Battles for top spots continue
Showdown week may be over but the battles for conference supremacy rage on.
In the CIAA West, Fayetteville State (3-3, 1-2 CIAA W) needs a win at North Carolina Central (6 p.m.) to stay in the race for its fourth straight division title. NCCU (5-1, 3-1) suffered its first loss last week to unbeaten St. Augustine's (6-0, 3-0) who entertains winless Johnson C. Smith (0-6, 0-3) for its homecoming at 4 p.m. in Raleigh. Winston-Salem State (3-3, 3-0), now tied atop the West with St. Aug's, has a 6 p.m. date at Livingstone (1-5, 1-3).
Virginia State's homecoming (1:30 p.m.) in Petersburg, Va. vs. St. Paul's turns out to be the Game of the Week in the CIAA East. VSU, SPC and Shaw have identical 3-3 overall and lead the division with 2-1 conference records. Shaw takes on Virginia Union (2-4, 1-2) at the Panthers' homecoming in Richmond.
In the MEAC, conference leader Hampton (5-0, 4-0 MEAC) plays out of conference Saturday at Gardner-Webb (1:30 p.m.). South Carolina State (3-1, 1-0) travels to Norfolk State (1-3, 0-2) for a 7:30 p.m. Thursday night game to be carried on ESPNU. DelState (2-3, 1-1) and Bethune-Cookman (4-1, 2-1) go at it at 1 p.m. in Dover, Del.
The SIAC Game of the Week has Fort Valley State (5-1), who now sits atop the conference with a 4-0 mark, travelling to homecoming (1:30 p.m.) at 4-2 Kentucky State who is tied for second in the conference with a 3-1 mark. Tuskegee (4-1, 3-1) will look to rebound from its first loss of the season facing Morehouse (2-3, 1-3) in Columbus, Ga. (2:30 p.m.).
The SWAC has E. Div. leader Alabama State (4-1, 4-0) at Jackson State (2-2, 2-0) in a battle for the division lead. Southern (1-2, 1-2 W) and Alabama A&M (3-2, 1-2 E) battle at Southern's homecoming (6:30 p.m.) with both looking to stay alive in their respective division races. West Division leader Grambling (2-1, 2-0) hosts Mississippi Valley State (2-2, 2-2 E).
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