Albany State claims bragging rights as HBCU title races tighten
Rivalry bragging rights came comfortably for Albany State in Columbus. Championship hopes elsewhere required a fight to the final seconds.
Week 10 gave HBCU football its SIAC and CIAA title matchups, preserved a pivotal MEAC showdown and reshuffled the SWAC race as contenders chase a December trip to the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta.
Before more than 21,000 fans, Albany State turned the Fountain City Classic into a rout. Benedict survived a comeback to bring the SIAC championship home, while Virginia Union powered into the CIAA title game. Late escapes kept South Carolina State and North Carolina Central unbeaten in MEAC play ahead of their meeting. Prairie View A&M opened the door for Jackson State to regain control of its SWAC East path while leaving three teams tied atop the West.
Meanwhile, on the field and in the stands, Jackson State tapped into Jodeci and Jackson 5 nostalgia. Texas Southern extended the competition into the fifth quarter. Grambling State saluted its seniors with Boyz II Men while Southern added Louisiana flavor with Boosie watching the Human Jukebox.
Here are some of the biggest moments from Week 10 of HBCU football.
1. Benedict survives Central State, brings SIAC title game back home
Benedict survived Central State 45-38 to secure its second consecutive SIAC championship appearance and earn the right to host Kentucky State for the conference title. The Tigers produced a season-high 523 yards and built a 38-14 halftime lead before holding off the Marauders’ comeback. Benedict and Kentucky State finished tied atop the SIAC at 7-1, setting up a championship matchup between the league’s two best conference records.
2. Virginia Union owns Virginia State, CIAA regular season
Virginia Union beat Virginia State 36-14 to finish 8-0 in CIAA play and claim the conference’s regular-season championship and No. 1 seed. The Panthers led 27-0 before Virginia State scored and completed consecutive undefeated CIAA regular seasons for the first time since 1917 and 1918. Virginia Union now advances to the CIAA championship against Johnson C. Smith, while Virginia State moves into the conference’s inaugural Friday Night Blitz as the No. 3 seed against No. 4 seed Fayetteville State during championship weekend.
3. South Carolina State survives Howard, keeps control of MEAC
South Carolina State needed Ricorian Brown’s 9-yard touchdown run with 17 seconds remaining to escape Howard with a 35-28 victory. Brown rushed for 143 yards and two scores as the Bulldogs improved to 3-0 in MEAC play entering its looming matchup with fellow 3-0 contender North Carolina Central.
4. North Carolina Central steals one in Norfolk, keeps the MEAC collision intact
North Carolina Central erased a 21-7 halftime deficit and beat Norfolk State 29-28 when Joshua Jones found Mehki Wall for a 26-yard touchdown with 27 seconds remaining. Gino Addison rushed for 174 yards, while Jones accounted for four touchdowns as the Eagles survived two potential Norfolk State field goals late. The comeback kept N.C. Central perfect at 3-0 in MEAC play and on a collision course with South Carolina State.
5. Kentucky State punches SIAC title game berth behind a five-touchdown afternoon
Kentucky State secured its second SIAC championship appearance in program history with a 34-10 victory over Morehouse. Juan Gainous threw for 405 yards and five touchdowns as the Thorobreds produced 511 yards and shut out Morehouse after halftime. Kentucky State finished 7-1 in SIAC play and will travel to Benedict with the conference championship at stake.
6. Prairie View shakes up both sides of the SWAC race
Prairie View A&M knocked off Alabama A&M 31-10, scoring the final 17 points and holding the Bulldogs to 231 yards. The Panthers improved to 4-2 in SWAC play and remained tied with Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Alcorn State atop the West. Alabama A&M’s loss also dropped the Bulldogs into a 4-2 tie with Jackson State in the East, where the Tigers own the head-to-head advantage.
7. Albany State turns the Fountain City Classic into a rivalry rout
Albany State overwhelmed Fort Valley State 49-0 in the 36th Fountain City Classic, scoring on offense, defense and special teams in one of the rivalry’s most lopsided recent results. Cameron Watts returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and added a 53-yard interception return for another score less than a minute later, setting the tone before more than 21,000 fans in Columbus. The Golden Rams closed SIAC play at 5-3 with consecutive victories and reclaimed bragging rights in one of Georgia HBCU football’s signature rivalries.
8. Jackson State takes back the SWAC East driver’s seat
Jackson State handled Mississippi Valley State 38-7 behind Jared Lockhart’s 299 passing yards and four total touchdowns. The Tigers outgained Valley 418-171 and allowed only seven points after losing two of their previous three games. Combined with Alabama A&M’s loss at Prairie View, the win moved Jackson State back atop the SWAC East with two conference games remaining.
9. Johnson C. Smith handles its business, earns another CIAA title shot
Johnson C. Smith beat rival Livingstone 27-14 after building a 20-0 lead through three quarters, with Fabian Duncan rushing for 148 yards and two touchdowns. The victory secured the Golden Bulls the No. 2 seed in the CIAA championship game. JCSU will face Virginia Union, which is unbeaten in the conference, with an opportunity to defend its CIAA title.
10. Arkansas-Pine Bluff keeps roaring in crowded SWAC West
Arkansas-Pine Bluff rallied from a third-quarter deficit to beat Grambling State 35-32, with DaeDae Allen’s 76-yard punt-return touchdown providing the decisive fourth-quarter separation. The Golden Lions improved to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in SWAC play, remaining tied with Prairie View A&M and Alcorn State atop a West race that still offers little margin for error. The aftermath of the SWAC West clash brought significant consequences, however, as the league suspended 23 players, including nine from Arkansas-Pine Bluff and 14 from Grambling State, and fined each school $25,000 following a postgame altercation.
11. Alcorn State erases an early hole, stays in fight for SWAC West
Alcorn State overcame a 14-0 first-quarter deficit to beat Florida A&M 38-20 behind Jaylon Tolbert’s 314 passing yards. The Braves scored 38 of the game’s final 44 points and improved to 6-4 overall. More importantly, Alcorn moved to 4-2 in SWAC play and remained tied with Prairie View A&M and Arkansas-Pine Bluff atop the Western Division.
12. Fayetteville State saves its best quarter for the CIAA finish
Fayetteville State erased a 17-7 fourth-quarter deficit by scoring 16 unanswered points to beat Winston-Salem State 23-17. The Broncos’ defense recorded four sacks on Winston-Salem State’s final possession to finish the comeback. Fayetteville State secured the No. 4 seed and will face Virginia State in the CIAA Friday Night Blitz during championship weekend.
Band/culture moments
The Boom took the fifth quarter back to the ’90s
Jackson State’s Sonic Boom of the South reached into the Jodeci catalog with “Stay” against Mississippi Valley State, giving the fifth quarter a slow-jam single with plenty of boom behind it.
The Ocean of Soul made the fifth quarter another round
Texas Southern’s Ocean of Soul kept the competition going after the game against Alabama State, bringing its power and personality into the opening round of a fifth quarter.
World Famed found the right song for goodbye
Grambling State’s World Famed Tiger Marching Band saluted its graduating seniors with Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road,” for one last home performance.
Southern brought Boosie home to the yard
With Boosie watching and Jaguar Nation already turned up, Southern’s Human Jukebox punched “Better Not Fight” through the stands.