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Leaders battle in SIAC, CIAA
Lut Williams
BCSP Editor
A number of critical games involving teams at the top of the SIAC and CIAA standings are on tap this weekend as the Div. II conferences enter the final five and four weeks respectively of their regular seasons.
SIAC
In the SIAC, current league leader Albany State (5-0, 4-0 SIAC), one of only two undefeated black college teams (the MEAC's Florida A&M is the other), heads into the meat of its schedule beginning with Saturday's 6 p.m. date at Miles (3-3, 3-2).
The Miles game begins a season-ending five-game stretch where James "Mike" White's Rams will play, in succession, the five teams pursuing them (Miles, Clark Atlanta, Tuskegee, Morehouse and Fort Valley State). The Rams have already dismissed, by an average 34-3 score, the four SIAC teams at the bottom of the SIAC standings Kentucky State, Stillman, Benedict and Lane.
Albany State comes in with the league's top scoring offense (34.6 ppg.), its best passer, senior A. J. McKenna, who has completed 56% of his passes (60 of 107) for 12 touchdowns and just one interception, and top point producer in senior running back Demetrius Johnson who has been effective both running and catching the ball. Johnson's averaging 4.2 yards on 59 carries with six touchdowns and 18.2 yards on 18 receptions with five TDs. His 11 touchdowns make him the SIAC and black college scoring leader.
Billy Joe's Miles Golden Bears started with a bang getting a 23-16 upset of SIAC kingpin Tuskegee in their second game. But they have struggled since.
Last week's 36-12 loss to Fort Valley State was their third loss in four games. They did however get starting quarterback Carlton Hill back last week after he went out with a separated shoulder midway thru a 31-12 loss at Samford three weeks ago and then sat out the Bears 6-0 win over Clark Atlanta on Sept. 26. Hill completed just 12 of 34 passes in Saturday's loss.
Albany State, up to No. 5 in the BCSP rankings, has a one-game lead over Tuskegee (4-2, 4-1) and Morehouse (4-1, 3-1), who meet in Columbus, Ga. Saturday (2 p.m.) for the 74th game of their storied rivalry.
The teams are about evenly matched as they are right next to each other in eight SIAC statistical categories. Morehouse averages 30.4 points per game, fourth in the league, Tuskegee is fifth at 24.3. They are fourth and fifth in scoring defense (MHC 19.4 ppg., TU 20.5), third and fourth in total defense (MHC 263.4 ypg., TU 272.5), second and fourth in total offense (MHC 352.2 ypg., TU 331.2), second and fourth in rushing offense (MHC 158.8 ypg., TU 144.8) and third and fourth in passing offense (MHC 193.4 ypg., TU 186.3).
Morehouse QB William Brack (158.8 ypg.) and his TU counterpart Jeremy Williams (154.4) are third and fourth in passing yards per game. The teams also have two of the best playmakers in the SIAC in Morehouse WR/KR Jamar Rodriguez and TU counterpart Antoin Mitchell. Rodriguez had three receiving touchdowns and a 91-yard kickoff return TD last week against Stillman. Brack left the Stillman game with a shoulder injury and was replaced by back-up QB Dajuan Thigpen, who threw all three TD tosses to Rodriguez. Brack is questionable for Saturday's game.
In other SIAC contests, Benedict hosts Lane and Fort Valley State hosts Stillman.
CIAA
The teams at the top of both the CIAA East and West Divisions have showdowns this weekend as the league begins its stretch drive. The last four weeks of the regular season involve games between division foes.
In the East, Bowie State (4-2, 3-0 CIAA), the only team to defeat two-time defending conference champ Shaw, travels for a 1 p.m. date facing the Vikings of Elizabeth City State (4-2, 2-1). ECSU is currently tied with Virginia State (4-2, 2-1) and Virginia Union (3-3, 2-1) a half-game behind BSU.
BSU QB Tyrae Reid threw for three scores in last week's 51-20 win over Lincoln.
Virginia State, coming off a big 23-10 win over ECSU last week, hosts St. Paul's (2-3, 1-2) in a 6 p.m. start Saturday. Virginia Union plays at Lincoln's homecoming (1 p.m.).
In the West, division leader Shaw (5-1, 2-1) goes on the road to face Fayetteville State (3-3, 2-1) in a featured game to be televised on the CIAA TV Network. FSU is tied with Johnson C. Smith (3-3, 2-1), a half-game behind Shaw. In another key West Division battle, JCSU travels to Raleigh for a 1:30 meeting with St. Augustine's (1-5, 1-2).
MEAC
A week after defending MEAC champion South Carolina State (3-1, 1-0 MEAC) got its first loss, 38-14 to BCS and SEC member South Carolina, the conference's other top team, undefeated Florida A&M (4-0, 2-0), is likely in for the same Saturday (7 p.m.) against nationally-ranked, #11 Miami (3-1).
SC State returns to conference action Saturday with a big 1 p.m. match-up at Norfolk State (2-2, 1-1). If the Bulldogs emerge with a victory Saturday over NSU, they will enter next week's (Oct. 17) showdown at home vs. Florida A&M with both teams undefeated in conference play.
Howard (2-2, 0-1) rides a two-game winning streak into Hampton (2-2, 1-1) Saturday (6 p.m.) for their annual HU vs. HU battle. Morgan State (3-1, 1-0) has homecoming in Baltimore (1 p.m.) vs. North Carolina A&T (3-2, 1-1). After a week off, Delaware State (1-2, 1-1) hosts winless Bethune-Cookman (0-4, 0-3) in a 7 p.m. start.
SWAC
Prairie View's milestone 35-32 win over Grambling State Saturday, the first for the Panthers over the G-Men in 22 meetings, puts Henry Frazier's squad in the driver's seat in the SWAC West. The Panthers (2-1, 2-0) travel to Montgomery, Ala., Saturday and try to keep the momentum going in a date (1 p.m.) at Alabama State (3-1, 0-1).
In an Eastern Division match-up, Alcorn State (0-3, 0-1) hosts Mississippi Valley State (2-2, 1-1).
Grambling (2-3. 0-1) will try to rebound against an Alabama A&M (4-1, 1-0) team that is currently tied with Jackson State atop the SWAC East. AA&MU QB Kevin Atkins is hitting on 58.8% (67 of 114) of his passes with 7 TDs and just 2 interceptions and leads the league in passing efficiency (141.3). A&M running back Ulysses Banks is the SWAC's top rusher at 116 yards per game. Wideout Thomas Harris averages 15.1 yards on his 24 receptions and has scored 4 TDs.
JSU (1-3, 1-0), who knocked off Southern 22-14 last week, hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2-2, 1-1). Texas Southern (1-3, 0-1) has a date at BCS and Big East member Rutgers (3-1). Southern is off this week.
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