Week five of the HBCU ( Historically Black Colleges and Universities) football season kicked off Thursday night with the Eagles of North Carolina Central slipping past the Rattlers of Florida A&M 21 to 14 Thanks to Red-Shirt Freshman Isaiah Totten running through the heart of the FAMU defense from and Scoring the eventual winning touchdown with just over 2 minutes left in regulation.
FAMU head coach Al Wood whos Rattlers now fall to 2 and three on the season while Coach Jerry Mack and his second-ranked Eagles improve to 3-1
Under the Friday night lights in Houston, Ninth-Ranked Alcorn State picked up its third win of the season with a 24-17 win over the winless Tigers of Texas Southern. Coach Fred McNairs’ Braves attack was led by QB Leonorris Footman lead passing for 241 yards and a TD.
Saturday in the windy city Chicago, The Top-ranked Grambling State Tigers beat Clark Atlanta 31-20 to win the 20th annual Chicago Classic. The Panthers who are a division two team and who also won the Classic last year, drew first blood after kicker Carlos Saldana capped an 88-yard drive with a 29-yard field goal. But then Grambling State QB Devante Kincade came off of the bench to complete 19 of 31 passes for 231 yards and three TDS’.
The second-ranked Aggies of North Carolina A&T remained unbeaten with a 21-7 win over South Carolina State. Coach Rod Broadway and his 5 and oh Aggies survived a defensive slugfest in which his free safety Jeremy Taylor forced the Bulldogs of South Carolina State into the giving spirit. Taylor forced two fumbles and snagged an interception on the defensive side of the ball, while on the offensive side of the Aggies attack Freshman Kicker Noel Ruiz booted three field goals.
Speaking of undefeated, Don’t look now but the fourth-ranked Bulldogs of Bowie State are on fire! Coach Damon Wilsons Dogs devoured the Broncos of Fayetteville State 64-31 as BSU quarterback Amir “Showtime” Hall connected on 22 of 32 pass attempts for 329 yards and four touchdowns while scoring another TD with his legs. That wasn’t all the Bulldogs had going on as Red-Shirt Senior Running back Robert Chesson broke loose for 172 yards and two more Tds. Bowie State has outscored its opponents in five games 285 to 78.
Staying in the CIAA Thethe Fifth-ranked Virginia State Trojans made mincemeat out of the Blue Bears of Livingstone with a 56-18 win. The now 4-0 Trojans amassed 424 yards in total offense and almost half of that is to the credit of QB Niko Johnson who connected on 12 of 16 passing attempts for 202 yards and three TDs.
In other top ten actions, The Tennessee State Tigers fell in double overtime to Eastern Illinois 19-16. Coach Rod Reeds Tigers appeared to have won the game when the Panthers botched a pass into the end zone on their final play of the second OT, But a pass interference call on TSU sophomore cornerback Neiman Armstrong gave EIU the ball first and goal on the one-yard line. On the next play Eastern Illinois QB Scotty Gilkey dove over the line of scrimmage just breaking the plain for the winning touchdown.
Meanwhile, the Golden Rams of Albany State put a stop to a two-game losing streak with a 34-9 win over SIAC Conference foe Miles College. The win keeps ASU in the top ten in the final spot. I did not mention the fifth-ranked Bison of Howard this week because Coach Mike London and his upstart Blue had the week off.
HBCU Independents:
Edward Waters Fell to Ava Marie 48-35, Cheyney suffered the same fate at the hands of East Stroudsburg 33-13
West Virginia State beat Glenville State 34-28 and the Langston Lions improved to 4-0 beating Texas Wesleyan 34-0
CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association)
Chowan Slipped past Johnson C. Smith 10-7, Virginia Union ran past St Augustine’s 28-7, While Elizabeth City State fell to Shaw 23-17 and Winston Salem State had their way with Lincoln of PA 48-0
Lincoln (PA) at Winston Salem State
SWAC (Southern Western Athletic Conference):
Arkansas Pine-Bluff fell to Alabama A&M 24-7, Prairie View A&M mauled Jackson State 38-9
Mississippi Valley State Fell to Charleston Southern 58-7 and Southern beat Fort Valley State 31-14
SIAC (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference):
Morehouse Corraled Kentucky State 31-21 and Benedict Beat Central State 21-11
MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference): Bethune Cookman beat Savannah State 24-12
UMT Black College Football Poll 10/02/17 (Week 5):
1 Grambling St. 4-1 (Beat #8 Clark-Atlanta 31-20)
2 N. Carolina Central 3-1 (Beat Florida A&M 21-14)
3 North Carolina A&T 5-0 (Beat S.C. State 21-7)
4 Bowie State 5-0 (Beat Fayetteville State 64-31)
5 Virginia State 4-0 (Beat Livingstone 56-18)
6 Howard 2-2 (BYE Week )
7 Tennessee State 3-2 (Lost to Eastern Illinois in OT 19-16)
8 Clark -Atlanta 3-2 (Lost to #1 Grambling St 31-20)
9 Alcorn State 3-2 (Beat Texas Southern 24-17)
10 Albany State 3-2 (Beat Miles 34-9)
Honorable Mention :
Langston 4-0 (Beat Texas Wesleyan 34-0 )
Hampton 2-2 (Bye Week)
Prairie View A&M 2-2 (Beat Jackson State 38-9)
Tuskegee 3-2 (Beat Lane 28-23)
Virginia Union 3-2 (Beat St Augustine’s 28-7)
Make sure to check back for this weekends preview and the UMT player watch list.
Trevin A Jones
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