Week 1 lived up to the hype. We had a game-of-the-year candidate, a few expected wins, and a couple of surprises to open up the HBCU football season in full.
Week 2 showcases more non-conference matchups, featuring some Division I vs. Division II games that might be closer on the field than on paper.
Week 1’s predictions were solid, even with the surprises, so let’s see what we’ve got for Week 2. Before the picks, however, let’s recap Week 1 quickly.
Record: 23-5
Best Pick: Florida A&M 27, South Carolina State 24 (Florida A&M won 22-18)
Worst Pick: Fort Valley State 27, Clark Atlanta 16 (Clark Atlanta won 45-42)
Game Of the Week: Virginia Union (1-0) at Hampton (0-1), Saturday, Sept. 7, 6 p.m. EST, FloFootball
Yes, Virginia Union is a Division II team, but they looked like a Division II contender after spotting Kentucky State a 7-0 lead and then running up and down the field after that.
Jada Byers averaged 15 yards per carry before his day was finished early and quarterback R.J. Rosales had a successful debut in throwing for 233 yards and two touchdowns.
The Panther defense held the Thorobreds to 90 yards of total offense the entire game, perhaps handing out a warning that they are the CIAA’s best team until further notice.
Hampton, in a losing effort, did something only Norfolk State and Yale could do last season: it gave Morgan State’s defense a hard time.
The Pirates turned to junior quarterback Malcolm Mays to jumpstart their offense after an early turnover, and he did just that, running for 63 yards on four carries and completing an efficient 13 of 17 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns. If Mays is capable of that level of production, the Pirates could surprise some teams in the Coastal this season.
In the business of college sports, this game is an example of how things change over time. 30 years ago, this was a CIAA rivalry game.
Since then, Hampton has moved up to Division I and competed in three different conferences (MEAC, Big South, now CAA), while Union has remained a CIAA/Division II pillar of strength.
This game could go either way and the deciding factor could be who’s offense shows up first and on a more consistent basis.
Prediction: Hampton 31, Virginia Union 28
Miles at Alabama State, Saturday, Sept. 7, 6 p.m. EST, ESPN+
The Hornets nearly overcame a 21-point deficit in last weekend’s Orange Blossom Classic but now face a Golden Bears team who pulled off a 21-17 upset in Montgomery last season.
The key for the Hornets will be deciding on a quarterback.
Andrew Body ran ASU back into contention Sunday but left the game with what appeared to be a hand injury. If that keeps him out of this game, then the offensive line must give Jonah O’Brian time to throw the football.
Miles lost a heartbreaker at West Alabama last Saturday and they’ll look to regroup against an always tough Division I opponent.
MC’s offense is led by junior Kamren Ivory, who threw for 211 yards and two touchdowns while leading the team in rushing (44 yards), and their defense was sparked by junior defensive end Jamichael Rogers’ 7 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and a sack last weekend.
It could be a slight overreaction to say this is a must-win for Alabama State, but after getting off to a slow and costly start against North Carolina Central and then having to face a team that upset them last season, an 0-2 start would be devastating to their Celebration Bowl hopes.
Prediction: Alabama State 21, Miles 14
Virginia State (1-0) at Norfolk State (0-2), Saturday, Sept. 7, 4 p.m. EST, ESPN+
The Trojans looked like a CIAA favorite in taking down Benedict in Sunday’s Black College Hall of Fame Classic, but the competition gets a little tougher this weekend as their annual trip to Norfolk features a Spartan team ready to grab a win after two tough losses.
The offensive philosophies will be pretty similar as both teams feature multiple running backs who pick up yards through holes created by powerful offensive lines. Seeing as both teams have excellent defensive lines as well, this will be a fun matchup if you like trench warfare.
If Norfolk State starts fast, they should be able to walk away with a win, but if it’s down the wire, such as last year’s unbelievable finish that saw VSU win 33-24, then the Trojans have a shot at two wins in a row at Dick Price Stadium.
Prediction: Norfolk State 27, Virginia State 17
Tuskegee (0-1) at Grambling State (0-1), Saturday, Sept. 7, 7 p.m. EST, HBCU GO
In a matchup of Tigers, Grambling will look to rebound from a tough loss at Louisiana while the Golden Tigers of Tuskegee are anxious to get the bitter taste of a Red Tails Classic defeat to Johnson C. Smith out of their mouths.
Grambling’s offense will look to find a rhythm, whether that’s with preseason All-SWAC quarterback Myles Crawley throwing or the running back tandem of Ke’Travion Hargrove and LSU transfer Tre’ Bradford picking up yardage on the ground.
Tuskegee may have an edge in the passing game as GSU allowed 363 yards through the air at Louisiana last weekend. The Golden Tigers passed for 182 yards and their lone offensive touchdown Sunday, so look for that to be part of their plan of attack.
Prediction: Grambling 31, Tuskegee 14
Division I
Bethune-Cookman 23, Mercer 20
Miami (Fl.) 35, Florida A&M 17
Northwestern State 29, Prairie View 13
Lamar 34, Mississippi Valley State 14
Rice 25, Texas Southern 18
Alabama A&M 33, Kentucky State 10
Southern 24, Savannah State 14
Jackson State 32, Lane 13
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 30, Arkansas Baptist 17
Vanderbilt 28, Alcorn State 20
North Dakota State 35, Tennessee State 15
North Carolina A&T 27, Winston-Salem State 14
Morgan State 21, Towson 12
Howard 34, Mercyhurst 11
North Carolina Central 30, Elon 27
South Carolina State 17, The Citadel 16
Division II/NAIA
Lincoln (Pa.) 31, Clarion 27
Chowan 18, Elizabeth City State 13
Concord 27, Bluefield State 10
Lenoir-Rhyne 16, Bowie State 14
Johnson C. Smith 20, Morehouse 10
Albany State 24, Shaw 18
Fayetteville State 19, UNC-Pembroke 17
Livingstone 32, Virginia-Lynchburg 15
Edward Waters 23, Florida Memorial 21
Clark Atlanta 35, Allen 24
West Virginia State 26, Barton 21
Quincy (Ill.) 21, Lincoln (Mo.) 16
Langston 20, Central Oklahoma 19
Texas College 28, Westgate Christian 24