CIAA goes down to the wire
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
The SIAC race is over and divisional races in the CIAA will be decided this weekend.
Delaware State can clinch the MEAC title this week without even playing a conference game while, with a win, Grambling State can claim the SWAC West. Alabama A&M and Jackson State do battle for the SWAC East lead.
That's the breakdown as the football season enters its final month.
SIAC
Undefeated Tuskegee (8-0, 7-0) has already clinched the SIAC title and plays its final conference game this week at its homecoming (1 p.m.) vs Clark Atlanta (3-6, 2-3). The Golden Tigers have non-conference tussles against George Mason (Nov. 10) and their traditional Thanksgiving (Turkey Day) Classic vs. Alabama State on Nov. 22. They will then likely represent the SIAC vs. a CIAA opponent in the Pioneer Bowl at Benedict College in Columbia, S.C. on. Dec. 1.
The winner of Saturday's Fountain City Classic (See story in BCSP Notes below) between Albany State and Fort Valley State will be the conference runner-up and likely represent the SIAC in the Div. II playoffs.
CIAA
The pairing for the Nov. 10 CIAA Championship Game at Charlotte's Memorial Stadium will be set this Saturday on the final weekend of the regular season.
Virginia Union (8-1, 5-1) needs a win
at Fayetteville State (4-5, 4-2) or an
Elizabeth City State (4-5, 4-2) loss hosting
Bowie State (3-6, 3-3) to clinch the East Division title
and secure its berth in the title game. A VUU
loss and win by ECSU would give the Vikings the title by virtue of their head-to-head 23-14
win over the Panthers on Oct. 13.
VUU QB Lamar Little, a surefire pick as CIAA offensive player of the year, leads head coach Arrington Jones' Panthers in their title quest. Little leads the conference in total offense (230 ypg.), passing (191.8 ypg.) and TD passes (20 with 9 ints.).
There's a similar situation in the CIAA West where Shaw (6-3, 5-1), under head coach Darrell Asberry, can clinch the division title and a trip to the championship game with a win Saturday in Durham over cross-town rival St. Augustine's (2-7, 2-4) or a loss by Fayetteville State. If FSU wins and Shaw loses, the Broncos will earn the championship game berth because of their 24-16 win over Shaw on Oct. 20.
Only Virginia Union appears alive for a Div. II playoff berth out of the CIAA in the NCAA Southeast Region. The Panthers are currently ranked eighth in the region and likely need a win Saturday to 'Earn Access' to the 24-team playoff field. The CIAA must have a team ranked in the top ten in the region to 'earn access' to the playoffs. The playoff field will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 11, the day after the CIAA title game, with the playoffs beginning on Saturday, Nov. 17. The winner of the CIAA Championship game does not get an automatic bid to the playoffs but the result could have a bearing on regional seeds.
MEAC
With only two conference games left, the only team left with a shot at catching league-leader Delaware State (7-1, 6-0) in the MEAC is Norfolk State, who suffered its first conference loss Saturday, 17-10 to Howard.
To keep its championship hopes alive, the Spartans (6-2, 5-1) will have to get a win on the road at dangerous Morgan State (5-4, 4-2) Saturday (4 p.m.).
The Bears are a controversial botched call away from being in first place in the conference. Their challenge of a crucial fourth-quarter call in a 25-17 loss to DelState on Oct. 20 was upheld by the conference last week. MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas said an MSU goal-line fumble and subsequent 100-yard TD return by DSU's Akeem Green should have been ruled an MSU touchdown. Thomas said the officials involved in the call will be suspended.
If Norfolk State can get by Morgan State, it will set up a showdown with DelState in Dover, Del., Saturday Nov. 10 for the conference lead.
No one however will catch or gain ground on Delaware State this week, who travels
to Winston-Salem State's homecoming (2
p.m.) for a non-conference affair.
Though WSSU (5-3) will not be eligible for the MEAC title until next season, head coach Kermit Blount's Rams are certainly showing that they're ready to compete after leaving the CIAA and NCAA Div. II status to move up to NCAA Div. I, the MEAC and the Championship Subdivision in football. After their 20-19 home win Saturday over three-time MEAC champ Hampton, the Rams are 5-2 against MEAC opponents this season, good enough for third place if they were in the standings. Their only losses are by a field goal (24-21) to Howard and 20-7 to South Carolina State.
SWAC
With only two conference games left, Grambling State (7-1, 7-0) has a two-game lead over Southern (6-2, 4-2) in the SWAC West Division and can clinch the division title and a berth in the Dec. 15 Championship Game in Birmingham with a win Saturday at Alabama State (4-4, 3-4) or a Southern loss at winless Texas Southern (0-8, 0-7).
This week's biggest game has SWAC East leaders Alabama A&M (7-1, 5-1) and Jackson State (5-3, 5-1) battling in Normal, Al., at 1:30 p.m. The winner will move a game up with two conference games left. The game will pit two of the most prolific quarterbacks and offensive talents in the league in A&M's Kelcy Luke (206 passing ypg., 17 TDs, 6 ints.) and JSU's Jimmy Oliver (171 passing ypg., 8 TDs, 5 ints.).
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