ASUs battle; WSSU/VSU on tap in CIAA
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
Alabama State and Miles, who upset traditional powers Florida A&M and Tuskegee respectively in Week One, could not pull off a double-whammy this past Saturday.
Alabama State (1-1, 0-0 SWAC E) battled
defending MEAC champ and BCSP No. 1
Bethune-Cookman gamely before succumbing, 31-26.
Miles (1-1, 1-1 SIAC) ran into a much tougher squad in
SIAC co-favorite Albany State and fell 27-12.
Meanwhile FAMU (1-1) and Tuskegee (1-1, 1-1 SIAC) righted their ships. FAMU shut down Morgan State 26-7 while Tuskegee handled Benedict, 26-9.
Alabama State stays on the "Games to Watch" list this week as the Hornets host Alcorn State in a key SWAC East Division battle. While Alabama State was battling No. 1 B-CC Saturday, Alcorn State took No. 2 Grambling State to task. The Braves hung with the Tigers for three quarters before losing, 40-28.
Alcorn State head coach Johnny Thomas called last Saturday's game against Grambling the biggest in his six-year career leading the Braves, but it was hardly that. That game does not count in the division standings that determine participants in the fifth annual SWAC Championship Game Dec. 13 in Birmingham. This Saturday's match-up with Alabama State does and is therefore bigger. The Grambling game was more about the pride of folks on "The Reservation," looking to end five years of losses to the Tigers under Doug Williams. Winning the East Division and getting a shot at the West Division champ for the title is the real goal, and Saturday's game is the first step in that direction.
A big game in the CIAA has Winston-Salem State (1-1, 0-0 CIAA W) hosting Virginia State (1-1, 0-0 CIAA E) in a game that will count in the divisional standings. VSU head coach Andrew Faison was the top assistant to WSSU's Kermit Blount before returning to his alma mater. The two may very well be favorites to meet again in the conference title game Nov. 15 in Durham. WSSU travelled to Macon and pulled out a tough 27-21 win over SIAC-member Fort Valley State last Saturday while VSU took it on the chin at home (34-6) vs. Kutztown.
A battle of unbeatens is set for the first Las Vegas Classic when Southern (2-0, 1-0 SWAC W) tangles with N. C. A&T (2-0, 0-0 MEAC). MBC will televise the game at 9 pm, EST. Grambling State (1-1, 0-0 SWAC W) and Alabama A&M (1-1, 0-0 SWAC E), who met in last year's SWAC Championship Game, get their conference seasons started when they meet in Shreveport (5 pm) on MBC.
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