry) who led the league with 12 rushing touchdowns. He earned offensive freshman of the year honors. “I feel this is the season we get it done,” Byers said.

Marcus Hilliard is the new coach returning to lead his alma mater, Elizabeth City State. The Vikings have not had a winning season since 2012. Hilliard played for former ECSU coach Waverly Tiller in the early 2000s when the Vikings were perennial contenders for N. Div. and conference honors. He has been a defensive guru at both ECSU and VUU and wants to return ECSU to its former standing. The 2022 theme for the Vikings is ‘Restore the Culture, A new era at ECSU football.’

“Coach Hilliard has come in not just to create a football team that is going to compete on Saturdays but build a program that can compete for years to come,” said Zion Riddick, ECSU’s all-CIAA kick returner and wide receiver.

Hilliard was the defensive coordinator on that 2012 ECSU team that made it to the championship game. “We had a good run before,” Hilliard said of his time playing and coaching with Tiller. “Putting my impact on the team and bringing back some of the good things we did in the past, that’s my goal. We’ve been down, so we’re trying to change the infrastructure. I just want to put my stamp on that.”

Chowan and Lincoln (Pa.)

Chowan, particularly in the last two seasons with Bryce Witt at quarterback, has been an offensive juggernaut and threat in the North. The Hawks led the CIAA in total (432.2 ypg.) and scoring offense (38.5 ppg.) last season.

Second-year head coach Mark Hall will enter 2022 without Witt (2,864 passing yards, 31 TDs, 4 ints.) or standout wide receiver/kick returner Imeek Watkins (68 rec., 886 yds., 10 TDs). Wideout Laurence King (51 rec., 658 yds., 8 TDs) returns.

Chowan finished 7-3 overall, 4-3 in CIAA play in Hall’s first season. Defensive Rookie of the Year Isaac Anderson (37 tackles, 8 sacks, 20 TFL), a 6-3, 260-pound tackle, is the top returning defender.

Lincoln enters its third season under Josh Dean coming off a 1-9 season, 1-6 in the CIAA. The head coach said he’s taking on more responsibility this season. Junior defensive back Eric Best said he believes the team is coming together

CIAA football: Top of the South Division

The real chasers of Bowie State are again led by head coach Richard Hayes’ Broncos of Fayetteville State. After dominating the South Division, FSU has fallen to the Bulldogs in the CIAA championships game in each of the past three campaigns. They have won four straight S. Div. titles.

They are still searching for their first championship in seven years under Hayes. The championship game losses to BSU have been by 30-10 (2018), 23-7 (2019) and 17-7 (2021) scores. “We feel like we’re very competitive (vs. BSU). We’ve started slow every year, turned the ball over early,” Hayes said. “If we can eliminate those things, I think we’ll have a good chance in the end.”

FSU will feature the league’s top returning quarterback, Khari Lane, who was voted the preseason all-CIAA quarterback. Lane threw for over 2,000 yards with 20 TDs and only five interceptions. Brandon Barnes-Bowman (5 ints.) leads the defense.

Sixth-year head coach Adrien Jones has guided Shaw (6-4, 5-2 S) past Winston-Salem into second in the S. Div. behind FSU. The Bears are 0-5 during Jones’ tenure vs. FSU including a close 15-12 fourth-quarter loss a year ago.

The Bears return the league’s top ground attack (194.8 ypg.) with top returning rusher, junior Sidney Gibbs (948 yds., 5.7 ypc., 94.8 ypg., 6 TDs.) and Andre Braxton (508 yds., 10 TDs). All-CIAA offensive linemen and Antavious Zachery and Tyreese Bobbitt are also back in the fold.

“They (the offensive line) were the MVPs of our team,” Jones said. “We’ve got a lot of toys on our offense. We’ve got to be dynamic in anything we do, offense, defense and special teams.

“I think that we have the football team to beat Fayetteville State but we’re gonna have to play disciplined football, we’re going to have to be smart coaches and put out our guys in the right situations at the right time.”

Winston-Salem State and others

After two seasons, Robert Massey had the interim tag removed and plans to get Winston-Salem State back to elite status. That development has helped the Rams, in effect, start over.

“We have additional coaches added to the staff, obviously that we needed,” Massey said “It’s (having the tag removed) helped us from the recruiting standpoint. It’s put us in position to bring in about 40 freshman. We’ll bring in about 20 transfers. We want to build this program, basically starting over. But at the same time, we want to compete for a championship.”

The Rams (3-6, 3-4 S) had just junior DB Elijah Banks on the preseason all-CIAA team.

Johnson C. Smith (1-7, 1-5 S), Livingstone (1-8, 1-5 S) and Saint Augustine’s (1-7, 1-6 S) were able to muster just one win last season.

Maurice Flowers enters his first season leading JCSU. The former Fort Valley State head man is returning to his alma mater and his hometown of Charlotte, NC. Flowers said he’s brought in 55 freshmen to turn the Golden Bulls program around. He will feature all-CIAA graduate wide receiver Reggie Bryant who hauled in 49 catches for 693 yards and seven TDs a year ago.

Sean Gilbert enters his second season leading Livingstone. He said a new blue turf is ready for the Bears’ stadium while construction on a new track is being finished. He said his young and green team should be better and more competitive. Sophomores Jade Echols at middle linebacker and Malik Head at defensive tackle are the top defenders. Andrew King is a key transfer.

David Bowser enters his second season with double-duties of athletics director and head football coach at St. Aug’s. He hopes to shore up a defense that gave up 218 rushing yards and 33.4 points while scoring just 11 points per game last season. Defensive tackle Marcus Davis, the student body president, and sophomore cornerback Jeron Hinton are leaders on that side of the ball. Soph QB Christopher Perkins leads the offense.

The post CIAA football heads into new territory appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Playing For Pride

Lincoln (0-2 in conference, 0-5 overall): Chances of winning = in the basement.  The Lions haven’t gotten remotely close to winning a championship since they joined Division II.  The Lions need cub steps, like win more than one game in a season before we can meaningfully put “Lincoln” and “championship” in the same sentence.  I think we all have a better chance of winning the lottery than Lincoln winning a championship this year.

St. Augustine’s (0-2, 0-3): They were closer to a championship in 2019 than they are today.  This flock is struggling to fly, much less go high.  Their championship would be beating Shaw on the field the two teams share, and that’s a tall order on its own.

JC Smith (0-2, 0-4): Their championship drought is a long one, and just add another year for the Golden Bulls.  But, winning against Winston-Salem and Livingstone in the same year would give the same high as a championship, and that outcome is a possibility for the first time in forever. 

Livingstone (0-2, 0-5): LC’s championship chances haven’t been alive for two decades, and this season isn’t any different. Don’t let the record fool you though, as the Blue Bears are proving to be a tough out. Livingstone as a spoiler would give the the program a big boost.

Winston-Salem State (0-2, 0-4): No team that loses 73-7 to a conference opponent should even be in the championship conversation.  End of story.

CIAA Pretenders 

Virginia State (1-1, 1-3): The Trojans are an army that has some ammunition shortages to go to war with the top schools in the conference.  We saw South leader Fayetteville State plunder them, and two other schools with better records at this point loom to raid their end zones for points. 

Virginia Union (1-1, 2-3): The black cats from the capital city do not have the claws from prior years, and they could not get over the hump then.  Expect more noise than scratches on the scoreboard in divisional play.

CIAA Contenders

Elizabeth City State (2-0, 2-3): The Vikings played well in the kiddie pool, but now are sailing into deeper waters in the North.  Expect the ship to take on too much water to make it to championship island. 

Fayetteville State (2-0, 3-1): The Broncos are bear hunting this week, and we have seen how this plays out.  A successful outing against Shaw puts FSU in the driver seat with potentially not much resistance by the other four South teams.  Saddle up, as things look promising to reach the championship for the four consecutive time.

Shaw (2-0, 3-2): The Bears are out to corral Fayetteville State for the first time in a long time.  This game has likely been circled on Shaw’s calendar for some time.  A Bears win means wrestling long time control of the South from the Broncos, as two rivalry games to finish the season just don’t have the same panache from prior seasons.  This season represents their best odds to reach the championship game since 2010. 

Chowan (2-0, 5-0): Things look good for the Hawks to get to the championship game provided that they can get past the conference’s current kings in Bowie State this weekend.  This group has been like FedEx in that they have been serving overnight deliveries to the endzone all season.  Odds look good.

Bowie State (2-0, 4-1): The reigning conference champion remains in control so far, but challengers are all preparing their best shot.  The first one comes at them this Saturday, and it looks like a full strength effort too.  Hold here, and the odds look very good.

The post CIAA Football: Contenders, Pretenders and more appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

HBCU flavor in Mega Bowl and The Spring League

Both teams in the Mega Bowl have a little HBCU flavor as does the TSL, which bills itself as “an elite professional football development league.” Twenty-one (21) players from the black college ranks suited up this year in the league.

The Linemen will feature two former all-Mid Eastern Athletic Conference performers from Savannah State — defensive end Stefan Banks and linebacker Marquis Smith. Banks, who finished his SSU career in 2018, was a devastating run-stopper for the Tigers. Smith, a premier edge rusher, put up 79 tackles and 9.5 sacks in his final campaign (2016).

Banks, Smith and the Linemen finished 4-1 under head coach Hal Mumme, one of the founders of the ‘Air Raid’ spread offense. Mumme had stints as a head coach at the University of Kentucky and at six other colleges. He spent part of one season (2018) as an offensive coordinator at Jackson State under former head coach Tony Hughes.

More of the same

The well-travelled Kevin Gilbride coaches the Jousters. The former head coach of the San Diego Chargers won two Super Bowl rings in seven seasons as an offensive assistant with the New York Giants. Gilbride also coached on the offensive side for six other NFL teams.

His team includes former Prairie View A&M wide receiver/kick returner Joshua Simmons who finished his career for the Panthers in 2017. Simmons had a 58-yard touchdown reception in the Jousters’ final regular season game, a 27-10 win over the Sea Lions last week. He had four receptions for 61 yards and a TD reception in a 12-10 loss a week earlier to the Blues.

Guard Darius Hicks of Fort Valley State and Darius Royster, a defensive end from North Carolina Central voted the 2019 MEAC defensive player of the year, are also on the Jousters.

At 5-9, 175, Simmons was among the SWAC leaders with 32 receptions for nearly 500 yards in his final year at Prairie View. He played one year in Europe and had a shot playing in Canada before COVID-19 hit. He then returned to the States. Playing in the TSL this season was an eye-opener.

A learning experience

“It was great,” said Simmons, a Houston native. “I got to learn a lot, learn how NFL systems run, learn from the coaches and meet a lot of players that already played in the league.

“Starting off, I had to kinda feel my way around, learn the system, because there were a lot of terms I had never heard before. But the quarterbacks and Coach Gilbride did a good job of helping me figure it out. They didn’t just leave you out to dry. As the week’s went along, I got better.

“It was a great experience to be around other professional coaches, get the experience of pro football and get to play around great talent. It was a great environment to be around.”

Familiar HBCU players in The Spring League

Other well-known HBCU players on TSL rosters included former Prairie View A&M running back Dawonya Tucker with the Sea Lions and former Hampton quarterback Deondre Francois with the Generals. Bethune-Cookman wide receiver Frank Brown (Alphas), offensive lineman Donald Boone (Conquerors) out of Chowan in the CIAA and former Alcorn State running back Deshawn Waller (Blues) are among others that played this season.

Tucker is a 5-6, 175-pound standout running back that played three years at Prairie View, two with Simmons. He put up monster numbers there, running for over 1,100 yards in back-to-back seasons (2018 and 2019), and putting up 15 rushing TDs as a senior in 2019.

Opportunity knocks just in time

The COVID-19 pandemic cut off opportunities for him to workout at a Pro Day or Combine in 2019, just as it did for a host of others. After not being selected in the 2020 NFL draft, Tucker returned to his hometown of Terrell, Texas to coach high school football. Though he worked out from time to time, he didn’t really train hard as he focused on his coaching career. When he got the call to go play for the Sea Lions, he was at practice. He joined the Sea Lions, who finished 1-4, after two games and played in the final three.

“Going out there and getting experience, playing against guys who had been vets in the league and had camp invites, showed me that I can really play at the next level,” said Tucker. “I held my ground and held my own and I did it without strict training. I feel it did increase my chances to play at the next level and increase my confidence as well.”

The blueprint

Tucker played under Sea Lions head coach Larry Kirksey, a longtime vet who spent 17 years as a coach in the NFL and 22 years coaching at the collegiate level. Kirksey also spent one year (1983) as the head coach at Kentucky State. Among the pros he’s tutored are Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens.  

“I just fed a lot off of him,” Tucker said of Kirksey. “That was my first time being around a pro-style offense and pro-style play calling. He just laid it out for us and gave us a blueprint of how it was going to be.

“I think I did pretty well, especially not playing since 2019. It let me know that I can hang in there. if I had not jumped into my coaching career and had given it my all, I probably would have killed it when I got out there.”

Spartan accommodations, potentially great exposure

Figuring out how well any of the players fared is difficult as the TSL doesn’t post, or apparently keep, stats. Still, the TSL’s website (thespringleague.com) says 104 players have been signed to the NFL out of The Spring League since 2017, the year the TSL got started.  

The TSL had eight teams this year, four in the North Division and four in the South Division. The four North Division teams played all its games at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis while the South Division played at Rice Stadium. Prior to the Mega Bowl, teams only played opponents in their same division cutting down on travel and expenses. FOX, FS1 and FS2 carried the games live.

Though the players are not paid, they were furnished room and board either in the Houston or Indianapolis area during the season’s five- or six-game schedule. Their primary hope is to put enough good play on tape to showcase their talents and impress professional scouts. Twenty-two (22) of the 32 NFL teams have reportedly attended Spring League games.

Spring League Showcases in the summer and fall provide additional opportunities for players be evaluated

Future looks bright, more opportunities to catch on

Just this month, The Spring League founder Brian Woods — who also started the Fall Experimental Football League (FXFL) from 2014 to 2015 — announced that he had acquired the remaining trademarks of the United States Football League. He intends with the intent of launching a USFL-branded league in 2022 with Fox Sports remaining as a partner.

That word about the possibility of the USFL opening back up has trickled down to Simmons, Tucker and the other HBCU vets and TSL players. They are hoping to get opportunities to continue their careers. With the Canadian Football League (CFL) and NFL contemplating full and regular seasons in the fall, and perhaps opportunities with the FXFL, the prospects are looking up.

“There’s a lot of opportunities for cats that didn’t get a chance to get some film out there last year, like me,” Tucker said. “That’s why I was so grateful for The Spring League. It was a chance for me to get back out there and play again. I feel it was all snatched away from me with the COVID situation happened.”

FORMER HBCU PLAYERS IN THE SPRING LEAGUE IN 2021

NORTH

ALPHAS

11        BROWN, Frank                        WR        26       Bethune Cookman

57        MCGEE, Shaun                        LB          26       Georgia/Tuskegee

AVIATORS

3           DAVIS, Devante                       WR        25       Grambling State

43        CALLOWAY, Tere                    DB         25       Alabama A&M/Nevada

CONQUERORS

85        DAVID, DuShon                       WR        24       Bowie State

64        FIELDS, Joshua                       OG         24       Elizabeth City State

72        MEYERS, Robert                     OT         28       Tennessee State

LINEMEN

99        BANKS, Stefen                         DE         25       Savannah State

49        SMITH, Marquis                       LB          27       Savannah State

SOUTH

BLUES

31        WALLER, Deshawn                 RB         25       Alcorn State

74        BOONE, Donald                       OL         23       Chowan

77        WHEATLEY, Tyrone (TJ)       OL         24       Michigan/Morgan State

JOUSTERS

37        SIMMONS, Joshua                  WR        25       Prairie View A&M

61        HICKS, Darrius                         OG         23       Fort Valley State

92        ROYSTER, Darius                   DE         25       North Carolina Central

GENERALS

5           FRANCOIS, Deandre              QB         24       Florida State/Hampton

60        BROWN, Sean                         OL         28       Mississippi Valley State

30        HARRIS, Jaylen                       DB         27       Prairie View A&M

SEA LIONS

20        TUCKER, Dawonya                 RB         23       Prairie View A&M

19        WALlACE, Tristan                    WR        22       Prairie View A&M

33       WILKERSON, Matthew           TE        23       Edward Waters

The post The Spring League gives HBCU stars more pro options appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

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Let’s start with the oldest conference for HBCUs – the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The CIAA is known more for basketball, but it has a long tradition of football. The first-ever game between HBCUs was between two schools now in the CIAA– Livingstone and Johnson C. Smith. One of its stadiums, as you will see, is not only older than the conference itself, but it’s one of the oldest in all of college football. 

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The Hawks set the tone on the opening play of the game with an interception returned 36 yards for a touchdown by redshirt senior linebacker Jacquae Peart. The successful extra point put them up 7-0 with just 15 seconds off the clock. BSU drove down the field with the help of an 81-yard bomb thrown by senior quarterback Amir Hall but was stopped in the red zone and held to three points in response.

FB 4Q | You read the score right. Chowan has dominated from the first play from scrimmage.

— Chowan Athletics (@cuhawks) October 6, 2018

A game of back-and-forth ensued as Chowan drove down the field on its next possession and scored increasing the lead to 14-3. Bowie responded with a seven play, 63-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown, making the deficit a manageable 14-10. On the Bulldogs’ next possession, however, Hall was picked off again and the Hawks were set up in great field position. A 23-yard takeoff from sophomore wide receiver Imeek Watkins got Chowan back in the end zone and increased the lead to 21-10 with 2:14 remaining in the first quarter. Hall got BSU down the field a 53-yard pass to set up a touchdown reception from redshirt sophomore receiver Montez Clay to get Bowie within five, now trailing Chowan 21-16 at the end of the first quarter.

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The second quarter was much calmer, as there was only one scoring drive.  Sophomore quarterback Bryce Witt, with the help of great protection from the line, sat in the pocket and delivered a 43-yard pass to Watkins to drive Chowan into BSU territory. An 11-yard touchdown dash from redshirt junior running back Tyrell Freeman increased the lead to 28-16. After a blocked field goal attempt, BSU went into halftime down two scores.

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The third quarter stalled for both teams as neither found the end zone. A potential scoring drive for BSU was deflated by a too-high snap, leading to a missed field goal.

Chowan reignited in the opening drive of the fourth quarter with a 13-play, 79-yard scoring drive. Witt and redshirt senior receiver Paul Gooden connected on a nine-yard pass in the end zone, increasing the lead to 35-16. Gooden and Witt found each other in the end zone again for a short touchdown reception to put the nail in the coffin at 42-16 with 5:34 remaining in regulation.

Bowie found the end zone for the first time since the first quarter with a 2-yard pass from Hall to redshirt junior Brandon Abrams with 4:12 remaining in regulation, setting the final score at 42-23.

FB FINAL | Chowan picks up their first ever home win over Bowie State with a dominating 42-23 win.

— Chowan Athletics (@cuhawks) October 6, 2018

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Hall of BSU finished 37/48 with three touchdowns, two interceptions, and a season-high 428 yards. Lansana Sesay finished with seven receptions for 195 yards and an 81-yard reception.  Bryce Witt of Chowan finished 18/28 with two touchdowns and 252 yards. Tyrell Freeman finished with 14 rushes for 80 yards and two touchdowns.

Both teams will be holding homecoming games next week as Chowan hosts Virginia Union (4-1, 1-0) and Bowie hosts Virginia State (3-2, 1-0).

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Just two months after adding Clafin to its roster of schools the CIAA is suffering a slight setback as Chowan has accepted an invitation to join Conference Carolinas as a full member. It will remain an associate member of the CIAA in football and women’s bowling.

Chowan has been an affiliate member of Conference Carolinas since January 1, 2017 in eight sports. Those sports are: women’s golf, men and women’s lacrosse, men and women’s soccer, women’s swimming, and men and women’s tennis.

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“We look forward to developing relationships in Conference Carolinas,” stated Patrick Mashuda, Athletic Director of Chowan. “Realigning with Conference Carolinas allows 17 of Chowan’s 19 sponsored sports to compete under one conference umbrella.”

Timetable

Chowan will continue to compete in the CIAA in the nine sports (men’s and women’s basketball, bowing, men’s and women’s cross country, football, men’s golf, softball, and volleyball) until the end of the 2018-19 academic year. Baseball and men’s swimming will compete in Conference Carolinas starting in the fall of 2018. Football and bowling will remain as associate members in the CIAA starting in the fall of 2019. Chowan will begin play as a full-time member in Conference Carolinas in 17 sports during the 2019-2020 academic year.

Located in Murfreesboro, N.C., Chowan has an enrollment of 1,500 undergraduate students. Chowan’s School of Graduate Studies recently opened, giving graduate students a convenient and reputable university from which to earn a Master’s degree. The Hawks sponsor 19 NCAA Division II sports (baseball, women and men’s basketball, bowling, women and men’s cross country, football, women and men’s golf, women and men’s lacrosse, women and men’s soccer, softball, men and women’s swimming, women and men’s tennis and women’s volleyball).

“We are thrilled to have Chowan joining our conference as a full member and the experience it will provide to everyone involved,” said Dr. Alan Patterson, Commissioner of Conference Carolinas. “Our mission as a conference is to provide our student-athletes with as many possibilities to excel on and off the field of play, which this move will allow. Conference Carolinas provides a large number of Division II sports that Chowan sponsors and gives the student-athletes an opportunity to compete at the highest level in their respective sports.”

Chowan made history in 2007 when it accepted an invite to become the first non-HBCU to be admitted to the CIAA, the first conference open to historically black colleges and universities.

The move allows the CIAA to keep its football divisions intact while Claflin will fill the void in basketball and other sports.

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Salem, VA (May 2, 2018) — The Hawks of Chowan University were crowned back-to-back Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Softball Champions after a perfect 4-0 tournament appearance and 8-0 victory over the Broncos of Fayetteville State University in the final championship contest.

In what could have been the first of two championship games, Chowan delivered the first blow in the bottom of the first inning to take an early 4-0 lead. Kris Neal began the excitement with a lead-off single to left field and later a double by Haley Cooper advanced Neal to third before scoring off a Fayetteville State throwing error. Lindsey Stigler doubled to score Cooper while Brittany Parson reached on another FSU error. To finish off the inning Donya Salman extended the lead to 4-0 on a two-RBI single up the middle.

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In the second, Halee Knowles recorded the Broncos only hit in the contest, but the Broncos were unable to get the momentum going.

The Hawks picked up their fifth run in the bottom of the second to push their lead to 5-0. With one out, Neal drew a one-out walk and Cooper picked up a single. Stigler then marked an RBI, scoring Neal on a groundout to shortstop.

In the third inning of the competition, both teams presented tough defensive plays, leaving the score 5-0.

In the top of the fourth inning, the Broncos were unable to put runs on the board, but the Hawks added the three runs needed to put the run-rule into effect for the following inning. Miranda Glover drew a walk and Haley Cooper brought her home with an infield single. Lindsey Stigler hit a bomb home run over left field to close out the inning.

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The Hawks’ defense was solid getting three quick outs in the fifth to preserve their fate. Chowan earns their 4th CIAA Championship title since 2010 with the 8-0 victory over Fayetteville State.

Hawks pitcher and the 2018 CIAA Softball Championship MVP Shannon Buchanan had a one-hitter for the game while only walking three batters and striking out four. Meanwhile, teammate Lindsey Stigler led the team’s batting efforts with 4 RBIs in three at-bats.

For the Broncos, Ashlyn Zook stood the mound allowing 7 hits while walking only 2 batters and striking out three Hawks. 

The Hawks of Chowan await their regional bid, announced via NCAA Selection Show on Monday, May 7 at 10:00 a.m. For more information, visit www.NCAA.com.

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Murfreesboro, NC – Fayetteville State has seen its share of season-opener disappointments until Saturday night in Garrison Stadium. The Broncos will celebrate a long sought after victory after defeating Chowan University 24-21.

The last time FSU won its season-opener was in 2008 when the Broncos defeated North Carolina Central 33-22 in Durham. Fayetteville State controlled a 14-7 lead at halftime.

“We accomplished our goal!” cheered Head Coach Richard Hayes. “First game, we got a victory.”

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Chowan (0-1) scored on its first drive of the game with a 20-yard pass from Bryce Witt to Adrian McNeil.

Fayetteville State (1-0) responded on the next drive with a four-yard walk into the end zone by quarterback Kane Banner(Lumberton, NC) with 5:58 left in the first quarter. The 8-play, 58-yard drive was setup by a 40-yard kickoff return by Brandon Smith(Raeford, NC).

In the second quarter with 6:23 remaining, Donshel Jetton (Mooresville, NC) burst through the line of scrimmage to scamper 31 yards for a 14-7 lead, going into halftime.

The defense played its part throughout the game forcing four fumbles and recovering two. Keyante Baldwin (Fayetteville, NC) recovered the Hawks’ last fumble of the game on an attempted punt return on Chowan’s three-yard line. Fayetteville State capitalized on the turnover as Banner plunged into the end zone from one-yard out.

As time was about to expire in the third quarter with 38 seconds left, the Hawks picked up a touchdown to ease closer to the Broncos at 21-14. Witt connected with Michael Offutt, Jr. for a 32-yard passing touchdown.

1st college game together. Teammates, boys, Freshman, former mustangs, BROTHERS! @legendary__2, @ElvinDeLaRosa_ @FSUBroncos @dsharpe_ontime pic.twitter.com/1CzJsPnUT4

— S. Sharpe (@TakeMeeThere) September 3, 2017

Preseason All-CIAA Kicker David Lamb(Pineville, NC) split the uprights with a 27-yard field goal with 12:31 left in the game and a 24-14 lead.

Although Chowan scored its 21^st point with 11:14 left in the game, the defense held its ground and preserved the victory. The score was a 50-yard pass from Witt to Torry Baker.

Stevie Green (Washington, NC), the 2016 CIAA Offensive Rookie of the Year from, finished with 90 yards on 24 carries. His longest tote was for 23 yards. He shared snaps with Jetton who racked up 70 yards on nine carries and one touchdown. Jetton averaged 7.8 yards per carry.

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Brandon Smith returned three kickoffs for 124 yards. His longest return was 42 yards. Fayetteville State had an average field position of the FSU’s 38-yard line in the first half and the Fayetteville-40 in the second half.

Fayetteville State will play host to Wingate University (1-0), who defeated Johnson C. Smith 38-18, on Saturday, September 9^th at 6:00 p.m. The Broncos will show gratitude to the Armed Services with Military Appreciation Night.

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CHARLOTTE– Chowan came into the CIAA Tournament looking to make an extended run for the first time, but Livingstone College ended those dreams with a 74-69 win on Thursday afternoon.

The Hawks were in control most of the game, but the Blue Bears kept hanging around until the end. A monster day by senior forward, David Duncan, helped lead the Blue Bears past the Hawks. Duncan had 13 points, 30 rebounds, and three assists as he out-rebounded the Hawks by himself.

Chowan lack of rebounding was heavily exposed and exploited by Livingstone. Livingstone out-rebounded Chowan 52 to 27. It also gave up 19 offensive rebounds and 14 second-chance points. LC made its free throws in the clutch moments to help seal the win.

Livingstone will play the winner of the Virginia Union vs. Bowie State matchup on Friday at 7 pm as they try to advance to their fifth straight CIAA Championship Game.

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