Week Two in the HBCU football season saw one game canceled and one game postponed as the result of a second hurricane in two weeks. Hurricane Irma wreaked Havoc across Florida and in parts of southeast Georgia forcing the game between Fort Valley State and Valdosta State to be canceled and the game between South Carolin State and Charleston Southern to be postponed.
The week started off Thursday with Prairie View A&M battling Sam Houston State tough before falling 44-31 and Texas Southern losing a close game to Houston Baptist 24-17.
Friday the Braves of Alcorn State fell to the Panthers of Florida International 17-10 and the Hampton Pirates ran past Delaware State 28-15. Coach Connell Maynor’s’ Pirates picked up their first win of the season led by the legs of running back Yankee Johnson toting the rock 18 times for 86 yards and a TD, while the arm of quarterback Delmon Williams connected on 16 of 25 passes for 305 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Saturday the Steer of Texas College lassoed by the Cowboys of Hardin Simmons in a 74-0 loss. The defending SIAC champion Thorobreds of Kentucky State came up lame against McKendree 50-0, while Edward Waters did a little better against Bluefield, but was unable to score in a 19-0 loss.
West Georgia beat Miles College 45-7, Clark Atlanta devoured the Marauders of Central State 55-14 and the Vulcans of California Pa. declawed the Wolves of Cheyney 54-14. Alabama A&M was no match for Vanderbilt in a 42 to nothing loss, The Tigers of Savannah State had little to no bite in their 54 to 7 loss to Appalachian State and Mississippi Valley State only mustered a field goal in their 55 to 3 loss to Southern Illinois.
Another HBCU that suffered a big loss was Elizabeth City State as the Braves of UNC-Pembroke used a 28 point second quarter to break open a 66-14 win handing Coach Earnest Wilsons’ Vikings their first loss of the season. Coach Dawson Odums and the Southern Jaguars were blanked by Southern Mississippi 45-0. The Jags were missed their starting quarterback Austin Howard who is out with an Injury. That forced coach Odums to look to true freshman Glendon McDaniel and Redshirt freshman Marquez Lee to get the Southern offense going to no avail.
There were some big winners Saturday as defending MEAC champion North Carolina Central sent the Bears of Shaw into early hibernation with a 41 to nothing win. North Carolina A&T sent Mars Hill packing 56 to nothing and in the Battle of Lincolns, The Blue Tigers of Lincoln University of Missouri chewed up on the Lions of Lincoln University of Pennsylvania 49-19.
Speaking of big wins the Bulldogs of Bowie State took the defending CIAA champion Winston Salem State Rams by the horns on their way to a 31-13 win ,Virginia State beat the Gold off the Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith 44-6 and The Panthers of Virginia Union came up big with a 31-23 non Conference win over Newberry. Other big winners included Morehouse beating Lane 24-10, Bethune Cookman slipping past SouthEastern Louisiana 28-23 and defending national champion Grambling State topping Northwestern State 23-10.
There were some exciting finishes on Saturday as HowardUniversity came up a touchdown short of defeating their second FBS school in as many weeks. Kent State held off a late Bison rally to grab their first win of the season 38-31, Tennessee State beat Jackson State 17-15 in the Southern Heritage Classic and Albany State knocked off Tuskegee 20-7.
Urban Media Today Black College Football First Poll of the 2017 season :
1 Grambling State Tigers. 1-1 (Beat Northwestern St / Lost to Tulane)
2 North Carolina Cent. Eagles. 1-1 (Beat Shaw. / Lost to Duke)
3 North Carolina A&T Aggies 2-0 (Beat Gardner Webb /Mars Hill)
4 Tennessee State Tigers 2-0 (Beat Georgia State/ Jackson State)
5 Albany State Golden Rams 2-0 (Beat Valdosta State / Tuskegee)
6 Bowie State Bulldogs 2-0 (Beat Seton Hill/ Winston Salem State)
7 Howard Bison 1-1 (Beat UNLV/ Lost to Kent State)
8 Virginia State Trojans 2-0 (Beat Norfolk State / J.C. Smith )
9 Bethune Cookman Wildcats. 1-1 (Beat SouthEastern LA./ Lost to Miami)
10 Southern Jaguars 1-1 (Beat S.C. State / Lost to S. Miss.)
Honorable Mention :
Alcorn State Braves 1-1 (Beat Miles College/ Lost to FIU)
Clark-Atlanta Panthers 2-0. (Beat Edward Wates/ Central State)
Hampton Pirates 1-1 ( Beat Delaware St/ Lost to Ohio)
Langston Lions 2-0. (Beat Lincoln (Mo) / Lyon College)
Virginia Union Panthers 1-1. ( Beat Newberry/ Lost to LIU Post)
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Trevin A Jones
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