A guide to HBCU football games to watch in Week 3

In Week 2 of the HBCU schedule, South Carolina State maintained its stronghold as the top team, and others had results that help provide optimism for the next stage of their seasons.

Here’s a look at how Week 3 stacks up:

Three Week 3 questions worth following

• Can Albany State turn one win into a run? The Golden Rams finally broke through with a convincing victory at Savannah State. Now comes another SIAC road game against Allen, and an opportunity for Albany State to get back to .500 before finally playing its first home game on Sept. 26 against Kentucky State.
• What does Fort Valley State look like coming out of the bye? The Wildcats had an extra week to prepare, but their home opener brings an immediate test against unbeaten Benedict. A victory would give Fort Valley State an early statement inside the SIAC and make its 1-1 start feel much different. Benedict enters the weekend 2-0 after wins against Johnson C. Smith and Shorter.
• Can anybody slow down South Carolina State? The Bulldogs followed their dominant opening stretch by dismantling previously unbeaten Virginia State and are now 3-0. Week 3 takes them away from Orangeburg to face a 2-1 Furman team, providing another measuring stick for a South Carolina State squad that has looked like one of the strongest HBCU teams in the country.

Here are some other notable HBCU games:

NOTE: Kickoff times below are in Eastern Time. Cross-conference HBCU games appear once.

Georgia Division II HBCUs (in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)

• Benedict (2-0) at Fort Valley State (1-1), 1 p.m. — Wildcat Stadium, Fort Valley, Georgia.
• Albany State (1-2) at Allen (2-1), 4 p.m. — Columbia, South Carolina.
• Morehouse (0-3) at Lane (0-3), 5 p.m. — Lane Field, Jackson, Tennessee.
• Miles (0-3) at Clark Atlanta (1-2), 6 p.m. — CAU Panther Stadium, Atlanta.
• Savannah State (0-2) at Edward Waters (2-1), 6 p.m. — Nathaniel Glover Community Field & Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida.

Saturday, Sept. 19

• Fayetteville State (2-1) at Johnson C. Smith (2-1), 1 p.m. — Irwin Belk Complex, Charlotte, North Carolina.
• Lincoln (Pa.) (0-2) at Shaw (2-1), 1 p.m. — Durham County Memorial Stadium, Durham, North Carolina.
• Virginia State (2-1) at Elizabeth City State (0-2), 1 p.m. — Roebuck Stadium, Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
• Saginaw Valley State (2-1) at Kentucky State (2-1), 2 p.m. — Alumni Stadium, Frankfort, Kentucky.
• Hampton (1-2) at Norfolk State (1-2), 4 p.m. — William “Dick” Price Stadium, Norfolk, Virginia.
• Virginia University of Lynchburg (0-3) at Bethune-Cookman (1-1), 4 p.m. — Daytona Stadium, Daytona Beach, Florida.
• Central State (1-2) at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-2), 5 p.m. — Simmons Bank Field, Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
• Bluefield State (0-3) at Virginia Union (2-1), 6 p.m. — Hovey Field, Richmond, Virginia.
• Morgan State (2-1) at Towson (0-3), 6 p.m. — Johnny Unitas Stadium, Towson, Maryland.
• North Carolina Central (2-1) at Gardner-Webb (0-3), 6 p.m. — Ernest W. Spangler Stadium, Boiling Springs, North Carolina.  
• Winston-Salem State (0-3) at Livingstone (1-2), 6 p.m. — Alumni Memorial Stadium, Salisbury, North Carolina.
• Alcorn State (2-1) at North Alabama (1-2), 7 p.m. — Braly Stadium, Florence, Alabama.
• Bowie State (0-2) at Alabama A&M (2-1), 7 p.m. — Louis Crews Stadium, Huntsville, Alabama.
• Delaware State (2-1) at South Florida (2-0), 7 p.m. — Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida.
• Delta State (0-3) at Mississippi Valley State (1-2), 7 p.m. — Rice-Totten Stadium at Chuck Prophet Field, Itta Bena, Mississippi.
• Louisiana Christian (3-0) at Southern (1-2), 7 p.m. — A.W. Mumford Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
• South Carolina State (3-0) at Furman (2-1), 7 p.m. — Paladin Stadium, Greenville, South Carolina.
• Tennessee State (0-3) at Florida A&M (1-2), 7 p.m. — Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida.
• Tuskegee (1-1) at Jackson State (2-0), 7 p.m. — Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jackson, Mississippi.
• Stephen F. Austin (3-0) at Prairie View A&M (1-2), 8 p.m. — Panther Stadium at Blackshear Field, Prairie View, Texas.