Homecoming tests HBCU football’s contenders in Week 7

October’s homecoming calendar is full. So is the list of HBCU football teams with something to prove.

Morehouse gave its homecoming crowd a victory in Week 6. Now, Clark Atlanta gets its turn to welcome alumni back to the yard, with Allen visiting this week. CAU will chase a win to accompany the tailgates and culture that will center around Panther Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Maroon Tigers carry consecutive victories into Howard’s homecoming, where they will try to sustain their turnaround at somebody else’s party. Across the broader Week 7 slate, Jackson State welcomes Florida A&M after its first loss, while Benedict gets a chance to challenge Edward Waters’ SIAC lead.

Three Week 7 storylines worth following:

• How does Jackson State respond with the SWAC East race tightening? Grambling State ended the Tigers’ unbeaten start with a 45-38 victory, leaving Jackson State facing another consequential division matchup for homecoming. Florida A&M arrives after snapping its four-game losing streak with a 28-27 win at Alabama State. The Rattlers have already shown they can disrupt another team’s homecoming. For JSU, Saturday becomes a test of if its first loss produces a response or opens the door to another blemish.
• Can Edward Waters protect its SIAC lead at Benedict’s homecoming? Edward Waters returns from its bye at 5-1 overall and 4-0 in conference play, the SIAC’s only team without a league loss. Benedict also stands at 5-1 after beating Allen 37-24 and enters Saturday at 3-1 in the league. Edward Waters scored 61 points against Kentucky State in its last outing. Now comes a road test against a Benedict team with an opportunity to pull the conference leader back toward the chasing pack.
• Can Bowie State break into the CIAA’s leading group? Three consecutive victories have brought Bowie State back to .500 overall and 3-1 in conference play. Virginia Union arrives after a bye at 5-1 overall and 4-0 in the CIAA, having allowed just seven points across its past three CIAA games. With Johnson C. Smith visiting Bowie the following week, Saturday marks a two-game stretch that could move the Bulldogs closer to the championship conversation or reinforce the separation between them and the league’s unbeaten contenders.

Games to watch in Week 7

Note: Kickoff times below are in EDT. Cross-conference HBCU games appear once.

Georgia Division II HBCUs

• Allen (2-4) at Clark Atlanta (1-5), 1 p.m. — CAU Panther Stadium, Atlanta. SIAC.
• Albany State (3-3) at Tuskegee (2-4), 3 p.m. — Cleve L. Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium, Tuskegee, Alabama. SIAC.
• Fort Valley State (1-4) at Savannah State (1-5), 3 p.m. — Theodore A. Wright Stadium, Savannah, Georgia. SIAC.
• Morehouse (3-4) at Howard (2-4), 3:30 p.m. — Greene Stadium, Washington, D.C. SIAC/MEAC.

Saturday, Oct. 17

• Chicago State (1-5) at North Carolina A&T (2-5), noon — Truist Stadium, Greensboro, North Carolina. CAA.
• Hampton (1-5) at Sacred Heart (2-4), noon — Sikorsky Credit Union Field, Fairfield, Connecticut. CAA.
• Bluefield State (0-6) at Winston-Salem State (0-6), 1 p.m. — Bowman Gray Stadium, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. CIAA.
• Virginia Union (5-1) at Bowie State (3-3), 1 p.m. — Bulldog Stadium, Bowie, Maryland. CIAA.
• Virginia State (6-1) at Shaw (4-3), 1 p.m. — Durham County Memorial Stadium, Durham, North Carolina. CIAA.
• Lane (0-7) at Kentucky State (5-2), 1 p.m. — Alumni Stadium, Frankfort, Kentucky. SIAC.
• Elizabeth City State (1-5) at Fayetteville State (3-3), 1:30 p.m. — Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium, Fayetteville, North Carolina. CIAA.
• Lincoln (Pa.) (1-5) at Johnson C. Smith (5-1), 2 p.m. — Irwin Belk Complex, Charlotte, North Carolina. CIAA.
• Edward Waters (5-1) at Benedict (5-1), 2 p.m. — Charlie W. Johnson Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina. SIAC.
• Alabama State (3-3) at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (3-2), 3 p.m. — Simmons Bank Field, Pine Bluff, Arkansas. SWAC.
• Alcorn State (4-3) at Prairie View A&M (2-5), 3 p.m. — Panther Stadium at Blackshear Field, Prairie View, Texas. SWAC.
• Bethune-Cookman (3-3) at Mississippi Valley State (3-4), 3 p.m. — Rice-Totten Stadium at Chuck Prophet Field, Itta Bena, Mississippi. SWAC.
• Florida A&M (2-4) at Jackson State (5-1), 3 p.m. — Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jackson, Mississippi. SWAC.
• Grambling State (4-2) at Alabama A&M (5-2), 3 p.m. — Louis Crews Stadium, Huntsville, Alabama. SWAC.
• Morgan State (5-1) at Tennessee State (1-5), 6:30 p.m. — Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee. MEAC/OVC-Big South.

Week 7 byes

• Central State
• Miles
• Livingstone
• Southern
• Texas Southern
• Delaware State
• Norfolk State
• North Carolina Central
• South Carolina State

Oct. 17 homecomings