CIAA, MEAC battles highlight week 9
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
Defending CIAA champion Shaw (5-3, 4-1) and head coach Deondri Clark can take their second straight East Division title and second straight berth in the (Nov. 5) CIAA Championship Game in Durham with a win in Raleigh Saturday over Virginia State (5-3, 4-1). A win would give the Bears victories over their two closest pursuers, VSU and Bowie State, who they defeated 22-20 on October 1.
Shaw defeated Virginia State, 26-23 last year
en route to taking its first grid title in 47 years.
A Shaw loss however puts Virginia State and their head coach Andrew Faison in the driver's seat headed to their final regular season game next week (Oct. 29) in Petersburg vs. Bowie State. The Trojans would have to beat BSU to secure the division title.
BSU (6-2, 3-2) is also still alive for a shot at the division crown. The Bulldogs play at Virginia Union (2-6, 1-4) Saturday before taking on VSU next week. They need to defeat VUU and hope VSU knocks off Shaw. They then would have to defeat VSU on Oct. 29 to gain a share of the crown.
Three teams are also still alive for the West Division title. Undefeated St. Augustine's (8-0, 5-0) took over sole possession of first place after its narrow 20-14 win Saturday over Livingstone and Winston-Salem State's 20-17 loss to N. C. Central. Both 7-1 NCCU and 4-4 WSSU are 4-1 on their division ledger.
St. Aug's hosts three-time defending West Division champion Fayetteville State (4-4, 2-3) in Raleigh, Saturday. A Falcons win would mean a loss Saturday by either NCCU, which hosts Livingstone, or WSSU, which hosts J. C. Smith, could knock either out of the championship picture. If all three win, the division crown will come down to the Oct. 29 game between St. Aug's and WSSU.
In the Southeast Region, St. Aug's stayed at No. 1 for the third week in a row. NCCU is third. Six teams from the region will make the NCAA Div. II playoff field.
Undefeated Hampton (7-0, 5-0) moved up to No. 4 in the Sports Network NCAA Div. I-AA national poll this week following its 55-14 thrashing of Norfolk State. The Pirates have their biggest challenge to date when they bring in South Carolina State Saturday (2 pm) for homecoming. Joe Taylor's Pirates knocked off Buddy Pough's Bulldogs 52-36 a year ago.
The Bulldogs improved to 5-1 with a dominating 49-3 win over Florida A&M. Their only loss this season came on the final play of the game vs. No. 14 Coastal Carolina. SCSU is 19th in the national poll and a perfect 3-0 in the MEAC.
Elsewhere, Delaware State spoiled N. C. A&T's homecoming with a 23-13 win and has just one loss in conference play (to Hampton). The Hornets host Morgan State this week for homecoming and head to SC State for its homecoming next week.
SIAC
Tuskegee handed Fort Valley State its first conference loss Saturday, 27-14, forging a three-way tie atop the conference standings in the loss column between FVSU (6-2, 6-1), Tuskegee (6-1, 5-1) and Albany State (5-1, 5-1).
Albany State has games remaining against Benedict (Sat., in Albany), and Morehouse (on 10/29) before a regular season-ending battle against FVSU, Nov. 5 in Columbus, Ga. Defending SIAC champ Albany State is currently fourth in the Southeast Region.
Tuskegee plays at Lane Saturday, then hosts Clark Atlanta (10/29) before finishing its SIAC schedule vs. Kentucky State on Nov. 5. Tuskegee is not eligible for the playoffs because of its Nov. 24 game at Alabama State.
West Division leader Grambling State (4-1, 4-0) faces Jackson State (2-4, 2-2) Saturday for the Blue Tigers' homecoming (4:30 p.m.). Last season JSU head coach James Bell got perhaps his biggest win knocking off the G-Men 32-23 at Grambling. That was with Grambling playing without QB Bruce Eugene who has returned to lead the conference in passing (329 ypg.), total offense (344.2 ypg.) and TD passes (19). Eugene threw four TD passes Saturday against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and now has 103 for his career, trailing only Willie Totten (Miss. Valley State, 141) Steve McNair (Alcorn State, 119)) and Robert Kent (Jackson State, 104) in SWAC all-time statistics. Grambling has a 2 1/2 game lead in the West.
East Division leader Alabama State (6-1, 6-0), who leads the East by two games in the loss column, is idle.
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